There are some lovely, informative descriptions of each song on the cover of this LP. Of course you have to buy it to read them ! Musically I came to know Marianne Faithful in the 80’s upon the release of Broken English and A Child’s Adventure. Little did I realise back then that her recording career had started more than 20 years earlier.
There are some incredibly interesting and varied songs on this LP. Traditional folk, slightly rearranged at times, there is something for everyone. Faithful’s voice is simply beautiful. No wonder she was signed up in the early 60’s. She must have been a marketing director’s wet dream for many reasons; given her beauty, her voice and the growing rise of ‘popular’ music.
‘The first time I ever saw your face’ is simply stunning but each and every song is dominated by her unwavering, dominant, swaying voice. It is more than angelic as it complements each and every song perfectly. You will keep coming back to this version for sure. One to add to the funeral list in terms of the last song you will ever want to hear.
Overall, it’s a brilliant, gorgeous offering. It’s equally confusing but exhilarating to be exposed to something that was recorded more than 50 years ago for the first time. It doesn’t have to be Marianne Faithful as to why you buy this. Of course I’m sure that’s what will attract most people initially. But this stands alone as an incredibly lovely insight into music from that era. She went on to create reputations for all sorts of reasons, but most of them are a million miles away from this stunning LP.
