Suzanne Vega (album)

Suzanne Vega
Studio album by Suzanne Vega
Released May 1985
Recorded January - March 1985 at Celestial Sound Studios, New York City
Genre Pop, Folk Rock
Length 35:37
Label A&M CDA 5072
Producer Steve Addabbo, Lenny Kaye and Steven Miller (co-producer)
Suzanne Vega chronology

Suzanne Vega
(1985)
Solitude Standing
(1987)

Suzanne Vega is the 1985 eponymous debut album by Suzanne Vega. It was a well-received pop-music album by music journalists in the U.S.[1] and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar in straightforward arrangements. A video was released for the album's song "Marlene on the Wall", which went into MTV and VH1's rotations.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [2]
Robert Christgau B- [3]
People (positive) [4]
Rolling Stone (positive) [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide [6]

In 1989, Rolling Stone magazine listed Suzanne Vega at number 80 on its "100 Best Albums of the Eighties".[7] It is also mentioned in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The album has sold close to two million worldwide.[8]

Track listing

All songs written by Suzanne Vega.

  1. "Cracking" – 2:49
  2. "Freeze Tag" – 2:36
  3. "Marlene on the Wall" – 3:40
  4. "Small Blue Thing" – 3:54
  5. "Straight Lines" – 3:49
  6. "Undertow" – 3:26
  7. "Some Journey" – 3:38
  8. "The Queen and the Soldier" – 4:48
  9. "Knight Moves" – 3:36
  10. "Neighborhood Girls" – 3:21

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1985–86) Peak
position
Australian Albums 23
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[10] 11
German Albums (Official Top 100)[11] 54
New Zealand Albums (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 42
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 11
US Billboard 200[15] 91

Singles

Year Single Chart Peak Position
1985 "Marlene on the Wall" UK Singles Chart 83[16]
1986 "Small Blue Thing" UK Singles Chart 65[17]

References

  1. "Suzanne Vega: A Life in Music". Official Community of Suzanne Vega. Archived from the original on 2008-04-19. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  2. Ruhlmann, William. Suzanne Vega (album) at AllMusic. Retrieved 1 October 2006.
  3. Christgau, Robert (July 30, 1985). "Consumer Guide July 30, 1985". The Village Voice. Retrieved 20 November 2011. Also posted at "Suzanne Vega". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  4. Novak, Ralph; Hiltbrand, David (May 27, 1985). "Picks and Pans Review: Suzanne Vega". People 23 (21). Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  5. Fricke, David (July 4, 1985). "Suzanne Vega: Suzanne Vega : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone (451). Archived from the original on 2 October 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2007.
  6. "Acclaimed Music - Suzanne Vega". AcclaimedMusic.net. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  7. Azerrad, Michael; DeCurtis, Anthony (November 16, 1989). "The 100 Best Albums of the Eighties: 80 | Suzanne Vega, 'Suzanne Vega'". Rolling Stone (565). p. 53. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  8. Van Meter, Jonathan (July 9, 2007). "Lady of the Canyons". New York Magazine. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  9. Suzanne Vega — Suzanne Vega
  10. "Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  11. "Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega". Officialcharts.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  12. "Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  13. "Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  14. "1985-10-19 Top 40 UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  15. "Suzanne Vega Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Suzanne Vega. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  16. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Marlene+On+The+Wall#single
  17. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/search-results-album/_/Small+Blue+Thing#single