This memoir by the original drummer of English experimental band Dead Can Dance has got namedropping down to a science ;)

Even though I knew that DCD was on the 4AD label, I didn't realize quite what that meant. In this memoir, Ulrich discusses not only the beginning of DCD and how he came to be involved, but all the bands, most of the 4AD band if not all, that he toured with and even worked with. On one of their first tours they were the support band for the Cocteau Twins! Ulrich was one of the two drummers in the 4AD universe, and he was called to drum for Modern English and other bands on some recordings.

This introduction to the history of Dead Can Dance was not only the story of the band itself but also a point in time, and a documentation of a seminal record label. I really enjoyed hearing more about Dead Can Dance and their experiences with some of the best musicians of the 1980s.

I received a promotional copy and am giving an honest review.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Red Hen Press for an advanced copy of this biography about a man, a band, his music and what he learned along the way.

Before CD burners and file sharing I worked for a number of years in an independent record shop that was well known not only for our musical selection, but the musical snobbery of our staff. Again this was before the Internet, so knowledge was gained from reading British music magazines, ICE for bootlegs and what we picked up at shows or from our customers. The store had a large import section and the label that sold the best and had the most turnover was 4AD. Import singles, 12 inch, vinyl, bootlegs, it didn't really matter. They were a label of quality, and people were willing spend to find out. Import CDs usually weren't sealed so we could play pretty much anything and that is how I first heard Dead Can Dance. Their music was like a soundscape, sort of like the musical soundtracks they would later be known for. The sounds, the beats, the vocalizations everything was different, and wonderful. They were a band ahead of their time. And Peter Ulrich was there as they found their sound. Drumming with Dead Can Dance and Parallel Adventures tells the story of the band as he saw it, his life before and after, and a lot about music and percussion.

Peter Ulrich was unhappy and needing a change from his job when he received a call out of the blue to audition for a band that he had never heard of, but happened to live in the same estate that he was living at in London. Ulrich had been in bands but had been away from music for awhile, and thought that nothing would come of it. The music he was asked to play along with was difficult and different, and thought he had botched it until the woman said well I guess he is in the band. Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry had started the band, Dead Can Dance in Australia, had some success, came to London and lost two members, and had to start on the bottom. Soon Ulrich was drumming and beginning to look at music in a totally different way as the band worked their way up, finally signing with 4AD and gaining a reputation. However life doesn't stop for music, and Ulrich had to step away from the band. That is when is life really began.

Peter Ulrich is not only a good drummer, and a fine composer, but Ulrich is a really good writer. I have never really read a band story that didn't have blow out fights, drunken fights, or egos getting in the way of the story, especially getting in the way of the story. Ulrich tells the story like it was, or in the case of a night buying dinner, lets the other person tell their version. I have read a lot of books about music, bands, and history, and usually there is some grudge settling, or a spat from 40 years ago that no one remembers except the writer or source, but Ulrich is that rare person who seems to have enjoyed his time, left for good reasons, and stayed friendly with everyone. The book is a fascinating look at a band on the rise, touring in the 80's and 90's and what it took to prepare, and how they did so. Except for stories about other bands starting fights, or tossing televisions out the window, this is not a story of excess. Just a story about a guy, his friends, and a life about music, and his family.

A really good book about a band that really was unique. There is a lot about different percussion instruments, techniques and equipment. Plus the appendix offers a nice guide to world music for those who are interested. One of most informative, without gossip or grudges books on music that I have read.