Dangerous Acquaintances
1981 studio album by Marianne Faithfull
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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.
| Dangerous Acquaintances | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 September 1981 | |||
| Recorded | March 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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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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| People | (favourable)[3] |
| Record Mirror | [4] |
| The Village Voice | B+[5] |
In their retrospective review, AllMusic's Richie Unterberger criticized the album for backing down from the musical and lyrical boldness of Broken English in favor of more conventional and accessible material, though he did state that there was "at least one commercially viable track", in "For Beauty's Sake" (a Faithfull–Steve Winwood co-write).[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 Beauty's Sake" |
| 3:30 |
| 7. | "So Sad" |
| 4:31 |
| 8. | "Eye Communication" |
| 3:35 |
| 9. | "Truth, Bitter Truth" |
| 7:24 |
| Total length: | 36:44 | ||
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
- Technical
- Bob Potter – engineer
- Ed Thacker – mixing
- Paul Henry – art direction
- Clive Arrowsmith – photography
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[16] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[17] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[18] | Gold | 100,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[19] | Gold | 7,500^ |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||