Customer Reviews

Faithfull: An Autobiography

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Marianne lifts another corner of the veil that romanticizing the sixties, and the Stones, has draped over the history and shenanigans of this Great Band.
She also has a LOT to tell about other artists, and goings-on.
On top of that, she is a keen observer and a witty writer.

I've read a lot about the Stones and their contemporaries, and Marianne's book blew me away.

If you buy just one, buy this and of course Stanley Booth's great book! Umm...

She was the quintessential rock girlfriend in the 60s, the young woman envied by everyone -- men wanted her, and women wanted to be her. Now Marianne Faithfull offers her own side of the story of during and after that time, with dry wit and fractured nostalgia. If you ever heard the stories about Marianne, then hear what she has to say.

Marianne Faithfull was born the daughter of an idealistic British gentleman and a haughty countess, and schooled in a convent that sheltered her from the outside world. All that went out the window when she came into contact with the blossoming rock'n'roll scene, and was recruited by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Oldham into recording pop song "As Tears Go By." Soon afterwards, Marianne was wooed by rock star Mick Jagger, and left her husband to live with Jagger.

At first, it seemed fantastic; Marianne lived in a haze of drugs, music and glamour with Jagger, the doomed Brian Jones, darkly intriguing Keith Richards, and the fascinating Anita Pallenberg. It was a time of rebellion, shifting sexuality, drugs and general strangeness. But criminal trials, addictions and Jagger's dalliances caused cracks in their relationship. After Marianne and Jagger broke up, she descended into heroin addiction, and her son was taken away. But she pulled herself up out of her addiction and released a new kind of music -- music that reflected her past, in all its darkness.

Marianne's memoir is refreshingly just and honest -- she gives people like Jagger their due, only speaking badly when it's called for. She not only speaks out on the sexism of the press toward her (and their revolting, idiotic Mars bar story), but also about the hideous consequences it almost had for her mother Eva. Looking back on the fur rug and the handling of Marianne's presence, it's hard to believe that such ghastly mishandling of the facts could take place and actually be believed for so long. When the press turned on the Stones, they also turned on Marianne.

And she's the first to admit (many times) that she's made mistakes; if anything, she seems harder on herself than anyone else, recognizing when she should have done better, spoken up, acted differently. (Such as when she blasted Jagger during an emotional moment) What's more, she offers greater insight into Richards, Jagger, Pallenberg, Bob Dylan and others -- not just about them, but the effect they had on people around them. (Richards' Byronic presence, Jones' tormented baby pictures, Pallenberg's hypnotic effect -- all these are amazing insights) And she doesn't pretend that her post-junkie life and romantic relationships were idyllic -- there are low points and high points, stumbles and falls. But it's inspiring to see her releasing new music and overcoming her past problems.

The writing is wonderfully vivid, reading almost like a novel at times; Faithfull intersperses her rockspeak with literary and mythologic references (the Lady of Shalott is mentioned multiple times) that give "Faithfull" added sophistication. She also doesn't glorify the drug use that almost killed her; it's pretty horrifying for awhile there despite her initial romantic ideas about it. Faithfull also demonstrates a dry sense of humor that made me chuckle. (Lacking a true finale, she ends the book with cooking tips)

A weaker woman than Marianne Faithfull might have been killed by all she's gone through. But her rise again is an inspiring and honest one, and "Faithfull" is a must-read for fans of rock and roll.

This book finds her at ease and at peace with her past.
intriguing.

She is very candid here.

Admitting to numerous mistakes, her faults and endless regrets.(even mentioning some episodes of temporary lunacy)and drug problems.

Almost like reading one's personal diary

It's also very comical at times. It is great in that nothing is too taboo to be included in these writings.

I read the original when it came out more than a decade ago. I must have been impressed as I remember it very well.

It's too bad my copy didn't have that lovely picture on the cover.

I bought this book expecting great dish, and wasn't disappointed. I couldn't put it down. I bought it used on Amazon, and when I got the hardcover first edition it turned out to be autographed. Sweet!

Growing up in the 1960's, the Rolling Stones were the epicenter of the cultural universe. They started as the Yin to the Beatles' Yang (or vice versa, I never know which is which.) By 1969, they eclipsed them, and rock music afterwards was never the same. All I knew about Marianne Faithfull was her Joan Baezy version of "As Tears Go By," and that she was Mick Jagger's girlfriend.

She was arm candy. I knew she was there for the Big Bust (a major catastrophe at the time, when we all thought Mick & Keith were going to jail, and even the Who recorded Stones' songs in protest.) I believed the candy bar rumor, but it got translated in the US to Baby Ruth, studded with tabs of acid. I remember her co-writing "Sister Morphine," but didn't think she really had much to do with. Such was the legend and importance of the Stones at the time.

Nothing prepared me for the impact of Broken English in 1979. It was then, and is now, one of the most amazing albums ever recorded. Gone was the crystal clear soprano, replaced by a gravelly, cigarette & whiskey bleating alto growl. I belatedly gave Marianne her due, and never miss an opportunity to see her live. Her drug history is the stuff of legend. Her recovery is the phoenix rishing from the ashes. Her autobiography doesn't let you down. At no point is she a victim. That is refreshing & admirable.

She tells her life with unflinting honesty, great charm, laugh out loud humor and sarcasm. Yes, all the dish is in there. Her disclosures about Mr. Jagger are incredibly balanced. I was expecting a bashing, but instead read perhaps one of the only portrayals of the man where it wasn't all surface image. Just like any relationship, it was a mixture of good, bad, boredom, and distance. From the heady young love to growing apart, all the romance and sadness that comes from the end of a great love affair.

Like the candy bar incident, Mick over the years has become a facade, a walking poster, and just about as deep. When you see the parody he's become now, I have to pinch myself to remember when he mattered, and that every lead singer in a band was in his debt. When you read Marianne's account of their life together, His Satanic Majesty's Request is boiled down to a nice middle class English guy standing by helplessly while his lover destroys herself and he is becoming the major media icon of the 1960's. His pull towards the latter is understandable. You don't blame him. You don't really forgive him. You just see him as he is. How Marianne handles their relationship & its end shows her class.

The snippet portrayals of Keith, Brian, Anita Pallenberg, Dylan, the Beatles, and just about everybody & anybody of mid-sixties London are tossed off with aplomb. After you've read her book you'll never look at the British Invasion in quite the same way again. Keith Richards in particular comes off as the man you always hoped he was/is.

It's the second half of her autiobiography that compelled me. After the breakup, Marianne hit rock bottom. Surrendering to street junkie life to the point of homelessness the mere mortal would've stopped right there - OD'd, died by violence, killed by the elements. But Marianne keeps going. Resuscitating her life and her career. Frequent slips down the side of the abyss. Many highs - both literal and figurative - and many lows. But finally, a breakthrough, and recovery.

The snide reviewer who mentioned it's an advertisement for Narcotics Anonymous wasn't that far off the mark. One of the principles of AA & the 12 steps is Service. It's part of their triangle symbol, a pyramid for how to change your life. If Marianne Faithfull did not write about her recovery in honesty, with all the fits and starts and failures, she would not be doing service. There is a better way to live - if you want it. Had she not recovered, and died a pitiful junkie, not only would we not have read this book, but we wouldn't remember anything about her other than she was an asterisk to the Rolling Stones. Good on ya, Marianne.

The chicken recipe was great, by the way. Now when can I read the sequel?

This riveting autobiography charts Marianne Faithfull's life from her earliest childhood dream to 1994. Along the way it also serves as a captivating cultural history of swinging London in the 1960s and the music world in subsequent decades. Marianne describes her family background, dispelling many myths along the way, and provides an absorbing account of how she entered the music business. The sequel, 2007's Memories, Dreams and Reflections, takes the story further.

Her recollections of touring with the popular bands of the time are fascinating, as is the way she entered the Rolling Stones circle. Her first meeting with Bob Dylan is wonderfully juxtaposed with a much later meeting in the 1980s when she explained every song on Broken English to an admiring Dylan. The glimpses into the interpersonal relations of the Stones are enlightening and poignant, specially the way she describes the decline of the ill-fated Brian Jones.

She talks matter-of-factly about her relationship with Mick Jagger and the notoriety she gained with various drug busts. Faithfull doesn't spare the reader any of the detail of her long relationship with a breathtaking variety of drugs, but the most arresting parts are when she relates particular events and circumstances to specific compositions by Jagger and herself.

She discusses all the anarchy and hedonism of the times with a detached air, observing that her generation wanted to see change everywhere but none of them could quite figure it out and it all ended up as wretched excess. The movie Performance and her song Sister Morphine are treated in detail. The saddest part of her life was when she spent about 2 years sitting on a wall in Soho, completely spaced out, but noting how kindly people treated her.

The making of her country album Faithless, a huge hit in Ireland, is described with flair, as well as her big comeback with Broken English in 1979. I really enjoyed her encounters with various musicians like the tragic Tim Hardin who co-wrote the song Brain Drain on Broken English with Ben Brierly. There's even an interesting snippet about Cristina Monet, wife of ZE Records founder Michael Zilkha. Why'd Ya Do It, one of the most controversial songs on the Broken English album, was written by poet Heathcote Williams. Marianne had to beg him for hours to allow her to record it, as he wanted Tina Turner to cover it!

There's no bitterness in any of Faithfull's writing; rather lots of humor and witty observations. She is full of praise for musicians like Barry Reynolds and Van Morrison with whom she has worked. As a great fan of hers and The Stones, I am truly relieved that there were no life threatening sexually transmitted diseases in the 1960s & 1970s because then a whole generation of musicians would have been lost, what with all the intercourse between everybody.

This book confirms why Faithfull is a true survivor and has developed into an original artist with growing stature. The scandal is well balanced by observations on the songs, the times, the making of the albums and the films. There are 45 black and white photographs and a thorough index. I also recommend Mark Hodkinson's biography Marianne Faithfull: As Tears Go By, an informative read on her life and career up to 1991.

Marianne's Auto/Bio is an absolutely fantastic read. Always thought of her as Mick's Girl Friend. Didn't know that "As Tears Go Buy" was written for her, by Mick and Keith, before she was involved with Mick. In a "Season in Hell" it says that "Faithfull" is the best book written on the Stones. I have no reason to disagree with that statement. ALSO a great description of Dylan, from the "Don't look Back" period.
This book is as easy to read as non-fiction. It is a ride through a remarkable era of recent History.
I'd like to correct an error that I have never seen addressed before. "Sympathy for the Devil" was the Opening Track on "Beggars Banquet". It was NOT on the "Let it Bleed " Album.

Faithfull follows the life of Marianne Faithfull from the mid-60s London rock scene through the 1980's punk scene. She tells her side of her love affairs with Brian Jones, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Each of them are portrayed with sincerity and honesty. You can feel the love she had for each of them in her descriptions of their times together. Her descent into years of drug addiction takes up most of the book. To hear her description of it it is surprising that she survived. So it is a miracle that she has been able to live to tell the tale so well. There is a wonderful account of her comeback musical career in the 80s. The book is full of the famous sex, drugs and rock n roll of the period. Yet Faithfull doesn't dwell on the details of any of these three. I came away with the image of a strong woman who talks honestly and directly of a life that took a sad turn into drug addiction.

Marianne Faithfull's autobiography (with help from David Dalton) is one of those books about an entertainer who seems so much a part of her time that it would be easy to dismiss her story as being anticlimactic or melodramatic. Fortunately, this is not the case, because Faithfull tells her tale with a refreshing candor and sense of humor, while also remaining very down-to-earth and unimpressed with the trappings of fame and fortune.

By her own account, Faithfull has not always been the most pleasant person to her many fans and friends ... or even her family. However, she comes across in these pages as an exceptional and original artist who probably could not help but break the rules. And considering that Faithfull was still only a teenager when she recorded her first hit, "As Tears Go By," it was perhaps inevitable that too much success, too fast, would have some negative consequences, which is a lesson some of today's young pop stars might do well to heed.

Faithfull appears to have been almost totally unprepared for the pressures of rock and roll celebrity, touring, and the drugs and sex that so often go along with those first two circumstances. Of course, she recounts her experiences with the Rolling Stones (ex-boyfriend Mick Jagger in particular), and describes her meetings/relationships with everyone from Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan to Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. This could have deteriorated into mere name-dropping but somehow never does, and Faithfull goes on to sketch colorful scenes of encounters with Gene Pitney, Robert Mitchum, Tom Waits, and a host of others, as well. She clears up a few myths about the infamous Rolling Stones' drug bust (i.e., the ridiculous Mars Bar rumor), and does not shrink from discussing her addiction to heroin and how it fed her tendency toward selfishness in ways that she now regrets.

Mostly, however, Faithfull proves that she is a talented songwriter and a resourceful survivor (early suicide attempts notwithstanding). Her affection for her parents (especially her mother) is quite touching, and her commitment to her music is impressive. When Faithfull details the difficulty of creating her masterpiece, "Broken English," the reader gets a feel for how much of a struggle it really was for her to form a band and fight to ensure that every sound on the album was just right, the way she wanted it. Indeed, one critic has said that even the title of the record could very well apply to Faithfull herself.

Two quotes in this autobigraphy stand out both for what they say about Faithfull's approach to the entertainment industry, and the hard-won wisdom she acquired late in her life. Aspiring rock stars should take note of Faithfull's observation that, "...the law of pop music ...is that you have to give away a lot to get anything. If you're not prepared to surrender almost everything, you won't get anything at all."

In a more general statement that could apply to just about anyone, Faithfull later draws upon the painful experience of losing a close friend to remark: "There's a persistent illusion that love will heal all wounds, but it just isn't so. Love is transcendent, but it can't mend everything."

At 320 pages, Faithfull's bio ends a bit too soon, and you may find yourself wishing that she had included more recent information from the last 10 years of her career. There certainly is no shortage of material for her to cover. Yet that is also a good thing. As every performer knows, it's always best to leave the audience wanting more. Faithfull may be the crazy lady of rock and roll, but she has produced a warm and witty book with enough interesting twists and turns to hold the attention of anyone curious about what's behind "the star-making machinery" of the pop music business. Read and enjoy.

The Hollies, British rock group, wrote their 1960's hit song "Hey Carrie Ann, Now What's Your Game" about Marianne Faithfull, changing the name only slightly to protect the not-so-innocent. If there's one thing for sure, she was at the heart of London during its swinging sixties, the beautiful teenaged girlfriend of Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. As they say, men wanted her, women wanted to be her: though, let's face it, quite a few women probably wanted her too. But, between her sweet teenaged hit, "As Tears Go By," written for her by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, and the present day, quite a few tears have gone by for Faithfull, convent-educated daughter of an Austrian countess. She descended into homeless drug addiction, and stayed there for a long time before she was able to pull herself out. But she has come roaring back as an iconic punk rock diva, and sometime actress: you've only got to hear her fully-adult version of "As Tears Go By," to realize just how difficult a journey it was for her.

These days, you might catch Faithfull as the feminist God in the British television comedy series, "Ab Fab." She's producing a lot of music; and she tours, backed by her edgy, punk band. I've been lucky enough to catch her several times, most memorably as she did famed German composer Bertolt Brecht's "Seven Deadly Sins"in New York: at Brooklyn's historic Brooklyn Academy of Music. And as she introduced "Blazing Away," also in Brooklyn, at Saint Ann's.

In this autobiography, co-written with rock writer David Dalton, she's more honest and open about the supposedly good years, as a Rolling Stones mascot, and the bad years, of addiction and poverty, than anyone can expect her to be. The book is full of interesting, glamorous facts and insight on the golden, Rolling Stones years of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. In addition, she's moving on the subject of how her son encouraged her to find her way back, and deeply moving in discussion of "her wall," an actual wall where she lived while homeless. You'd better check your pulse if she doesn't reach you on some level.

Just finished reading Marianne Faithfull's autobiography which I found at a half-price book store (guess it's out of print). Having spent my teen years in the sixties, I found the book transporting me back to those earlier days when I collected photos from "Sixteen Magazine" and kept a scapbook on the Byrds. While Marianne's life does not come even close to what I experienced in those days, I recall reading a lot of news items on her and how people were fascinated with her entanglement with Mick Jagger. I also lived with the fact that my first romantic interest was enamoured of her and how it made me wish I were blonde, complete with her full lips and chest. However, after reading about her life, I can only feel pity and remorse for such a once-beautiful songstress with the voice of an angel. Little did I know then how tragic her life really was. We were insulated by the media, learning only a fraction of what really happened in her life. Marianne does not attempt to evoke sympathy here; on the contrary, she sounds almost triumphant in recounting her past. She has slain many demons and has not emerged unscathed. I had to read this in smaller increments, because the details left me feeling morose, almost unable to go on to the next chapter. It dredged up dark images of the sixties and those who were enmeshed in the rock n' roll scene. You can't get much closer to how it really was. It's dark, depressing and almost disgusting. But it's a page turner cause you'll keep hoping that she'll learn. Maybe the next chapter, she'll learn! Like all souls she was on her path to enlightnment and found more than a few obstacles. This is a worthwhile read, but don't read it just before sleep.