Solitude Standing
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| Solitude Standing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Suzanne Vega | ||||
| Released | April 1, 1987 | |||
| Recorded |
1986–1987 Bearsville Studios, Woodstock, NY, RPM Sound Studios, NYC | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 44:20 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Producer | Steve Addabbo, Lenny Kaye | |||
| Suzanne Vega chronology | ||||
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Solitude Standing is the second album by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1987, it is the most popular and critically acclaimed of her career. As can be seen by the CD insert, many of the songs had been written prior to 1987 (see track listing for dates).
Song notes
- "Tom's Diner" was included twice on the album with its a cappella vocal as the first track and its instrumental version as the last track.
- "Night Vision" was inspired by the poem "Juan Gris" by Paul Éluard.[1]
- "Calypso" is based on The Odyssey, namely the part in which Calypso is forced to let Odysseus go.
- "Gypsy" is mentioned in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, in which the main character Charlie includes it on one of his mixtapes.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | C+[3] |
| People | (positive)[4] |
| Rolling Stone | (positive)[5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [6] |
Track listing
All songs written by Suzanne Vega in 1986–87 except as noted.[1]
- "Tom's Diner" – 2:09 (written 1981)
- "Luka" – 3:52 (written 1984)
- "Ironbound/Fancy Poultry" (Vega, Anton Sanko) – 6:19
- "In the Eye" (Vega, Marc Shulman) – 4:16
- "Night Vision" (Vega, Sanko) – 2:47
- "Solitude Standing" (Vega, Visceglia, Sanko, Shulman, Stephen Ferrera) – 4:49
- "Calypso" – 4:14 (written 1978)
- "Language" (Vega, Visceglia) – 3:57
- "Gypsy" – 4:04 (written 1978) Produced by Steve Addabbo, Lenny Kaye and Mitch Easter
- "Wooden Horse (Caspar Hauser’s Song)" (Vega, Visceglia, Sanko, Shulman, Ferrera) – 5:13
- "Tom's Diner (Reprise)" – 2:40
Track listing note: On the original LP album release, side one was composed of tracks 1-5; side two, of tracks 6-11.[1]
Personnel
- Suzanne Vega – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Michael Visceglia – bass, synthesizer on 11
- Anton Sanko – synthesizers, classical guitar on 5
- Marc Shulman – electric guitars
- Stephen Ferrera – drums, percussion
Additional personnel
- Johnny Gordon – guitar solo on 2
- Shawn Colvin – backing vocals on 2
- Sue Evans – percussion on 7, drums on 9
- Mitch Easter – rhythm guitar on 9
- Steve Addabbo – guitar on 9
- Frank Christian – electric guitar on 9
Technical personnel
- Steve Addabbo – producer, recording engineer
- Lenny Kaye – producer
- Mitch Easter – producer on 9
- Rod O'Brien – recording engineer
- Shelly Yakus – mixing engineer
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Billboard 200 | 11[7] |
| New Zealand albums chart | 1 | |
| UK Albums Chart | 2[8] | |
| Australia albums chart | 7 | |
| West Germany albums chart | 6 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "Gypsy" | UK Singles Chart | 77[9] |
| 1987 | "Luka" | Billboard Adult Contemporary Tracks | 3[10] |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 3[10] | ||
| Billboard Hot Latin Tracks | 48[10] | ||
| Billboard Mainstream Rock | 15[10] | ||
| Ireland singles chart | 11 | ||
| New Zealand singles chart | 8 | ||
| Sweden singles chart | 2 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 23[8] | ||
| "Tom's Diner" | Ireland singles chart | 26 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 58[11] | ||
| "Solitude Standing" | Billboard Hot 100 | 94[10] | |
| New Zealand singles chart | 45 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 79[12] |
In addition, a 1990 version of "Tom's Diner" (DNA featuring Suzanne Vega) made #1 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, #2 in the UK and Ireland, #5 in the USA and #8 in New Zealand.
Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BPI – UK | Gold | May 5, 1987[13] |
| BPI – UK | Platinum | June 9, 1987[13] |
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | July 15, 1987[14] |
| CRIA – Canada | Gold | August 13, 1987[15] |
| CRIA – Canada | Platinum | September 16, 1987[15] |
| RIAA – USA | Platinum | October 22, 1997[14] |
25th Anniversary
In 2012, to mark the 25th anniversary of the album’s release, Suzanne Vega played four celebratory concerts in which the album was performed in its entirety. The first was in Copley Square, Boston on July 28; the second and third were at City Winery in New York on October 9 (7pm and 10pm shows); and the fourth at London’s Barbican Theatre on October 16.
A limited edition 2-CD set, entitled ‘Solitude Standing: Live at the Barbican’, was produced by Concert Live and made available for purchase instantly after the final show, as well as online.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Suzanne Vega. Solitude Standing (A&M Records, 1987).
- ↑ Ruhlmann, William. Solitude Standing at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (July 28, 1987). "Consumer Guide July 28, 1987". The Village Voice. Retrieved 20 November 2011. Also posted at "CG: Solitude Standing". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
- ↑ Novak, Ralph; Hiltbrand, David (May 25, 1987). "Picks and Pans Review: Solitude Standing Suzanne Vega". People 27 (21). Retrieved 20 November 2011.
- ↑ Browne, David (June 18, 1987). "Suzanne Vega: Solitude Standing : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone (502). Archived from the original on 26 June 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ "Acclaimed Music - Solitude Standing". AcclaimedMusic.net. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ↑ Solitude Standing - Suzanne Vega > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums at AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "UK Top 40 Hit Database". Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ↑ http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Gypsy#single
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Solitude Standing - Suzanne Vega > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
- ↑ http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Tom's+Diner#single
- ↑ http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Solitude+Standing#single
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "BPI Certified Awards". Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "RIAA Gold and Platinum". Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "CRIA Certifications". Retrieved 2008-05-11.
External links
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