Broken English

The folk bits are kinda forgettable but the title track, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan and Why D'Ya Do It are all dark and snarky new wave. Her ashtray voice only adds to the decadent vibe this album has.

Hey, this album is great! Raw and atmospheric at the same time. Just a nice dose of artsy sounds on a post-punkish new wave. Wasn't prepared for that!

I had never heard this album before, so went in with no expectations. I really enjoyed it. I wonder if she’s an influence on Cyndi Lauper?

What a bad bitch. This album hit hard. Loved the lyrics and the ebb and flow of the mood. A fantastic discovery.

This one's cool. Like a proto Rick Rubin american Johnny cash rehabilitation before that was a thing. Her voice is rough, and suits the material perfectly. Excellent snarl and bitterness when needed, or world weary sadness on the ballad of... one. New wavish and punk influenced and likely influencing. I remember her and that distinctive voice from metallica in the late 90s? I thought I remembered her from REM around the same time, but turns out that was Patti Smith on E-bow the letter. Bitching cover too.

I didn't know much of Marianne Faithfull other than the fact that she was classic rock's Courtney Love. I didn't love this at first, and I still think the title track is the weakest one. But it's also out of place. Most of this album has an edge that I really like. I got a lot of "The Wall" vibes from this one.

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Really cool and retro I liked it a lot! Going to check out more of her stuff!

It's a great pop album by a legendary singer. In fact, I find that this electronic sounds really helps to give more of contrast to Faithfull's rather raspy voice than many other instruments she had and would sing with.

Rock peculiar. Versión de Working class hero. Un 4.

"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan".

Listening with a glass of wine and a book, the catch in her voice keeps catching my attention

Catchy album.

Marianne Faithfull's story is one of tragedy and perseverance. Having started out as a folk pop artist in the 60's, she had been romantically involved with Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. This fell apart in 1970 and, after losing custody of her son, she fell into heroin. The rest of the '70s would be Faithfull battling her addiction and homelessness. At her lowest, she would record demos with Barry Reynolds that would eventually get her signed with Island Records for her comeback album. Broken English is a radical embrace of the contemporary and forward-thinking music styles of the day. A little post-punk, a little funk, and a lot of new wave makes this a departure from her more folksy sound in the '60s. Combined with her raspy voice now affected by laryngitis, Faithfull had developed a distinct sound that made this album so well-received. Songs like Guilt and Why D'Ya Do It land their emotional impact, emphasizing the hurt in her voice.

Something different - I enjoyed it!

Late 70's new wave/electro pop. Apparently Marianne used to date Mick Jagger until she got heavy onto heroin, lost her house and her kid, and lived on the streets for a few years. This is her first album after she got clean again, but similar to Billie Holiday, the years of drug abuse permanantly fucked her voice up. Left it more gravelly and in a lower register. It's a pretty solid album nonetheless. Steve Winwood did the synth parts for the album. Marianne does a solid cover of John Lennon's song Working Class Hero. Why'd Ya Do It made me laugh. The vulgarities in that song stood out against the rest of the record, but it was still a really solid song. The guitar work on that song in particular was spectacular! Favourite songs: Why'd Ya Do It, Brain Drain, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Broken English, Working Class Hero Least favourite songs: Guilt 4/5

Favorite Tracks: Broken English Working Class Hero Guilt

This is my first Marianne Faithfull album, and from what I've read, her music dates back to the mid-60s, operating in the folk scene at the time. Similar to the Leonard Cohen 80s era, this is another folk artist who hopped on the new-wave train. There's a killer bassline on the opening title track. I like Marianne's delivery here, it's slightly off-kilter. I also like "Witches' Song" but I found a lot of the lyrics in this song and this album in general to be very cryptic but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing and par for the course for this type of music. The instrumentation is overall very low-key on this album, not too much interesting going on. Typically not a good thing but it spotlights Marianne's vocals and lyricism which are certainly worth paying attention to. "Guilt" is a lyrical highlight, showcasing the protagonist's fear of committing potentially harmful actions, and expressing guilt for even having these thoughts. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" is also a very tragic track detailing the regrets of an older housewife and the instrumentation is particularly standout here. Despite working with the new-wave instrumentation on this album, Marianne sticks to her roots in terms of songwriting (I can only assume) as there is very much still a folk nature to the way everything's delivered on many of the songs here. It's a strange dichotomy that mostly works. The album has a strong ending as well with the ominous and dystopian "Working Class Hero" followed by "Why d'Ya Do it" which shows a complete switch up in Marianne's vocal delivery and lyricism when compared to the previous tracks. The instrumental is more lively here as well, filling the space with organs, horns, and an incredible post-punk groove that twists and turns throughout the track's 6-minute runtime. A much dirtier punk-inspired track that is probably my favorite here. I think the instrumentals of the earlier tracks leave a lot to be desired but overall, a very enjoyable listen. I'll be checking out her previous (and later) works after this. 7/10

Pretty good, kept growing on me. Her voice cracking/stopping so much was a little off-putting at first, but I must've gotten used to it by the end. I had never heard of her, so I read up on her life and how her life and it's troubles altered her voice. That last song caught me off guard lol.

Nice! Very good

Once you get used to her voice, this is a good album.

Love that you can hear the dark side of life in her voice & felt Guilt to the core.

The Swinging Sixties gave way to the slum Seventies and whatever glamor that was left was swallowed up by the grime. Marianne Faithfull was amongst the throng swallowed up and made worse for wear from these changing times. And when she re-emerged with the blue smoke atmospherics of Broken English, she sounded like it. Yet she wielded it as though it were a weapon and it often becomes another instrument alongside the spiky new wave that characterizes the album, most notably on The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, the title track, Brain Drain and, of course, Why'd You Do It. Whether it's in the standard release or the original mix, Broken English is Marianne's finest hour and a new wave hallmark. Favorites: Broken English, Witches' Song, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Working Class Hero, Why'd You Do It, Sister Morphine (12" version). Generated on 1/25/24, reviewed on 1/31/24

An original cover-star of the British Invasion, and poster-girl for 1960's Swinging London, Marianne Faithfull arrived on the music scene with the sweet and solemn "As Tears Go By", a Jagger-Richards joint. Very soon afterwards, she became known solely as Jagger's girlfriend and "muse", inspiring numerous Rolling Stones songs. Jump-cut to 1979, and that's all over: her voice has weathered heroin, homelessness and heartbreak, and the singer who emerges in “Broken English” is notoriously pained and raw. It's a confronting listen, but a strikingly timely one: Faithfull slips into the new-wave stylings of the late 1970’s as easily as smoke through the lungs. Right from the off, the title track of "Broken English" must have taken the remnants of Faithfull's fanbase by surprise, while pricking the ears of alternative rock enthusiasts. Harsh guitar chords ring out over a pulsing rhythm, while a repetitive synth bassline slyly sidesteps around Faithfull’s cracked and scratching vocal. It's an accomplished and gritty track, perfectly establishing the album's prevailing moods… gloom and rage. The rest of the songs are meaty, morose, magnetic. "Guilt" is one of the finest songs here, building an insidious dread with every self-eviscerating line over its bluesy minor-key groove. "What's the Hurry" lifts the pace to a spacey shuffle, and there's a cover of "Working Class Hero" which works surprisingly well as a moody synth-pop dirge. There are deceptively sweet melodies at play too, in the likes of "Witches’ Song" and especially "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", one of the album’s two singles. But the content remains dark to the last: Faithfull addresses addiction, war, violence and death in stark terms. And if you’re still wondering whether she has any punches left to pull, let “Why’d Ya Do It” clear all doubt. Dark, scorching lyrics, a menacing groove, amazing abrasive lead guitar and a slow creeping blackout of an ending: superb. In other news, the ubiquitous Steve Winwood is back again on keys: I’ve gone through 400 albums and this one marks his 8th credited appearance, giving him an exposure rate of 2%. Brian Eno would kill to have fingers in so many pies.

One big hell yeah for heroin, if it makes a voice sound like that. Hot damn. Why'd you let us suck your cock?

I liked this? I think I liked this. Maybe a lot? But also I couldn’t tell you anything about it. But I definitely enjoyed it! That cover of Working Class Hero is excellent!

Solid album. And The ballad of Lucy Jordan.. What a tune!

Really good

I've never heard of this album or artist before, but I really enjoyed listening to this. The title track really stood out to me; I loved the bass playing and the synthesizer sounds that were utilized, and the lyrics had a really powerful political message. The guitar playing and synthesizer sounds were strong throughout the rest of the album, and the lyrics felt incredibly personal, as they ranged from painful to thoughtful and then to outright rage-filled and crass on the album's final track, "Why'd Ya Do It?" Marianne's vocals were incredibly unique as well, and gave this album its own distinct post-punk feel. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" was an incredibly strong song too; its jittery synth line was a perfect compliment to the story of a disillusioned suburban housewife. This was a really strong album, and I look forward to revisiting it soon.

Amazing... I do t know if this is soft rock or angry feminist rock but I'm a fan and I liked this

"Over 30 albums, a vast stream of adoring collaborators, a Grammy nomination for Broken English, the Commandeur Des Arts et des Lettres, awarded by the French government, it goes on. She survived addiction, overdoses, cancer and more … And yet, to the world at large, she’s still just Mick Jagger’s ex-girlfriend. Well, fuck that.” Tilda Swinton, Broken English. Highlights: Broken English, Guilt, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, Working Class Hero, Why D'Ya Do It. In a nutshell: gutsy and sorely underrated. Challenging. Lyrically iconic. Sonically unique. Marianne Faithfull establishes mood and beat from the get go. Wikipedia labels this as new wave but it waltzes with and away from said category. The final track- Why D'Ya Do It- is a spiteful, yet eloquent piece reminiscent of an X-rated Patti Smith poem ("When I stole a twig from our little nest and gave it to a bird with nothing in her beak, I had my balls and my brains put into a vice and twisted around for a whole fucking week" And that's the 'tame' lyrics!). The common complaint of Faithfull is her voice and crass lyrics. Yes, it's not for everyone. Thus the basis of its appeal (am I a hypocrite for complaining about Michael Stipe's voice and not Marianne's? Probably). There are a few challenging albums on this list. Give it a chance. Go on with an open mind. Marianne is one person you need to remember and to not forget. Overall: 8/10

I've somehow never really listened to her before but this album is fantastic. It's got such an edge to it. You can really feel how hungry she is to earn back her acclaim, and apparently it worked. Why'd Ya Do It is insane.

"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan"

Its pretty cool! Again that song Working Class Hero comes up. Why'd You Do It is a great tune.

"Broken English" is the seventh album by English singer Marianne Faithfull. The album is considered her comeback after years of drug abuse, homelessness and anorexia. The music genre is put in the new wave rock category with elements of punk, blues and reggae. OK...don't know i heard too much in the "elements of" area. It received critical acclaim with it being her masterpiece and music matching her raspier voice. Commercially, it hit #82 in the US and #57 in the UK. The self-titled "Broken English" opens things up. Guitar, synths and a pronounced bass. It's got a disco-esque rock beat and very 70's/80's sounding. Faithful's voice does work with the music as she sings about terrorists at the time. A synth opens "Guilt." This is slower with a bluesy bass and the sax gives a jazzy vibe. Written by composer Barry Reynolds, it describes the feelings of growing up Catholic. The first single "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" is Faithfull's rendition of the Shel Silverstein written and Dr. Hook song. It's been awhile since I've heard the name Dr. Hook. Her rendition is all synths as Faithfull's tells the melancholy tale of a middle class house wife's dissolutionment. It ends with droning synth. This song works. Faithfull takes John Lennon's "Working Class Hero" in an even more ominous direction. She talks. There's slashing guitar and an eerie snyth feel. The album ends with "Why D'Ya Do It." Here's the new wave guitar. Written by Heathcote Williams, it's the caustic rant of women at her lover and lover's infidelity. The lyrics are very descriptive and I can see why this was banned in several countries. I would not want to meet this women. I don't think it's an accident that the guitar riff in King Missile's "Detachable Penis" sounds exactly like this. This is a decent album and grew on me with repeated listens. Some of the remix song versions are better than the originals too. Her voice does work with this music especially the heavier guitar and more eerie songs. With the synth, it does have a very late 70's/early 80's sound on some songs. I would say it's worth a listen for most people.

3.5/5

Marianne’s righteous rasp faithfully harmonizes her harrowing past atop a smoke-swirled synthesis of musical styles and influences.

Really didnt get the hate, something between 3.5 and 4, good album 👍

She's so funny with a great performance on this album, and the switch to more synthy sounds (after I listened to the original mix) was a great call. It makes the album diverse, and when drums, guitars and saxophones hit, it really packs a punch

A grown up Cyndi Lauper with hints of Euro culture, like Joan Jett, or Chrissie Hynde with a smooth delivery. Easy listening rock? Almost country but not at all, probably some folk influence. And, a distinctively feminine 70s city blues vibe. Has originality and authenticity.

Felt rather before its time in many ways, with an almost 90s twist to it. At the same time, it reminded me of some incredibly talented women of that era, namely Patti Smith and Stevie Nicks. I liked it, didn’t love it.

Never heard this discussed - why? Not what I expected at all and it's really good. Like Grace Jones on crack in places. Particularly Why'd Ya Do It? Which is deliciously vicious and epic. Broken English is great bit of electronica, the cover of Working Class Hero works really well. What a mood piece. Will definitely come back to this.

I love the dark and Gritty and feel of this, also quite tight as a record. Missing a shining element, but not a bad record by any means.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Broken English, Guilt, What’s the hurry

Amazing how this simple but beautiful work is growing on me. Stunned

Well this is really annoying. I just don't like her voice. The music was uncomplicated and not over produced. I really liked it, and as I said I don't like her voice. Now you may think that is what makes this difficult, but you'd be wrong. What makes this complicated, is she compliments the music perfectly. I really couldn't imagine any other voice performing those tracks. Would I buy it, yes I would. Would I actively seek it out to buy, no probably not. That only leaves me one score to give it. 4

Another British person,,,, but once again pleasantly surprised. The wiki entry taught me a lot about somebody I’d never heard of before and the added context of her illness and addiction contribution to her unique voice is very touching. She’d have made a good blues singer or 60’s singer songwriter with her smoker voice. The music itself I liked a lot, and the new age synthy-rock blends well with the older styles of blues and rock she sounds like. The Ballad of Lucy Jordan is particularly good

Amazing voice. Interesting lyrics.

Suprised, didnt know this artist. Solid album.

She's a badass

didn’t sound broken to me

A mishmash of genres that suits Faithfull’s smoky voice. Could perhaps stabd to ge a bit longer.

Cooool

4.25

Tremendo está este disco. Realmente tiene unos arreglos y una musicalización espectacular.

Punky, I liked it. Good fun and the last track was very funny

Varied yet cohesive, with an rdge

An album that improves as it plays and I suspect improves as it is re-played. Faithfull was onto something here - this observer of the rock and roll lifestyle, stuck in the fame amidst the depths of the addiction, everyone caught in her sights and nobody is safe. Defiant, feminist, individualist, writing her own narrative.

"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan"

Nice little surprise. Though some of the synthesizer/electronic vibe that is layered behind many of the songs date it a bit, there really isn't anything here that isn't strong... it's a pretty consistent interesting album. I enjoyed her take on Working Class Hero as well as songs like Broken English and Guilt.

She makes a Shel Silverstein song sound like it was written by Kate Bush. This was obviously years ahead of its time. An amazing blend of Patti Smith, Courtney Love, and Exile In Guyville. One thinks people wrote her off for "just" being one of Mick Jagger's flames. But the hot take part of me believes history will continue to improve it's standing and it'll eventually be considered among the top 20 albums ever recorded by a female artist. And Christ, what an album closer.

This is pretty ahead of its time for 1979. It has also aged pretty well. This was a good listen from start to finish.

This is an exceptional album

Never really checked Faithfull's discography, though I think I heard Before the Poison (2005) at some point. This one took a few listens to get into, especially her voice being a bit out there, but in the end I quite enjoyed it. Interesting Lennon cover.

Quite interesting and sounds a good bit ahead of its time, like 1985 instead of 1979, with its edgy, electronic-y, decidedly post-punk feel. Titular opener is biting and engaging. "Brain Drain" is pleasantly spiky. "Guilty" smolders with a touch of understated funk.The voice isn't exactly to one's tastes, but it's well-used throughout, especially in building drama and suspense. One finds this to be a worthy inclusion on this list, if mainly for "new" music discovery.

A fantastic mix of broody sass and attitude, an original punk heroine!

Portrait of the artist slowly turning into a vampire.

Worth it for ‘Why D'Ya Do It’, one of the nastiest, and best songs ever committed to tape, but pleasingly, ‘Broken English’ is full of highlights, such as the aforementioned track, the title track, ‘Guilt’ and ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’ to name a few. ‘Working Class Hero’ is the one cut that doesn’t work for me, the arrangement just falls flat. Apart from that one small blip though, the rest of ‘Broken English is excellent, and it’s an album everyone should have in their collection.

This was my second listen. First time didn’t really grab me. This time through it was more impactful. The working class hero version stood out.

So here's an interesting one... On my first listen, distracted and not fully engaged, I was pretty indifferent to this record. But I had an opportunity to listen again, more focused, and I was taken in. Reading a little about Faithfull's personal struggles, including her losing her voice, definitely put her singing and story in an entirely new perspective that made a difference in how I related to the material. I was less smitten with two of the songs that were among the top listens on Spotify, "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" and "Working Class Hero" (never a fave of mine). Everything else was very engaging in a strange way — it's hard-to-articulate what it is that's compelling. I'd say it's the entire package of songs, mood, production, and performance that coalesce. The closer is raw and aggressive in a way that must have been pretty shocking in 1979, the opener is provocative, and I enjoyed "Witches' Song" a lot. Along with all this, the 4-star rating speaks to my interest in listening to more, particularly the live album, "Blazing Away," and the following studio release, "A Secret Life," that features her working with Angelo Badalementi (who died in 2022 — https://blog.discmakers.com/2023/01/musicians-who-died-in-2022/).

As far as this new wave stuff goes, this is up there

Este ha sido un verdadero descubrimiento. Se agrega inmediatamente a la biblioteca y a la rotación.

This album is beautiful. I loved it's strange New Wave melodies. They feel lost somewhere nice between between punk and disco. With just a twist of kraut rock in the synths and percussion. I loved that the brutal honesty of Marianne's lyrics feel especially brutally honest in the unique voice and way of her singing. She is an amazing storyteller. "Witches' Song" might be my favorite. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" and "Why'd You Do It" too. This is my first time ever hearing this album. And I'm so grateful for it. It feels really special.

I really felt like I connected to Marianne Faithfull in this record. You can hear the years of pain, suffering, grief, defiance. I think her performance is captivating, and it helps that the music is so well produced, a really good example of this style, great guitars. The one track in the middle that sounds like an English folk tune, but with a different take on it production-wise… THAT I really liked. But it had me hooked from minute 1! Four stars!

This is a package to be commended. A more than fine example of where the music delivers to album cover. It is an interesting mix of songs that are well produced. The vocals vary but are punchy, gritty and strident throughout.

Þessi plata er algjör negla. Fröken Faithfull kom þarna frama sínum aftur af stað eftir nokkur mjög erfið ár.

I quite liked this. Very good country-punk-synthpop stuff, and I really liked the darker and angrier songs. Favourite: Working Class Hero

Interesting, dark, angry. I felt it

Excellent album, I love her unique voice. All of the songs are good.

total blindspot - had never even heard of her. sounds more recent than the 70s to me. intense.

The albums opener broken English is a decent song rather simple but a nice plunge into her sound, but there’s something about her singing that I really don’t like to be honest, hope that opinion improves as the album goes on. Witches song goes in a folkier direction than the other tracks I prefer it to the last song but something still isn’t clicking. Brain drain was a rather likeable song though I don’t know why though but this one was good, very good in fact! Guilt is a nice tender ending to side one that eventually spirals in its energy throughout, not necessarily something a I love but still rather entertaining. The ballad of Lucy Jordan is a banger an amazing example of side 2 track one being a banger! What’s the hurry was also a banger but I couldn’t find anything notable as such. The penultimate track working class hero is a slow powerful banger loved this one! Why’d ya do it is dance rock at it’s finest brilliant closer. This is a very backloaded album in my opinion the last 4 songs were amazing but the first 3 were a mixed bag. 4/5

Surprisingly experimental and electronic, and quite raunchy.

AHEAD OF ITS TIME. i would believe this was made today if i didn’t know better.

Faithfull at his best

Je ne sais pas si elle fait exrès pour que la voix casse comme ça, mais ça devient agaçant quelques fois. Autrement, c’est plutôt cool comme album.

Je connaissais le nom, mais n’avais encore jamais rien écouté de ce qu’elle a enregistré et j’avoue être agréablement surpris par cette écoute. La voix a du vécu, mais elle sert bien l’album. Gros coup de coeur pour Guilt et Why’d Ya Do It. Je vais assurément revenir à cet album.

this is a great album. Lyrics, band, both up there. Marianne's voice needs to be gotten used to a little but it came off well.

There’s a lot of interesting parts of this album - but it’s a little on the monotone side musically as a whole. However it contains some juggernauts - Why D’Ya Do It - the album closer is off the wall gritty and powerful - her cover of Working Class Hero is also a perfect match for her brooding gravely voice - title track Broken English and Ballad of Lucy Jordan also elevate this album. The brutal honesty of emotion throughout this record just gives it an extra star - it is the journal of a wrought heart and should be measured as such.

This is the kind of album I hoped I would find more often in this list, as far as variation goes. Generally, the album's style is pop/rock with some blues thrown in for good measure. The most well-known song is probably The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, which is dominated by a wobbly synth arrangement, but every single track is different here, so with every song the listener has something new to discover (unlike with so, SO many other albums on this list). This was a great find, to which I will listen again. 4/5

Goddamn but "Why D'Ya You Do It" is still bracing, isn't it? So many controversial songs get tamed by the passage of time, but somehow this hasn't...

First time listening to this and I really enjoyed. Do recommend

pretty groovy, 8/10

Icy horror.

Liked this a hell of a lot more than I thought I would. Don't think I've ever listened to a Marianne Faithfull album before... Definitely pre-judged her and got it wrong

This is surprisingly good. I knew next to nothing about her. My only memory, and it vividly came to mind as soon as I read her name here, was when I was maybe 13 or so and she was the musical guest on SNL. I had never seen or heard of her before. The reason why the memory is so vivid is that I remember so clearly how striking her appearance was, and, sadly, not in a good way. I had never seen a human so thin and frail. She looked severely ill. The performance is referenced in the Wikipedia entry about this album, and the entry speaks to her years of substance addiction and it makes sense now why my 13-year-old self was so struck by how she seemed. She is still alive, though, and hopefully, she's okay. I never like to see anyone suffer. In this album, I hear a talent that can cut across an interesting variety of music. Synth-dance-y at times, dark edgy bluesy and rock-sounding, and a bit of punk and new wave sound. Really cool stuff.

Not bad. Reminiscent of grace Jones Dub in parts

Y'a des petits bangers en vrai !

great transitional album with a couple electronica nods. keeps it punk though overall. working class hero cover is fantastic

Few different sounds mixed well in here. Who knew that county could sound good with a little electronic backing.

Very good album - surprisingly engaging.

Still like the title song; rest of album pretty good

dark, fractious, bohemian, a glass of wine and a Gitane. then another.

I guess I never really got onto Marianne Faithfull’s post-70s career. I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. Not exactly for me but I’ll give it an extramarital point for some ahead of their times raw nasty lyrics

girlboss laying down some good shit. English Joni Mitchell not messing around I liked a lot

Great album by the late but one and only Marianne Faithful. Very 80s sound, but ir was actually released few months before 1980. Just discovered that Steve Winwood provided keyboards on this album. This rocker and new wave style suited her in a great way. She even wrote on her memories that this was her masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Un treball que expressa la música des d'una forma molt personal d'entrendre-la. I la persona que l'expressa demostra ser una artista en el seu sentit més punyent, rebosant -en aquell moment al menys, de coses a dir i de maneres com dir-les. Un disc molt personal, i a la vegada molt obert i fàcil d'entrar en ell. El cènit de Faithfull com a artista i una altra joia a conservar d'uns anys màgics de creativitat

I know the name Marianne Faithfull but haven't knowingly heard her before. I know that she sang backup vocals on Neil Young's Harvest record. And I think she's more "of that era" but then I start listening to this record... This is so dang rad! Such synthy goodness. I'm really into it. Another record that BUT - Her voice sounds weak and strange. Again, haven't heard other things from her, so I don't know if that's an anomaly here, or that's what she sounds like. I think it works well for this style of music (which isn't necessarily known for great vocals). Just not what I expected for a person that *I think" is known for a great voice. [Note: After writing this, I looked the record up on Wikipedia and saw this, which may explain the voice: "The album marked a major comeback for Faithfull after years of drug abuse, homelessness, and suffering from anorexia."] I need to see what other great female songwriters were up to in the mid-late 70s. Between this record and Joni Mitchell's output, it seems like the ladies of the 60s were much more interesting after their careers peaked. I mean, does anyone want to hear what CSNY were doing in 1979? Didn't think so... This is a great record and I'll definitely listen again. Man, so many 4's in the new year. Need so shitty records to break this trend.

Enjoyed this. Never thought of Faithfull as musician. Shame on me. The synths are clearly bolt on, but they do succeed in modernizing it. I'm sure I've heard a cover of the title song somewhere too.

Well, it's a listen. Not sure if I'd go for the whole album again, but it does grow quite considerably between the first and last tracks. I can definitely see how this has influenced later work. I was thinking Grace Jones, and it turns out that Barry Reynolds worked with Jones following the release of Broken English.

I am digging this vibe, but what are we talking about here in Broken English

Verrassend goed album zeg!

Quirky. Klinkt niet alsof het uit 1979 komt. Veel covers.

This is a forgotten favorite from my youth. Favorite might be too strong an adjective as I liked it never loved it. Marianne's voice is an acquired taste; all tobacco stained and whisky soaked. But the songs are tough and uncompromising, (check out Why'd ya do It) for about as raw a lover scorned song as you will ever hear), and her take on Working Class Hero, the Lennon classic, is absolutely definitive. I do love the arrangements and listening to this for this first time in many years was a nostalgic and rewarding experience. 4.5🌟

Knew of Marianne Faithful, but had never heard her sing before. Dubious at the first few notes, I quickly found myself enjoying her voice and tone. The songs weren’t all awesome, but I’d definitely listen to another album.

3.5/5

Funny that guilt is on this album as it was also one of the closing songs in mindhunter which I've just finished watching. Guilt into ballad of Lucy John (which sounds like it had Leonard's fingers all over it) into a Blondie sounding What's The Hurry? is a very strong clutch.

Great, too short really. Blindsided by the last track! :grin:

Some hidden classics

New discovery. I like it and her career arc is really interesting.

4/21 Great songs, her raspy voice gives it that edge. Standout Tracks: Broken English, Guilt, The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan, Working Class Hero

You know… could have been worse.

Nasal ish voice, pretty funky Loved the first song

6.5/10 - The Highs were High but the rest was pretty medium.

I've listened to this so many times today and I'm still not sure how I feel. I like it but I'm not sure how much. Broken English has a good funk to it., Why'd Ya Do It is strong, and the cover of Working Class Hero is good. I think that this is a unique album on this list and I appreciate something a little different. 7/10

wtf was that last song though

thought it would be less punchy than it actually was but nothing wrong with that, the cover art sorta made me expect that vibe, too many songs are suffering from being outdated somehow, if I was born earlier I'd love it but since I wasn't it just doesn't resonate here

You'd think I'd know who this was, but now I know. Glad I got to know her a little.

It’s strange to be introduced to someone with their comeback album. This seems like a very raw and vulnerable one and the weight she adds to the cover tracks hits well. Her version of “working class hero” is amazing.

3.25

Is this Marianne Faithfull album made better by knowing its context and her life story? Probably. If you didn't know her history and that this album is a comeback after some tough times, you might be inclined to dismiss it as simply a Stevie Nicks knock-off goes to the new wave store to pick up some 'contemporary' style. And, to be fair, maybe there is something unappealing about her voice / vocals and there might be something about the music that feels borrowed from the moment. On the other hand, there might be something in that raspy, crackly voice over the polished pre-80s studio sound (mostly it's a new wave influenced 80s pop vibe without the hyper-polished, gated snare sound that's yet to come mixed with a little Patti Smith Group) that's compelling in how the opposite forces play with each other in the songs. The record is also sequenced masterfully with a slow-burn of emotion where the penultimate Working Class Hero cover takes you to the edge and Why'd Ya Do It bursts forth angry ruminations on betrayal.

Some good songs, but her voice just wasn't really working for me.

not entirely sure what to make of this…I’ve always heard boomers and Gen X talk about Marianne faithful but I was never aware of much about her besides her relationship with mick jagger. My lack of awareness persists.

who the hell pissed this woman off so bad that she wrote the last song on this album holy shit

not sure if i'll return to it, but it is interesting

Decent

Enjoyed a few tracks, great comeback album

Not my favourite style, but good. 3.5 stars

I think it's pretty cool and the synths shouldn't work, yet they somehow do. I do think the songwriting is a bit uneven though. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" is my favorite track. 3.5 stars.

Fair

I liked her Gritty voice. She sounded cool

Never heard of artist. Thought is was alright. Not sure I'll remember, but wasn't disappointed

Stark trea.

I think the significance of this album was a bit lost on me, and on its own I didn’t really find any standouts musically. Lyrics/background of The Ballad of Lucy Jordan and Why’d Ya Do It were interesting enough, but that’s about it. I dug a little more into the artist, her history, and some on songs and noted the stark difference in her voice, but in conclusion, not an album I’ll revisit.

It has its merits and it includes a wide range of influences. Sadly it seems a little bit over produced and contribed

i liked the vibes and sound of this album more than the previous one. No saved songs, but broken english was my fave off the album. loved this era of music

Blind album and artist. Honestly this album did not bring joy but did not make me wanna skip songs or anything. Generally a sign of a 3 for me.

I'm about 8% through with this project and there is already a bit of a roadblock. I suppose it's inevitable that a collection of 1001 albums would be difficult to compile depending on the rubric by which you define “must hear”. But while I definitely don't want to only be listening to albums I already know, I could really use a bit more stuff that I believe in. At least Marianne is an artist that was relevant in her time. At least she is a woman, which is infrequent. I'm not even angry at the fact that she sounds like Cruella DeVille (despite being in her early 30s here), though that does make this a tough listen. The thing for me is that this has just so much that isn't particularly good on it. Is this her best album? No idea. It would be a shame. The only things that really held my attention are the cover of Working Class Hero and the venomous fuck off of Why'd Ya Do It? The latter feels like it walks a line of shock for shock's sake and shock to really hammer home the inappropriateness of what was done. It's not a track I'm dying to come back to. It's uncomfortable. But it's pretty obviously supposed to be. There is power in rejecting the confines of demure femininity, and this does that. I'd welcome this on the list just for the bros who are inevitably gonna squirm over it. But the rest, I chose to relisten to, because surely I missed something? Well, I say the rest, but I knew i did not need to relisten to the title track, which fails both on annoying production and clunky lyrics. I suppose this is ahead of its time there: there is a lot of production here that feels more like the filler on an 80s new wave album (those shuddering synths on The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, for example). It's not quite as bad on round two, but it still gives me nothing to hang onto. And that's a concern… we'll see if the flow gets stronger or if this is gonna be 100 good albums and 900 chores. This is probably a 3.01* or so all told. I'm bummed about that too, guys

While her voice is unique and works really well with the instruments and the songs aren't bad there is also nothing that pulls me in or makes me want to com back and listen again. Its music I would expect hearing on the radio but not choosing for myself.

Kinda weird music in between really great songs, don't know what to do about it...

Quite generic 80s songwriter pop. Cool voice, a good song but not too much more. 5/10

This album was not what I expected at all. I'm not super familiar with her stuff, but when I think of Marianne Faithfull, I think of her stuff from the 60s (and that she was Mick Jagger's girlfriend for a while). This definitely was not from the 60s. If I didn't know when it was made, I would have actually guessed it was from the 80s. Definitely a different sound than I expected. Some of the reviews other people left on this album said that they didn't like her voice. If you know the background, this album was her comeback album after she had struggled with drug abuse, anorexia and homelessness. She had basically trashed her voice by this point in her life, so it was sounded more smokey and crackly than it had before. I actually liked her voice. I also read that Cyndi Lauper was really inspired by Faithfull, and I could definitely hear that on this album. Solid record.

Some moments of good singing, some moments of good music, but the songs rarely cohere into something that really works for me. Liked it, didn't love it.

Зараз цей звук відчувається досить вінтажно і десь заходить на територію ретро-футуризму в чому є свій прикол. Дуже приставуча одноіменна пісня, з класним хуком. Загалом приємні враження від альбому, такий роковий нью вейв. Трохи не вистачило 4.

Ніколи не слухав її альбомами, було досить цікаво насправді. Непоганий кавер на Ленона до речі.

Enjoyed some songs, others not so much. Overall decent. Standout songs: Guilt Working class hero

Light 3,5

The context and the story behind the artist and the album are significantly more interesting than what is on this record. I think knowing the story made me more sympathetic to the songwriting, odd vocals, and droning sound of the music. I’ll give it a 2.8/5, because I think the story is worth knowing, even if the album is pretty meh.

I‘m torn on this one. Her pain feels real to me and I do jump to support female artists on this list. But it also all feels a bit… pretentious? Have been meaning to return for another listen but it ended in my account getting paused.

Parts of this are incredible and parts are just songs.

I keep trying to find a way to like this one but I can never quite manage it

I keep hearing about how important an artist Marianne Faithful is, much more than just former girlfriend of Mick Jagger. I was not really familiar with her work and extensive career. There are a couple of tracks on this album I had heard before - Broken English and the Ballad of Lucy Jordan - and it was good to listen to them attentively. It's a good album and clearly she's an artist worth becoming familiar with.

Angry aggressive marginal interesting worth a second listen.

Weird but not too bad

wasnt terrible

I guess it's cool that back in the day, people who couldn't really sing well could have careers as singers. Didn't really love this, but I can't be too harsh

Favourite track: Working Class Hero On the whole, didn't really do anything for me but quite pleasant listening. The sort of thing your uncle would probably like.

Gross

Enjoyed this one much more than I expected. Solid record.

3.5/5

I thought this was a 90s album for the first half before I looked at the background. An interesting album

This album didn't really do much for me lyrically or musically. I didn't have any familiarity with Marianne Faithfull. Reading up on its history I can see why the album might have been selected for its story, rather than its content. A good topic for a music documentary, but not essential listening for this project as the album doesn't really stand on its own as something worth engaging with. I doubt I'll give this any more spins, but it was a fine listen through once.

Some fun grooves ("Brain Drain") and good production, but I'm not a fan of her vocal style. Sometimes things get weird; "Why'd Ya Do It" sounds like Adrian Belew joined a reggae band.

The vibes were there, and that sound effect at the beginning of the first track was just . ݁₊ ⊹ .

If you like tom waits early work you'll probably like this

Not sure how to feel

I liked the style but nothing was overly memorable. I’m encouraged to check out more though.

Good easy listening. Somewhat ahead of its time with some of the new wave style in 1979.

She can't sing and is quite annoying. It was different to what I expected though, I'll give her that.

Funky, not expecting this at all. I kind of like and disliked it throughout but overall it was enough to memorable. It had that sort of mesmerising almost tribal beats feeling to it, possible will come back to it, let’s see how time treats it

Good music, wild lyrics. An interesting listen.

It was fine

That last song is a killer. I was not expecting to be hit with a "why'd you spit on my snatch" on the way out. 3.5

Ok

This is a very interesting album. The riffs are strong, the mood is dark, and there’s a real edge to the whole album that gives it weight. Overall a decent record.

I’ll give it another listen because there is something there. Put on my first go around. I didn’t think the songs were that strong and I definitely input off by the period production. Why’d ya do it is easily the standout for me. Marianne is a treasure but this isn’t the one for me.

Fine. I like the cover of working class hero.

I’ve like Ballad of Lucy Jordan for years, but not too familiar with MF. Unique voice for certain. I can imagine her having done something like Appalachian folk songs.

This was fine and didn't really grab my interest

I went into this not really knowing what to expect. My only knowledge of Marianne is from the Metallica track The Memory Remains. And you know what, I quite enjoyed it. The cover of Working Class Hero is good, the rest is not bad at all really. Discovered something new which is the point right.

Influencial. But I'm not listening to it regularly

Marianne's voice sounds really amazing. The album starts really strong and there are couple of good moments after that, but as a whole this album don't quite reach the same heights as the title track.

First thought was "how old was this", because it doesn't give out late 70's vibes, at least not in the first few moments of the album. The music is not really that much to my liking, but her musky voice adds one more star to my review 3/5

Might be the best album cover so far. And the music itself isn't bad either. Nothing special, but very decent new wave or whatever yee call it.

Ret fed energi for en synthpop plade

Sarebbero potenzialmente 4 ma non ho voglia di riascoltare

The first song and the last song are the best ones, to me. My mom loves this album.

This is a lot of fun. The back story is maybe more interesting than the record, but I still enjoyed it. The last song has a Patti Smith vibe, which I really enjoyed.

I was kind of put off by Marianne's voice at first. Ik sounded a lot rougher than her famous earlier hit. Reading the backstory explains it however. This has some great songs though, Working Class Hero was one of my favorite John Lennon songs and this cover does it justice. New wave production here is great, the slow pounding drums really bring forth the intensity on some tracks here. Still don't really know whether I like it or am medium on it.

Synes det var nice, et af de få albums jeg har gemt. Ville give 3.5

(69/100)

While I wasn't really fond of this as a whole, a couple of tracks are definitely worthy of saving for the future. Favourite track: Why'd Ya Do It

Hey that's the woman that sings in Metallica: The Memory Remains. Was quite good

Some bangers on here, some dull songs too. 3 seems fair

Not bad, saved a few songs for my long-term library, but wouldn't go back and listen to the whole thing. Why'd Ya Do It caught my attention a few times.

This was a wild ride. First track had some disco vibes, last track had a killer guitar solo and everything in between. I thought it dipped a bit in the middle despite the strong finish. Reading about it afterward - what an impressive achievement for someone formerly homeless and addicted to heroin.

Wasn't really sure what to expect with this one. I didn't come out with any great new love of her music or anything like that -- it's serviceable enough. The cover of Working Class Hero is a bit on the weirdass side. It's fine. I guess she walked so Lucinda Williams could run.

Well that was something. I liked the synths.

Well, first of all, that's a great album cover. I love it. The music, though; it's not bad, but it's not amazing either. It's fine; it's not like I discovered something out of the ordinary today. Sometimes I have an issue with her voice, sometimes the instrumental gets too bland; there's always something. Not once is a song fully good throughout, so I'd say this is a lower 3, more like a 2.5. I didn't pay attention to the lyrics 'til the very end. What do you mean, 'Every time I see your dick, I see her cunt in my bed,' Ma'am? Interesting lyrics for the time period. If people lost their heads when 'WAP' came out, I'm curious what the reaction was to hearing 'barbed wire pussy' on the radio. I'm actually trying so hard to understand the deep lyricism in this song. Like, did the girl he cheated on her with have a 'barbed wire pussy'? Because this didn't make much sense to me. It doesn't make it sound like he was attracted to cheating, so to speak. A 'bear trap pussy' would have been a way better choice of words. He got caught in it and couldn't get out no matter how much he tried. No matter how much the OG girlfriend loved him, what they had, everything is out the window because he cannot escape anymore, like actual hunters. Fucking around and finding out. Or is it her pussy that is, in fact, barbed wire as a punishment for his cheating? She knows that he cheated, but he doesn't know he's been found out yet. So, in a way, this is similar to the bear trap. In that scenario, he got trapped without knowing; the moment he realized it, he couldn't escape anymore. In the second scenario, though, he just realized he's been found out, so he tries to escape but he gets caught in the barbed wire. Again, he cannot escape, for his actions cannot be forgiven, so in the end, he must suffer regardless of which scenario was meant to be the true one. I actually can't tell what she meant. Anyway, thank you for coming to my TED talk; see you on another review.

Love the instrumentals and the album cover but her voice pissed me off

I vaguely knew this one, mostly because of the title track, which is great. The rest is good in places.

Some of the backing music is a bit lame. I guess there wasn't a global decision on 1st Jan 1980 to start using Casio keyboards and drum machines for every form of music, so even though this is from the 70s, this sounds very 80s to me. Marianne's voice is certainly cracked, almost to the point of being distracting, but it just about holds up I suppose. The lyrics are a mixed bag, some banal, some interesting. The first and last track lift this from two stars to three.

ohhh she's feeling it

Enjoyable

390/1089 - Instrumentation is cool. Songs are on the repetitive side. Weird voice.

I like the vibe and the voice of the main singer 3/5

I think a key word for this album is intriguing. The cover art, the lyrics, the sound; All of it is very intriguing but falls just short of enticing

Lemppari: Witches’ Song Vähiten lemppari: Why’d Ya Do It

Yea not bad. I didnt hate it. Music is a bit ahead of its time for 79. Sounds a but like Tina Turner would years later. Not sure if needed to hear it before I die. Definitely on here because its british

Queen of the British invasion

This album is a hard one to rate. On its face, to me it's one of those albums where the obvious historical weight is more powerful than the album itself. The album itself is a mixed bag to me, insofar as my listening styles. the late 70s/early 80s electronic stuff is a detraction for me, but there's more to the album that *isn't* that. There are some tracks which I can kind of appreciate and others which really do nothing for me. The album, in my opinion suffers most simply from a lack of cohesiveness. Is this album a victory in the sense that it brought a transformed Faithfull back to the world? For sure, and there are certainly merits to the album, but I'm not sure it'd be a regular or even occasional addition to my rotation. Maybe repeated plays would change that. But for now a solid 3.

Me gustó mucho pero la neta lo mejor son los sintes , no sentí tantísimo por la voz ni la composición

3.0 What a rockstar name. I should think about changing my name at some point for a bit more panache. Broken English was a pretty hip song, Working Class Hero (love that song) was a satisfactory cover. I could leave the rest of it

Decent listen, the title track and final track are the gems here. Although the final track is shockingly explicit for a song released in 79. Otherwise, chill background music.

Broken English sort of starts out like a darker Cyndi Lauper record and then goes in some weird directions that I didn’t really expect. I like that, at least in theory, but I guess my problem with this record is that it never feels like it gets out of second gear. I guess I’m saying that there are some interesting sonic directions here, and the songs aren’t bad, but they never really move into “great” either. 6.5/10

Not a fan of her voice, but otherwise ok. Incredible timing for this to show up...just watched a documentary on her last Sunday at Sundance (good but not great), with Norah Jones and Rufus Wainwright each performing one of her songs after the movie.

A bitter album with a chilly, dark atmosphere. I don’t intend to revisit it, but very much worth hearing.

Nice album but not better than 3

Love the instrumentation and production on this one. Unfortunately it doesn’t resonate in a way that particularly makes me want to revisit it. A very cold album you have to be in the mood for. Could potentially grow on me. For 1979, this is objectively quite a forward thinking record in terms of its aesthetic, definitely worth recognition in that regard.

I had heard of Marianne Faithful but I knew nothing about her nor knowingly heard of her songs. She definitely has a distinctive voice. Much different than her first couple of albums…….drug addiction will do that to a person. While this album does not stick out to me, it is hard to believe it was released in 1979. The music, especially the keyboards, make it sound almost contemporary. It’s an ok album. Her voice did bother me when it seemed to drop out - mostly at the end of a line. Found that annoying. Random observation…..The Ballad Of Lucy Jones reminded me of We Belong by Pat Benatar. It’s the keyboards.

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Very Good - The best discovery so far by miles! I could easily see this creeping up to a 4 over time. I only knew of Marianne as Mick Jagger's girlfriend so this was a brilliant surprise.

Beautiful and angsty comeback from the British singer. The vocals sound harrowing at times and the instrumentals sound lush and well-produced. 8/10 [KEEP]

I am glad Marianne Faithful got a shout out on the album generator. There is history and social stuff involved in her story that kind of matter and may be good to review and think about now and then. She is interesting musically speaking, a kind of cross between soft rock and post-punk, with some poignant lyrics thrown in for good measures. She is in a sense a success story, rags to riches to the gutter to something OK in the end. I wish in a sense her musicality was as interesting as her story, but we are in a kind of crossroad where she IS fine musically, but not THAT interesting. Yet I am glad for the nudge and reminder of those that came before in music history.

A solid listen

This album was interesting, but not something I think I'd come back to often. Faithfull's bio up to the release of this record is pretty intriguing though, and it's wild that Steve Winwood is on this album but only plays keys. 3/5

I was kinda stoked to listen to this based on the wikipedia info, but the reality is that this is a just-ok album. I'm sorry, Mrs. Faithfull, but I didn't find this to be a masterpiece... 2.75/5

Great voice. Mediocre material.

It has a unique quality.

I love the album cover. If anything, it built expectations for what the album would sound like, and those expectations weren't really met. But I did enjoy it overall. Was not expecting the final song to be so explicit.

Really liked the energy

Not my vibe

This is alright album, nothing too exciting, just a bit meh. The most popular song was alright as well, so the whole thing is just a bit alright, but nothing too great.

Jagged, late-night grooves built from wiry guitars, cold synthesizer pulses, skeletal rhythms, and frail, nicotine-scarred vocals pushed starkly to the front shape this new-wave album like listening to a confession recorded on a failing tape machine, with lyrics that lay bare addiction, erotic obsession, political fear, and emotional exhaustion without comfort or resolve.

honestly not half bad, definitely good that it was only half an hour long. Don't think I could've endured an hour of this.

some interesting stuff but not really working for me!

She has a really unique voice, but other than Lucy Jordan none of the songs were particularly notable.

Ei hassumpi! Hieno ääni! 3/5

Musiikillisesti mukiinmenevää ja lauluäänen takia kiinnostavaa, mutta taitaa olla listalla enemmän taustan kuin musiikillisen annin takia.

Why’d Ya Do It actually made me laugh. Felt like a ridiculous, very old fashioned diss track. There’s album deserves to be on the list, I just didn’t like it all that much. But there are times and moments that I did enjoy the music, I just feel like some of the songs dragged on a bit.

Liked. Wouldn’t listen again.

It’s a bit out there but it grew on me. And it sounds downright revolutionary compared to Taylor Swift. Wouldn’t be surprised if it got to 4 after further listens. Wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t. And who has the time to find out?! A solid/high 3.

The album grew on me.

Scabrous

Meh. It's fine.

This is a great story and a decent album. It's interesting to me that of the two top reviews here, one is entirely bought in, and the other is completely cynical. Although, honestly I think the answer is somewhere in between. It can be true that Marianne Faithful was both born into aristocracy *and* cruelly cast aside by rock culture. And this is her highly regarded comeback where she embraced new wave and leaned into her time and substance damaged voice. I would say the results are broadly successful: she sounds earnest and angry and she wears new wave well. Some of my favorites here are the title track, Brain Drain, Guilt, and Why D'Ya Do It. Although, I'd also like to shout out her Working Class Hero cover, which I'm not sure I *fully* buy, but she performs it very well (admittedly I'm not fully sure I buy the original either). Like I said, this works, and it is a cool comeback from a *very* wronged artist, and I am glad she got her flowers in the end.

Quite short, didn’t realise it ended and started playing other artists. Pretty good though

I understand that the lyrics hold a lot of weight, and Faithfull is almost preaching like a 1966 Dylan, but her voice takes some getting used to. Love the songs on here though.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if a man enjoys the fruits of a rock lifestyle then good for him, and if he dies at the age of 28 then that’s only to be expected. However, if a woman dares to enjoy sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll then she must be a slut, a whore or most shameful of all, an unfit mother. Marianna Faithfull was one of the best known faces of the swinging London scene of the sixties. She enjoyed notable success with her first album, as well as an acclaimed movie career, but that all seemed to be forgotten when she was labelled as just being Mick Jagger’s girlfriend. Her reputation was permanently tarnished when she was arrested during a drugs raid at Keith Richards house wearing only a fur rug. Nobody seems to have worried about what any of the men involved were (or were not) wearing at the time. Faithfull’s life spiralled out of control not long after that incident. She split from Jagger, there were prurient rumours about her sex life, she lost custody of her son and ended up as a homeless heroin addict for much of the 70s. Nobody expected to hear from her again, until this remarkable album was released in 1979. The vocals are not surprisingly considerably rougher after a decade on the streets, but they are perfectly suited to this angry and powerful album. Musically, it’s a world away from her previously folk tinged pop, being a mix of post punk and new wave synth sounds. The songs deal with terrorism, mental breakdowns, guilt and an icy cover of John Lennon’s Working Class Hero. The standout track is the closing Why’d Ya Do It about the bitter recriminations of the end of a relationship confronting a partner’s infidelity. Powerful stuff.

Kinda early disco/electronic music with some rock influence. The lead singer's voice is weird to me so I'm not much a fan.

Mid like fine but nothing WOW

Meh. Not my type of sound. Don’t love Marianne’s voice. 6/10

The Ballad of Lucy Jordan // What’s The Hurry // 2.5/5

i’ve listened to this before and not liked it but i enjoyed it this time around, i do like her raspy voice and why’d ya do it if a phenomenal song. i like this version of lucy jordan better than the original 3.5

If this album came out today, nobody would notice. Her background does a lot of the heavy lifting for why critics like it, and why it's on the list. The music is good, but fairly dated due to Steve Winwood on keyboards that give it that early 80's sound. The lyrics are edgy enough, giving her teeth. Even the notorious track, "Why'd You Do It?" isn't any more scandalous today than most rap hits. In 1979, this is shocking. Today? This is just another Thursday. My Rating: 3/5

This grew on me as the album progressed. Worth a revisit at some point. Favored a couple at the end.

This was really cool listen. I was more familiar with pre-drug pop gentle voiced Marianne, but after hearing this I’m a fan. There’s a punk rock edge to it while being run through a new wave blender with whiskey-soaked post-drug raspiness. A comeback album if there ever was one. Hard to imagine other female artists like Cyndi Lauper, Debbie Harry, Pat Benatar or even Annie Lennox sounding like they do without borrowing from this, knowingly or not. Good stuff.

Kind of a mix between Dolly Parton and Stevie Nicks. Her voice bothered me the more I listened but I did think the Ballad of Lucy Jordan was a cool song. 2.75

Thought this was pretty good. Love a good redemption story. Rounding up. 2.5/5

= the Beatles This is the very definition of middle of the road. Truly don't get people calling this edgy. It's anything but.

Really expected not to like this but was pleasantly surprised. Actually thought it was pretty good if not very original

Had no idea about the ups and down of her life before reading about this album. It was decent musically but you can really hear what she went through in her voice. Would do a 3.5 if possible.

Weird one. Sounds like someone's angry grandma decided to release a really spiteful new wave album with a backing band that actually rocks. Final track is searing, "Guilt" sounds just like the Alan Parsons Project, and Stevie Winwood's synths sound great, but unsure if I'll ever return to this

Kind of liked the energy to this. It felt quite self assured and had some rawness to it. I find it difficult to believe I would seek it out for another listen but it definitely held its own.

It has a realness about it which I like. OK there is history here but it translates well to the music. It is not a soft folky fest as it has a really solid well recorded band to listen to with blended genres. I think the compliment of the genuine darkness, genre busting band and fatigued lyrics just work in harmony. Was a pleasant experiance as it grew on me and I found I related to this music in a unconventional way. I dont love it all and nore would i have ever chosen it but a great album based on its situation, style and harmony. Its why I enjoy music (albums) like this! Sometimes it just works. Really got into this in the end and it had me captivated. Very strong 3!

I have been on a bit of a journey with this one. I didn't immediately enjoy it, it sounded dated and I thought the tone of her voice was surprisingly poor. I thought the songs were well structured, though, and the production value and use of synths sound very prescient for 1979. Listening on, I was intrigued by the context and did some reading on the life of MF, someone I hadn't heard of previously. With her backstory in mind, and with a more careful appreciation of the lyrics, the album was transformed from a fairly mid, proto-eighties pop album into something a bit more interesting. A woman who has been chewed up and spat out by the toxicity of 1960's pop-culture and she's come back swinging. The album ends with the excellent 'Why'd Ya Do It', a slow, angry punk/ska track that was middle finger to her past experiences and much more my style. This isn't an album I can see myself returning to with any frequency, but it was a very interesting listen and another win for the project.

70s fem rock, it was ok

Funny

The last song is really cool and interesting.

this one is tricky to me. I think i want to like it more than I actually do. The vibe is cool, I love how the instruments sound, I like her voice, but overall the lyrics aren't my fave tbh. There's something that's just not clicking with me. I did look at Wikipedia and Genius Lyrics for more context, trying to fill in the gaps to maybe like it more, but still I can't find the puzzle piece that's missing for me. It honestly might be because I am a lyrics girlie for the most part. The ones on here just didn't really click with me sadly. They're fine, there's nothing really inherently wrong with them, they're just not really my vibe. I noticed she didn't have writing credits for at least half of the album, which honestly shocked me. Most of the artists I listen to daily are Singer/Songwriter types, like i grew up with that being so cool, so when someone doesn't actually have a hand in writing most of their music it surprises me a little. (I feel the need to say there's nothing wrong with singing songs you didn't write) My favorite is probably "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", I will 100% come back to this one. "Guilt" was pretty cool too. I think I have to give this a 3/5. Maybe a 3.25/5 if you wanna be technical. there's nothing wrong with it, I like a few songs, but I don't see myself really going back to most of it, sadly. I really do wish I liked this more.

This was fine and sounded like something important for albums that came after, but in the end was rather forgettable for me. 2.75/5

Good album ig

Perfectly fine! Hasn't blown me away.

I do love her voice but the songs only occasionally speak to me. Not too bad but not writing home about it either.

3-3.5 Fine, but a bit slow and repetitive. Admittedly, didn’t closely listen to the lyrics

Another listenable one with nothing that I loved. Working Class Hero was nice, I’d be fine with the album as background music

Soulful and interesting backtracking, probably not something I’d go back to again though.

she's got a lot to say! heroin addict + homeless + mcjagger's ex is quite the background. Is it on here for context or becaue it's good? I found the ballad of lucy jordan to be quite good, and the rest was ok.

I had never heard this before. It was pretty great. Really liked her cover of Working Class Hero.

That laryngitis voice was a nice listen. Tailed off towards the end

Enjoying the groovy instrumental Bluesy new wave Witches song I didn't like, but broken englisjsh and guilt are pretty cool This falls a bit short somehow, not that it isn't good, but you know, something is missing to make the good great! We're talking best of all time on this list! Like a really think the idea of John Lennon cover is awesome but it's missing just a little something. Yeah I totally love Why'd ya do it, it's quite vulgar but it's bitting, honest and it feels deserved. Like fuck yeah, I understand why this is here then, this is cool!

Marianne Faithfull is someone I hear about a lot in reference to other musician’s biographies, so I was excited to listen to some of her own material for the first time. Unfortunately, I don’t know that this was the best introduction. The first half of the album was a bit difficult, as something about the sparse and repetitive synthy production was not working for me (this era represents the rueful turn towards ultra-processed studio techniques that marred the 80s). But things became more interesting by the time I got to “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan,” where a little bit more tonality was a welcome relief. I also enjoyed the Ian Drury-like cheekiness of “Why d’Ya Do It?” It was nice listening to this back-to-back with 1979’s maximalist synth of Gary Numan, and prompted me to return to this album with a little more satisfaction, now that I better knew what to expect.

Quite the story behind the making of this one….but anyway. The album itself presents well musically but some of the songs felt repetitive, namely the title track. I enjoyed Brain Drain and Guilt. Others as well, but those two were the take home tracks for me. The Lennon cover was done well too. All in all, not everlasting but still an enjoyable listen.

Absolute madness, starts off a bit odd then careers off the rails into some top end profanity

Standouts: Guilt Working Class Hero Why'd ya do it 😵‍💫 Why is it so experimental 🥹 First half was kinda bland and repetitive I love the blend of harsh and soft guitar sounds on the later songs. Probably a 3 but the 3 standout songs are carrying hard

Pretty good, pretty 70's. Lyrics a bit dull at times imo but has its charm. Favourite song on was probs Why'd Ya Do It

Pretty good music, very good album cover. 7/10 Favourite track: Broken English

It’s fine, nothing offensive. Just not an album that needs to be listened to before you die.

A very middling album, generally ok, but mostly unmemorable. The cover of "Working Class Hero" was a choice though.

You go girl! 3.9

Interesting

Good new wave album! Not the one I will listen again, but it was a good experience. Solid 3. Ma favourites are: Why'd ya do it, Working class hero