Faithfull: A Collection of Her Best Recordings

Marianne Faithfull

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2006)
• Original Release Date: August 30, 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Ume Imports
• ASIN: B000001E7H
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #202,615 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soundtrack to an Autobiography, February 5, 2000

By	El Gavilan (Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faithfull: A Collection of Her Best Recordings (Audio CD)

Faithfull is a great set of songs, although it has always seemed to me a bit redundant, what with Broken English and Blazing Away, but then I buy each new missive of Miss Faithfull's and search relentlessly for her older stuff, such as North Country Maid and Faithfull Forever. Why? Because Marianne Faithfull believes in her music, which means even the stuff she critiques as "misguided", Rich Kid's Blues and Faithless are great. A Perfect Stranger also renders this release as a questionable option, however it is the set with Ghost Dance (a wonderful version of the Patti Smith elegy) and the other selections are a very good representation of her musical journey. As a prospective buyer, you must decide how deep you want to delve into this wonderful artist's music. If you want a general representation, A Perfect Stranger is by far the most musically encompassing of her Island Years. Marianne Faithfull's Greatest Hits from her sixties years would be for those wanting to listen to the young Marianne. Blazing Away would be my second choice as a retrospective (but this is a live album) and Faithfull would be my third. However, if you want to explore this artist's work with an ear for the more comprehensive (and believe me, there is a lot of musical terrain and textures to explore) start with Broken English, Strange Weather, and 20th Century Blues, then work your way into all of her other available releases. My personal favorite is A Secret Life, but I believe one of Marianne's best qualities as an artist is to make you stretch your appreciation of musical styles. Faithfull is a wonderful way to begin, but look at these alternatives as well.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Small, Incomplete Look at Faithfull's Work, December 17, 2001

By	Tamara Kliss (Atlanta, Georgia, THE LESBIAN STATE!!!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faithfull: A Collection of Her Best Recordings (Audio CD)

This greatest hits collection would be a waste of cash for anyone looking to get a decent Marianne album. Everything here is fantastic however, but that's half the problem. There are five tracks on here from Broken English, and rightfully so, but we only get six other tracks scattered from her career, one of which is a cover of Ghost Dance, which is weak and has no right to be put here over anything that was cut from Dangerous Acquantances or Strange Weather. Trouble in Mind is a classic Marianne tune, and She is super slick. The 60s version of As Tears Go By is sweet but feels way too out of place here after hearing the post 70s work. If you truly want a greatest hits collection, get the brilliant Island Anthology. This album feels like Broken English with some bonus tracks.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting collection, February 11, 2004

By	Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Faithfull: A Collection of Her Best Recordings (Audio CD)

This compilation leans heavily on the Broken English album, containing its title track, the hit The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan, her version of Lennon's Working Class Hero, Guilt and the controversial Why D'ya Do It.

The album also includes the atmospheric ballad Trouble In Mind, a stunning live version of Times Square (the studio version appears on her Child's Adventure album), the bluesy Strange Weather, the early (1964) version of as Tears Go By, the atmospheric Angelo Badalamenti-produced She and a splendid interpretation of Patti Smith's Ghost Dance.

I am in two minds about the album: it does not offer the best value for money but nevertheless contains some special tracks worth owning. I don't understand why none of the great tracks from Dangerous Acquaintances has been included and only a live version of Times Square. A song like The Blue Millionaire from A Child's Adventure would have fitted perfectly here.

I recommend this album for devoted fans/completists only. For those who want her best post-sixties work, I recommend the 2-disc album Perfect Stranger: The Island Anthology.