Suzanne Vega - Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega

Pleasant, enigmatic, accoustic pop ballads 3.5/5

There really isn't a song on this compilation that you can't listen to-they are all listenable and some songs will grow on you. My only quibbles, I suppose, are these two: (1) there isn't the original version of "Tom's Diner" on this compilation. If I have heard the original, I don't remember it, but, seeing as this compilation is long on songs, one more wouldn't have hurt. You hear a remix of this song on this compilation, which is nice enough. (2) I really liked the song "The Queen and the soldier". It's live. Normally, I don't like live songs, unless they are better than the studio version [as Dire Strait's "Industrial disease" manages to do by having a more fluid cool guitar riff compared to the studio version]. This song is a pretty, Bob Dylan-esque fairytale featuring great accoustics for the steel string guitar Suzanne uses-they have an ethereal quality to them. MAYBE, IF the original studio version was better, I'd would have preferred to hear that instead. The live version is fine, though.

I'm giving this album 3.5 stars out of 5 because Suzanne Vega doesn't really have a handful of killer songs. She has a few which I quite like, and, like I said before, many songs of a listenable quality.

The standout tracks on this album are "Marlene on the wall" featuring Vega's gentle vocals, enigmatic lyrics, nice melody and accoustic guitar.

"Left of centre"-perhaps Vega's best song, featuring, as per usual, accoustic guitar by Vega, cool, enigmatic lyrics, a rock beat, nice melody and a chorus you can sing along to.

"Solitude standing"-another one of Vega's enigmatic songs [to me at least!]. Here the meaning is not contained in the lyrics and the song has an edgier sound to it. The intro is interestingly complex too.

Some other songs which would be known to fans of Vega include:

"Luka"-I thought that this might have been about spousal abuse or something, but the Amazon review says it's about child abuse. A raw subject in any case for Vega. Features nice melodies and harmonies. It's one of a few songs in which Vega utilises a steel string accoustic guitar [as opposed to her usual, plain old accoustic guitar].

"99.9 F"-this is a song I had forgotten about. This might be the only song with an electric guitar featured-the song has a dirty, electric guitar riff throughout. Also has pretty and delicate melodies.

"Tom's Diner"-this non-original version features a hip-hop beat, bass guitar and a brass section.

Of the songs that wouldn't get regular or any airplay on mainstream music stations [unlike some or all of the songs above] but which have something to recommend them are:

"World before Columbus"-lyrically interesting-drawing an analogy between relationships and Colonial activity of centuries ago where colonisers would give trinkets for something valuable to natives...like all their land!

"Blood makes noise"-features cool, industrial type music, bass, witty lyrics and a quick pace.

"Woman on the tier"-again, another cool example of industrial type noise and grungy drums. This song and the previous one are real departures for Vega on her usually mellow style.

"(I'll never be) Your Maggie May"-interesting for seeming to be a riposte to Rod Stewart's famous song "Maggie May". Features very nice and ethereal vocals and melody.

"Penitent"-interesting in that parts of it reminded me of the famous Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush song "Don't give up".

"Rosemary"-interesting in that a guitar part of the song reminded me of Simon and Garfunkel's song "The Boxer".

"In Liverpool" -also features a little electric guitar and the song alternates between a slow ballad and a sound not unlike a carousel.

"Book of dreams"-perhaps the poppiest song on this compilation.

"No cheap thrill"-interesting for poker players as this game is a theme of the song.

Overall, this is quite a mellow, listenable compilation of ballads by a talented songwriter.

If you enjoyed this album, other albums which I've reviewed here and be of interest to you are:

Patti Smith-Horses [a poetic album]

Midnight Oil-Red Sails in the sunset [this great pop/rock band with a social and political conscience are at their experimental best with this effort]

Frank Sinatra [compilation]

Billie Holiday [compilation]

The Cocteau Twins-Blue Belle Knoll [dreamy pop] November 2, 2007

Better compilation than the previous "Tried and True" --perfect for casual fan

Compilations are a tricky business as one person's favorite song will always be missing from a "Best of" collection. "Retrospective" does an exceptional job of compilating the best tracks from Vega's albums through "Songs in Red and Gray" her last album for A&M. Featuring more songs than the previously released "Tried and True" collection from 1998, the one thing that "Retrospective" lacks is any new material that would make this essential for Vega fans. We get a couple of soundtrack songs instead which may want to make fans pick this up. Tracks such as her import only song "Golden" or outtakes would have made this essential for fans that already have everything by Vega (or like the import version of this the demo for "Anniversary" which ended up on Vega's latest release "Beauty and Crime" and the live disc).

The track selection is very good covering her best material from "Suzanne Vega" ("The Queen and the Solider" in a live recording), "Marlene on the Wall" and "Pale Blue Thing), her Grammny nominated hit album "Solitutde Standing"(the title track, hit single "Luka", beautiful "Calypso", "Gypsy"), "Left of Center" a soundtrack tune that Vega recorded with Joe Jackson; the dance single with DNA of "Tom's Diner"; "Tired of Sleeping" and "Book of Dreams" from the latter album; "99.9F", "Blood Makes Noise" and "In Liverpool", "No Cheap Thrill" from "99.9F"; "Caramel" and "World Before Columbus" from "Nine Objects of Desire"; "Penitent" and "I'll Never Be Your Maggie Mae" from "Songs in Red and Gray". "Rosemary" is drawn from the "Tried and True" "Best of" release put out in Europe in 1998. "Woman on the Tier" is from the "Dead Man Walking" sound track. Missing are "Book and a Cover" from the "Tried and True" album and "When Heroes Go Down" which was on that collection along with "99.9F".

The compilers have arranged the songs to provide variety dove tailing different material from different periods which make create a bit of a hodge podge in terms of style but makes the collection work as an album.
Luckily, the compilers have avoided some of Vega's weakest material such as "A Soldier in War" from "Book of Dreams" (probably her weakest effort)and focuses on the material that was released as singles/received radio airplay. This collection is perfect for the casual fan that likes what they've heard on the radio.

Sound quality is pretty good overall and the album isn't as badly brickwalled (meaning really loud with no dynamic range)as many other new releases. "Retrospective" is a good one stop shop of some of Vega's outstanding material. I just wish that there was a bit more rare, unreleased stuff but as mentioned casual fans will love this collection. August 10, 2007

If you want to discover one of the most under-rated artists out there, start here...

Because Suzanne Vega has, over the past 20 years, produced some of the very best rock-poetry you'll find. An artist that's prepared to push things out to the edge lyrically without losing sight of the fact that what makes a song work is a great tune, an exciting, carefully executed arrangement and... beautifully sincere delivery. And, when she gets it right, as this compilation more than adequately shows, the results are quite stunning.

So, if you want to be introduced to the joys on offer start with this and, once you've taken it all in, get ready for a pleasant surprise because, so far, there are only six albums to spend you're hard earned money on. And, unlike most artists' output all of them contain enough "gems" that aren't included here to justify the expense. Sometimes less is better and in Suzanne Vega's case the vast majority of what she's released deserves inclusion in any comprehensive "retrospective" - which, of course, means that an album like this can only be a "sampler" for her superbly consistent and intriguing music.
October 8, 2006

Moving

How relevant could the female, quasi folk, New Yorkish musical perspective be to a man in Australia? I don't know but I love it. She is moving, personal, "feministic", sensual, chameleonistic, and above all- the tunes rock. She is not mainstream but will leave a legacy that is second to none. Nearly every track on every album is a gem or simply a pleasant few minutes of this short life. If any artists songs convey pleasure and pain concurrently it hers. Go for any of it! October 3, 2005

A Generous Retrospective & Fair Assessment Of Works

After new wave, dance and more agressive sound of the early 80's, Suzanne came on the music scene during the mid 80's as the return of more acoustic, folk and new age music was on the rise. Suzane's vocals were quiet and her arrangements were simple, making her mark with her debut as a cross between her past Joni Mitchell and her contempoaries Tracy Chapman & Enya. With songs like Marlene On The Wall, Freeeze Tag, The Queen & The Soldier and Crackling from her debut and her classics from Solitude Standing Luka, Tom's Dinner and the title track, have lead her to more experimental types of music.

This collection pulls it all together and includes rare tracks like Left Of Center (feat. Joe Jackson, from Pretty In Pink) and Woman On The Tier from Dead Man Walking. It even includes the track Rosemary from her first Collection called Tried And True. It contained 17 songs. This one has 21 and includes most of them. September 15, 2005

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