Suzanne Vega - Close-Up, Vol. 1-Love Songs

  by Spencer Robertshaw

published: 24 / 6 / 2010

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Review

When I first heard about this release, I smiled long and hard. Suzanne Vega's name and memories of her music took me back to a time and place, a long hot summer and a girl of similar description. They were good times. This album is kind of Suzanne Vega Unplugged with stripped down versions of her songs. Her voice is as beautiful and unforgettable voice as always. Add to that her perfect acoustic guitar work and you have a brilliant album which is a must for anyone who has liked any of her work or even the odd song. This is the first of four albums based on themes. The other three releases will come out over the next two years and if this is the yardstick then I would suggest you get your pre-orders in for the rest now. Whether you want to sit back and let the album take you on a journey or compare these ‘Unplugged’ versions to the originals, you will be taken with Vega to her private and, as she describes it, "Close-up" world. On some of the tracks there is a also a minimalist accompaniment which is quite haunting, adding to the almost hypnotic nature of Vega’s trademark product. ‘Small Blue Thing’ has Vega’s voice perfectly set in the mix and has razor sharp production values. It is haunting and memorable. ‘Caramel’ which in its original version is a bossa nova style track has been stripped down into becoming a ‘lounge’ classic. It would fit in perfectly with any laidback stroll on a beach. ‘Marlene on the Wall’ is possibly better then the original with Vega’s voice more prominent in the mix. ‘Some Journey’ is lyrically captivating and could be used to draw many a dreamscape. ‘Gypsy’ is worded perfectly, but yet is open enough so that it could have many meanings. There are twelve songs on the album and each is a testament to Suzanne Vega’s talent. I can’t choose a favourite. I tried then gave up. The whole album is brilliant if you like that sort of thing...you know the sort of thing that sells 7 million albums and has received seven Grammy nominations, that kind of thing…..

Track Listing:-

1 Small Blue Thing
2 Caramel
3 (If You Were) In My Movie
4 Gypsy
5 Marlene on the Wall
6 (I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May
7 Harbor Song
8 Headshots
9 Songs in Red and Gray
10 Stockings
11 Some Journey
12 Bound
13 99.9f
14 It Makes Me Wonder
15 Freeze Tag
16 Knight Moves

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