Audio CD review:
Suzanne Vega - Best Of Tried & True

Suzanne Vega - Best Of Tried & True

Band: Suzanne Vega Title: Best Of Tried & True Rating: Release Date: 1998-10-05 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Luka 2: Tom's Diner 3: Marlene on the Wall 4: Caramel 5: 99.9° F. 6: Small Blue Thing 7: Blood Makes Noise 8: Left of Center - Suzanne Vega, Addabbo, Steve 9: In Liverpool 10: Gypsy 11: Book of Dreams - Suzanne Vega, Sanko, Anton 12: No Cheap Thrill 13: World Before Columbus 14: When Heroes Go Down 15: The Queen and the Soldier 16: Book and a Cover 17: Rosemary

Highly Recommendable! It`s always a matter of taste which songs are actually the best; in my opinion this album does the job pretty well. This was the first compilation of Suzanne Vega`s best songs released in 1998; featuring songs from her first 5 albums, two new recordings and the rare "Left of Center" from the soundtrack "Pretty in Pink". From her debut album "Marlene on the Wall", "A Small Blue Thing" and "The Queen and the Soldier" (her great song about power, loyalty and honesty) are obvious choices. I would not have minded "Cracking" being there too, but these 3 songs represent that album perfectly. From "Solitude Standing" it`s the same; the best songs are there, but a few more would not have harmed the collection. I have always considered her third album "Days of Open Hand" her weakest; it seems the compiler of this album feels the same since he`s only selected "Book of Dreams" from the album. "Tired of Sleeping" would also have been a good choice. On "99,9 F" Vega experiments with new sounds and rhythms. When the album was originally released, I was not so sure if I liked her direction; now it`s my favourite and the title track, "Blood Makes Noise", "In Liverpool" and "When Heroes Go Down" are all great tracks. The slightly "jazzy" "Nine Objects of Desire" is represented by "World Before Columbus", "Caramel" and "No Cheap Thrill". It`s a good album, where most song could have deserved selection. My favourite "Headshot" is not here, but then I have the original album already. Both new songs "Book and a Cover" and "Rosemary" are good which was fine for me, since I had already bought her original albums. This CD is highly recommendable, and if you want more of the same, you can seek out the 2 CD "Retrospective" or simply buy her original albums - they are all worth it. Excellent ... though I do have some complaints. First of all . . this is an extraordinary collection of songs, and if you have liked just a few of Suzanne Vega's songs, you should by this record . . . it's more than worth it. My complaints are as always the song selection. Yes, I know Tom's Dinner was a hit in that crappy remix version, but the original A Capella version is just much better. And include the groovy instrumental version . . . love that one. Also, I sorely miss the song 'Solitude Standing' - this was actually released as a single, and was always one of my favorites from that album, and I can't for the life of me see why it wasn't included. Other songs could have been left out. Caramel is ok, though I don't like it that much. Worse however is the utterly boring Book Of Dreams, that I think is only anoying. The new song Book & A Cover is also pretty uninspiring. Finally I'm not content with the song arrangement. The stunning The Queen And The Soldier deserved to have closed the album - I love Rosemary, but it's not really an album closer. The Queen And The Soldier is about the ultimate album closer, so that's a bit frustrating. All that being said, this reopened my eyes to the fantastic Solitude Standing album (which I grew up with, since my parents loved it) and offered me a bunch of for me hither to unknown gems like '99. 9 F', 'Blood Makes Noise', 'Left Of Center', 'In Liverpool', 'World Before Columbus' and not least 'The Queen And The Soldier' - so I can only recommend it. Nice Collection Of Songs 9 F, etc. I'm not a huge Suzanne Vega fan but I do like the ferw singles of her's I've heard (Luka, Tom's Diner, 99. ) so this wasn't much of a dare. I do have to say that while not all of the songs on this CD are just like the ones I'd heard before it was definitely good to listen to. If you're as familiar with this artist as I was I doubt that you'll be disappointed by picking this up. I'm sure the die hard fans will love this collection and newcomers as well. There is very little here that goes off in a tangent. I recommend looking up some of these tracks on other albums to sample if you're on the fence about it. No cheap thrill! Her "Nine Objects of Desire" is one of my great all-time favorites, because of the poetry of the lyrics, and the very clever instrumentation. "Luka" isn't exactly one of my favorite songs, but Suzanne Vega is certainly one of my most favorite artists. It's the album that made me look for more work by this very unique and creative artist. And I found them here in "Best of Suzanne Vega: Tried and True". My favorite songs from "Nine Objects" are here, (the seductive bossa nova "Caramel" which I really really love, and "World Before Columbus") as well as some of her old songs which I began to hear with a new ear, like "Left of Center", and some new ones (to me, at least) like the thumping "Blood Makes Noise", "Small Blue Thing", "In Liverpool" and "99 degrees F". The writing of the songs is intelligent and consistently strong throughout. That the lyrics are set to wonderful music--each song a jewel in its unique setting--and interpreted by Vega's clear, silky vocals, are the attractions that make this album a must-have. Fine Music, Yet Not The Best Of..... The disc runs a little over an hour in length and the songs could have been featured without sacrificing others. As a Suzanne Vega fan, I can say that many of her best songs are missing in this otherwise fine, diversely ordered collection. My advice, especially to U. S. residents who only have access to this disc as an import (aka overpriced), I'd recommend purchasing at least three of her albums (they're about ten dollars a piece; I especially recommend "Nine Objects Of Desire") and end up spending a similar amount rather than this selective album, that nevertheless contains quality music from the classiest, most tender and consistent voice of adult pop for almost two decades now. Since this review was written, a new Suzanne Vega recompilation has been made available in the U. S. You can see a complete list of all Suzanne Vega discography, or go back to the Suzanne Vega tabs