Marianne Faithfull
No Exit

She was loved by Brian Jones and Keith Richards. Not to mention Mick Jagger. This alone would suffice to describe how much charisma and personality this woman has. This alone would explain why I myself am so fascinated by her. I mean, after all, I just mentioned three of the greatest rock stars of all time, the founders of what is the greatest rock band of all time and if it's true that love for an artist or a band can become idolatry and in many cases perversion (come on, who among us wouldn't want to be with Keef or Mick, if given the chance), deep down you might even feel a bit of envy for her. But this is nothing compared to her great qualities as a singer, songwriter, and also as an actress and for her role in the popular culture of the United Kingdom and all of Europe. Obviously, Marianne Faithfull was much more than a simple 'groupie'. Emerging in the scene that was defined as 'Swinging London', she became very well known, clearly especially for her closeness to the Rolling Stones and then for her long and publicized relationship with Mick Jagger, she was a reference point for many young women at that time, the last period in which the UK probably really dictated the rules for what was a renewal of social and cultural ideas. From this point of view, a kind of swan song for the entire British kingdom and its overseas possessions.

Marianne continued to be a very popular figure even in the following decade, despite the fact that a whole series of burdensome problems arose for her from then on: heroin addiction and drug use in general, anorexia nervosa and continual wandering from one place to another, up until the moment when custody of her child was taken away and her arrest in Norway for illegal possession of marijuana. But, as I said, despite all the difficulties, her style and strong personality continued to be considered and at the end of that decade she released an album, 'Broken English', which I personally consider a masterpiece (a fundamental work) and which anticipates in aesthetics and sounds some elements of the new wave movement that would shortly thereafter explode worldwide. An album produced by Mark Miller Mundy and recorded with the assistance of musician Barry Reynolds in which Marianne completely reinvents herself in the role of the decadent chanteuse and, inspired by a great like Marlene Dietrich, adopts that typical cabaret expressionist style that spread during the flourishing of arts and sciences during the 1930s in the Weimar Republic and then throughout the rest of the world.

It's pointless to keep talking about all her works and the various collaborations over the years. There's no need for it, just as it's superfluous to add that some episodes of her discography are definitely negligible. If at this point, this instead of being a true review might appear to be a eulogy of Marianne's artistic figure, I can say that in this specific case, there's not much difference between the two things. 'No Exit' (released last October 7th) is a live album and consequently something many disregard regardless or still consider a phase of a record process simply aimed at making some money (like 'best of' collections for that matter). Generally, I can say I feel the same way, I mean, it's not something that particularly attracts me, yet, listening to this album I found some interesting content.

Released on the occasion of her fiftieth (!) anniversary as a singer and songwriter, the album collects the best live performances recorded during her last European tour and is accompanied, among other things, by a DVD of her concert in Budapest in 2014 and four songs from the concert held at the Roundhouse in London in 2016, where she is accompanied by great musicians like Rob Ellis (who is also her producer), Jonny Bridgewood, Ed Harcourt, and Rob Mcvey. But, just to reiterate the concept that everyone has their preferences, as far as I'm concerned I just can't stomach the idea of watching concerts on television, so I have no comment to make regarding the DVD. And this is simply because I haven't seen it and I don't think I will. From what I've read around, it would still be worth attention and also for the evocative locations. Especially the one in Budapest.

Most of the songs are necessarily taken from her latest studio album, 'Give My Love To London', a good record in which Marianne collaborated with a great number of excellent artists of the caliber of Nick Cave, Anna Calvi, Roger Waters, Brian Eno (among others).'No Exit', rather than being a true 'best of', is really an opportunity to admire and listen in such an intense dimension as the live the great interpretative skills of this great vocalist and consequently the opportunity to hear renewed versions of classics like, 'The Ballad of Lucy Jordan', 'As Tears Go By' and 'Sister Morphine', in my opinion (but how could it be otherwise) the best moment of the record with 'Late Victorian Holocaust' (the song written in collaboration with Nick Cave) and 'Sparrow Will Sing'.

Starting from one of the no-wave symbol artists like Lydia Lunch to singers and artists of the new wave and post-punk genre like Siouxsie and Anita Lane to Polly Jean Harvey and Josephine Foster or 'indie' singers and songwriters like Anna Calvi, all these have considered Marianne Faithfull as a reference point and a source of inspiration, both on a purely stylistic level and for her strong, free and independent personality, and obviously for her particular expressive style and the indistinguishable characteristics of her vocal timbre.If you like artists like Nick Cave or Tom Waits, some more or less successful 'expressionist' episodes of Lou Reed's discography or that of Iggy Pop himself (to mention the most famous names), you cannot (if you do not already know Marianne Faithfull) but appreciate this artist or in any case love 'No Exit' for these intense live performances, something that by virtue of the particular emphasis of her performances on this specific occasion constitutes a strength of the album.

As a final consideration, I could say that I find it somehow 'unjustified' that today Marianne Faithfull is not generally considered as much as other great stars of the music world who began to shine in the twenty years between the sixties and seventies. This perhaps happens because of the many problems that periodically kept her away from the scenes or probably because many superficially consider her as simply one of Mick Jagger's many girls. I have spoken of her as a reference point for an entire generation of women, and young women in particular, and of what has become an icon for issues like sexual emancipation and women's independence, but this definition doesn't fully describe what Marianne Faithfull really is, that is a girl and then a woman who through the years and really many difficulties, has finally reached a compromise with herself and with her demons. In this way, she has surpassed what is the simple definition of 'icon', something that in general does not describe all the qualities of a person reducing them to a mere model, in the structural sense, almost a kind of 'mock-up' of human size and shape. Well, I would say that this last description does not suit this woman who is so strong and sensitive at the same time.