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