Dangerous Acquaintances
| Dangerous Acquaintances | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Marianne Faithfull | ||||
| Released | 1 September 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Studio | Matrix Studios (London, United Kingdom) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:44 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Mark Miller Mundy | |||
| Marianne Faithfull chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Dangerous Acquaintances | ||||
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Dangerous Acquaintances is the eighth studio album by English singer Marianne Faithfull. It was released on 1 September 1981 by Island Records. The album was seen by reviewers as a disappointing follow-up to Faithfull's Broken English, as the album trades the angry and controversial alternative new wave arrangements of the previous one for a more mainstream rock texture, using over a dozen session musicians and, for some, giving a certain anonymous feel to the songs. The title is a reference to the Pierre Choderlos de Laclos 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.
The main singles of the album were "Intrigue", penned by the singer's then-husband, Ben Brierley, and "For Beauty's Sake", written by Faithfull and Steve Winwood.
Background and recording
Marianne Faithfull described the album's recording as a long and arduous process, marked by numerous instances of miscommunication between herself, the instrumentalists, and the producer.[1] She particularly commented that bassist Steve York and drummer Terry Stannard did not gel properly, and that producer Mark Mundy made inappropriate production decisions, such as the inclusion of horns on "Intrigue".[1] She was also unhappy with the way Mundy interacted with the performers: "We went through some amazing scenes. He was treating the band like they couldn't play and didn't know what they were doing - and in a way, me too, but particularly the band. It was a divide and conquer trip. I don't think he meant to do it. He just did it naturally."[1]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
In their retrospective review, Allmusic repeatedly criticized the album for backing down from the musical and lyrical boldness of Broken English in favor of more conventional and accessible material.[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweetheart" | 3:15 | |
| 2. | "Intrigue" | Ben Brierley | 4:29 |
| 3. | "Easy in the City" |
|
3:16 |
| 4. | "Strange One" |
|
2:51 |
| 5. | "Tenderness" |
|
3:53 |
| 6. | "For Beautie's Sake" |
|
3:30 |
| 7. | "So Sad" |
|
4:31 |
| 8. | "Eye Communication" |
|
3:35 |
| 9. | "Truth, Bitter Truth" |
|
7:24 |
Total length: |
36:44 | ||
Credits and personnel
- Marianne Faithfull – vocals
- Barry Reynolds – guitar
- Steve York – bass
- Joe Maverty – guitar
- Terry Stannard - drums
with:
- Steve Winwood - keyboards
- Frank Collins – backing vocals
- Denis Haines – keyboards
- Pickford Sykes - keyboards
- Neil Hubbard – guitar
- Martin Drover – trumpet
- Julian Diggle – percussion
- Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuel – bass
- Chris Stainton - keyboards
- Clifton "Bigga" Morrison - piano
- Dyan Spenner - backing vocals
- Jim Leverton - bass
- Mel Collins - saxophones
- Peter Veitch - keyboards
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
} } }| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[13] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[14] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[15] | Gold | 113,800[16] |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- 1 2 3 Farber, Jim (June 1983). "I Got Here by the Skin of my Teeth". Record. 2 (8): 1, 30.
- 1 2 Dangerous Acquaintances at AllMusic
- ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ↑ Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-29
- ↑ "dutchcharts.nl Marianne Faithfull - Dangerous Acquaintances" (ASP). dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ↑ "charts.org.nz Marianne Faithfull - Dangerous Acquaintances" (ASP). Hung Medien. Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ↑ "norwegiancharts.com Marianne Faithfull - Dangerous Acquaintances" (ASP). Hung Medien. VG-lista. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ↑ "swedishcharts.com Marianne Faithfull - Dangerous Acquaintances" (ASP) (in Swedish). Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ↑ "Chart Stats - Marianne Faithfull - Dangerous Acquaintances" (PHP). UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ↑ "allmusic ((( Dangerous Acquaintances > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
- ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1981". RPM. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Marianne Faithfull – Dangerous Acquaintances". Music Canada.
- ↑ "French album certifications – Marianne Faithfull – Dangerous Acquaintances" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
- ↑ "Les Albums Or". infodisc.fr (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
External links
- Dangerous Acquaintances at AllMusic
- Dangerous Acquaintances at Discogs (list of releases)