Suzanne Vega

Beautiful

not amazing, not terrible marlene on the wall undertow the queen and the soldier

Actually pretty cool

I've been building a playlist of music which came out in 1985 and Suzanne Vega's debut was listed as an album to check out. In the middle of post-punk and synth pop, this one is a bit of an outlier. I had recently listened and quite enjoyed it. So when this popped up, I got excited and it felt very timely. In all honesty, I think this is one of the best albums I've heard in while. Suzanne Vega's music captures a certain delicate intensity that feels unique and uncomfortable. I really like the instrumentation with the subtle use of synth and her vocal style. I realize it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I believe this holds a ton of weight.

Ok but not really my thing

Yh it’s alright not great bit boring bit samey 3/5

That was surprisingly good

Great coffee house music, rainy Sunday morning vibes. 3/5

Eh, it’s not for me. I’m really only familiar with her song about the Seinfeld diner and that song got really old fairly quickly back in the 90s. This album falls pretty flat for me. It’s not horrible so I can’t give it a 1, yet a 2 seems a bit generous.

Overall, a collection of nice songs, unfortunately hampered by cheesy eighties production values once in a while. It's those horrid synth sounds painstakingly imitating real instruments--flute or strings--and miserably failing to bring adequate dynamics to the whole thing. Logically, most of the real highlights are where those eighties flourishes are kept at a strict minimum--opener "Cracking", sad and melancholic "Small Blue Thing", cautionary tale "The Queen And The Soldier", along with "Marlene On The Wall"--somehow a fortunate exception because the composition is so good you quickly forget it was recorded in 1985. That being said, there are also a bunch of duds in this debut. "Undertow" and its somewhat forced vocal performance come to mind here. And the last two tracks of this LP are somewhat underwhelming. It seems to me that Vega's three subsequent albums *Solitude Standing*, *Days Of Open Hands* and *99.9 F•" are far stronger efforts, and that they have Suzanne's most iconic tunes and performances ("Luka","Tom's Diner", "Book Of Dreams", "Blood Makes Noise", "In Liverpool", "Bad Wisdom", "When Heroes Go Down"... It's those three records that should be in this list, not her debut (pretty sure that the artist would agree herself). *99.9 F•* is especially impressive--and also criminally underrated today. It goes from abrasive soundscapes and post-industrial chamber pop (!) to stellar sad-girl anthems and acoustic initmate numbers in a split-second. Yes, "post-industrial chamber pop" is a thing--and it took Suzanne's adventurous spirit to craft such a style. Yet as wild a ride as *99.9F•* is, it manages to stay cohesive, artful and sensitive from start to end. Brains and heart reach a rare perfect balance in the course of that record. And in comparison, such a potential is only hinted at during Vega's debut. 2/5 for the purposes of this list, here translated to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes (5+2). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 437 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 263 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 134 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 170 (including this one)

Perfectly good. No hits. But actually pretty good.

It’s fine. Voice is definitely the predecessor to Dolores O’Riordan and the Cranberries.

Bad

It's Indie female. At times almost brooding, some melancholy vibes, but overall fine. 2.5

Easy to appreciate her lyricism in the relatively minimal soundscapes - minimal, especially compared to what one might expect from an album of the mid 80's. Ultimately that's what this album stands on, is Vegas's turns of phrase and wordsmithing, which works better in some songs than in others.

There were many moments throughout this record where I simply felt embarrassed for her.

I expected better from only hearing "Tom's Diner", most of this is not interesting at all to me. Or is a bit cringey even. Definitely an album that would benefit with instrumentation with DNA like that Tom's Diner version is.

Dour but really not.

I enjoyed the stripped back nature of this. Feels like the missing link between Carole King and... Sheryl Crow maybe? 90s anyway. Marlene On the Wall was really good and I liked The Queen and the Soldier. Not enough songs are basically short medieval fables

pleasant voice, but the music became redundant. not my thing.

I appreciate that she doesn't have a super powerful voice and so uses her quiet voice to create vocal topography in the album but it's overall a bit underwhelming.

Oh hey! I know Suzanne Vega! I know two songs from her, neither of which are on here and now I’m realizing she’s a two hit wonder. With help on one of them no less. Yawn

I was very sleep-deprived when I listened to this, and the album made me feel like dozing off, but the moments I heard were sweet and calming. In fairness, I can see myself putting this on as chill background music.

I found this to be very pleasant, maybe the calming vibes were extra effective in the office environment

Getting this immediately after Joan Baez's self-titled debut makes for a good duet. Quickly hearing 30 years of female-led folk evolving right before your ears makes you appreciate it even more. And this album is a worth successor! I liked just about every track, with Marlene on the Wall being a clear favorite. Good stuff.

Surprisingly good. I didn’t know anything about Suzanne Vega other than Tom’s Diner prior to listening to this album. Suzanne’s songwriting and singing ability are evident in this album, and each song flows seamlessly into the next. -Klep

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. Suzanne Vega has a knack for storytelling that holds the album together. Some of the rhymes weren't quite where they needed to be, but the themes in the album were interesting. The big drawback for me is just how much of its time this album is down to the production style and the style of vocals.

Based on the first 30 seconds of this, I was sure I'd hate it, but it really grew on me. She has a really good voice and the album was musically interesting. I can definitely hear how she may have influenced the Cranberries, Natalie Imbruglia, Alanis, and a few others. That alone will earn Suzanne a one-star bump.

really enjoyed this, had never heard of suzanne vega before but glad i got into it. really relaxing music, the kind you could listen to for hours. feels like a modern take on the kind of paris-in-the-1960s-cafe music

Had this one in heavy rotation back in the late eighties. Solid album!

Gv and gl.

good length. normal human music. 3.5 small blue thing

Normally don't like this style but pretty good

Sparse, folksy arrangements of guitar + vocals with a smattering of light accompaniment. Certainly makes for a vulnerable sounding record putting her voice front and center. Even if this isn't entirely my cup of tea, I can respect it. Lots of really pretty compositions and what sounds like narrative lyrics. I should listen again more closely when I'm not working. Mostly this isn't my jam, but there are a few songs that I enjoy more than others: Straight Lines, Undertow, The Queen And The Soldier. The last of these is my favorite of the album. Feels like a pretty standard folk song, but the composition is effective and it sounds like a good narrative that I'd like to listen back on.

The intro to Straight Lines sounds like a Rush song. A solid folky album. Didn't love it, didn't hate it.

Very nice guitar and singing. Neighborhood Girl was probably my favorite song. Other than that nothing really stood out but still a good album

This first song sounds pretentious af. Whatever Suzanne. I actually like Straight Lines. Meh. 1.5 but I'll round up.

Good! I enjoyed it a lot, especially the instrumentals.

It's very nice and is consistently good across the album. I like the mood of it. It's not massively engaging, just kind of soft and pleasant. 3.5 rounded down

Found this a bit dull. Lyrics were meh.

It’s pretty dull

Good

Given this is album #911 for me, and given this is the first Suzanne Vega album I'm served with, I will start with: If it was up to me and I had to choose but one Vega album, I would go with Solitude Standing or, if forced, 99.9 F. But not this one, whose main credential is "I was here first". Point is, Vega is so much better than this particular album. As for this album: Marlene on the Wall is a nice hit, but the rest of the album errs way too far into the underwhelming.

The whole time I thought this album was just on the list because of Tom's Diner and then to my surprise the album ended and Tom's Diner isn't even on this one. Fairly boring

this is not for me and the production is atrocious

Slightly disappointed as only half the songs are great. Big fan of Suzanne Vega, but I mis-remembered more "under the skin" songs on her 1st LP.

Cool sound. Unique sound. Kinda can’t put my finger on what it is. Never heard of her though. But some fun songs. Like the speaksing thing.

Decent but didn’t grab me

A great catalyst for what would become a profitable genre…Lilith Faire singer songwriters. Pensive and emotional, telling stories of real women and there issues. Framed along the backdrop of the late Reagan era America this is a luscious sounding beautifully simple album.

Wel fijne muziek zo, stukje beter dan ik me kan herinneren van de plaat die ik eerder geluisterd heb. Gewoon wel chille singer songwriter dit met goede variatie, maar ook weer niet bijzonder genoeg voor 4 sterren als je het mij vraagt.

Claro que a expectativa era ter o mega hit, mas confirmou a capacidade dela de desenvolver um pop com muita qualidade.

She should get together with Tom Waits (just based on the first song). Maybe she inspired Lisa Loeb a bit? They do share Duncan Sheik as a common thread...

I've heard of Suzanne Vega but never actually listened to anything outside of the big radio hits, so I appreciated the deeper exposure. Really interesting style. Love the guitar work, really crisp production. Chord changes felt very Jeff Buckley. Clear similarities to the Indigo Girls, and songs like The Queen and the Soldier remind me of Taylor Swift from a lyrics perspective - narrative-heavy confessional and lots of "I" statements. Vega herself seems directly inspired by Dylan and Leonard Cohen. I like that she played with styles and instrumentation to match songs - Knight Moves used medieval structures effectively. Not sure if this album is particularly stand-out but always appreciate hearing a debut. I think what prevents this getting a higher score from me is the talk-singing - I never really jive with that style, and I'm glad her later efforts discard it. And I think knowing where she would head, with catchier tunes like Luka, made this feel a little underwhelming.

This was fine but didn’t do anything for me. I do think it must have influenced Tracy Chapman since Fast Car came out 3 years later. An interesting 80s acoustic sound.

A nice singer-songwriter debut but not certain it is a must listen.

This was solid but I was not blown away. I thought the lyrics were very good with nice specificity, but I wish the melodies were a bit stronger.

Wow, I might have heard this one once before... I really liked it. It almost reminds me of an album that I LOVE by Jewel, "Pieces of You". Just a little. I think this one will become a favorite of mine in no time. 3.5

It was okay. I listened and enjoyed. 3*

Muyyyy bueno, inicialmente no me había atrapado tanto pero lo escuché una segunda ocasión poniendo atención completa y nmms las letras, es increíble y el sonido si es muy indie folk de antaño, pero es fantástico, su voz es tan dulce que uno no pensaría que tocaria temas tan profundos en sus letras pero lo hace y eso lo vuelve uno de los mejores álbumes por mujeres cantautoras.

When poets become musicians it doesn’t always work out this well. Solitude Standing is more of a hitting-her-stride record but this is just lovely.

A truly lovely album.

Classy

Good cop: moody folk with some decent songs not marred by 1980’s overproduction. Bad cop: no real stand-out tracks. Too many weak metaphors obscuring real emotion and the blandest instrumentation of the eighties.

- Haven't heard - Alright, but not really anything unique

This was an interesting listen. I feel like if there was a little something more there, I would enjoy this a lot. I still liked it, but I probably won't ever go out of my way to listen to this again. My favourite song was Neighborhood Girls.

Felt like a 15 year old girl goin on the nyc subway for the first time

Actually liked this way more than I thought I would

Was a decent album from a musical perspective.

Kyllä tätä pystyi kuuntelemaan täysin ilman kipuja, mutta laimeaksi jäi vaikka ihan mukava ääni Suskilla onkin. 2,49*

Ihan kiva taustaplätty. Pitää joskus kuunnella enemmän ajatuksella, niin saattais olla kolmen tähden arvosta

AJ: nice acoustic guitar sounds, weird poet lady. Yikes. She does Tom’s Diner. Do do do do, do do do do, do do do do do do do do…

Right up my alley

Jangly folk rock with spacey synths and a wonderful mysterious voice. Enjoyed nearly song. A bit cheesy on the 80s synths, but great nevertheless. Favorites: Freeze Tag, Marlene on the Wall, Straight Lines, Some Journey, Knight Moves, Neighborhood Girls

This didn’t really grab me after four or five songs, so I put on the new King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard record instead.

A sweet and haunting 80s album

It's good, but totally forgettable.

spoko

Pleasant music and voice and long live Marlene Dietrich. But not a classic as in: 1001 best albums.

This was very Lilith Fair.

Thing is, our generation has Laura Marling. This album is lovely, I would listen again, but it doesn't belong to me.

It's fine, nice lyricism and storytelling. GIves coffee store vibes, it's the music you'd hear before Phoebe Buffay sings Smelly Cat on Friends. Very Lisa Loeb-esque.

Meh, another "good instrumentals, bad vocals" situation. Not that her voice was bad, but another comment got it exactly right by saying she's the female Bob Dylan

Good

2.5

Nice voice but not for me.

This has no redeeming features. One paced, crap lyrics, average vocals. Would get a pleasant polite applause at a Monday night open mic session down the pub.

Simple, easy listening, well constructed but never memorable. 2 because we've had better 3s.

She's got a really nice voice, it's well arranged, but it rarely really hits the spot - The Queen And The Soldier being the honourable exception, which is a super song. Otherwise, it's a little bit folky for me to give it a really high score, so 3/5, as per usual.

that's a 5

strange

Pretty forgettable

Really liked the first few tracks, tuned out in the middle, then liked the last one. Some bits reminded me of the tripe you see on Britain's Got Talent.

Not for me

aburrido

I’m still not sure exactly how I felt about this one. It’s oftentimes lovely and clearly very considered. For me, the the high points were evocative, textured and held just enough emotional weight to really pull me in. The only thing is that I found said high points a little too few and far between for this thing to really grab me. The lyrics I found to be overwritten throughout many of the tracks, the manner in which every line kept rhyming began to feel forced and extravagant to the point that it started to distract me from what the song was trying to say. The final track on the album seemed like such an uneventful petering out, especially following up knight moves which was one of the stand outs to me and would’ve served as a much more potent closer.

half-arsed review sorry about it, but this was very bland.

A very intriguing one. For the first time in the project, listened to this twice back to back as I really couldn't get a handle on it. From the outside it seems like the kind of pop-folk of the MTV era that I generally find pretty naff. But digging into it, there's a real richness to some of the writing here - strange and often quite beautiful poetry wrapped up in bubblegum hooks. I'm glad I listened twice, as I can see this getting better with each go through. Though maybe on another day I'd find it grating and twee, today I was strangely drawn in. Strong three and a half, but I'm gonna sat fuck it four and defend it later. Fave track: Marlene on the Wall

Vega can be a really good, if not great songwriter. She has penned some classics with some terrific production. I'm not totally convinced that this collection quite reaches the heights that she's capable of; possibly something within the realm of finding her feet on a debut album. Some of the songwriting and vocals here (which should be the highlight) feel a bit washed out by the kind of bland instrumentation and production. And outside of a couple standout moments, a lot of the tracks seem a bit forgettable. Didn't hate it by any means, but probably won't be returning to it a lot. Maybe a harsh score but probably landing on a two and a half. Fave track: Marlene On The Wall

3½

Vegas best album

I don't know if this just hasn't aged well or what, but I'm not sure why I must hear this before I die. Why would they pick this over Jewel's Pieces of You album?

Un album quelconque de la part de la mère spirituelle de Taylor Swift.

Pas besoin d'insulter une enième fois les américains, vous aviez déjà bien saisi.

I knew Marlene on the Wall before and I like it. Most of the record didn't live up to my expectations. Favorite song: Freeze Tag.

Not my thing. I felt like this album was one long song. Even when the album was over, it kicked into a similar genre and I didn't realize her album had ended. She has a OK voice and the sound was not bothersome, just not for me and I found myself bored. I feel like this an album that could be done by anyone that can play guitar. Nothing stood out, no song, no sound, no lyric.....just a big meh for me. Will not revisit. 1

Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed more of this than I expected. I figured it'd be a boring singer/songwriter deal and it almost was that, but it had enough pop flavor to keep me listening. Very 80's with all of the synth and slap-bass lines. Really listenable and something I might put on when I'm in the mood for something a little different. 4

3 Folksy with a bit of a contemporary 80s pop sound mixed in there, and I think I liked it… though heavy emphasis on the “think”. Each song came and went quickly without giving me much of a lasting impression, kind of like a soft gust of wind on a hot day - it felt nice, but wasn’t noticeable enough for me to give a second thought. Suzanne really does have a nice voice and I do feel like there’s some solid songwriting buried in there, but for the most part, none of it was particularly standout or unique enough to make the songs themselves stand out to me. There were a couple moments that did though - Small Blue Thing was probably the highlight, with her metaphors for vulnerability and delivery of “Today I am” probably being the peak of her songwriting here for me… even if I think the title itself is a little lazy. On a nitpicky note, the text on this album cover drove me nuts. I guess I can get past her name being in two different fonts, but doing the same thing with the tracklist makes it seem like there’s going to be some kind of drastic shift from Side A to Side B, and… there just isn’t? Besides, why is the tracklist even on the front cover to begin with? That’s what the back cover is for. I digress, would maybe listen again, but I’m not overly eager to do so.

meh

Oh shit! Everyone obviously knows Toms Diner, but I honestly have never heard anything other than that! lol Excited to see what this will be like. hmmmm she sings like a kid sings when they just make songs up. Not a whole lot of melodic, vocals. Reminds me of Frente a little bit. Wow this album is from 1985? Didn't realize she started so early.

It's OK

A little too quirky and a little too much obsession with queens and soldiers. Still at times interesting and it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome but not one of my keepers.

Nothing special

Overall a nice album but not something I'll seek out again.

Nope. Not for me. But got a good rhythm about the album. 3 stars.

She seems nice.

1 hit wonder

Alternative indie rockia. Soundi on hyvä mutta biisit jäi vähän vaisuiksi. Loppulevy kuitenkin parani

Great storyteller and such a strong first album. The Queen and the Soldier reduces me to tears every time! I never bought any Vega albums, so she was never on my playlist. Nevertheless, whenever I do hear her songs I am always carried along and impressed. .

I never thought of Suzanne and Taylor Swift as being similar, but the song ‘The Queen and the Soldier’ sounded like a song TS would do.

As I listened to this, vacillating between a 3 and a 4, I kept wondering what it was about this that appealed to me more than Aimee Mann did. Not to dis Aimee Mann, but having just listened to that album, it was hard not to make that connection. And then I thought of Shawn Colvin and how much I love A Few Small Repairs. I think this album is right in between those. Suzanne Vega is a bit limited as a vocalist. She's got a style of her own, for sure, and she is remarkably self-assured and confident — at least she comes across as such, and it's appealing. But it comes down to the songs. There is definite songcraft here, though she's still figuring a few things out. But Vega is good, it's apparent (it took me a little while to realize I was confusing her with Liz Phair). So I think a 4 is a little high for this, but for all the reasons this stood out as quality stuff, I'm going with it.

I enjoyed this OK, though not the production. Her vocal range is very limited, though I kind of dug how she got the most out of the voice she has. Her lyrics are cool. It's probably more of a 2-star rating in terms of albums I will reach for again, but I'm giving it 3 because she's not Bob Dylan. My daughter said it was vibe-y, so she approves. Terrible cover artwork, though.

I own this. Not my favorite Suzanne Vega album. But solid.

Great honest pop album

Ok

Vega makes me feel old, in the SPEAK UP sense.Early cuts are whispery to wispy, the final run of three downright bombastic in comparison. It's on the second half that the songcraft becomes obviously very good.

Oh boy this is so dated. It's good to reminisce though. Listening back her songs are a bit fey to be honest but they are still enjoyable. Many people on this journey won't realise how big she was at the time. The 2nd album was bigger and better......

I only knew Vega's 2 biggest hits going into this. Those songs are way better than anything here. I was shocked by how boring it was. I really didn't enjoy any part of it. Very disappointing.

Back when this came out I was more into prog rock - but hoo boy this is my jam these days.

Need to explore more. Plenty to like here, feels like a strand of music that stopped

Simple acoustic folk songs. Unfortunately, the song writing and melodies aren't particularly memorable. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Undertow Date listened: 15/03/23

Nice. Not stupendous, but nice.

Okay but didn't feel like I need to buy this in addition to the other Suzanne Vega album I already have.

Sucesión de buenas canciones interpretadas en plan cantautor, sin grandes alardes instrumentales, pero con buena sintonía

Second half was much better than the first.

Early folk rock. It's very low key. It's not bad, but it doesn't stand out enough for me to want to listen to more. Reminds me of a really good coffee shop live performance.

Calm and sincere. Right up my alley.

Boringggg. Some of the instrumentals were good but the vocals were too boring even if the lyrics were okay. Much better folk music but also much worse.

2.5/5 Not bad at all but not something I'd ever go out of my way to listen to.

Suzanne Vega’s debut album doesn’t stretch far past nice-sounding acoustic music, making this self-titled album less memorable than it could have been. Best Track: Cracking Rating: 5.5/10

eh 5/10

The Queen and her Solider <3

A pretty un-notable singer-songwriter album and not much more than that. This album had an issue I hear for Joni Mitchell albums a lot where the songs seem aimless, but at least with Mitchell there is something there musically and vocally. This kind of reeks of 80's. Not in the way new wave does, but more like just in its boring production values that just feel like they're missing something, so songs can start to feel very much the same. Only saved from a one star because nothing here actively made me angry or annoyed. Most media I'd rather be angry than bored, but that does not stand with music, because this at least did not offend my ears.

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.

Very sparse, singer songwriter stuff. Fine but didn't do a hell of a lot for me. Favorite tracks: "Small Blue Thing", "Undertow"

Beautiful

It's extraordinary how forgettable this albums was. I find it very difficult to point out anything worth mentioning that I heard today. I'm not really sure what was so good, different about this album, that it was included on the list. It's just another folk record with barely any other instruments than the acoustic guitar. Not my style, and even then, it's not something I would recommend to a typical folk or 80s music fan.

not great. usually like singer-songwriter stuff but didn't hear much here that i liked.

Yeah its fine but all a bit nice and underdemanding. I remember nothing after listening to it...but obvious guile has gone into writing these songs. Classic 3.

Meh

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.

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

The music isn't bad. But her voice is flat and if she has any range to her singing, she never shows it. She is the inspiration for every lame-ass coffee shop singer that I've heard since 1990. No thanks. One star solely for the music and for not having to listen to "Luka".

Good album, quality song writing

A stunning debut album

Inoffensive talk singing. The lyrics aren't nearly clever or interesting enough to make up for the musical deficiencies. Best track: The Queen and the Soldier

Fav song: Some Journey

What

Eh could do without.

i dont know it was fine

It's a good but not a great album some really good songs like Marlene and Knight Moves, but the album does get bit redundant at times. Though I feel that way with all her albums.

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.

It was fine. It just never became great. I didn't mind it but i won't put it on again.

It was perfectly okay. Nothing I'm going to turn off, nothing I'm going to look out to listen to again.

To be honest she was just a snooze fest. I was playing it to get rid of it. It wasn’t necessarily bad and there wasn’t anything specifically bad but I just didn’t like.

I was expecting this to be the "Luka" album but I'd never heard this before. My immediate reactions were about her vocals - something about her voice has always felt a little too "plain" - like her diction is almost exaggeratingly-perfect. It's off-putting to an extent ... until it's not. I feel like I went through a cycle in the first ~4 songs of "oh yeah, she sings like this" then "it's borderline annoying, let it loose a little..." to "this is her signature and shit, I think I like it." It's almost sweet in its sincerity and that ends up being her style. Some of these keyboards are very of-the-80s in not a great way but they're used sparingly (and they weren't even necessary). As for the music itself, it's quite good; although it isn't complex there's no cookie-cutter folk or pop here, while all the time being accessible. There's a well-utilized space in each of these songs - I'll give high marks to the arrangement of the instruments. Vega's skill on acoustic is not limited to how she plays, but more to what she's not playing. I wouldn't say any one instrument is primary but each a part of the whole, and still not overwhelming. Highlight is "Straight Lines" and I really like the lead guitar on "Marlene On The Wall." Overall I liked it far more than I'd expected, and will keep this around. 7/10 a high 3 stars.

I can't quite put my finger on why I dislike Suzanne Vega so much. Something about her voice just feels like she's trying to be too cutesy-fartsy. I'm thankful for two things. First, this album is pretty short. Second, this isn't the album that includes that insipid song Luka or the godawful Tom’s Diner that sticks in your head for a week after hearing even a short snippet. I really hate those songs. 2 stars.

Decent. Would give 2.5 if possible

Indigo Girls did this better.

Fantastic album

I didn't dislike it per se, but it's not my cup o ta

i have no time for this. well done for giving folk a 90s twist, but its still folk sang with a largely uninteresting voice.

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.

Like a coked up Sinead O'Connor without the coke or personality

Ok. Average at best. Carry on.

Suzanne Vega has a sweet vulnerable voice and a poetic way with lyrics. It’s just a shame that these tend to get buried in mixes that are a bit too spare to support them.

Meh. Nothing special. 2/5

actually kinda liked it

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.

Sorta moody early MTV cool alt girl Daria melodic chill pop. Your girlfriend will like it, but not too much. It's undull but not unusual. I had to listen to the album three times to remember it enough to write about. I could listen to it another three times without really noticing. It was, however, quite nice. It's between a 3 and a 4 for me

She sure has a nice voice, and her intriguing blend of dreamy folk and pop makes for a nice listen. I think it aged quite well actually, maybe it's time to bring back her music to the forefront.

Red House Painters for women.

Nice folk, but not unique neither

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.

Pretty impressive songs for a convincing and tasteful album: this is absolutely a very good record.

Glorified slam poetry

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.

What?! No Tom's Diner? Must be on the next one. Suzanna V sounds a lot like Edie Brickell here, all stories and understated mid-80s acoustic adult contempo. Good but not great.

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.

Not bad at all, but not exactly memorable.

Beautiful album

pretty. early suzanne vega maybe my jam?

Really only know SV from Tom's Diner, so excited to hop in and see what she's about. Pretty basic music but it's stuck between the 80s and 90s. SV is an interesting singer but there's something about her music just doesn't lend itself to repeat listens. Maybe because it's half talking? Modern folk? not a bad album, but not interesting enough for me to go back to.

Chill album, was an okay listen, but wasn’t moved much by the music or singing

To be honest, it made me cringe at times... But the mood it created overall was interesting. The opening song was by far the worst for me (sounded pretentious - which is not always bad in my view, but in this case, it is...) and the rest was much more pleasant.

Lovely vocals singing not very interesting lyrics and set to rather forgettable tunes. Amazing voice but the album felt uninspired. Highlight song was The Queen and the Soldier.

esattamente come me lo aspettavo: noiosetto Però il mood non è male

Glorified slam poetry

Decent listen, but nothing special. Fav track: Marlene on the Wall

Acoustic fare. Very straightforward. I felt a few songs were a little too ... sophomoric (I'm looking at you, "The Queen & The Soldier). The songs that were with a band I actually liked more than just the plain acoustic guitar. It is a bit of a preface for her second album, which I think is a better choice for the 1001 albums. But they didn't ask me, did they?

Funny, the only songs I know by Suzanne Vega are Tom's Diner and Luka, and neither are on this album (and I didn't know until listening to it today that the latter is about physical abuse). She has a good voice and is a very insightful lyricist. I'm sure she was part of the strong 80's female songwriters that led record companies to try and copy it for the rest of the 80's and into the 90's. Still, like Kate Bush, I wasn't all that inspired to go out and listen to more of her stuff. Tori Amos (who is a suggestion after listening to Vega), yes, I want to hear more of her stuff. But Vega's voice and compositions just don't have the same attraction for me.

This was kind of exactly what I expected it would be, Suzanne is very good at what she does and this is a good listen. Definitely feel like it spawned a million inferior knock offs with a less varied sound, of which I'm far less tolerant.

Marlene on the Wall is an incredible track but the rest of the album doesn't really do much for me. I also think she has better albums than this so I'm not sure why it made the list over other more worthy stuff. 3.5 stars

The fiddle in one of the closing tracks was the nail in the coffin for me

Not horrible but not for me. One and done.

It's pleasant.

som agradável, mas um pouco monótono

Like a full length Phoebe Buffay album

Great great start

älskar vega! mycket bra mums

fav songs: freeze tag small blue thing straight lines knight moves 3.8

The music was just okay, nothing exceptionally interesting stood out. I wouldn't say that it was terrible, just not something I'm interested in.

Ik werd er niet echt warm of koud van. Meestal geen goed teken.

Fijne muziek en goede teksten

Duf.

Beautiful singing and great songwriting made this a really enjoyable listen. The songs do seem to blend together at times but the storytelling throughout makes it a compelling listen. Definitely need to listen to a few more times. Usually not my type of music as I like having a couple songs with more energy but I can see the draw of this project. Rating a bit harsher as I’m comparing it to the rest of these 1000 albums

Pretty big in the USA. Zen vegan kind of vibes that were a good listen, but didn’t do much for me.

Better than average 80's singer songwriter I guess. Another 3.5 for me though.

3.75

Shickでcoolでnice

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.

OK debut by Suzanne Vega. Not my favorite of hers, but not a bad album.

I really wanted to like this. Suzanne Vega has a gorgeous voice, and the guitar playing is really nice. But most of the songs are forgettable, they're nice to hear but don't do anything for me emotionally. The songs are just 'there'. Small blue thing was the only memorable song for me. This was only a first listen, I might have to revisit this one to see if my mind will change. Sorry Suzanne :(

It was a little inconsistent, but never really bad. Just bland in a lot of spots, and the 80's production really doesn't help. But when it is good, it is pretty great.

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.

okay album, seems fairly similar female stripped down sound.

quase um the corrs mas mais melodico

With the exceptions of Luka, In Liverpool and maybe Tom's Diner (all of which are not on this album) I always thought that Suzanne Vega's would be better as a poet than a songwrighter - her music sounds like poetry with some musical accompagnement rather than actual songs. There is hardly any memorable melody here, nothing that stands out. The tracks are OKish, but that's it. 2.5/5

What's with the multiple fonts on the cover? What's with the echoey, poor vocal production? What's with the terrible beat poetry spoken over random guitar? Best review I saw: Enya meets Bobo Dylan. I'd only add "in a Soho coffee house." I will admit it got more cohesive toward the end. This is one star.

Folk. Un poco aburrido.

A little too light for my taste.

Enjoyed the chill vibe

I remember Suzanne Vega for one song, so I was surprised to hear so many great tunes.

This is American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega's debut album. It's a straightforward acoustic folk album featuring Vega's talents. The album performed well with critics and reached platinum status in the UK for over 300,000 units sold. IMO the album was a little too "basic" to appear on this list, but Suzanne Vega does have a perfect, soothing voice which made the album tolerable.

Enjoyable style and content mostly

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.

7/10. I liked it

Kinda like if kd lang wasn’t gay and was also worse. 5/10

Never heard of her, pleasantly surprised. I like this list because I get to find artists like this, barely recognized but very talented musicians. 3.5/5

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.

Apart from that one track, way too bedroom nerdy woe is me type stuff

So singular and strange

Better than I thought it would be, definitely about 10 years ahead of her time.

pretty guitar, trite lyrics

Meh ok, nothing special.

Loved the vocals here. Favorites: "Cracking", "Marlene On The Wall", "Some Journey"

Fav songs: - Knight Moves - Small Blue Thing

Didn’t expect to like it this much, it bangs tho

Gd

És un dels discos que s'aprofita per a bé del so 80's. La música sentida de Vega, xiuxiueig de vegades, que en altres époques hagués conformat un disc de folk trist i pesat, en 1985, i gràcies també a la feina de Lenny Kaye, es transforma en un disc intimista però ric i variat, amb arranjaments sutils però que fan brillar les excel.lents lletres de l'autora

Красивая музыка. Для кого-то этот альбом может стать долгоиграющим альбомом. 6 из 10.

So this is Suzanne before Luka. Nothing here has that Luka-level grab to it, but I liked listening to it. She has an unassuming but engaging voice and the arrangements were interesting. Not something I would run back to, but worth the listen.

Uncomplicated - perhaps undemanding music? - that floats by in that rather weightless way peculiar to 1980s production. Aside from Vega's acoustic guitar, every other noise in the mix has a shiny, frictionless quality to it. Neither good nor bad, just an observation. However, the songwriting is strong; Vega does the observational and confessional well, albeit the latter is tempered by the coolness of her delivery. She sounds utterly in control of her music, and thus of her emotions. If you're looking for renting of garments and gnashing of teeth, it's not here. Still, Vega is listenable here, I find her precise vocals very appealing, and nothing offends the ear. I kinda wish it would...

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.

Pretty cool swing and lyrical delivery. Nice acoustic stylings in a straight ahead, not presumptuous manner.

Nice enough album. Marlene on the wall is the stand out track.

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.

Nice voice, nice sings

Suzanne Vega/Suzanne Vega = Suzanne Vega = 1

that bulletproof vest though

mum come pick me up she’s making me sad.

Pleasant enough, but not much more than moderately interesting. She sings too precisely and almost talks on a few cuts. The arty guitar ‘80s vintage (“Straight Lines,” Undertow”) is probably the highlight. To be appreciated more than excited by.

Not precisely my cup of tea but listenable

Great album.

Inoffensive pop-country stuff, totally acoustic. Folky but not overly Bob Dylan-ish, so it didn't make me want to open fire in a shopping centre. So it's got that going for it. 3/5.

This was fine, not bad. I did not take much away from this, however.

surprisingly modern-sounding indie folk pop pop with some synth. simplistic but I don't mind

First, I didn't really listen to the lyrics so this is really a score on the music and sound of her voice. I'm sure I'm missing out in that regard, given how her wiki speaks to her poetic nature. Second, given the historical importance of this album breaking open a market for female singer songwriters, I gave this album an extra star. That said, there was nothing about this album that appealed to me.

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.

Since I already knew and liked a couple of songs by Suzanne Vega, this album was rather disappointing. It has some pretty good tracks like Marlene On The Wall and The Queen And The Soldier. But most of it is rather boring.

Personally not for me, a bit slow for my liking.

There is something grating about Suzanne Vega that other songwriters in this genre dont possess

Why is this album on the list? I have no answers. It is folk music which isn't good, but includes some synthesized music, so classic 80s there. At least it did not venture into country music like some folk music does. Still no reason listen to the album.

Not bad, would give it 3.5 if I could

Really nice. Like to hear more of it.

Never heard of Suzanne Vega. Didn't love it.

Bit dull

First listen, other than the singles. It was okay.

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

e kunt maar een beperkte hoeveelheid Vega hebben

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.

Was waiting for her to start singing but it just sounded like a conversation about Chess. I liked the poetry but the music just wasn't lively enough for me. Kept thinking about the Queens Gambit on Netflix.

trök

Rätt bra story telling på en del låtar men överlag ganska tamt. Bra röst!

Some reasonable folk I guess, I have no particular desire to revisit it

Marlene On the Wall gefällt mir ganz gut, wie mir auch insgesamt die Performance von ihr ganz gut gefällt. Insgesamt finde ich das Album aber eher durchwachsen bis schwach, gerade zum Ende.

nope

Meh

I do not enjoy this and don't intend to finish

Bit slow, bit depressing. Probably wouldn't listen again

2/5 nothing special

blergh. soap opera sound track.

not bad!

Really nice voice with good melodies

Nah

This is the worst open mic night one could possibly attend.

Quite a nice little debut album. A bit on the boring side though.

Charming, good voice, nice songs. Just not really my thing, maybe? It didn't draw me in.

i actually like her strums

meh

Boy did they pick the wrong Suzanne Vega album for this list. They couldn't have picked the one with "Tom's Diner" and the song about child abuse (Luka) instead? That's where Vega truly shines. This one's alright, but she mainly comes across as a stifled Lou Reed wannabe. Overall it's nice to listen to, and a short listen at that. Interesting that I loved the Suzanne Vega song from her 5th album that Spotify played after this album ended more than any song on this, her debut album.