Marianne Faithfull - Broken English (German 1st pressing) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/96 Khz + CD

Broken English is a 1979 album by singer Marianne Faithfull. It is often cited as Faithfull's definitive recording; Faithfull herself describes it in her autobiography as "the masterpiece". The album contains some of her most famous songs, including the title track and "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", and was notable for the controversy surrounding the final number "Why D’Ya Do It?".

Faithfull’s immediately preceding albums, Dreamin' My Dreams and Faithless (which in fact shared some tracks), had been in a relatively gentle folk or country and western style. Broken English was a radical departure, featuring a contemporary fusion of rock, punk, New Wave and dance, with liberal use of synthesizers. After a number of years of drug abuse, Faithfull's voice was in a lower register, far raspier, and had a more world-weary quality than in the past that matched the often raw emotions expressed in the newer songs.

The album’s title track took inspiration from terrorist figures of the time, particularly Ulrike Meinhof of the Baader-Meinhof group. "Guilt" was informed by the Catholic upbringing of the singer and her composer Barry Reynolds. "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan", originally performed by Dr Hook, was a melancholy tale of middle class housewife's disillusionment; Faithfull's version became something of an anthem and was used on the soundtracks to the films Montenegro (1981) and Thelma & Louise (1991). "What’s the Hurry?" was described by Faithfull as reflecting the everyday desperation of the habitual drug user. Her cover of John Lennon’s "Working Class Hero", recorded as a tribute to her own heroes such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, and Lennon himself, was widely praised.

The last track, "Why'd Ya Do It?", was a caustic, graphic rant of a woman reacting to her lover's infidelity. The lyrics began with the man's point of view, relating the bitter tirade of his jilted lover. It was set to a grinding tune inspired by Jimi Hendrix’s recording of Bob Dylan’s "All Along the Watchtower". Poet and writer Heathcote Williams had originally conceived the lyrics as a piece for Tina Turner to record, but Faithfull succeeded in convincing him that Turner would never record such a number. Its plethora of four-letter words and explicit references to oral sex caused controversy and led to a ban in Australia. Local pressings had smooth vinyl in place of the track and a 'bonus' 7" single of the extended version of "Broken English" as compensation. The ban did not extend to import copies, and the song was also played unedited on the Government-funded Double Jay radio station.–Wikipedia.

Track listing:

1 "Broken English" (Marianne Faithfull, Barry Reynolds, Joe Mavety, Steve York, Terry Stannard) – 4:35
2 "Witches' Song" (Faithfull, Reynolds, Mavety, York, Stannard) – 4:43
3 "Brain Drain" (Ben Brierley, Tim Hardin) – 4:13
4 "Guilt" (Reynolds) – 5:05
5 "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" (Shel Silverstein) – 4:09
6 "What's the Hurry" (Joe Mavety) – 3:05
7 "Working Class Hero" (John Lennon) – 4:40
8 "Why'd Ya Do It?" (Heathcote Williams, Reynolds, Mavety, York, Stannard, Faithfull) – 6:45


Personnel

Marianne Faithfull – vocals
Barry Reynolds – guitar
Joe Mavety – guitar
Steve York – bass
Terry Stannard – drums
Diane Birch
Frankie Collins
Jim Cuomo – saxophone
Isabella Dulaney
Guy Humphries – guitar
Morris Pert – percussion
Darryl Way – violin
Steve Winwood – keyboards
Bob Potter – engineer
Ed Thacker – mixing engineer
Dennis Morris – sleeve photography