Customer Reviews

Before the Poison

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have to say that my respect for Marianne Faithfull has been greater for her character and the bare honesty with which she's lived her life, than due to my love for most of her recordings of the last fifteen years.
Of course, this has changed dramatically with the release of Before The Poison. This album reveals Faithfull's talent and depth of emotion more than anything in a long time, perhaps harking back as far as Broken English.
It is, actually, an interesting paradox, that she can sound so authentically herself although most of the great songs in this CD have been written by other people, and in some cases -No Child Of Mine and Last Song- recorded by their authors before this album was even planned.
Whereas Kissin' Time, her album prior to this, also counted on a host of great writers -Beck, Jarvis Cocker and Billy Corgan- this one takes the promise of those collaborations to a higher, more intense level.
Eight of the ten songs included here are written or co-written by Nick Cave or PJ Harvey, and the chemistry between them and Ms. Faithfull is stunning.
Harvey's The Mystery Of Love and In The Factory could have been included in Uh Huh Her, yet sung by Marianne they were worth saving for this record. In them you'll find the same fierce vulnerability that Harvey's latest exuded. Of course, Child Of Mine -which was included in Uh Huh Her- deserves the same praise, as Faithfull's weathered and wise voice carves new truths out of it.
No less impressive is Cave's work. There Is A Ghost and Crazy Love must be counted among Cave's most accomplished ballads, as touching and solemnly vulnerable as the best of Boatman's Call.
Last but not least, her version of Damon Albarn's Last Song is equally impressive. Again, she took a beautiful song in its original version -in Blur's Think Tank- and birthed a distinct and soulful version.
I doubt that there'll be many albums this young year that will surpass the heart, strength and utter wisdom of these songs. I doubt even more that there will be voices -new or old- that will rival what Marianne Faithfull's can evoke and make you feel.
To listen to this album is to be in the glorious presence of the dark and intimate journal of a true artist.

I'm admittedly a huge Marianne Faithfull fan. Nonetheless some of her stuff is way better than others. In this scope of fair disclosure, it's quite a pleasure to highly recommend her new CD.

This is one of the most honest CDs ever recorded. Most of it, co-written with PJ Harvey and Nick Cave, illustrate they certainly understand Ms. Faithfull's unique vocal texture, colorful musical pedigree, and general perspective on life. Production is appropriately sparse and allows her voice to occupy center stage.

The sound is some blend of very late-night blues with cabaret/broadway. What we get for investing a listen is genuine, never cheesy, mature outlooks on love, complete with all its mysteries, uncertainties, and hopes.

The range of songs is spectacular. I'm knocked out with "My Friends Have" and "Desperanto," which couldn't be more polar tunes. "Crazy Love" and "The Mystery of Love" are also standouts.

I'll be listening to this CD repeatedly for a long, long time. And what more could I ever ask an artist to do?

Marianne's recent knack for finding sympathetic co-conspirators continues. This brooding album showcases contributions by singer-songwriters P.J. Harvey and Nick Cave, and the collaboration is dark even in its quieter moments. Unlike the pop setting of her 2002 album "Kissin' Time" which featured Beck and Dave Stewart, there's not a remake of "I'm into Something Good" on this disk. Even the song titles here ("No Child of Mine," "Crazy Love," "Before the Poison") sketch the risky and uncertain facets of human nature. What makes these songs resonate is Marianne's beautiful ruin of a voice, and when she closes the set with the delicate music-box ballad "City of Quartz" there's still no relief from the tension of her jagged lyric and sandpaper-tough delivery. Age and excess may have robbed Marianne of some of her vocal gifts but songwriting remains her stronger suit. Highly recommended.

Marianne Faithfull is the quintessential rock star. If you move past her sorted history, you find an artist who truly knows how to define her craft. Ms. Faithfull's voice has a limited range yet she uses this to her advantage. This time around, she enlists the help of P.J. Harvey, Damon Albarn and Nick Cave to name a few. Instead of masking herself with their tunes, she absorbs their artistry and makes each song her own. (It's as if you beleive what she sings is her own experiences)

Few artists are able to covey such powerful emotion. What examples? "There Is A Ghost" and the title track alone make this album worth it. Harvey's contributions are an almost polar opposite to 2002's Kissin' Time.

This album dosen't "rock out" but it's impossible to deny Faithfull's placement among the greats. Though there are a couple missteps, this album is by far the most exciting album to emerge in 2005. (Other artists should take note that their work is cut out for them) Not since Broken English (her own album) has a female set the bar a notch or two higher for the next generation of rock stars...and to think, Marianne was defining a generation before some of these so called "rock goddesses" were even in diapers.

its kind of sad that in america marianne faithfull is known for just 2 things "as tears go by" and her love affair with mick jagger...im here to tell you that ms. faithfull has made some of the best albums in the last 20 years, starting with "broken english and now "before the poison"...this album is both decadent and beautiful...5 of the songs are co-written by p.j. harvey..."my friends have" is a non-stop churning song that keeps coming at you..her nick cave collabration "crazy love" is the centerpiece of this marvellous lp, its sheer beauty is astounding. most of the songs are only aided by an acoustic guitar, a crying violin and some tinkling piano....except for "desperanto" also co-written with nick cave which is a sonic blast to you ears and then fades into "city of quartz" with just her tortured voice over some chimes, a fitting close to another marianne classic...this is another album starting with "broken english" then 1995's "secret life",1999's "vagabound ways" and 2002's "kissin time" that make a body of work that surpasses all her sixties cronies, she is by far the most important artist from the 60s'...and for my money the best artist over that last 15 years....this album is a hidden gem, just like her other albums............buy now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anthony Rupert get's it wrong below. I am not a Marianne Faithfull fan really, I don't know that I have every even listened to a full Marianne Faithfull album before.
I am a fan of this CD though. The song construction throughout is fresh and unlike much else that is out there.
I would have missed this album all together, but I happened to be in the same restaurant with Elvis Costello a few years back. I overheard him having a conversation with a fan when the topic of Marianne Faithfull came up. Elvis highly praised this release, so I sought it out to listen to it.
I concur with Elvis. If you are board with contemporary music and musicians, I would encourage you to give this one a listen.
Also Anthony, 'My Friends Have' is a great song.

I have played this Marianne Faithfull offering constantly since the day I bought it about a month ago. I've sent the "My Friends Have" selection to all my closest chums because nobody has said it or sang about them better. To return the favor I wanted to say "Thank you" to Marianne, the best friend I've never met. During the darkest moments you've been there with your music and vision like a candle for the dark night of the soul. You are some of the GOLD I've grabbed from the mountains of garbage closing in on me. You've captured, on this CD especially, the place where memories of pain and regret are realized and transformed. Break a leg at Park West, luv!

This is a very strong effort from Marianne Faithfull. Although I enjoyed her last CD "Kissin' Time," I thought that it was a little overproduced. This CD is stripped down, a little more raucous in places, and isn't as watered down by production effects. All around it is more consistent. Her voice is in fine form, and the lyrics to the songs are wonderful.

The real treat for me is the presence of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on a few of the tracks: "Crazy Love," "There is a Ghost," and "Desperanto." To have Nick and Marianne collaborate is truly a dream come true. Of course, they both excel at exploring the darker and more melancholy sides of existence. The contributions of PJ Harvey are also quite formidable, and fit in seamlessly in terms of thematic tone with the songs written by Marianne/Cave. It is a fine listen from the first song to the last, so feel free to close the black drapes, light the candles, turn on the CD, and have a nice gothic evening filled with meat on a plate cooked very, very rare.

What a fantastic experience, listening to this album. As much as I enjoyed Kissin' Time, Before The Poison stands as a whole, most definitely thanks to Marianne Faithfull's choice in collaborators. Polly Jean Harvey and Nick Cave, in particular, stand out as true devotees to the power of Faithfull's instrument.
Like the AllMusic Guide's review, I find No Child Of Mine to be the flagpole that the other songs fit around. Magnificent in its melancholy, it strikes the mood fairly early on and harnesses every other song firmly to the solid ground.
Organic sounds replace the overwhelming technology of Kissin' Time to satisfying results. Marianne Faithfull's voice needs room to breathe and move and this album's instrumental tracks do nothing to hinder her power. A masterful piece of work.

For me, this is her most satisfying album since the mighty Broken English. I guess being a Nick and Polly Jean fan, I am somewhat biased in rating the music, but this really is a great album.

Every track has something distinctive, from the Cirkus of Death feel in City of Quartz, the closing number, to gothic ballads such as There Is A Ghost and the punchy My Friends Have; and the minimalist style is a breath of fresh air in an age of over-production.

The striking cover photo presumably contrasts the innocence of youth as symbolized by the young girl lying aross Marianne's lap with the spiritual attrition that results from Life, age and experience.

Brilliant.