Suzanne Vega by Suzanne Vega
If you know Suzanne Vega only through her classic single “Luka” and you like that song, I think you’ll like her debut album. It’s a tight thirty-five minutes of storytelling that I enjoyed very much. I especially liked “Marlene on the Wall”, “Undertow” and “The Queen and the Soldier”. But all the songs are good. This might take you back to 1985 to your favorite eclectic coffee shop or a small neighborhood watering hole. My rating:
One commenter wrote of this album:
Singer-songwriters weren’t in vogue in the mid-1980s, and Vega had a tough time landing a recording contract. A&M expected her debut album to sell 30,000 copies – it sold a million. ‘Marlene on the Wall’ remains Vega’s biggest hit in the U.K. This album of simple, acoustic pieces is simple and unadorned, showing the influence Lou Reed had on Vega’s writing.1
From the review in AllMusic":
The ten songs on Suzanne Vega constitute the self-analysis of a young woman who desires possession without offering commitment; no wonder that, upon its release, it was taken to heart by young women across the country and in Europe.2
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Gareth Thompson wrote:
The album’s heart is defined by a timeless fable, “The Queen And The Soldier,” which recalls Sandy Denny’s epic balladeering. By contrast, the adjoining “Knight Moves,” has snarling stanzas not unlike those of Husker Du or Kristin Hersh”3
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
Prime Playlist: 191. Suzanne Vega by Suzanne Vega
If you’re new here, welcome! Please consider subscribing and sharing with friends.
For details about this project, read this: Project 1001 Albums
Charts
• Peak on Billboard 200 album chart: #914
• Singles on Billboard Hot 100 chart: n/a
• RIAA certification: n/a
Released on May 1, 1985. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: “We are the World” by USA For Africa5
• Number one album: We are the World by USA For Africa6
• Number one movie: Stick by Burt Reynolds7
• Most watched TV programs: Dynasty, Dallas, The Cosby Show, 60 Minutes, Family Ties, The A-Team, Simon & Simon, Murder, She Wrote, Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Crazy Like a Fox, Hotel, Cheers, Riptide, Magnum, P.I., Newhard, Kate & Allie, Highway to Heaven, Night Court8
• NYT bestseller, fiction: Thinner by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)9
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca with William Novak10
Some other albums released that month
• Brother Where You Bound by Supertramp
• Soldiers Under Command by Stryper
• Unguarded by Amy Grant
• Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
• Shaken 'n' Stirred by Robert Plant
• 7 Wishes by Night Ranger
• Power of the Night by Savatage
• Wide Awake in America by U2
• The Confessor by Joe Walsh
• Loose Nut by Black Flag
• Gravity by Kenny G
• The Ballad of Sally Rose by Emmylou Harris
• Le Parc by Tangerine Dream
• Music for "The Knee Plays" by David Byrne11
Sport
• Apr 29 Tony Tubbs beats defending champion Greg Page by unanimous decision in 15 rounds at Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo for WBA heavyweight boxing title.
• Apr 30 NFL Draft: Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith first pick by Buffalo Bills.
• May 4 111th Kentucky Derby: Puerto Rican jockey Ángel Cordero Jr wins aboard Spend A Buck for his third Derby triumph.12
Notable Births
• Apr 30 Gal Gadot, Israeli actress (Wonder Woman), born in Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel.
• May 2 Kyle Busch, American auto racer, (NASCAR Cup Series Champion 2015), born in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• May 2 Sarah Hughes, American figure skater, Gold Medal 2002 in Salt Lake City, born in Great Neck, New York13
Historical Events
• May 1 US President Reagan ends embargo against Nicaragua.
• May 11 56 die and at least 265 are injured at Bradford City football ground in the worst fire in English football history.
• May 13 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania police drop explosive device on house occupied by revolutionary Black separatist group "Move", killing 11, during stand-off after a shoot-out; ensuing fire destroys 61 homes.14
Notable Deaths
• May 9 Redmond "Edmond" O'Brien, American actor (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Sam Benedict, Johnny Midnight), dies of Alzheimer's at 69.
• May 11 Chester Gould, American cartoonist (Dick Tracy), dies at 84.
• May 16 Margaret Hamilton, American character actress (The Wizard of Oz), dies of a heart attack at 82.15
Thompson, Gareth, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Fifth printing, ed. by Robert Dimmery p. 535.
Ibid.