Disco de Suzanne Vega: “Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega”

What a superb collection of songs by this fascinating singer/songwriter/storyteller. The collection not only spans her career but also takes you through at least 4 different styles of music! Here are some of my impressions:

"Luka" was the breakout hit that introduced Vega to radio listeners. A bit folk and a bit of sophisticated tailoring with words and production. A heartfelt story about a child coping with abuse.

"Tom's Diner" offers a slice of life depicting a morning at a diner having coffee and peoplewatching. Originally accapella this collection has the DNA hit remix.

"Marlene On The Wall" has a fast paced vocal delivery over strumming guitars making this a fan fave at concets.

"Caramel" from the album NINE OBJECTS OF DESIRE came to me as a complete surprise! A beautiufl soft vocal over samba jazz which will remind listeners of the early 60's movement of Brazillian jazz and lounge music. It sits comfortably with other Latin lounge hits like "Corcavado" and "Girl from Ipanema". This song is indeed.....a treat.

"99.9F", "Blood Makes Noise" and "Woman on the Tier" show off Vega as an extraordinary industrial music artist. The first is catchy, the second is brilliantly strange, and the third is a disturbing piece from the film DEAD MAN WALKING..

"Left of Center" has an urgent beat that will have you singing this hit from PRETTY IN PINK all day long!!

"(I'll Never Be Your) Maggie May" is a reaction to the song by Rod Stewart! Very interesting lyrics and a neat notion to answer someone else's song!

"Solitude Standing" and "The Queen and the Soldier" show off Vega's folk infuence in epic storytelling.

There are many other gems including "In Liverpool", "Small Blue Thing", and "Book of Dreams".

This is a fine collection for any devout Vega fan or the newcomer to intelligent songwriting. You will enjoy this great CD!

For those that remember 'Luka' or Tom's Diner and always wanted a copy, but the thought of buying a whole album seemed a bit much, this is the ticket. If you heard 'Caramel' in The Truth about Cats and Dogs, here is a chance to hear more of that smooth voice. This is also a great chance for an old fan to catch up. Great gift CD, Best-of's are generally well received.

For the American fan, this is a great chance to hear the hidden jewel "Rosemary". Rosemary was recently voted as a top pick by her fans. Rosemary is perhaps the best combination of her lyric writing talent, music writing and performance, and vocal work. This would be money well spent.

"Haven't you ever heard Suzanne Vega before?" my friend asked me about 2 years back. And when I replied in the negative, he hummed the tune of 'Tom's Diner' to me and I was like, "That sounds familiar..." He lent me his copy of 'Retrospective' and today it's one of my favorite albums!

See, when I like particular albums or music, especially if it's a female artist, it's usually because their lyrics, their beliefs as expressed in their music, their philosophies and so on, appeal to me in some way. That's the reason I've long liked arists like Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Enya, Dido...to mention a few among the female artists I like... With Suzanne Vega it was and still is a bit different because I don't actually understand her songs to be very honest... Perhaps I'm not old or mature enough to understand them but still I've enjoyed listening to this album SO much, I listen to it over and over again! I just like her music - every song is different and has a new thought to offer... I like that her songs are at times pensive (Small Blue Thing), wistful (I'll never be your Maggie May, Caramel), whimsical (Gypsy..), nostalgic (Rosemary), some are plain eccentric (Blood Makes Noise) and then there are the "everyday" songs like 'Tom's Diner' or 'In Liverpool'. I find almost all her songs wonderfully reflective. I love 'Penitent' for its music, 'Solitude Standing' for her personifictaion of Solitude as a woman who's been through so much in life.. 'Tom's Diner', besides it's great catchy tune, captures a regular experience so simply and vividly! 'Calypso' reminds me of Dido's 'My Lover's Gone' - both have kind of a similar mythological strain to them that I like a lot. There's 'Rosemary' which is nostalgic enough to give one goose bumps and 'Gypsy' which is so enchantingly dreamy...such an unabashedly comfort-seeking little ode! And then there's 'Luka' of course which is so hummable and also subtly moving...

Suzanne Vega is a difficult artist to understand. She's certainly a gifted, original artist with a very good voice. I hope that gradually as I keep listening to this album I'll realise things that I hadn't realised before...and new insights into her music will keep coming... I give this album a thumbs up! Great music, great reflections and a refershing alternative to some of the other music currently around...

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.

This is the greatest hits collection we've all been waiting for , and it sure is worth the wait. From her early hits of Luka ,Marlene on the Wall, Toms Diner, to Songs like I'll Never Be Your Maggie May from her last album, this 21 track disc is almost an hour & 20 minutes long. With many standout tracks from her 6 full albums - especially Tired of Sleeping, In Liverpool, and Rosemary. Great Collection for many moods.