Suzanne Vega: Rating the Albums
Submitted by ash_campbell on Wed, 10/01/2003 - 11:03
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- 1. Songs in Red and Gray (2001)
- Her best album by far, this has some complex musical numbers and yet maintains an air of acoustic simplicity. Widow’s Walk is extremely impressive, but the album is full of solid numbers, including the titular song and the clever Last Year’s Troubles.
- 2. Nine Objects of Desire (1996)
- Her last album with producer/husband Mitchell Froom, this has a good mix of electric and acoustic to work well with Vega’s lilting voice. The best numbers include Caramel and The World Before Columbus. Might be a little too professional and pat for those equate folk with personal insight, but I think it works as a whole.
- 3. 99.9° F (1992)
- Listener beware: there are some bad tracks (When Heroes Go Down comes to mind) hidden in this otherwise pleasant album. But you can’t help but love Blood Makes Noise, and the haunting In Liverpool. As strange of a mix of electronica and folk as I’ve ever seen.
- 4. Solitude Standing (1987)
- The success of Luka has never made sense to me; a little pop ditty about child abuse always seemed creepy to me. I also think this is the most blasé album of Vega’s that I’ve heard; it’s not that it’s bad, it just works extremely hard not to step on anyone’s toes. Whatever. Calypso is a fair work, and Tom’s Diner is a fun song, though I don’t think it really needed a reprise at the end of the album.
- N/A Suzanne Vega (1985)
- I’ve never heard her debut work, though considering that I’ve liked her more the further she’s gone, I’m not sure I want to hear this.
Author Comments:
Suzanne Vega had her big hit Luka then seemed to fall back into obscurity. Too bad, because she’s developed into one of the better alternative rock/folk singers out there. I also think each successive album has been better than the last. Here’s how the albums rate.
No, trust me, you want to hear her debut...
Good list!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs