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Songs in Red and Gray

Suzanne Vega - Songs in Red and Gray Audio CD

A fair review of the Suzanne Vega "Songs in Red and Gray" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Suzanne Vega reviews here, or go back to the Suzanne Vega tabs.

Band: Suzanne Vega
Title: Songs in Red and Gray
Rating:

Release Date: 2001-09-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Penitent 2: Widow's Walk 3: (I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May 4: It Makes Me Wonder 5: Soap And Water 6: Songs In Red And Gray 7: Last Year's Troubles 8: Priscilla 9: If I Were A Weapon 10: Harbor Song 11: Machine Ballerina 12: Solitaire 13: St. Clare

A wayward listener happily returns
But her later work remained unknown to me. I'd lost track of Suzanne Vega after her first few albums, although I'd still occasionally dip into those albums every so often. Well, thanks to a thoughtful friend who gave me this CD, I now know what I was missing -- and it's clearly been my loss.

From the first listen, every song caught hold of me & held on tight. I kept waiting for a drab, so-so filler track, but there wasn't a single one to be heard. I don't think her seemingly effortless command of music & lyric has ever been stronger than on this collection. It definitely reaffirms her status as a gifted, insightful songwriter . . . one who deserves more attention than she's gotten in recent years. I'm only too happy to rediscover her considerable talent -- most highly recommended!.

More colorful than Red and Grey!
The words are powerful. This is the first time that I have really listened in depth to Suzanne Vega's songs. The music and the musicians are superb. Every time I listen to her sing I fall under her spell. This Album is a must for all SV fans.

After "99.9" and "Nine Objects," a serious comedown
9" had a crisp intelligence and a skeptical tone, "Nine Objects" was a masteripiece of jazzy sensuality. "99. This CD, however, is hopelessly muddled on too many levels; though many of the orchestrations are fine (the low, urgent strings on "Widow's Walk" perfectly compliment her gun metal-tough delivery), the lyrics often get lost in a thicket of overwriting. (Slog through the words for "It Makes Me Wonder" where she rhymes a reference to breast milk with "ilk"--it makes me wonder too, Suzanne. ) Though some have appreciated her use of metaphor on this CD, I found them to be both absurdly purple and cryptic. ("Daddy's a dark riddle/Mama's a headful of bees" sounds like bad college-girl creative writing, not to mention the thudding metaphor of "The virgin Mary on a chain has hit me in the mouth again. " Egad!) Vega has never seemed as affected or pretentious--so out of touch with her audience--as she has in the ghastly "Priscilla," with lines such as "but still we did play" that wouldn't even qualify as college-girl creative writing. (This annoying tense tic reappears in "Harbor Song" where she sings "Whenever I do travel. ") She also tries to revisit certain songs and themes from previous albums, but instead of being commentary or deepening a theme it seems like she's rehashing ideas (the card game on "Solitaire" pales compared to "No Cheap Thrill" from "Nine Objects;" "If I Were A Weapon" rips off "If You Were In My Movie" from "99. 9"). As an artist writing about the dissolution of a marriage, one expects more thematic richness and genuine emotion from her than just sounding vaguely nettled---for the first time, her coolness seems like a front, a pose to cover darker emotions. Only occasionally do the lyrics, vocals and instruments combine into alchemy--"Widow's Walk," the weary delivery and razor-sharp detail in "Song In Red and Gray," and the compassionate yet sorrowful final elegy "St. Clare. " Has Vega given up on all romantic relationships? Has her dark mood weighed down her talent, and trapped it in the muck at the bottom of her mind? Here's hoping she can cut loose the chains and soar again in the future.

Great Songs and Lyrics!
The theme of breaking-up is naturally dominating many these songs. This was Vega's first album after her divorce from her husband and producer on her two previous albums, Mitchell Froom.

The production of this album is slightly softer than ""99. 9 F" and "Nine Objects of Desire", and probably less daring. The record has been criticised for being overproduced; personaly I think her production suits her songs brilliantly. And songs are mostly great and like always, Suzanne Vega's lyrics are melodic and thought-provoking.

Only few songs are immediately catchy and it may take a few listens to get into many of them.

My first favourites were the up-beat songs "I'll Never Be Your Maggie May". "Last Year's Troubles" (great lyrics on that one too!) and "If I Were a Weapon".

Among the slower and more silent songs "Soap and Water" and "St Claire" are really great.

All in all an album you can enjoy and listen to many times!

Now I'm eagerly awaiting her new album which supposedly is to be released in late 2005.

A Beautiful Mind
She shares her experiences and observations on life, but never resorts to overtly shouting about anything; neither musically nor lyrically. Suzanne Vega is such a unique voice in music. This seems to bother some, such as the Amazon reviewer, but I simply find this as a different approach to reporting or viewing life. Suzanne tells her stories with an ethereal sense of control, by a force of will minimizing emotions such as anger and regret; they argue a balanced understanding of life where beauty resides in the ability to deal with life's ups-and-downs with love, hope and a wry sense of humor.

As for the various comments about the production values of Red and Grey, I have no problems listening to the songs on good equipment; the sounds, like the lyrics, are largely well thought out and clearly intentioned. Much popular music relies on the artistic (and often times non-artistic) collisions of many sounds together; it's neither good nor bad that there is not much of that here. . . It's more like a stream of sounds all headed in the same direction versus a collage of sounds that blend together.

Not a perfect album by any stretch, but it has many perfect human moments; realistic, slightly sad, personal songs that flow gracefully over turbulent ground.

You can see a complete list of all Suzanne Vega discography, or go back to the Suzanne Vega tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.