Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
1985
Album Summary
Suzanne Vega is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, released on May 1, 1985, by A&M Records. It was well-received by music journalists in the U.S. and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar in straightforward arrangements. A video was released for the album's song "Marlene on the Wall", which went into MTV and VH1's rotations. In 1989, Rolling Stone magazine listed Suzanne Vega at number 80 on its "100 Best Albums of the Eighties". It is also mentioned in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Wikipediai love luka and tom’s diner but this gives me strong....horse girl meets lilith fair vibes. i want to give it two stars cuz it makes me uncomfortable but i’m not the audience so i’m going 3. actually fuck it it’s my list i’m giving it 2
Absolutely amazing! Beautiful, poetic lyrics and lovely guitars. Perfect fall album. Favorite tracks: Cracking, Small Blue Thing, The Queen and the Soldier, Knight Moves
Nice voice, catchy songs that are distinct enough from each other (eg Marlene on the Wall vs. The Queen and the Soldier) that you don’t tire of the album. Very NYC (Greenwich Village) folk sound. Lyrics are at another level. Like a female Leonard Cohen who can sing. An outstanding debut album.
Vega has an interesting style that's unique with vibrant lyrics/stories, but the production between the talk-sing style and instrumentation doesn't always allow each track to shine. And, at times, the instrumentation drowns out the intimacy of her lyrics. The back half of the album provides more air for her voice and lyrics to breath especially on 'Some Journey' and 'The Queen and the Soldier'. There's definitely a Simon and Garfunkel / Bob Dylan / Leonard Cohen influence here. Tracks of notes: Marlene on the Wall, Undertow, Some Journey, The Queen and the Soldier (the standout).
She wrote some very intricate lyrics. Marlene on the Wall is a good example. I like how dynamic the musical shifts are in the lyrics in that song. The notes she sings are flying all around and it really works. Also, she's quite the story teller. The Queen and the Soldier is a good example. There are some neat things here instrumentally. The whacked out violin solo on Some Journey is quite good as is the jamming on Neighbour Girls although the guitars are mixed far in the background. Perhaps they were worried about what the neighbours would say.
I listened to her music during my college days in the late 80s and enjoyed it. I didn't keep up with her after that, and haven't listened to her in a very long time. Re-hearing this album now, I'm admittedly a little surprised to find myself still quite drawn in. Her voice is ethereal and her songwriting is exquisite. Some beautiful work here.
Love this… ethereal folk with lyrics on real life feminism. Can’t beat Vega!
This grew on me a lot after the first impression being a bit proto rap spoken word waft.
Beautifully arranged album, Suzanne Vega has a gorgeous, wistful, voice which lends itself perfectly to her fantastic guitar playing. You can definitely hear the influence artists like Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen have on her work.
Soothing 80s folk. It is actually baffling how strong a start this is for her, as she really just nails putting out a beautiful, concise album.
I love this album so much. Suzanne’s voice is just stunning, and these melodies are just a huge part of my growing up. It’s genuinely Proustian - takes me back to teenage crushes and (longed for) romance. Just ace.
Suzanne Vega and I once shared a midnight kiss in Bruges. She breath stank of cigarettes and cabbage and she bit my lip so hard that a fountain of blood squirted into her eyes. I pushed her down the hill and never saw her again. Stupid bitch.
I really enjoyed this, was expecting something like Joni Mitchell, much closer to Cohen and like an acoustic-only Tigermilk, really short but satisfying "Marlene on the Wall" was the best track but a lot of cool storytelling here!
The artistry of her poetry is magnificent. It transcends its pretensions, and it perfectly suited to the folk rock backing.
Well, never thought I'd enjoy such a folk-pop/rock album as I enjoyed this one. It's got repeat value.
Tres belle voix, lignes de basses smooth et envoûtantes Coups de coeur Marlene on the Wall et Knight Moves
Tres bon, auteure compositrice interprete. Me fait penser a joni mitchell parfois. Je reecoute. 4.5
Yllättävän nykyaikaiselta kuulostavaa kamaa. En olisi arvannut levyn olevan vanhempi kuin minä itse! Olisi mennyt läpi ihan tuoreenakin teoksena.
Hyvää settiä. Tiesin vaan joskus englanninkirjassa olleen Tom's Dinerin, ja sen perusteella odotin vähän erilaista kamaa. Positiivinen yllätys!
Hyvää nainen ja kitara meinikiä. Tätä kuuntelee mielellään! Kolme ja puoli pyöristettäköön tällä kertaa neloseksi.
Not bad - reminded me of Paul Simon, lyrically interesting, musically subtle - Nice.
Ah, así que esto es lo que escuchó Mitski para dedicarse a la música. Agradecido con el de arriba.
Somehow it's very 80s, yet still mellow. The first tracks were almost uncomfortable to listen to for this reason. But it's so good! Faves: Marlene On The Wall, Small Blue Thing, Undertow
First of all, this album does not sound or feel like it was made in 1985. Second of all, the mid-90s success of female singer/songwriters owe a TON to this woman. Shawn Colvin, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls, Aimee Mann, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, and even Sinead O'Connor. I hear Suzanne Vega in all of them. I like the songs where the acoustic guitar takes the lead more than some of the other synthesizer sounds. I love cracking, small blue thing, and undertow in particular for the guitar parts and for how intimate the lyrics feel. It might not be in my list of favorite female singer/songwriter albums of all time but it’s certainly responsible for them so 4 stars seems appropriate.
I am not at all familiar with Suzanne Vega, but I could instantly tell how much she paved the way for the singer-songwriters and alt folk of the 90s. I'm amazed that this came out in 1985. Vega won me over with her sometimes slightly off-kilter style paired with interesting guitar picking and arrangements. Lyrically interesting as well. Again, her influence on the entire Lilith generation is very clear. On her self-titled debut, "Cracking," "Small Blue Thing," and "Undertow" stand out. I wanted to know why I didn't know any Suzanne Vega, so I looked deeper and found that "Tom's Diner" was her most famous song. So I listened to that from her second album. I said "I know this song! But not this way??" The remixed version with DNA, which I discovered was the version I knew well, is so much better. The second song from her sophomore effort, "Luka," also sounded super familiar, but I don't know that song? It must really remind me of some similar song? @hell-yeah - No idea how this puts a person to sleep any more than "Five Leaves Left."
A solid, warm album of great songwriting detail. Now, I have only heard the album once, and with such an album, where the subtleties are the point, I believe one listen probably isn't sufficient for a full assessment and appreciation. As such, my current take is tentative and provisional. I may in future consider this a 5-starrer, but I may equally retain it at 4 stars.
I think the only Vega I've ever heard before is 'Tom's Diner' so this was a great chance to broaden my horizons a bit. Musically straightforward but remains gripping through a combination of perfectly-pitched vocals and hynotic, poetic lyrics. 'The Queen and The Soldier' was the album highlight for me.
I love how stripped down a lot of this is. I've never listened to Suzanne Vega before but I am interested in digging deeper. Favorites: Marlene on the Wall, The Queen and the Soldier, Neighborhood Girls
I recall this album sounding revolutionary on its release, a very different take on the sound of a singer-songwriter. It got heavy airplay on my radio show, with standout tracks like Small Blue Thing, Undertow, Knight Moves, and the single Marlene on the Wall. This debut still stands atop her catalog, in my opinion. That said, I think the emotional distance of the storytelling dims some of its appeal over the years. Solid tracks, but no longer one which stands up to full listens.
surprisingly modern-sounding indie folk pop pop with some synth. simplistic but I don't mind
A friend of mine recommended this album back when it was released and at the time I hadn't listened to a lot of female artists I enjoyed, since most of the bands I followed were your typical white male-lead groups/singers. I have to admit, I half gave it a listen because Suzanne looked so cute on the album cover (yes, I do sometimes judge the record by the cover). It was low-key folk and her voice and the music caught my attention immediately. The songs were interesting and this was something that was missing from my musical palate up to this point. I can't say I'm a big Suzanne Vega fan, though her second album was commercially successful with her two best known songs (Tom's Diner and Luka), but I really didn't care for her music as much as her debut. Luka is a great song, though I prefer the Lemonheads cover version, but maybe that's what makes the first album so good, there are no hits, no pretension or expectation. I still spin this record occasionally and I'm glad my buddy, Ben recommended I buy it.
Pretty cool swing and lyrical delivery. Nice acoustic stylings in a straight ahead, not presumptuous manner.
I quite liked this. I don’t really know her music beyond the few tunes that made it to MTV, but this was more moody and enjoyably lo-fi, quieter than I anticipated. All in good ways. The opening track, “Marlene on the wall,” “undertow,” etc. I would listen to this again and just think about her thinking about Andy’s tweet about her hair. Amazing.
Loved the vocals here. Favorites: "Cracking", "Marlene On The Wall", "Some Journey"
Better than I thought it would be, definitely about 10 years ahead of her time.
Not the most exciting voice but back in the day I loved Suzanne Vega. Also I know I'm only a few weeks into about a three year exercise, but there haven't been many females featured yet so big up to the ladies. This album doesn't have her best known single "Luka" but it's still worth a listen. One of the artists that made up my 80s soundtrack, saw her live in Sydney.
I remember Suzanne Vega for one song, so I was surprised to hear so many great tunes.
This work which is pre Tom's Diner and Luka is great considering it is 1985. In subsequent years Natalie Merchant, Tori Amos, Eddie Brickell, etc... would all dominate the airwaves but Vega was just as good.
This was a nice change. Today was a great day for me and I enjoyed listening to this in a few parts throughout the day. I need to listen to more Suzanne Vega, she has a pretty rad voice.
Pretty impressive songs for a convincing and tasteful album: this is absolutely a very good record.
A seriously nice folk pop album with a subtle medieval vibe. Always liked her voice and delivery. The 80s production is also there, but it didn't destroy the vibe and make it age bad. It gives the album a different sound. Very successful, in the end.
A lot of great tracks here, Vega is always interesting and her voice is like honey. Marlena on the Wall might be here stand out track and there’s plenty here to stand alongside.
I think this album starts off with its worst track. But once Cracking is out of the way I really like this album. Yeah, it’s kind of art school/English major girl-with-a-guitar folksy, but that’s the appeal. Same reason I loved early The Story and Jonatha Brooke.
I think I would have found this boring on a usual day but a day of a poor mental state made this a nice thing to sit and listen to. The vocals and instrumentation are wonderful, and the songwriting is amazing. I can hear the Leonard Cohen influences in this album, but I think Songs of Leonard Cohen got my attention more. Even in my apathy of today, I still did blank out a bit on some of the songs here. Still a very good album though. Favourite: Small Blue Thing
Whimsical and soft. Album doesn't go too bold anywhere in the album and the mixing is super quiet. It's hard to latch on to the vocals.
This is really good. I love the subtle yet effective instrumentation and how well produced it is. They did a great job at adding flavorful effects without going overboard. The guitar parts perfectly compliment the vocals.
Back when this came out I was more into prog rock - but hoo boy this is my jam these days.
some cool songs on this album, pleasant surprise. little more catchy than most singer song writers
Une autre belle surprise. Je ne connaissais pas. Pour de la pop des années '80, c'est assez bien fait avec beaucoup d'instrumentation. J'y vois un petit côté Alanis Morissette ou Joan Osbourne.
This is pleasant enough, but it isn't really my thing. It was clearly influential on a bunch of 90s music, so I think it's reasonable to say that this album was ahead of its time. It just doesn't do it for me. 3/5
This was nice as background music. If I had been in a different mood, it would have definitely hit better.
Miellyttävää, rauhallista poppia. Tykkäsin vaikkei tämä mitään valtavia musiikkielämyksiä tarjoillutkaan.
Sure. It’s a decent album. For 85 it probably would be consider it an above average album.