Disco de Suzanne Vega: “Songs in Red and Gray”

Suzanne Vega has long been one of my favorite singer/songwriters, much more original and sharp in her lyrics and music than many other female folk singers. I was surprised to see that this album aroused such irritation in many of her fans, and I almost didn't buy it after reading the reviews on Amazon. Luckily, it was playing in a local music store and on hearing it in full I snapped it up; I think it's one of her best. Certainly, there's no question that it can't compare either to her debut, _Suzanne Vega_, or to the brilliant and original _Nine Objects of Desire_. But put side by side with any other album from Ms. Vega's catalogue, Songs in Red and Gray more than holds its own. Like the rest of her work, this album has its hits and its misses. I particularly like the religious commitment of "Penitent," the ironic honesty of "Widow's Walk," the Mitchell-Froom-esque harshness of "If I Were a Weapon," and the sheer playfulness of the sound on "I'll Never Be Your Maggie May" and of "Last Year's Troubles." The song that really gets to me though is "Soap and Water." Here Suzanne Vega is at her lyrical best, crooning to her daughter in the middle of a painful divorce, "Daddy's a dark riddle/Mama's a headful of bees/You are my little kite/Carried away in a wayward breeze." These are fresh, original metaphors, showing Vega's much-vaunted poetic side. On the other hand, I was happy to see that overall, Vega's lyrics have become more straightforward, less obscure, not pandering by any means, but confident that their simplicity and spareness will carry all the nuances of feeling she wishes to express. Her voice, too, sounds as clear and controlled as ever. The music doesn't SOUND like it did on 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit or Nine Objects, of course--she has a different producer. But that doesn't condemn the album in my mind; just because it's different doesn't mean it's worse. Give this CD chance; after a few days you'll see that, like a cut flower, it's opened its petals to show its full, astonishing beauty.

Suzanne Vega's "Songs in Red and Gray" is very obviously the product of a break-up--or more specifically, a divorce. But where some songwriters may have ended up with an angst-y, self-absorbed, uninventive album, Suzanne Vega created a very polished, artistic, original and expressive album. Many songs are heartbreakingly sad, some bitter, but the overall tone of the cd is one of renewal and the deep wisdom that comes only with pain. Technically, the album is complex and smooth, flowing from one song to the next. Emotionally, the album is both painful and soothing, very cathartic. Each song has the strong feeling of some stage in the aftermath of a failed relationship--from anger to questioning to sadness to fragile strength to acceptance and wisdom.

The lyrics are inventive, using new metaphors and very descriptive phrases to describe emotions that could otherwise come off as generic. There are so many lyrical gems in these songs, at least one that strikes me in every song. In Widow's Walk ("Consider me a widow, boys and I will tell you why. It's not the man, but it's the marriage that was drowned."), Vega speaks of being a widow, not of a dead husband, but of a dead marriage. Soap and Water begins, "Soap and water take the day from my hand scrub the salt from my stinging skin slip me loose of this wedding band" and the refrain of "Daddy's a dark riddle, Mama's a head full of bees, you are my little kite, carried away in the wayward breeze" is heart wrenching. The light-hearted tune and contrasting lyrics of (I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May hit me immediately. I thought that the lines, "I'll never be your Maggie May, the one you loved and then forgot, I'll love you first and let you go, because it must be so, and you'll forgive or you will not" were simple and perfect. Last Year's Troubles is catchy and cute, but the theme is very true: "last years troubles they shine up so pretty, they gleam with a luster they don't have today, here it's just dirty and violent and troubling, etc". I am constantly impressed by the way Suzanne Vega expresses such simple and true ideas/emotions in ways that keep me listening.

I could say something about every song on this album...but I won't. It's one of those things you have to hear for yourself. It sneaks up on you, revealing something new and wonderful with each listen. I give Suzanne Vega a lot of credit for writing and album that is--on an emotional level--so raw and honest. I thank her for making it--on a musical level--so beautiful to hear.

Prepare to be surprised. This is not the semi-sweet, lyrical Suzanne Vega we have come to expect. In a departure both sharp and volatile, Vega has brought out an arsenal many of us didn't know she had. Although the CD includes a wide variety of instruments and pacing, what strikes the listener right away is the compelling story that is the theme of the piece. The slow destruction of trust and the decay of a marriage. Her own.

We have a history of watching Vega wrap her silken voice around abstract fictional characters and vague notions of love both unrequited and realized. Not here. This is about real life and her own ambiguities; her own relationships. There is no hiding her purpose here- it's "empty out the closet" time.

from "Soap and Water": "...this wound we call man & wife"

Her confessional is so earnest and her presentation so straightforward we have the feeling we should avert our eyes and ears-look away, like the girl in "Tom's diner"-but we can't.

The power of this piece, the drama, shakes the walls. Not since Peter Gabriel's "SO" has a CD both changed an artist's reputation and defined it at the same time. From now on all her work will be compared to this transparency. Anything less honest than this is the future will seem a pale substitute. I wouldn't blame her if she took a breather.

Suzanne Vega's "Songs in Red and Gray" is, in my view, her masterpiece. Gone are the sometimes precious melodies and forced intellectuisms that dulled some of her previous works. Here we have a more world wisely approach gathered from over 22 years in the business. This is her most mature and flowing work to date. The general theme is one of heartbreak and determination of a marriage broke down. Similar in theme to Shawn Colvin's "A few small repairs" but not in tone. The music here is reflective (Soap and Water, Penitent) and persuasive (Last Years Trouble, Maggie May). Each song is a highlight and the change here is that the production is non showy (courtesy of Rupert Hine) in comparison to her ex producer (and ex-husband). The CD concludes with St. Clare (the sole cover) and is a beautiful epitaph to this superb CD. Released soon after 9/11 this CD had an apt resonance and sounds as beautiful now as it ever did with regal lyrics and flowing melodies. I would recommend this to fans and casual browsers alike.

It's amazing how many different opinions you will hear about 1 piece of art, play a CD to 100 different people and you'd be likely to get a different point of view from each. From reading the reviews of this album, I'm sure you'd be confused as to exactly what to expect - an album you'd never be without or another to sell on ebay. Well, I should start by saying this album, for me, is a 5 * album, a mature, sophisticated release by an accomplished musician, who is surely one of the best of the last 20 years.

At it's heart, `Songs In Red and Grey' is a folk record, although it doesn't live within the limits of the genre. It seems fans of Suzanne are pretty well split on whether she should be a lone troubadour with her acoustic guitar or an experimental artist who uses modern techniques to augment a traditional sound. I feel on `Songs In Red and Grey' she covers both territories well, there are many interesting sounds and layers, but at the core of these arrangements are her voice and guitar, lending an intimate feel.

Suzanne's voice is, in it's self, a beautiful instrument, and unmistakably her own - it really shines on these songs. As a songwriter she is second to none, writing 12 of 13 songs here by herself. Each song is well crafted and there is certainly no `filler' material present. Lyrically, she can cut right to the heart of a situation, an emotion, as with all great storytellers - buy this to read the lyrics alone. Musically there is plenty to keep the listener interested, strong melodies and catchy hooks.

If you haven't heard this CD I would urge you to do so, Suzanne Vega is a true musician who has perfected her craft. `Song In Red and Grey' is an artist at the peak of her powers, pass this disc by at your peril.