Marianne Faithfull - Vagabond Ways

"Oh, doctor please. I drink and I take drugs. I love sex and I move around a lot." These are the opening words of this album, and as the summation of a gloriously misspent youth, they're kind of hard to beat, cementing Marianne Faithfull's claim to the title of Greatest Living Englishwoman. Her first album since 20th Century Blues offers up a diverse collection of material. An old Roger Waters composition, "Incarceration of a Flower Child," opens with a musical phrase he would revisit, 15 years later, in "Your Possible Pasts" (from the Final Cut album). Faithfull interprets it as a simple lament to lost innocence, the days of "good dope and cheap wine"--though its chorus rather deliberately punctures the dream ("It's gonna get old in the 1970s"). And with its mocking air of self-pity, its ruined grandeur, Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song" might have been written with her in mind. But it's that title track and "Electra," two ruthless slices of self-examination ("You'd think she owns the streets of Dublin"), which truly compel attention. Singular, magnificent. --Andrew McGuire Amazon.com

One of Marianne's Best Albums...

Before this album was released, Marianne had only made two worthwhile albums throughout her entire career - "Broken English" and "Strange Weather". However, "Vagabond Ways", was soon to be added to that list.

"Vagabond Ways" is everything that you would expect of a Marianne album, dark, moody and dramatic, with a hint of satire and cabaret. The title track, "Vagabond Ways" is self satire at its best, and the Roger Water's composition "Incarnation of a Flower Child" is out of this world, and one of the best Marianne tracks ever. "File it Under Fun from the Past" would have to be the highlight of the album, with its air of forlorn abandonment, takes the album to another level.

This album is definately recommended for fans of Marianne, who enjoy "Broken English" "Strange Weather" and "Kissin Time". November 22, 2006

no middle-ground here!

This is one of those cases where I can only scratch my head and say -- "Well, to each his or her own." Even among the small slice of humanity that would find itself putting a Marianne Faithfull album in the player, there seems to exist an unbridgable gap in taste and temperament. Am I right to perceive from the album reviews a Strange Weather camp and a Broken English camp? If so, I am securely in the first. Therefore, I think 20th Century Blues is a masterpiece, and Vagabond Ways is, well, unpalatable.

I'm being careful, because Marianne Faithfull is amazing -- a unique talent, a great live performer, and a real survivor. So the components I happen to like and dislike come from the same healthy soup.

I think the difference is largely about instrumentation. To me, this album and some of her others are chaotic masses of poppish instrumentation that provide aimless structures for weak melodies, squandering the soulfulness of her voice and overpowering the messages and the stories under it all. The result is more a construction, or a "production," than a song, more of an effort than a pleasure to listen to.

But I have to respect those who like this album, and just boil the whole matter down to a single piece of advice. We'll see if it resonates. Here it is:

If you like Broken English, pony up the credit card. If your soul dances in the melencholy strains of Strange Weather, buy Vagabond Ways at your peril. August 8, 2005

An Awesome return to Form

I had mixed feelings about A Secret Life and 20th Century Blues. I could have sworn on its release that A Secret Life was going to be Ms. Faithfull's final recording, and while it was a good record, it was way too light and airy for my tastes. 20th Century Blues was interesting but I could never get into old standards. The reason I'm talking about these two albums was because Vagabond Ways hit shelves without warning. This is Marianne Faithfull at her finest. No old covers or swampy, over-bearing orchestrations here. Her voice takes front and center with a production that accompanies it beautifully. Everything on Vagabond Ways is either pretty or amazing, mostly amazing though. The title track and Incarnation of a Flower bring this singer back to darker roots, then using that same ragged voice for the absolutely moving Wilder Shores of Love and For Wanting You. Voices like Christina Aguilara and Joss Stone, with all their range and vocal pristine, can't come close to evoking as much emotion as this woman. My only gripe was After the Ceasefire, but it hardly spoils such a masterful piece. October 28, 2004

UG!

Marianne Faithful is famous for some reason, it ain't because of this album. July 31, 2002

Amazing How This Woman Can Keep My Attention

The Marianne Faithfull part of my music collection stretches for a long distance. I liked her back when she had the little girl voice doing the folkie and light folk/pop things in the mid-60s. I liked her harrowing version of "Visions of Johannah" recorded at a time when she was completely strung out on junk and virtually homeless. I LOVED her first three albums on Island, when she was more-or-less back in one piece and taking responsibility for her choices of material. And everything since has been quite fascinating, from Hal Wilner's torch explorations to Kurt Weill revivals to the brilliant Angelo Badelamente album. On "Vagabond Ways," it feels as if Marianne has revisited a number of her records in the past twenty years or so. The classic approach of her first three Island albums ("Broken English," "Dangerous Acquaintances," and "A Child's Adventure") is used on the title track, and on "Electra," "Wilder Shores of Love," the Daniel Lanois-arranged "Marathon Kiss" and the utterly perfect interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song." This latter number is such a perfect match of song and singer that I wonder whether she's ever considered doing a full album of Cohen's songs; she could do any of them--even "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-on." On the other hand, tracks like "For Wanting You," "Great Expectations" and "After the Ceasefire" remind of "A Secret Life." The only criticism is that Marianne can veer dangerously close to self-parody, such as on the title track. I can live with a bit of Marianne Faithfull's self-parody.

All in all, a great album June 26, 2002

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