Marianne Faithfull - Broken English
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CD Details
Artist: Marianne FaithfullEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
CD Release Date: 1990-06-15
Music Label: Island
Soundtracks:
- Broken English
- Witches' Song
- Brain Drain
- Guilt
- The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan
- What's The Hurry?
- Working Class Hero
- Why D'ya Do It?
Music reviews of Broken English
Music Review: Marianne's Masterpiece
Rating: 5 Stars
Though she had some middling success in the 1960s with hits such as "Summer Nights" and "As Tears Go By", Marianne Faithfull never really hit it big in North America.
In 1979, she released the landmark LP "Broken English", which was a major success despite the fact it was as non-commercial as you could get at the time. It was one of the first albums by a female vocalist to come with a Parental Advisory sticker, years before Alanis Morrissette and Pink. Thirty years later, Marianne's work here still blows the other ladies out of the water.
Hard living and an excessive lifestyle had taken its toll on Marianne's pipes, but this only served to make her voice more interesting and there's no way the Marianne of 1965 could have sold these songs. The raw, bourbon-and-nicotine quality of her voice cuts right through you, especially on the last two tracks.
The material chosen for this album is much of the reason for its' success. Kudos must be given to the musicians' sound and the production which remains very uniform throughout, yet in no way gets boring or monotonous.
The title track sets the tone for the entire album. "Broken English" is like a musical steamroller, with guitars slashing through it's mesmerizing bassline and "bubble" synth sounds as Marianne sings of terrorism in Europe.
"Witches' Song" belies its title, as the music is definitely not as dark as one would expect. It's actually one of the "happier" sounding songs of the album. Though the melody is different, the tone reminds me of Peter Gabriel's "Salisbury Hill".
Things slow down a touch on the bluesy "Brain Drain". The bridge of this song is the best part and the lyrics are clever.
"Guilt" starts off quietly, then gradually develops a quite funky mid-70s sound reminiscent of "Brother Louie" or "You're No Good". This one also has excellent, intriguing lyrics and by the time the saxophone and keyboards come together at the end, this is one smooth, fine work of art.
The arpeggiated intro of "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" was basically stolen 5 years later by Pat Benatar for "We Belong". This tale of a suburban housewife's broken dreams has become one of Marianne's signature tunes for good reason. Her weary vocals make this the definitive version despite being covered by various other artists.
The album begins to take a darker, more dangerous turn on the up-tempo "What's the Hurry?".
"Working Class Hero" finds Marianne sounding almost exhausted and beaten-down, and the music sounds like a grenade waiting to explode, except it never does.
Then all hell breaks loose on the climactic "Why'd Ya Do It?". A strange hybrid of punk and reggae, Marianne lets her cheating lover have it with both barrels on the album's most famous cut. A razor-sharp guitar slashes through Marianne's raspy, bitter vocals and the organ swells up after each chorus. Thirty years later, the language is still shocking and it's a no-brainer that this song was placed last, because after this, there's really nothing else left to say.
Thirty years after its release, this album is still as potent as ever and remains Marianne's masterpiece, and one of the best albums by a female vocalist ever.
Description of Broken English
Aussie reissue combines her landmark 1979 album, 'Broken English' with the 1994 compilation, 'Faithfull A Collection of Her Best Recordings', together in one package. Standard jewel case & digipak with original artwork come housed together in a slipcase.Marianne Faithfull had been effectively written off as a one-hit wonder when she reappeared in 1979 to shock everyone with this dark masterpiece. Gone was the bland choirgirl voice of "As Tears Go By," replaced by an instrument that, although ravaged by drink, drugs, and hard living, had gained in expressiveness. The music, which sounded like a synthesizer phalanx hijacked by depressed punks, was perfectly suited to these songs of disillusionment ("Ballad of Lucy Jordan") and loss (the title track). Most powerful was a "Working Class Hero" that matched John Lennon's original sneer for sneer, and an X-rated response to infidelity ("Why D'Ya Do It") that could've been torn from Bill Clinton-inspired headlines. --Ben Edmonds
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