Marianne Faithfull had been effectively written off as a one-hit wonder when she reappeared in 1979 to shock everyone with this dark masterpiece. Gone was the bland choirgirl voice of "As Tears Go By," replaced by an instrument that, although ravaged by drink, drugs, and hard living, had gained in expressiveness. The music, which sounded like a synthesizer phalanx hijacked by depressed punks, was perfectly suited to these songs of disillusionment ("Ballad of Lucy Jordan") and loss (the title track). Most powerful was a "Working Class Hero" that matched John Lennon's original sneer for sneer, and an X-rated response to infidelity ("Why D'Ya Do It") that could've been torn from Bill Clinton-inspired headlines. -- Ben Edmonds

Fans of Faithfull's post-1980 work may not appreciate this breezy pop music, but if you love the kind of 60s/70s pop of artists like Petula Clark, Mary Hopkin and even Francoise Hardy, these tracks will totally enchant you. The music has the same dreamy quality as that of the aforementioned singers, and the choice of material is excellent - most of these songs have beautiful melodies and strong hooks, while the lyrics are often poetic too. It includes the Stones' As Tears Go By and the one that she co-wrote with Jagger/Richards, Sister Morphine, the only song that feels a bit out of place here in its dark subject matter, although her delivery is stunning. Quite appropriately, it rounds off this collection. Her version was released as a single some months before the Stones' version appeared on their Sticky Fingers album. Other famous compositions include The Beatles' Yesterday and the Mamas & Papas' Monday Monday, both very well rendered by Marianne. Other tuneful numbers include This Little Bird, Summer Nights and Come and Stay With Me, but my top favorites here are the three sad songs Go Away From My World, In My Time of Sorrow and the powerful Is This What I Get For Loving You? The production and arrangements perfectly complement her voice, to provide a wonderful listening experience. This is truly the crème de la crème of sixties pop and goes to show that pop music can be timeless too. -- Joburgpete "irridium" (Johannesburg)

From her beginnings as a pop chanteuse in 1964, through a little-heard set of country rock, on to the edgy bearing of her second commercial breakthrough with Broken English in 1979, and then into the world of Kurt Weill and elsewhere, Marianne Faithfull appears to have taken wildly varied twists and turns. In fact, her ongoing musical projects move with one another with breathtaking artistry. Before The Poison is yet another peak, as she collaborates with PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, and, Jon Brion. From the ethereal balladry of "There is a Ghost" (with Cave and the Bad Seeds), to the meaty guitar punches of Harvey's "My Friends Have," this album is a diverse set that's all tied together by the smoky resonance and phrasing of Faithfull's unmistakable voice. --David Greenberger

Faithfull's career spans over four decades, beginning with the melancholy of the Jagger/Richards' tune, "As Tears Go By", the first of four hit singles Marianne recorded during the 60's. In 1979, she released the stunning reinvention "Broken English", the album by which her mature career has been measured. "Before The Poison" is another such record, as Faithfull teams with her most sympathetic collaborators yet, including PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Blur's Damon Albarn, and Magnolia composer Jon Brion.

On her mid to late 1960s recordings, Marianne Faithfull's voice was at times so delicate that Michelle Phillips' voice sounded positively robust by comparison. But that's one of the reasons Ms. Faithfull's early work was (and remains) so endearing. The other reasons? One, she possessed talent right from the start. Two, she and her producers selected songs perfectly suited to her style and range. And three, the production values (notably the musicianship, the background vocals and the arrangements) were first-rate.

Without question, this 2-disc compilation of her early pop and folk recordings is the best-sounding offering in the digital age. I think this is the fourth such comp I've bought since the ABKCO "Greatest Hits" CD came out some 15 years ago. The production team here has really done a superb job of remastering these recordings, some of which are now at least 40 years old.

So why only a 4-star rating? The absence of her first hit single -- "As Tears Go By" -- is a major drawback for me. This was the song that introduced Marianne Faithfull to most of us who embraced Top 40 radio all those years ago. It really should have led off disc 1. I'm puzzled why it wasn't included.

That said, the songs that are here, including her other major chart entries -- "Come And Stay With Me," "This Little Bird," and "Summer Nights" -- sound better than they ever have. Unlike with previous comps, I don't have to crank this one up to hear her voice and the musicians and singers who accompany her. Her older CD comps sound flat, listless, even muddy. This one fills the room. It has presence. So, whether you want to upgrade what you have of her early work or you're curious to know what Ms. Faithfull sounded like years before she gave us such darkly memorable albums as Broken English, Strange Weather (which soulfully revisits "As Tears Go By"), and Before The Poison, the 2-disc The Collection is the one to get.