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Before The Poison
by
Before The Poison Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 15 Ratings

  • Summary: Faithfull's latest comes with some all-star assistance: P.J. Harvey wrote, produced and performed on over half of the tracks, with Damon Albarn and Nick Cave contributing to others.

Top Track

There Is A Ghost
There is a ghost And it goes out On the land On the land It's lifted up It feels and flows On many hands On many hands Oh, my lover Oh, my... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Stylus Magazine
    100
    Before The Poison isn’t flashy, and it’s likely to get overlooked, but it may just be the single best album Marianne Faithfull has ever put her name to.
  2. Filter
    86
    Her tragic musings finally receive the perfect accompaniment. [#14, p.105]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Playlouder
    80
    If anything this year's model raises the stakes on its predecessor.
  4. cokemachineglow
    77
    She etches out a style that is as feeble as it is vicious. And she owns it, her voice only an assurance of just how cool she really is.
  5. Q Magazine
    70
    The worthiest addition yet to her legendary status. [Nov 2004, p.119]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. The New York Times
    70
    Most of the songs are elegiac, and Ms. Faithfull infuses them with desolate memories. [31 Jan 2005]
  7. Rolling Stone
    40
    The combination often proves too bleak.

See all 25 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. MattM
    Apr 2, 2005
    10
    The best album of 2005 thus far. Faithfull sounds exquisite, and the arrangements are sublime. Simply astonishing.
  2. GREGW
    May 27, 2005
    10
    Before The Poison is as addictive as Marianne is Fabulous!!! The more I listen to and connect to her tracks- The higher I become..... Go Before The Poison is as addictive as Marianne is Fabulous!!! The more I listen to and connect to her tracks- The higher I become..... Go MARIANNE!!!!!!!… Expand
  4. TimQ
    Sep 1, 2005
    10
    This is the best album she has done since "Broken English". Both of course are excellent !!
  5. Shawn
    Jun 4, 2005
    9
    A fantastic album from the uber cool Mrs. Faithfull. The only complaints being that the arrangements are a little too sparse and the A fantastic album from the uber cool Mrs. Faithfull. The only complaints being that the arrangements are a little too sparse and the instrumentation seems occasionally lazy.… Expand
  6. Mack
    Feb 23, 2006
    8
    Songs where her voice is "bleeding" are magnificent. The rest is just OK.
  7. EdwardE
    Mar 2, 2005
    8
    Who better to bring the darkness out of Ms. Faithfull than Cave & Harvey. This is a stunning release & highly recommended though, don't Who better to bring the darkness out of Ms. Faithfull than Cave & Harvey. This is a stunning release & highly recommended though, don't throw it on at a party. It's bleak yet beautiful, dark yet reassuring.… Expand
  8. KatieH
    Nov 1, 2004
    6
    very emotional and dark-hearted. but i find it difficult to get over the fact that, though it's not always a bad thing, you cannot very emotional and dark-hearted. but i find it difficult to get over the fact that, though it's not always a bad thing, you cannot separate the her aging from her music. … Collapse

See all 11 User Reviews

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