15.11.14

"Give My Love To London" (2014) by Marianne Faithfull


By now you either got used to Faithfull's croak or you didn't. I still find it absolutely fascinating that this woman, who used to be just a footnote in "Rolling Stones" history turned out to be far more interesting artist than famous rock group whose albums have became routine job a long ago. Everything from her music, movies, books and interviews speaks about really interesting person who has something to say and is aware about her "scandalous" pubic persona but accepts it and sometimes even plays with it.Though I love her 1960s work, everything that came afterwards is far more rewarding and closer to the bone.

This, her latest album already has great reviews - to me it doesn't sound any better or worse from what she was doing already for some time, offering strong songs written by excellent songwriters, meaningful lyrics and that voice that sounds like it comes from a utterly broken heart. What Faithfull does - and she is very good at it - she constantly presents herself as artist with integrity, completely avoid anything banal or commercial in order to sell more records. That is why her albums don't really catch on first listening but work much better with time, as they sound timeless. I have noted even previously that she sounds so good on Leonard Cohen songs that sometimes I wish she should just record the whole Cohen-songbook because it would be excellent, she really has affinity for this type of material.

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