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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Traditional folk music from Marianne, May 3, 2003
This CD was released in Britain in 1989 but has long since been out of print. As I write this, it is available as a Japanese import with an identical track listing - even including the four bonus tracks. Of those four, only Blowing in the wind fits the folk theme of the main album.The main album is an uncompromising traditional folk album featuring sparse musical backing. Many of the songs are of the hand-me-down variety, their origins unknown, though some songs are familiar. Marianne recorded two completely separate versions of House of the rising sun. The one here is the folk version - she later recorded a version inspired by the Animals' hit version, which has a completely different arrangement. Lonesome traveller, Down by the Sally gardens and Four strong winds should also be familiar to folk fans. Of the obscure songs, Portland town should bring a lump to the throat - it is a very sad song about a mother who had three sons, all of whom became soldiers and all of whom were killed in combat. The bonus tracks include What now my love, a song of French origin, and Sister morphine, a song about drugs that was recorded four years later, and which provides a stark contrast with the rest of this collection. Marianne began her career as a really happy, smiling person, illustrated on the original album cover and the British version of this CD. I hope the same picture is used on the Japanese version. Marianne soon became disillusioned and unhappy. As a result of those experiences, the music she recorded in the seventies and beyond was very different but also brilliant in its own way. So, this album features Marianne singing (for the most part) traditional folk music. If you want her pop music, you must look elsewhere. For folkies, this is a real treasure trove not to be missed, together with North country maid, a similar type of album.
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by Marianne Faithfull 
