Easy Come, Easy Go

Marianne Faithfull | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 17, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B001QVMJUQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,400 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Down From Dover

2. Hold On Hold On

3. Solitude

4. Crane Wife

5. Easy Come Easy Go

6. Children Of Stone

7. Many Worlds

8. In Germany Before The War

9. Ooh Baby

10. The Phoenix

11. Dear God Please Help Me

12. Sing Me Back Home

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Marianne Faithfull's long and distinguished career has seen her emerge as one of the most original female singersongwriters this country has produced; Utterly unsentimental yet somehow affectionate, Marianne possesses that rare ability to transform any lyric into something compelling and utterly personal; and not just on her own songs, for she has become a master of the art of finding herself in the words and music of others. Marianne Faithfull's story, has of course, been well documented, not least in her entertaining and insightful autobiography FAITHFULL (1994). Born in Hampstead in December 1946 Faithfull's career as the crown princess of swinging London was launched with As Tears Go By; the first song ever written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, five albums followed whilst Marianne also embarked on a parallel career as an actress, both on film in GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE (1968) and on stage in Chekhov's THREE SISTERS (1967) and HAMLET (1969) By the end of the Sixties personal problems halted Marianne's career and her drug addiction took over. Faithfull emerged tentatively in the mid-Seventies with a country album called DREAMIN' MY DREAMS (1976) but it was her furious re-surfacing on BROKEN ENGLISH in 1979 that definitively brought her back. Further new wave explorations followed with DANGEROUS ACQUAINTANCES (1981) and A CHILD'S ADVENTURE (1983). But despite her new creative vigour, Marianne was not entirely free of the chemicals that had ravaged her in the sixties. Displaying a sadness tempered by optimism, and a despair rescued by humour Marianne returned, finally clean with a collection of classic pop, blues and art songs on the critically lauded STRANGE WEATHER (1987). A live retrospective followed on BLAZING AWAY (CD&VHS 1990), which ably displayed why Faithfull has become one of the most sought after concert artists of the last 30 years.

New directions were taken on A SECRET LIFE (1995) co-written with the Italian composer Angelo Badalementi, and in her exploration of the music of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht; Beginning in 1991 with her performance in the Threepenny Opera, at the Gate Theatre in Dublin and continuing with 20TH CENTURY BLUES (1996). This journey concluded with her important recording of the opera THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS (1998). Marianne returned to her mainstream musical career with the release of one of her most admired albums, VAGABOND WAYS in 1999. The millennium ushered in a period of renewed creative vigour that saw Marianne return to her acting career in INTIMACY (2001), MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006), and her acclaimed starring role in IRINA PALM (2006) for which she was nominated at the EFA for best actress. Two acclaimed albums followed based around collaborations with other artists that put her firmly back in the rock idiom KISSIN TIME (2002) with Billy Corgan, Beck, Pulp and Blur and more successfully with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Damon Albarn and Jon Brion on BEFORE THE POISON (2004). Marianne also returned to the stage in THE BLACK RIDER (2004), a Faustian musical written by old friends Tom Waits and the late William Burroughs. Health scares put Marianne out of action for much of 2005 and 2006 but in 2007 Marianne toured the world and released a second volume of memoirs detailing a more personal side of her life called MEMORIES DREAMS AND REFLECTIONS (2007).

A recent trip to the BBC archives showed that almost all Marianne's live broadcasts from the sixties had survived. In a return to the label that made her name, Decca classics will be releasing the 20 track collection MARIANNE FAITHFULL LIVE AT THE BBC in the summer of 2008. The collection includes all her early hits and many less well known recordings. Marianne is backed throughout by the Mike Leander Orchestra with guitarist Jon Mark and delivers strong confident performances that in several cases go beyond the interpretations she put down on record. Marianne's new album EASY COME, EASY GO will be released at the end of 2008. Recorded over a two week period at the historic Sear Sound studios in New York, All the songs have been chosen by Marianne and Hal. The album includes interpretations of songs from such varied artists as Billie Holiday's `Solitude', Merle Haggard's `Sing Me Back Home', Bessie Smith's `Easy Come Easy Go Blues' (the title track), Morrissey `Dear God Please Help Me' and Dolly Parton `Down From Dover'. Using a brass band and string section, the band also reunites Marianne with Marc Ribot, and Barry Reynolds. Both Marianne and Hal feel the album is one of their best to date. Marianne will also be doing some special readings throughout 2008 of Shakespeare's love sonnets, accompanied by a cello. While the defining statements of many artists are made during their early years, Marianne Faithfull continues to develop her own voice: She sets herself aside from her contemporaries in her continuing quest to explore new creative areas in a career that has always been a positive process of self-assertion.

Product Description

U.S. pressing of this release including two bonus tracks: 'The Phoenix' and 'Dear God Please Help Me'. Easy Come Easy Go is a collaboration between the British icon and producer Hal Wilner. All the songs have been chosen by Marianne and Hal, and range from Billie Holiday's 'Solitude' to 'The Crane Wife' by current band The Decemberists. Other tracks include songs originally by Merle Haggard, Espers, Bessie Smith, Morrissey, Dolly Parton and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Easy Come, Easy Go also includes some interesting guest performances from Keith Richards, Antony Hegarty, Jarvis Cocker, Rufus Wainwright, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Warren Ellis, Nick Cave, Sean Lennon, Cat Power and Teddy Thompson. Decca.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Queen Marianne, March 17, 2009

By 

Mike B. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Easy Come, Easy Go (Audio CD)

Marianne Faithfull's new CD "Easy Come Easy Go" is a winning combination of her two most-praised albums. It offers some rock that could belong on her 1979 classic "Broken English" (though it's less synthy and more organic) - but more often sounds like her slower, low-key 1987 release "Strange Weather".

"Strange Weather" was produced by Hal Willner, and he does the same here. He plays the same role as Rick Rubin did with later-period Johnny Cash. Willner pitches hundreds of songs to her, then together they narrow it down. He hires master musicians and arrangers and does all the prep work up front, then they enter the studio and knock it out (this was recorded in 10 days). Willner gets the best out of Marianne, and I'd say this is her best album ever. Yep, it's a masterpiece. They chose great songs, and she nails every track.

The record features numerous guest stars, but they are all very much in a background capacity. If you're considering buying this because you're a fan of, say, Keith Richards or Nick Cave - be advised that they are functioning strictly as supporting players, and are very subtle and subdued. Same goes for the other guest vocalists. All are careful not to overshadow Marianne.

The only guest that's spotlighted front and center is Antony Hegarty of the band Antony and The Johnsons. My first reaction to their duet on Smokey Robinson's "Ooh Baby Baby" was "What have they done"? By the third listen it became my favorite track. They radically re-invent the song, and Hegarty sings more of it than Faithfull. He's quite in demand these days - check out his "Candy Says" on Lou Reed's "live" DVD "Berlin".

"Easy Come Easy Go" has been issued worldwide on different labels in different configurations. Some versions feature an additional six tracks. Personally, I think Decca made a mistake by not releasing this in the U.S. as a 2-disc set. My import copy on the Naive label is 2 discs, with a roughly 30 minute bonus DVD that shows some of the recording process. This American release is one disc, and contains only 12 of the 18 tracks. The 6 missing tracks are "Salvation", "Black Coffee", "Kimbie", "Many A Mile", "Somewhere", and "Flandyke Shore".

Look for the subtitle on the CD cover. My import says "18 Songs For Music Lovers". This American version is subtitled "12 Songs For Music Lovers", and at least one import says "10 Songs For Music Lovers" (and is additionally missing "The Phoenix" and "Dear God Please Help Me"). It's a mess, and should've been uniformly released around the world. The extra tracks are excellent and well worth having.

To further confuse matters, there's an import that's just the 2 discs of 18 songs, and another import that's 2 discs and comes with the bonus DVD. The DVD isn't that good (by the way, it plays just fine on my standard-issue DVD player). It's all close-ups of Marianne's face as she briefly talks about how half a dozen of the songs came together. Then more close-ups as she sings a verse or two of the song being discussed. There's no footage of her famous guests. Mostly you're looking at a series of still photographs of the sessions without knowing who or what you're seeing, while she and Willner describe songs and techniques in voiceover.

My feeling is this: if you want to save some money and still hear a great record - then buy this Decca release. If you're feeling flush, or are a dedicated fan - you'll want to seek out a 2-disc copy.

From lilting-voiced Swinging London "it girl" in the 60's, to whiskey-voiced diva from the late 70's up till today - Marianne Faithfull has become an international treasure. She comports herself like a Queen, and her many fans (and fellow singers) are happy to be her "subjects". As Willner says: "She's our Dietrich - our Piaf". I couldn't agree more.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars May be her best, April 3, 2009

By 

Gaylen Halbert (Weimar, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Easy Come, Easy Go (Audio CD)

The March 17 review by Mike B. says it better than I can. This is a great album! I am enjoying "12 Songs For Music Lovers" so much that I am seriously considering purchasing the expensive 18 track import. The cover of the Smokey Robinson song with Antony is absolutely sublime and the last track with the barely audible Keith Richards is a wonderful closer. Today this CD is $12 on Amazon. Get it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marianne Faithfull Sublime!, June 27, 2009

By 

J. Martin "stage-martin" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Easy Come, Easy Go (Audio CD)

For her latest album, Marianne has chosen to interpret the songs of others, and she embraces a wide spectrum of genres that, due to production brilliance, come together entirely cohesive. Thanks to Marianne and producer (I think, Director!) Hal Wilner's excellent instincts, we have a real treat of a record that showcases the Marlene Dietrich of Rock (and everything good in music) that is namely, Marianne Faithfull! Who but She could assemble this cast so grand for a record? The epitome of fabulousness is EASY COME, EASY GO! I won't go into the brilliance of every track, though I could. Pick this up and savor!--such a fine vintage and blend of contemporary and classic music!