Suzanne Vega: Talking Album Debut Blues

She was a strange child, she liked her salsa mild; but it seems to me that she would look quite profound in designer jeans, quite profound indeed. Suzanne Vega’s debut sounds like an elderly woman tinkering with some demo tunes on analog 4-track tape, and all this despite the fact that her period is late; meaning that she could easily go from gay to straight. Word up now, exactly? Well, her sounds are delicate and powerful as if she is sort of perpetually examining the absolute darkness of the human condition with a smile on her face.

The album opens with a brilliant little number, and a tune that is still among one of her best today; I am referring to “Cracking.” She’s like Lou Reed on helium on this particular number, the lyrics are conservative in that she only uses words that serve a worthwhile purpose in terms of the song’s overall structure. I find her voice to be very inviting, and it is one that has rarely changed over the decades. She was already an established troubadour by the time of this self-titled release in 1985, a fully formed Folk Goddess, if you will. There are a few troubling and sketchy songs that don’t quite gel in terms of lyrical prowess and the production in general is very much typical ‘80’s cheese, but the best work does shine through regardless.

Some of the numbers have a bit of attitude and even an element of Jazz at times as well. “Marlene on The Wall” makes me blush because it discusses sexual situations, and sex is just dirty and wrong! Regardless, this material knocks Tears for Fears out of the water, no question. The keyboard touches sound almost eerie as they are matched up with Suzanne’s acoustic work, but it does seem to work at times. Ms. Vega is a natural storyteller and everything seems to have a detached emotional quality about it, as if this is the general concept for the record. Some of the material is a bit of a blur, but it is a nice blur and basically, that perfect rainy day record to this day. While I would not suggest anyone to start with this record, I will say that at the very least it is a good start.

This live performance clip contains a great version of the aforementioned Cracking:

Suzanne Vega Changed My Life, Man

It is rough, you know? And if you hear something late at night, some kind of trouble or some kind of fight; please don’t ask me what it was. Suzanne Vega is like a genuine Folk lady, her favorite Beck song is “Nicotine & Gravy.” She is like a pretty pixie creature to this day, despite the fact of what the newspapers say (and coincidently, all this despite the fact that my babysitter is gay). This is an entry of worship. I love Suzanne’s cool and smooth vocal approach, she doesn’t mince words and she highly recommends a quality meal at Tom’s Diner. Can you imagine, sir? Can you? She can rock an acoustic guitar and has a moody disposition that gives me a funky feeling all up in my jockeys. This entry is no joke, but is a reminder rather that Suzanne Vega has another stellar record for all of us grad students to dive head first into, and it is her first in years, my precious little buttercups!

If you are looking for Ms. Vega, keep in mind that you can in fact find her left of center. You can also find out on her official site about her amazing new release, and apparently I am a bit behind, as it was released like a motherfucker on July 17th, oh yeah, baby! Dig all the necessary information in relation to “Beauty & Crime” on Suzanne’s official cyber home: Call me Luka, baby, just don't call me late for supper!

…Another cool thing, is that her site has an official media player to sample some of the sultry new cuts, oh yeah, baby! (Actually, I believe you can only sample the lead single, but still!). The cut available “New York Is a Woman” is one thoroughly immaculate conception filled with tasty arrangements and a timeless melodic majesty that is sure to live on in its own unique universe, as is so common with the majority of Suzanne’s output. She’s got quite a few tour dates coming up in God’s America, so you may want to peruse her Tour Dates section of her sinisterly sexy web site, oh yeah, sweetie pie! Better yet, just read the following and don't go no place, girlfriend...

Sept 15 Waryas Park Poughkeepsie, New York FREE
Sept 16 Mahaiwe Theatre Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Sept 18 The Birchmere Alexandria, VA
Sept 19 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA
Sept 20 Somerville Theatre Somerville, MA
Sept 22 Lebanon Opera House Lebanon, NH
Sept 23 The Latchis Hotel & Theater Brattleboro, VT
Sept 25 La Tulipe Montreal, QC (Weird Ass Country!)
Sept 26 The Mod Club Toronto, ON (Loyal Subjects of an ugly Queen)
Sept 29 The Ark Ann Arbor, MI
Sept 30 Park West Chicago, IL
Oct 02 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN
Oct 03 Pabst Theatre Milwaukee, WI
Oct 04 Barrymore Theatre Madison, WI
Oct 05 Englert Civic Theatre Iowa City, IA
Nov 08 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
Nov 09 Richards on Richards Vancouver, BC
Nov 10 Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room Seattle, WA
Nov 12 The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Nov 13 Montalvo Arts Center Saratoga, CA
Nov 14 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
Nov 16 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
Nov 17 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Nov 18 Rialto Theatre Tucson, AZ
Nov 20 Wheeler Opera House Aspen, CO
Nov 21 Boulder Theater Boulder, CO
Nov 30 The Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT
Dec 01 Club Harlem Ballroom @ HOB Atlantic City, NJ

...Suzanne’s material has always been mature and on the cutting edge of the Adult Contemporary scene (Yeah, you heard right, baby). This is a beautiful woman with a hard working dental plan, and she’s got the family, they come first. Her back catalog of introspective Folk Pop epics is so icy and thoughtful on the whole, with little by way of failed experiments. She’s actually a good singles artist, but her records are often fleshed out nicely and perfect for some late night lovemaking, oh yeah, baby!

Watch the woman in action (Obligatory oh yeah, baby!)...

Industrial Folk?



She's talking about the new record, baby: