Before The Poison
Encyclopedia
Before the Poison is the 17th album by Marianne Faithfull
, recorded in 2003 and released in 2005.
Faithfull enlisted musicians PJ Harvey
and Nick Cave
, as well as Damon Albarn
and producer Jon Brion
, with whom she had collaborated on her previous release, Kissin' Time.
Top Independent Albums in 2005. It peaked at #31 in France, #36 in Denmark and #61 in Switzerland.
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
, recorded in 2003 and released in 2005.
Overview
The album has a dark and fatalistic mood, which Faithfull attributes partially to the post-9/11 world.Faithfull enlisted musicians PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey
Polly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
and Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, as well as Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
and producer Jon Brion
Jon Brion
Jon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
, with whom she had collaborated on her previous release, Kissin' Time.
- Besides producing and performing on five tracks, Harvey gave her three songs ("The Mystery of Love", "My Friends Have" and "No Child Of Mine" -- an excerpt of the last one appears on Harvey's album, Uh Huh Her) and co-wrote another two with Faithfull.
- Cave co-produces with Hal WillnerHal WillnerHal Willner is an American music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles...
the three tracks on which he wrote the music over Faithfull's lyrics ("Crazy Love", "There Is a Ghost" and "Desperanto") and had his supporting band, The Bad Seeds, performing on all of them. - Albarn, who appears with BlurBlur (band)Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
in a song on Faithfull's previous album, Kissin' TimeKissin' TimeKissin' Time is the 16th album by veteran British musician Marianne Faithfull.- Overview :After turns as a neo-cabaret/slow ballad crooner in previous works , Faithfull was eager to collaborate with contemporary musicians...
, co-wrote "Last Song" with her. Another version of the song, with different lyrics on the verses, was later released as "Green FieldsGreen Fields-Chart positions:...
" on his unnamed band's 2007 album, The Good, the Bad and the QueenThe Good, the Bad and the QueenThe Good, the Bad & the Queen is the album by an ostensibly unnamed British alternative rock supergroup also commonly referred to as The Good, The Bad & The Queen, and made up of Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong and Tony Allen. The album was released in January 2007...
. - Jon BrionJon BrionJon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
, also featured on Kissin' Time, shares with the singer the songwriting credits of "City of Quartz", the last song of the album.
Charts
Before the Poison reached position #37 at BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Independent Albums in 2005. It peaked at #31 in France, #36 in Denmark and #61 in Switzerland.
Track listing
- "The Mystery of Love" (PJ HarveyPJ HarveyPolly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
) – 3:53 - "My Friends Have" (PJ Harvey) – 2:48
- "Crazy Love" (Marianne Faithfull/Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
) – 4:04 - "Last Song" (Marianne Faithfull/Damon AlbarnDamon AlbarnDamon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
) – 3:19 - "No Child of Mine" (PJ Harvey) – 6:15
- "Before the Poison" (Marianne Faithfull/PJ Harvey) – 4:10
- "There Is a Ghost" (Marianne Faithfull/Nick Cave) – 4:32
- "In the Factory" (Marianne Faithfull/PJ Harvey) – 3:51
- "Desperanto" (Marianne Faithfull/Nick Cave) – 4:22
- "City of Quartz" (Marianne Faithfull/Jon BrionJon BrionJon Brion is an American rock and pop multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer.-Early life:...
) – 4:04
Production credits
- Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 & 8:
- Produced by PJ HarveyPJ HarveyPolly Jean Harvey is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, and most recently, the autoharp.Harvey began her career in...
(June–July 2003) - Recorded and mixed by Head
- Vocals and handclapping: Marianne Faithfull
- Electric and acoustic guitars, bass, synth, backing vocals, piano, slide bass: PJ Harvey
- Drums, piano, percussion, glockenspiel, handclapping: Rob Ellis
- Synth bass, electric guitar, bass: Adrian UtleyAdrian UtleyAdrian Francis Utley is an English musician and a member of the band Portishead.-Biography:Utley is self-taught on guitar, bass and keyboards, and played professionally from the age of 18 in working men's clubs, night clubs, holiday camps, and in cabaret, backing soul artists...
- Produced by PJ Harvey
- Tracks 3, 7 & 9:
- Produced by Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
and Hal WillnerHal WillnerHal Willner is an American music producer working in recording, films, TV and live events. He is best known for assembling tribute albums and events featuring a wide variety of artists and musical styles...
(October 2003) - Recorded and mixed by Rik Simpson
- Vocals: Marianne Faithfull
- Musicians: Nick Cave, Warren EllisWarren Ellis (musician)Warren Ellis is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and composer, best known for his work with Dirty Three, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman and his soundtrack scores with Nick Cave. He plays violin, piano, bouzouki, guitar, flute, mandolin, and tenor guitar...
, Martyn P. CaseyMartyn P. CaseyMartyn Paul Casey is an English-born Australian rock bass guitarist. He had been a member of The Triffids, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Grinderman. Casey plays either his Fender Precision Bass or Fender Jazz Bass.-Biography:...
and Jim SclavunosJim SclavunosJim Sclavunos is an American rock music drummer, percussionist and producer.Sclavunos, a half-Greek and half-Italian from Brooklyn, New York , is well-known for his exceptional height at 6'7". Sclavunos has performed with Sonic Youth, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Lydia Lunch and was a member of 8...
- Produced by Nick Cave
- Tracks 4 & 10:
- Produced by Rob Ellis and Head (September 2003)
- Recorded and mixed by Head
- Assistant engineers: Andrew Rugg and Rik Simpson
- Vocals: Marianne Faithfull
- Drums, piano, percussion, vibraphone, sound effects, string arrangements: Rob Ellis
- Acoustic guitar, bass, toy piano, sampling: Adrian Utley
- Violin: Catherine Browning
- Cello: Andy Nice
- Piano: Diana Gutkind
- Mastering: John Dent
- Photos: Jean Baptiste Mondino