Marianne Faithfull
Easy Come, Easy Go, the 22nd album from Marianne Faithfull, was recorded in December 2007 in NYC at the famous Sear Sound recording studio. Featuring guest appearances by an array of fellow artists including Keith Richards, Antony Hegarty, Rufus Wainwright, Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave the album will be released in 3 formats - a 10 song standard CD; a special luxury 18 song 2 CD edition; and a vinyl edition with the full 18 tracks.
‘Easy Come, Easy Go' is the third album of Marianne's to be produced by Hal Willner (the others being ‘Strange Weather' and ‘Blazing Away'). Marianne and Hal have been close friends since they met, back in 1982, and have worked together on many, many different projects over the years, (most recently on three songs from Marianne's acclaimed last album ‘Before the Poison') but ‘Easy Come, Easy Go' is their first complete studio album since ‘Strange Weather', more than 20 years ago.
Like that earlier album, ‘Easy Come Easy Go' is a collection of songs written by others and interpreted by Marianne. When ‘Strange Weather' was released in 1987, it was quickly hailed as one of Marianne's finest recordings, so this time around the challenge was really high: Marianne and Hal had to make an album that was at least as good. Both artists have risen to the challenge beautifully: they achieve a timeless recording, a masterpiece.
All the songs have been chosen by Marianne and Hal, and range from Billie Holiday's ‘Solitude' to ‘The Crane Wife' by current band The Decemberists. Other tracks are ‘Sing Me Back Home' by Merle Haggard, ‘Children of Stone' by Espers, the title track ‘Easy Come, Easy Go Blues' by Bessie Smith, Morrissey's ‘Dear God Please Help Me', Dolly Parton's ‘Down from Dover' and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's ‘Salvation'.
‘Easy Come, Easy Go' also includes some interesting guest vocalists; Keith Richards appears on the aforementioned ‘Sing Me Back Home' Antony Hegarty on ‘Ooh Baby Baby' and Jarvis Cocker on Sondheim's ‘Somewhere'. Other guest appearances on the album come from Rufus Wainwright who contributes vocals to the powerful ‘Children Of Stone' while his aunt and mother Kate and Anna McGarrigle enchant on the ‘The Flandycke Shore'. Warren Ellis plays his magic violin on 3 songs and Nick Cave lends some vocals to ‘The Crane Wife'. Sean Lennon and Teddy Thompson play guitar on a couple of the tracks and Cat Power harmonizes on ‘Hold On, Hold On'.
The album was recorded live in the oldest recording studio in Manhattan - the famous Sear Sound. The arrangements are by Cohen Bernstein and Weinberg Goldstein and were done specifically for Marianne. The string and horn sections were led by L. Picket and the band includes Marc Ribot, Greg Cohen, Rob Burger, Barry Reynolds and Jim White. Very few takes were needed in fact some of the songs were done in a single take (London sound engineers in the 60's used to call her "Marianne ‘one take' Faithfull"). In fact there are very few overdubs on this recording.
After the launch of the album, a short tour of the main capital cities of Europe will take place throughout spring 2009. Marianne will recreate ‘Easy Come Easy Go' on stage using the same band as the recording sessions, complete with a horn and string section. As well as the new material, Marianne will be performing a selection of hits from her rich back catalogue; all in all it promises to be a fantastic show.