The Book of Secrets is the sixth studio album by Loreena McKennitt, released on September 30, 1997. It reached #17 on the Billboard 200. The lead single of the album, "The Mummers' Dance," remixed by DNA, was released during the winter of 1997–98, and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #17 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.
The album is certified double-platinum in the United States. It has now sold more than four million copies worldwide.
Contents
Track listing
All music written by Loreena McKennitt. All lyrics written by Loreena McKennitt except as noted.
"Prologue" – 4:22
"The Mummers' Dance" – 6:07
"Skellig" – 6:07
"Marco Polo" – 5:15
"The Highwayman" (lyric by Alfred Noyes, abridged by Loreena McKennitt) – 10:19
"La Serenissima" – 5:09
"Night Ride Across the Caucasus" – 8:30
"Dante's Prayer" – 7:11
Song information
The DNA remix of "The Mummers' Dance" was made into a music video.
"Skellig" relates the dying words of a monk from a monastery that existed during the 6th–12th centuries on the island Skellig Michael (Great Skellig), 11.6 km west of Ireland.
"The Highwayman" is an adaptation of the poem of the same name by Alfred Noyes.
"Night Ride Across the Caucasus" appeared in the 1998 film Soldier.
The music from "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" was used in the song "Kokli" by Ulytau.
"Dante's Prayer" refers to Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
Personnel
This information is directly from the sleeve notes.
Loreena McKennitt – vocals (tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8), piano (track 8), keyboards, harp (track 6), kanun (track 1), accordion (tracks 4, 5)
Anne Bourne – cello (track 6)
Aidan Brennan – acoustic guitar (track 3), mandola (tracks 4, 7)
Martin Brown – acoustic guitar (track 5), mandolin (track 5), mandola (track 5)
Stuart Bruce – assembled drone (track 1), vocal drone (4)
Paul Clarvis – snare drum (track 5)
Nigel Eaton – hurdy-gurdy (track 2, 4)
Steáfán Hannigan – bodhrán (track 5)
Nick Hayley – sarangi (track 7), rebec (track 7), lira da braccio (track 7)
Brian Hughes – oud (tracks 2, 4, 7), electric guitar (tracks 1, 5), acoustic guitar (tracks 4, 5, 7), irish bouzouki (tracks 4, 5, 7), guitar synthesizer (track 4), classical guitar (track 6), vocal drone (track 4)
Robin Jeffrey – Victorian guitar (track 6)
Martin Jenkins – mandocello (tracks 3, 4, 5, 7)
Manu Katché – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7)
Caroline Lavelle – cello (tracks 2, 5, 8)
Rick Lazar – percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7)
Production
As listed in CD booklet:
Produced by Loreena McKennitt; assisted by Brian Hughes & Donald Quan
Recorded & Mixed by Kevin Killen (recorded track 1; mixed tracks 1, 2, 5 & 7) & Stuart Bruce (recorded tracks 2–8; mixed tracks 3, 4, 6 & 8)
Recording & mix assisted by Jacquie Turner, Justin Griffith, Marco Migliara
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
All songs published by Quinlan Road Music, except in Europe, South America & Southeast Asia (Quinlan Road Music/BMG Music Publishing International)