Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Not very noteworthy outside of a couple songs. This album would’ve benefited by having toms diner
All I could keep thinking of was Tom's Diner which was not on this album
slam poetry with music behind it. And the music, while vaguely pleasant, felt pretty discordant. Reminded me of Leonard cohen
I have an innate bias against folk rock anyhow, but I don't get this one at all. Would've thought if one of her albums was gonna be in here it would be the one with "Luka" and "Tom's Diner" on it. Harmless enough, though.
Pleasant but bland overall, some tracks more interesting than others, but the synth and electric guitar/bass additions are generally bad/ dated and make it harder work.
🫶
I found myself drifting off as I listened to this album, it failed to catch my attention.
A bowl of plain oatmeal. Each bite is the same boring consistency just like the songs on this album.
This was Some Journey.
I can appreciate the influence on other singers of the era; it's clear Suzanne's work had an impact. But after a couple of songs this is just a total snooze fest. Everything starts to run together, mostly through the tinny, thin production. It's just makes for a garbled mess that doesn't work together.
Dreamy, but boring
I mean, it was nice, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
5/10 - There were some well written songs, but there were also songs that felt like Jonah Hills slam poetry.
There are a handful of good folk/singer songwriter songs with some outdated, less great songs. 5/10
Too sad
Riiiiiiktigt tråkigt tyckte jag tyvärr.
Soothing, wistful stuff. Nothing here like Tom's Diner, a startling, sparse story (my favourite type of songs). Listened to it through twice while gridlocked on the A2/A27. Parked on the highway for 30 mins, took 1h30 to do about 3km. This will forever be my - I wish I'd used the bathroom before setting off - album.
Already forgotten this..... Probably very unfair, but didn't grab me at all today 2
Look, it's not horrible. But, I really didn't hear any of it even though I was listening to the album. An "in one ear and out the other" kind of album for me. The album production was great (especially for 1985!) and I didn't have an issue with the music or the singing. It was just a bland singer-songwriter album that didn't catch my attention.
This was fine, she has a nice voice, the instrumentation was sparse as expected and she had decent lyrics. I like her other stuff a bit more.
so boring. More like a 1.5.
not my cup of tea pero buenas guitarras. me gustó neighborhood girls. should give it a second listen para prestarle atención a la letra. se me hizo una mezcla de joni mitchell y taylor swift
No
Sweet, gentle and quaint. An album from a different time. Unfortunately, it does very little for me and works best as background music.
She got better. I said what I said, and I stand by it.
Mid. But not terrible...
I don't really get anything out of this Will I listen to again: 0%
It's a solid pop album and I know that Vega can do some stuff, but it isn't something I would consider groundbreaking. That goes even for the time it was released.
Intenté que me guste pero tal vez no era el día.
This album was boring and I lost focus many times. I guess it would be good for that at least.
4/10… singer-songwriter / folk pop / *1985
well it was definitely sound!
tal vez me gustaria si fuese una horse girls en usa y entenderia la vibra de este album pero lamentablemente me toco nacer en españa
I love the first track, but struggle with the rest of the album I felt the same when it came out in the mid 80's, and its funny that my reaction to this collection has not changed!
This album was like if Taylor Swift worked at a gentrified co-op, non-lovingly. I love Lilith fair-esque shit and hate when it's used to insult female singer-songwriters, but in this case the talk-singing really got to me because there was no uniqueness in tone or the music overall that made up for it. This album is something that I could've seen myself potentially enjoying, but instead I was bored. Not even flowery lyrics could make up for it and I can be a whore for those. Top 3: 1) The Queen and the Soldier (this is the one song I was invested in from a story-telling pov, even if it was simple) 2) Some Journey 3) Marlene On The Wall
Wow I am absolutely not the target audience for this. The guitar work on Neighborhood Girls redeemed this album a bit. Her voice is stunning tho
This kind of female singer songwriter music is usually my jam but I found this pretty boring. I think the instrumentation was too 80s sounding to me. Muzak adjacent.
Start was putting me to sleep but it got better towards the end. 2.5/5
Boring
This was average at best. Mediocre voice and mediocre music. But the songwriting and performance was very unique, not like anything else i ever heard. Not my cup of tea, but I appreciate it.
I liked it. If I knew Spanish it might have been elevated to a 3.
Vibras de folklore Taylor Swift jasjasjs. Me gusta la cadencias de la voz, es ese tipo de poeta. Seguro la Swift se inspiro en ella. A nivel de producción son canciones simples pero que de alguna forma son llevaderas. Me sorprende porque suena demasiado actual. Likes: Marlene - Small Blue Thing - Knight Moves
quirky pop, sometimes countryesque. not bad, but in the end, not my taste. like weak coffee, where's the punch?
Pretty forgettable. Not awful but I can't see why this is important.
This had some good ingredients, but as an album doesn't shine. Small Blue Thing is a fine song, but too much of the album sounds similar.
Ngl insanely forgettable
Not my kind of thing but pretty
The way she delivers the lyrics in Cracking is the way young children try rapping for the first time.
This isn’t my personal taste to begin with. But I was surprised how poor her singing actually is. I’d call her “on key adjacent” on this album. The songs were fairly boring to listen to. Solid cafe music. Her later music is much better.
This is fine and all, but not the album of hers that would matter. Here on out, instead of trying to justify all the 2* albums on this list, I'm going to suggest an album that should replace them instead. This one's easy. This is a 2*; its spot should go to Poe's Hello, which would be a 4*.
IDK. Not really for me, but the poetry resonates. It's simply too mellow overall. Favorite tracks? Marlene on the Wall ⭐⭐
Instantly and constantly bored. And I don't like the inconsistent fonts on the cover. Pass.
This sounds like the music you hear being a kid in the 1980s, watching cheesy morning cartoons after playing your NES, while your mom cleans the house because your deadbeat dad can't stay out of the bars. It's "burnt out suburban mom" music, 1980s edition, if you will. It could be much better. Favorite Track: "Neighborhood Girls".
Meh Simpsons: No
Each track was the same song with different words
Pleasant enough but not particularly interesting or exciting.
'Mum, can we have Stevie Nicks?' 'No, we have Stevie Nicks at home.' *Stevie Nicks at home*
wordy lyrics whole album, didn’t recognize any hits from that era. Glad to listen to it as intro to Tim’s Diner and Luka
wat saai maar wel chill. small blue thing was mn favoriet
deeply unfamiliar, kinda unsettling ... not my jam but cool that lenny kaye worked on it
I didn’t have high hopes for this album, and it still underperformed.
I listened before I died. I can't imagine I'll be listening again before I do
526/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Meh…didn’t love it. Feels like a musical soundtrack almost, but isn’t addicting I. The way Hamilton or six is.
Pointless.
Voice and delivery are ok, music isn’t bad, lyrics are horribly trite. Alanis Morissette definitely was influenced by this. Notable tracks include Marlene on the Wall, Straight Lines.
This was fine. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. I did not like the first song, but the others were okay. Maybe I’m missing something.
This was a perfectly pleasant and easy listen but not something that I’d ever choose to put on. Felt a bit samey after a while.
Just ok
This was another of those albums where I completely appreciate the quality of musicianship but I just don't like it. SV's songs sound like every other SV song.
Familiar with Tom’s Diner for PA tuning purposes but the rest of this doesn’t get any more exciting. Meh
This is not for me. Kudos to those that like it.
Hadn't realised this had ended until Spotify played an REM record afterwards.
Proto Lilith Fair stuff, which has its time and place but would be done later by more accomplished singers. Her songwriting is fine, and it’s nice that there are very few instruments and it’s all fairy simple. Not really for me, but I am not the audience.
2.4
I find music like this kind of boring. Couldn't get into it.
Wasn't terrible, just not really my jam. 2/5
Singer songwriter acoustic guitar nonsense. Inoffensive: I can't hate, but I don't love it, either.
I now know what ill play for my kids when they cant get to sleep.
The vocal delivery is a weird mash of older folk styles and 1980s rap style that throws me off.
Not really bad, just not really for me. In a more perfect world, I'd rate what belongs on here vs how much I liked it.
Honest singer songwriter type music. Could maybe be a 3 with more listens.
Very forgetable background music to me. nothing that really grip my attention. I can't say im a fan of storytelling music. it feels like just write a poem or a book if you want to tell a story and only have the music as a background element. I listen to music for the music not for the lyrics so i can't judge this album fairly.
Vega's brand of modern folk music has the usual formula of 'prominent acoustic guitar plus tasteful backing tracks', but her twist on the form is that her vocal melodies are far more abstract and progressive than your typical folk fare. It's not much of an improvement though - if anything, it just makes the songs harder to follow. Aside from "Marlene On The Wall" and "Neighborhood Girls" (the only tracks here with any muscle), Vega's scattershot approach to melody and lyrics means that very little here has any lasting emotional weight (especially since the overly-tame music also lacks any sense of drama).
Often feels like somebody noodling on a guitar and coming up with lyrics in real time. 2/5
i did not care for this
2.5 It was fine background stuff idk if I revisit much. Tom’s diner…
Good music but pretty forgettable
This was fine, but I’m not sure I needed to hear it before I died. Most remarkable thing I could find about it was that it sold more copies than anticipated. Selling a lot of copies seems to be the most important thing to get on this list…
kinda boring 2.5
++*: Neighborhood Girls ++: Freeze Tag, Marlene on the Wall, Some Journey +: Cracking, Straight Lines +-: Small Blue Thing, Undertow, Knight Moves -: The Queen and the Soldier 5,5/10
Eh
Don’t hate it.
A decent album but it didn’t really connect with me.
Folk & pop acoustic singer/songwriter vibes with decent singing. There’s also some soft synths, laid back electronic guitars, pianos, violin among others. Great to get lost in the hypnotizing guitars, soundscapes and lyrics. The chords and arrangements can be catchy. I’m not a fan of the spoken word type singing. While enjoyable, the music as a whole doesn’t totally pop for me.
Not really for me
I blame the era for the blocky choppy way of putting words together, and this is a singer songwriter effort so it's an album of the stuff. I had a hunch the lyrics might be the redeeming factor, but after a careful combing, ugh. I just find it cheesy and excessive. Most redeeming factor is her voice, which isn't bad, but isn't great. We're not sticking around for the melodies or exquisite vocal skill. 2.2/5
Bright and delicate music. I’m not a fan of some of the production on a lot of tracks, however. That Seinfeld-esque slap bass; it kind of ruins everything it pops up in, and it features A LOT. ⭐️⭐️
Fav was undertow?
The guitar work is fine but the vocals are entirely unremarkable.
Cracking byrjaði fínt, gítarspilið næs og soundið. Svo byrjar Freeze tag og eitthvað deyr inni í mér. Þetta er kjánahrollur í lagaformi. Já ég gaf þessu tvo sénsa og mér fannst þetta eiginlega bara pirrandi. Sammála hipsterunum hérna inni sem segja þetta taylor swift áttunnar.
The whole album had a similar tone, a bit too sweet for me, and I’m just not the audience for it. Maybe the lyrics are good, but I didn’t feel like digging into them.
listened to it on Friday, and don't really recall what this was. i do recall it being underwhelming...
I hate the speak singing in the first and last songs. Other than that, the album sort of grew on me as I continued listening to it. It still isn’t anything very special though, and the speak singing drops it a star for me.
Some solid songs (small blue thing and the queen and the soldier) but not super interesting in general. Nice voice and good song writing but just not my thing.
4/10
Quite boring, I didn’t like it
Quiet and minimal.. too minimal. There’s a weight hanging over everything. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Cracking - Small Blue Thing
Pretty unmemorable jazzy folk rock, a la Joni Mitchell but not as captivating. The poetic lyrics are an occasional draw. Didn’t dislike, but didn’t catch my interest and I won’t think about it again.
meh
Not particularly memorable.
Didnt sparkle for me
Just okay, didn’t grab me.
This is really hard. Clearly a great song writer, a really unique style and voice that is recognisable BUT when listening to the album it just drifted into the background of what I was doing. I feel like this is an album that greatly suffers from the setup of this, an album like this isn't going to work in a single day of two listens whilst working. I expect if you come back to me in twelve months time this will have grown on me greatly.
meh
da da da, dad dad dada..."Toms Dinner" -> https://tinyurl.com/4zvxhfbz! -> und original a capella: youtube.com/watch?v=mto47BMT3yA c
Gives me Swift vibes
It was kinda boring.
Nothing grabbed me on this one. Seemed like a little bit of production help could have made a couple of these tracks a bit more accessible.
Reminder, this is the 1001 albums we must hear before we die, right? Vega was a blip on the 80's radar with two memorable songs, neither of which are included here. She wasn't cutting edge, didn't set the world on fire, had an average voice. Another head scratcher for me. It honestly sounds like a singer songwriter who faithfully believes in her songs singing her ass off at a coffee shop in front of amazed friends who thinks she's The Shit. I would have left my girlfriend and her 2 friends there while I boogied down to the bar on the corner where they have a jukebox filled with good songs. It was utterly boring, I was suffering, I felt nothing. Maybe I don't get the poetry or can't connect with whatever theme she was pitching but I didn't enjoy any of it. Two stars but that's a generous stretch.
Back in the day she was OK, but sounds like a whiny kid now. Hard to listen to
yeah she got a nice voice but that's all I like about the album
It's a nice album. It has very little range, though, and the choruses are not my preferred style. For something I'd classify as "noodle-y" in the style of Joni Mitchell I wanted the songs to be more memorable.
This is #day369 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this isn't the kind of music you'd expect to come out of the mid'80s. I was hoping for at least a touch of new wave, but... Perhaps this sort of arrangement, aside from "Neighborhood Girls," which is very much '80s pop rock and the only standout piece on this record, was a conscious attempt. Anyway. Kudos for "Last Train from Mariupol" on her last album, though. Otherwise, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day370.
If Dolores O'Riordan and Stevie Nicks made an album together but made it bad it would sound like this
Some clever storytelling but her voice and musical arrangements didn't do much for me. I liked Marlene on the Wall and Small Blue Thing but don't think I'd ever actively revisit this for a future listen.
I've previously listened to Suzanne Vega's 99.9F of my own volition and enjoyed it quite a lot. This, not so much. It was OK, but the whole thing washed over me barely making an impression. The overly long songs with belaboured allegorical meanings did nothing for me, not that I could be bothered to pay attention to the lyrics given the dull instrumentation.
gracie abrams meets fiona apple cute bot not my thing very much girl and her guitar
2.5 rounded down it’s cute and all, but that’s kinda all it has going for it highlights: freeze tag, small blue thing, undertow (mar 28 2026)
better than i thought it was going to be but still kinda boring, probably wouldn’t listen to it again
Has an intimate charm. A little dull. The songs don’t stick with me.
It's ok. Not necessarily my style. 2.25 star
More 80s pop that blends right into the crowd. Nothing here really stands out. The songs are fine on a surface level, but they all feel like variations of the same idea, and that idea has already been done better elsewhere. Her voice is pleasant enough, but the melodies and arrangements never push beyond safe or familiar. It's the kind of album that plays in a coffee shop and no one bothers to ask what it is. Not terrible, just incredibly generic.
Letras muy profundas, una manera muy extraña de cantar. El conjunto de voces e instrumental, y en concreto la instrumental, evoca algo místico. 4/10
Ten songs in I thought I had accidentally put the first track on repeat. Lame but on par with solo female artist’s music from the 80s and 90s.
Did not do much for me
Yeah, I don’t know…. - not something I would put on again anytime soon
Pretty bland singer-songwriter from the 80s. I can see how influential she is to other bands and artists that I enjoy. But for me this was a yawner.
Really drab singer-songwriter folk with some 80's synth thrown in. Didn't care for her voice or the simplistic lyrics. Standout is "Marlene On the Wall". "Small Blue Thing" is also pleasant.
fine
Can't tell when one song is over and the next starts
There isn’t much holding this together. She is clearly talented, but I thought it was a flop.
Forgettable 2/5
thought i’d like this more since i really mess with “tom’s diner”. alas, that song is not on this album, and i did not mess with those that WERE on the album. very ethereal, very folk-y. not my style though. 2/5.
first song is a skip with the nursery rhyme singing. not a fan of layering in the 80s synths either. songs are boring
Beetje gek en niet helemaal mijn ding maar het heeft wel waf
Un álbum de folk-rock con unas letras excelentes, románticas y, sobre todo, muy íntimas. Los temas suelen girar alrededor de alguna turbulencia romántica narrada a base de metáforas. La voz de Suzanne Vega es suave y muy bonita, aunque nada fuera de lo común y a veces hasta me chirría un poco. Por desgracia, la producción tan típica de los ochenta no le viene nada bien a este álbum. Creo que a unas letras tan personales y sensibles les vendrían mejor unos acompañamientos más austeros. Sin embargo, tenemos una producción clásica del pop de su época, con guitarras con mucho eco, sintetizadores y un bajo prominente. Me hubiera gustado darle mejor nota, porque las letras me han gustado mucho.
It's a kind of soft folk music... nothing exciting for me and always wondering where is Luka ? not yet arrived, on the next album :-(
Folk with a modern twist, the kind of melodies you could easily imagine turned into electric versions, and they would probably sound better. Suzanne Vega has often had that subtle alt-rock vibe, a bit edgier than she first lets on. Still, this first album is super easy listening, the kind of stuff you would hear in cozy coffee shops before Norah Jones or Dido came along. Pleasant, sure, but not exactly what you would call innovative. Why is it here?
Totalmente innecesario
Marlene on the wall had some folksy Taylor Swift going on, but with the production and grand hooks. The rest was boring, simple and annoying.
The majority of this album was boring for me to listen to, but I genuinely enjoyed the song "Straight Lines". It had a good melody, and was fun to listen to. The rest of the songs on this album didn't catch my interest.
Found that album from Suzanne Vega rather boring without any lows or highs.
Not my cup of tea
There are a handful of great folk/singer songwriter songs with some outdated, less great songs. 5/10
Este disco nunca lo he escuchado. Conozco sus dos temas más famosos y ese disco sí que lo tuve grabado en cassette. Entretenido y poco más, destaca "Marlene on the wall".
i liked that song about the boy upstairs but this was shite
Taylor Swift but make it shitty(er) Best Song: Marlene on the Wall Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2/5
An exceptionally dull album. Some nice instrumentals here and there, but generally this could be made by anyone. 2/5
Easy listening, some songs ok
I can appreciate a classic singer-songwriter album. Nothing crazy in terms of arrangements, personal, introspective lyrics, and simple production. Some of this was cool, some of it felt a little too forced or like she was trying too hard to be interesting. I'd be lying if I said that after a while, some of the songs started to blur. They're all guitar and vocals-driven, with the occasional synth. So that didn't help. I'll be honest, a lot of this felt like you'd have heard this in the lobby of a dentist's office in the 80's or 90's, or in an elevator. Or as hold music on the phone with your insurance company. It's all a little too safe, a little too straightforward to be super interesting. And that's a shame because it's pretty clear that she's talented and has potential. I just didn't see it realized here. Two stars. Standout Track: Neighborhood Girls
Singing was a little too weird to me, some interesting rhythms going on though. Won't be listening again.
My only previous exposure to Suzanne Vega was 'Luka' and 'Tom's Diner', which were on heavy rotation on MTV and VH1 in the late 80s. So why are we not listening to her second album, and this leaves me asking myself once again why was this album included on this list. Other than those two songs, the rest of Suzanne Vega's career has never been on my radar, and this album did not impress me very much.
Throughout listening, I kept thinking how enjoyable this album likely is upon a re-listen. But in the moment, I just could not wait for it to be over. Maybe I'll come back to it, meh.
Breathy vocals, lightweight songs but some good guitar
zzzz
Didn't really do much for me. It was mostly fine, but felt pretty surface level. The songs were just okay and the instrumentation basic. Not for me.
This is fine. It’s not unlistenable but it’s also very middle of the road.
I see what this is but it’s not really for me
The talking in the first song .... this is much cringier than I anticipated. As far as 90s NY coffee house goes... is this better or worse than Smelly Cat?
I like her voice but a bit of a boring album!
51/1001 Vega is probably best known to most Brits through DNA's take on Tom's Diner from 1990, despite her mid-80s singles making a decent impact on the UK charts in their own right. There's not really much to dislike about Suzanne's simple acoustic folk-pop arrangements and poetic lyrics which often focus on very down-to-earth struggles and emotions. If you are into that kind of thing, then you can't go far wrong - this is not really my bag, but I can't help but warm to her sound and Marlene On The Wall in particular comes tinged with a heavy dose of 80s chart nostalgia.
Lisa Loeb read from this playbook. This is a bit boring.
Not bad, but ultimately quite forgettable
Not a fan of weirdo spoken-word delivery. I thought the composition was nice and the guitar pieces would occasionally get really pretty. Not my favorite
**An ok Album
The female singer-songwriter genre is one that I have only recently been getting into. I have listened to ones from the 60s and 70s and then more contemporary but this was the first from the 80s. So it was interesting to hear this album that continued on the line. That said nothing stuck out or will make it to my regular listening.
Pretty dull Marlena on the wall is great but the rest is very disappointing
Not my jam at all. Wasn't then, isn't now.
Background music
Boring really
Songwriting was good but the delivery sounded very samey, didn't really work for me.
Came in with an open mind but this album really wasn't for me. Vega seems talented but nothing really hooked me in.
This music is not made for me. I discover a lot of music through this website and some of it is just not it. It's not bad, I just like different things. 2/5
Feels like 80s Taylor Swift. Otherwise pretty bland. 2/5
Very inoffensive. None of the songs grabbed me. Wouldn't be mad if someone was playing this in the background but I'd never intentionally put this on
Ξενερουα
2.5 stars
Acoustic guitar based singer-songwriter stuff all glittered up with 80s studio production wizardry: super jangly fingerpicked acoustics that sound like a harp, chorus pedals on crystal clear super compressed electric guitars, lush reverbs, synth textures, electric violins, a bit of rubbery bass - sparse drumming retains the folsky singer-songwriter aesthetic. She has a gentle voice that alternates between breathy singing and chatty urgent talk-singing. Easy listening but kind of boring.
Very antiseptic
It was ok.
The music itself was chill but it was hard to get past the lyrics which were mostly cringey. The vocals were boring at times which didn't help either
Not totally awful, but pretty bad. Whiny, uninspired and dull.
Just so mundane and not interesting and tedious and could barely engage
Meh.
eh
Nice voice, kinda boring
It was good but nothing special to be honest. I liked "Marlene on the wall". Would probably give it a 2.5/5.
Luka, Gypsy and Tom's Diner good. Although Tom's Diner better as a dance track.
Neutral, not unpleasant. Rounding down from 2.5, only because the first song sounded a bit like something Bruce McCulloch would sing, and that stuck with me for the rest of the album.
Will give this a listen.
I can't help but find albums like this one incredibly boring. I don't get the appeal.
Did nothing for me.
This wasn’t awful. I feel like her voice and lyrics didn’t match the instrumental.
Suzanne has a great voice but this album was boring. I really didn't need to listen to this before I die.
This is mostly personal taste but I don’t like this very much. The songs are too talky. They feel too heady to hook me emotionally. Not enough heart or something. I feel like I enjoy talky singer-songwriters — Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan can get very talky but their songwriting also has a heavy emphasis on melody. You know who she sounds like? Taylor Swift. Their vocals tones are similar and certain phrasings reminded me of how Taylor Swift phrases her talkier lines. I bet she cites Suzanne Vega as an influence.
Alright album. Nothing spectacular on here.
I'm torn on this album - it is, objectively, good. But it's not my thing. Suzanne Vega was ahead of her time with this. The female-led folk sound on this album is something that you would be more likely to hear in the early to mid 90's era, and she was no doubt an influence on all of those singers. But I just couldn't get into it. The first track, with the spoken word style singing, is also pretty grating.
This came across a bit amateurish to me, like it was trying too hard and only further emphasised Suzanne Vega's inexperience. She does a weird talk singing with such awkward and stilted vocal melodies that just annoy me I read this described as stripped back but it's anything but. There's synthesisers and all sorts of effects all over that drown out the singing a little bit and take away from the lyrics. Especially on the first track, everything is just drowned in reverb to the point of distraction What Suzanne Vega tried to do here isn't fundamentally against my tastes, the guitar parts are decent and the bass lines are quite good. I like how her voice sounds and there are some ambitious moments utilising various instruments but it comes off as sloppy. I could see myself liking some of her later stuff if those issues were polished up a bit Highlights: Neighborhood Girls, Freeze Tag
While I thought the lyricism was really good, I feel like the musical style was just overall boring for the time. When you had people like Kate Bush to compete with, it's kinda hard to compare imo.
Sing please don't whisper. Sorry but a little boring.
decent
This album was fine. It got better the longer it went on. I did not like the vocal style in "Cracking" at ALL. It was...too short and rhythmic and it felt awkward. But the longer the album went on the better it got. Suzanne Vega is a great vocalist and I like her singing style in most other songs. Probably more like a 2.5. Liked Songs: "Marlene On The Wall" , "Some Journey" , "The Queen And The Soldier" , "Knight Moves"
This album is okay. Every song kind of sounds the same, and none of them really have a chorus/climax or really go anywhere. She also has this weird way of talk singing which doesn't always work. There are some moment that I like, but for the most part this album doesn't really work for me. High 2.
Sleepy and bland vocals.
Det är så pretentiöst. Det är svårt att lyssna på för mig. Hennes sätt att sjunga på och det hackiga i melodierna blir riktigt jobbigt efter ett tag. Vill inte höra igen. Jag kan dock se hur det här antagligen har inspirerat massor av små kajalpandor.
Not my kind of jam
I just can’t get into these singer songwriter albums. I don’t know what it is, but they’re just boring to me, especially the vocals.
Shocked that there would be a Suzanne Vega album on here that didn't include the song "Luka." Does that mean we're in for multiple Suzanne Vega albums, because if so that seems odd?
I feel like I've run across her name plenty of times over the years, yet never had a feel for what she sounds like, or even whatever genre (or two) she inhabited. And yet when I listened to this album, I realized that (a) I've heard a few of her tunes on the radio (yet none from this album, curiously, and really only "Luka" sticks with me), and (b) she remains somewhat muddled in my mind, mixed in with all these other somewhat anodyne 80s/90s folkish singer/songwriters. I think the latter problem is largely because she doesn't have a very powerful voice (at least on this album), and seems comfortable with keeping her perspective and involvement at a very long arm's length. And I know it's not really fair to criticize an aesthetic that permeates 80s music (especially singer/songwriter music), but I really wish she'd been able to avoid the awkward rhyming cadence that seems to permeate a lot of the album (worst of all on the opening track "Cracking" and the pseudo-edgy closing track "Neighborhood Girls", but rarely absent from much of the album). I guess she helped pave the way for later, and much more interesting singer/songwriters, but what a shame that this collection has this album yet nothing by Toni Childs, whose debut album "Union" (1988) wipes up "Suzanne Vega" with a vengeance.
I went to hear Suzanne Vega live with a girlfriend to be nice and supportive and I'm still traumatized. I was okay with Tom's Diner and even bought that album at the concert and I did enjoy hearing Luka in the Paris subway when I want to Paris for this first time on my first grownup vacation, but it's not worth it. I tried with Cracking and then started to write this review and bail and now she's on Marlene on the Wall and I remember at the concert everyone really like this song. And now I'll do what I wanted to do then. Stop listening. I'm giving it a 2 in deference to the musicians and the recording quality itself.
A classic
Not for me. The talk singing was weird and the rest was pretty dull.
I'm leaning closer to a 2.5 but will give a two here, I'm definitely interested in listening to more but this album wasn't for me
Pretty
Again….why not pick an artists album with their most popular songs? I just can’t get into Suzanne Vega…..not my thing.
The production was fine, but the lackadaisical vocals make this a drag to get through.
You should never "speak" a song cuz it makes you sound like you are just rapping really badly. This album was so exceptionally average that I found it painfully boring.
Whoa. I was JUST having a conversation about her with a friend yesterday, and this album popped up today. Kinda wild! Anyway, my main memory from Suzanne Vega from the 80s is the Luka song (and its video that used to play a lot on Friday Night Videos). I felt so sad for Luka on the second floor. So I always associated her with sadness and this album fit right in with that melancholy vibe. She has a pretty voice and the songs were cool enough, but nothing was very catchy and it was a lot of spoken word. It’s not something I would listen to again because it’s kind of a downer.
its ok, prefer other singer songwriters
No. No. Noooo. I'm a lyrics guy. These lyrics are trash. The lyrics honestly sound like entries to a preteens diary. The melody chose for the lyrics are awful. Almost trying to steal that Joni Mitchel talk singing. Some of the music was written really nice. That is its saving grace. Next.
Can’t decide whether this is pleasant or boring. Very of its time, just simple songs sung simply but proficiently.
I was dreading this I was correct. Sometimes I can forgive a singer songwriter's voice and lyrics if I like the music, but not this one. Just very much not my style. 1.5
Vocals 5 stars instrumentation 1
I could not get into this album. She has a good voice but all of the songs sounded similar. Not a fan.
Dit is weer zo'n typisch voorbeeld waardoor ik me af ga vragen of ik stiekem toch een vrouwenhater ben, maar ik denk eerlijk gezegd niet dat dat het is. Al zullen veel vrouwenhaters dat claimen natuurlijk. Ik zal voor de zekerheid voor het slapen gaan vijf Jagged Little Pills en drie Miseducations bidden zodat m'n zonden vergeven worden. Onze Suus zit zo vervelend te doen met haar stem dat ik de muziek, die verder wat gezapig maar best prima is, toch niet echt kan gaan zitten waarderen. Ze klinkt als een combinatie van Björk (het hoge), Joni Mitchell (dat veel te hippe losjes zingen/vertellen), een willekeurig paardenmeisje (gewoon vervelend zijn) en een articulerende Bob Dylan (dat op willekeurige momenten delen van woorden extra hard aanzetten). Track één is hier een verschrikkelijk voorbeeld van, maar ook veel andere tracks ontsnappen niet aan die vervelende manier van zingen. Het stomme is dat ik haar stem zelf nog best oké vind, maar de manier waarop ze hem gebruikt neemt bij mij de wind volledig uit m'n zeilen. Ik word er al vrij snel een klein beetje boos van en dan is het gedaan natuurlijk. De tweede helft van het album is iets makkelijker te slikken. Ik vind niet dat het een slecht album is, al zou het zomaar kunnen dat hier op de lokale muziekschool een adolescent rondloopt die iets soortgelijks op de mat legt, maar waar we nog nooit van hebben gehoord en nooit van zullen gaan horen. Ik ga een 2 geven omdat ik vind dat ik me niet moet aanstellen, maar de 1 was dichtbij.
More minimalistic and loosely structured singer-songwriter. Not really for me, it just needs a little something more
Umrijet ću od dosade majkemi. Možda nije pomoglo što sam slušala Prodigyja prije ovog, ali svejedno ću umrijeti. Ne znam šta bi mi se moralo dogoditi da mi ovo bude napeto. Nisam uopće očekivala nju tu, a čak i da je tu, očekivala bih Solitude Standing album s kojim je i pobrala malo "jaču slavu". Straight lines i Undertow imaju naznake nečeg zanimljivog, ali nedovoljno da mi utječe na ocjenu. Ima lijep glas, šteta da ga nije malo bolje uposlila, pogotovo u to doba. A bit će 2 ili 3/10, šta ću joj, može i gore.
... ok... i guess..
Confirmado. No me pasa nada con SV
This was pretty decent. I liked the guitar work a lot, and Vega's lyrics were vivid and confident.
Wish it had more Neighborhood Girls Energy. Fits good to the approachin Autumn Season. Good Debut Album but for me it felt not that personal otherwise like real emotion.
I wanted to like it but so boring! It's only 35 mins but felt like 2 hrs ha
Very low-key singer songwriter type music with some 80s flair, just kind of boring to me.
Forgettable
These lyrics are hilariously bad. I hate her singing in Cracking and Neighborhood Girls. It's so.......................... what was I saying again?
Did not vibe with this. The melodies were repetitive but the music was pretty well written. I just couldn't get into it because the singing sounded pretty much the same from song to song.
Correcto
Perfectly fine and decent. A little derivative, but a standard folk album. Some inconsistent quality from song to song, but nothing too bad. Top tracks: Marlene On The Wall, Small Blue Thing, The Queen And The Soldier
I was never a fan, I wasn't depressed in highschool.
Made me think of the opening sequence to Twin Peaks if it weren’t by David Lynch and served a direct to tv movie purpose. Idk how to convey this, it was ok (2.5/5)
Probably I wasn't in the mood on the day of listening, but I won't remember much about this album. One of the global reviews said that it is a mix of Enya and Bob Dylan and in my opinion it's a fair assessment.
I'm afraid this is quite boring to me, at least musically. The instrumentals are uninteresting and her voice doesn't shine in it's captivating glory like in "Tom's Diner". The lyrics may be a poetic masterpiece but I wouldn't listen to it that much again.
could i write poetry to this? n
I love her voice, but this collection is really boring.
Not bad, but not something I'd come back to.
This was playing out loud from PC speakers for a solid 2 minutes before I realized why it sounded so muted on my noise cancelling headphones. At least it's not the cringiest thing one could play out loud in the office. This is very meh, unclear why it's here, maybe unique for its time. Waiting room music these days. 2*
Not a lot of dynamic range to work with here.
I was excited to hear more from this Tom’s Diner one-hit-wonder but I was swiftly let down. This album is boring! So boring! Every song sounded the same. Nothing was cool or catchy like I’d hoped. What a disappointment.
I haven't puked like that since I got food poisoning in '09
It was aight I liked a few tracks and have liked other songs of her in the past but was not crazy about the album.
Hm… ya know there’s definitely some cool stuff happening here with the chords and the guitar parts. But not rly for me. No real standout tracks imo. Don’t love her voice either.
mid
I enjoyed the way the lyrics were put together but for me the music was lacking. High 2.
Should have been the album with Tom’s Diner on it
She, sings, like, all, of, her, words, have, a, comma, after, them,
It was smooth but truely I just wanted it to end.
Mid
Very average and boring singer-songwriter music. Nothing really stands out and there is nothing I will listen to again. 2/5
Good jazz voice. Some good songs. Nice change from the typical music.
This album is. Not very good. I'd rate it. Two out of five.
Not a fan of this one. Female sing song writer. Too mellow of a vibe for me, but slam poetry for me 2**
not as catchy as i was expecting. she like the original swift.
Boring
I found this a bit boring.
A pretty non-consequential singer-songwriter album, in my view in the Lilith-Fair style. Not much stands out to me. I guess she's talented lyrically but I wasn't sufficiently interested, musically to delve into them. Marlene on the Wall and Straight Lines stood out above the rest nothing very inspiring here 2.5 stars
This was weird. There’s some pretty good storytelling there but that’s about it. 2.5/5 stars.
It’s a perfectly fine album that seems to lean towards poetry that is sung. I’m not sure any of these songs rise to the level of Luca or Toms Diner and most are forgettable for me.
When i got into it there were some good tunes in a coffee shop on the beach type. "marlene on the wall" was particularly good. overall could have been a thousand different artists though. 2.4
Mid and 😴. My sister says it sounds like something that would play at Kohls between Kohls Cash ads. Department-store-core
Most of this album falls flat with me. The instrumentation is basic and her vocals don’t carry much and often seem off balance. There is some redemption to be had with the intriguing narratives and mood of the Queen and Soldier and Night Moves.
Not my cup of tea, but nice voice.
Some decent tunes, but my God, is the mix awful, with her vocals so undefined and remote.
I'm pretty sure that how much a person appreciates music depends on their environment and mood, because I normally kind of like Suzanne Vega. However, today I switched it off because it was so dreary!
nu dziar stwo
Meh
Not my cup of tea honestly.
Like slam poetry music. Very slow and wasn’t my vibe. She has a great voice tho when she’s actually singing. Reminded me a bit of jewel but the lyrics weren’t as impactful.
pretty 2.5
Ok tier, bien mais pas marquant. 2.5
Bof bof hein
Pretty boring.
Eh
du bon folk ben beige. rien qui sort du lot 5/10
Nice voice, but very boring album.
Singer? Sure. Songwriter? Please no. Even though Suzanne Vega has a nice enough voice, every track here sounds the same - and it’s not even that good.
Honestly kind of boring, nothing really stood out. D
I liked a few of the songs but the ones I don't I really don't.
half listened to
p535. 1985. 2 stars. Average 80s singer-songwriter with teenage angst lyrics, shiny production and quality guitar work. One standout track, but otherwise it's nothing exceptional - too many tracks sound the same, and it hasn't dated well. On the plus side it's short.