Marianne Faithfull is sadly more infamous as an associate of The Stones in the 60's, that chick in The Girl on a Motorcycle, and as a lady who fell from grace into a world of addiction and homelessness, than as an arresting performer.

We've all heard the stories and read the autobiographies and heard the accepted classic (Broken English), but do people really know Marianne Faithfull, performer and artist?

I'm thinking of Faithfull's 80's comeback album Strange Weather (currently deleted and like this album produced by Hal Willner), live companion Blazing Away, the Brecht-Weill collection 20th Century Blues, and A Secret Life recorded with David Lynch's composer Angelo Badalamenti.

If that wasn't enough, since 1999 Faithfull has released a fine triptych of albums (Vagabond Ways, Kissin' Time, Before the Poison) which has seen her work with folk such as Beck, Blur, and PJ Harvey. And Dave Stewart. Easy Come, Easy Go employs a similarly stellar cast of guests, notably Bad Seed Warren Ellis, Marc Ribot, and Jim White (of The Dirty Three). Unlike the preceding trilogy there are no original compositions; the short-hand comparison would be Johnny Cash's American Recordings.

Be warned, Marianne's vocals are nothing like the girl who sang 'As Tears Go By' - like Scott Walker, her voice has changed with time - perhaps she's closer to Nico now?

The most interesting part of the album is where Faithfull takes recent material from contemporary North-American acts like Espers, Neko Case, and The Decemberists, and makes it her own. The latter's 'The Crane Wife 3' is particularly great and showcases Marianne sparring with a very on-form Nick Cave. There are other notable guest vocalists, Faithfull jarring well with Rufus Wainwright (on 'Children of Stone') and Teddy Thompson (on Eno's 'How Many Worlds'); though the revelation is Antony's co-vocal on an eight-minute excavation of Smokey Robinson's sublime 'Ooh Baby Baby', which manages to remind you how tremendous the original is and of a great interpretation.

Easy Come, Easy Go isn't a complete triumph - the Jarvis Cocker-featuring take on West Side Story's 'Somewhere (A Place for Us)' invites comparison to Tom Waits' definitive version in the 70's. Neither am I enamoured with the Keef-featuring Merle Haggard cover, or the interpretation of Randy Newman's 'In Germany Before the War.' Since the Newman-song is one of the most daring written - a Weimar murder ballad where the male protagonist murders an Aryan girl - you have to get things exactly right. Newman is far too subversive here - though the change of performer's gender works wonders on Morrissey's homoerotic 'Dear God Please Help Me.'

As for including material from the sub-Jonestown likes of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...think of the acts Marianne could have covered instead: Bill Callahan, Michael Gira, Mark Lanegan, Will Oldham...

I'm hoping there will be a sequel; regardless this is a rude return to form, especially after Faithfull had to cancel a tour last year due to health issues. Here's hoping it finds the audience it deserves and people discover the real Marianne Faithfull over the short-hand tabloid version?