Customer Reviews

North Country Maid

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This album is one of the best of the 1960's folk movement. Its been buried by time and inferiority to Marianne's later work, but had Marianne never become the soul wrenching tobacco scorched chanteuse of later years this album may have been remembered for the beauty and strength it exhibits. Despite the supreme efforts of the likes of Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Mary Hopkin this album is at the top of the ranks for sad folk records. This is one of the most poignant and depressed records I have ever heard. It gains strength in its tragic quality from Marianne's beautiful and pristine soprano that seems to try relentlessly to push off the gloom that ensues her but it never quite outruns its grasp. The album is coherent and beautifully sad throughout (unlike some of her earlier works, i.e. Marianne Faithfull, Love in a Mist) and contains some of the most beautifully sad arrangements on record (i.e. Sunny Goodge Street, She Moved Through the Fair, Scarborough Fair). This record is the sound of happiness melting down the walls of an empty white room.

As any fan of Marianne Faithfull is aware of. There is the early years of Marianne from her days working with DECCA. And than later years when Marianne's voice and style changed quite dramatically. Suffice to say that both early and later years are superb. But if you really what to hear a GREAT early album of Marianne's I would have to say start here with North Country Maid. A very acoustic folky,sound to it. Marianne's voice is absolutely beautiful. Very sweet,soft and feminine.This is my favorite of Marianne's earlier albums. (Also recommened Marianne's 'Loveinamist').

This has some of the best pre-heroin recordings of Mariannes's.
She did folk very well and some of these were on the U.S. release entitled "Go Away From My World". Some of my personal favorites are: "Sunny Goodge Street", "North Country Maid", "Sally Free and Easy" and a great version of "Scarborough Fair". The bonus tracks, with the exception of "Come My Way", I had never heard before and I'm a voracious Marianne Faithfull fan. The only song missing from this collection entitled "North Country Maid" (there have been others) is a song Donovan wrote for her called "Young Girl's Blues".
A sweet and innocent time for Marianne!

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