I know what you're thinking: the extreme uselessness of these mini CDs for the average listener. But knowing that it contains "Bless the Child," two exceptional live tracks, and all the bonus tracks that appeared in the singles (except "Lagoon") before "Once" might make you reconsider.
"Bless the Child" is the piece we all know, with its majestic and regal atmosphere and excellent orchestrations. One of the highest points of Century Child.
The live tracks are "Come Cover Me" and "Dead Boy’s Poem," along with Wanderlust, the best pieces from Wishmaster, two tracks that maintain the same wonderful atmospheres even live.

The bonus tracks are almost all of good quality: no cast-offs here! Even though listening to tracks one after another from such distant and different eras and styles definitely leaves a certain impression. "The Wayfafer" is a fast symphonic power piece, "A Return To The Sea" is a beautiful piece, very atmospheric and enchanting, "Sleepwalker" is a nice dreamy and refined piece that participated in the Eurorock Festival in 2000 but lost, "Nightquest" is a playful and very heavy track. The only off-key note (pun intended) is given by the piece "Once Upon a Troubador": based only on an acoustic guitar, very folk, with a very young Tuomas (we're talking about the times of Angels Fall First) who's more out of tune than ever.
If you're a fan of Nightwish, buy it sight unseen (pieces like "Sleepwalker," "Nightquest," and "A Return To The Sea" will delight you). For others, listen first.

Tracklist and Lyrics

01   Bless the Child (single edit) (04:07)

02   Lagoon (03:46)

Imagine a perfect beach
Without a mermaid
Imagine a perfect hideaway
Without a time

Ocean Soul

Imagine a perfect Eden
Without a friend without a serpent

Ocean Soul
Lonely Soul

"Feeling lonely and content at the same time,
I believe,
is a rare kind of happiness"

Ocean Soul
Lonely Soul

03   The Wayfarer (03:21)

I went into the wilderness with Uncle Walt
I discovered the wild
Learning to suck all the experience
Seeing the world through cradle's bars

The wild blessed me with an errant mind
Showing the way for the ultimate lore
I went around the world, beyond the wild
Finding my home from an ocean shore

Wayfarer, heartlander
What if I only had
One more night to live

Home is where the way is
My road goes on forever
One more voyage to go

Wayfarer, heartlander
What if I only had
One more night to live

Dead to the world
Alive for the journey

Wayfarer, heartlander
What if I only had
One more night to live

Home is where the way is
My road goes on forever
One more voyage to go

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