Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."In America, we feel a pressure to be cheerful," quips Suzanne Vega, a songwriter not renowned for her chirpy material. However here celebrating the 25th anniversary of her finest album, Solitude Standing,she appears relaxed and engaging.
The New Yorker amiably admits "some of her songs are more intense than others", and provides a host of droll anecdotes: Prince dancing to "Luka" in Minneapolis, her love of the 1930s surrealist Paul Éluard and how she fell for a young man in Liverpool because he loved Leonard Cohen. That same old boyfriend "is here tonight", she claims.
The pioneering folk-poet blazed a softly spoken trail for a legion of breathy, observational acoustic female singer-songwriters in the 1980s, most notably Tracey Chapman, Michelle Shocked and Edie Brickell.
The nimble lyricist specialised in the sort of “coffee shop” ditties that Phoebe “Smelly Cat” Buffay from Friends tried to perfect. Tracks such as “Gypsy” ("You come from far away/ With pictures in your eyes/ Of coffee shops and morning streets/ In the blue and silent sunrise”) and the outstanding “Tom’s Diner” (memorably re-worked by DNA in 1990), both from Solitude Standing, which the 53-year-old plays in its entirety tonight.
Vega’s output has been fairly consistent since her 1980s heyday – she released the accomplished records Songs in Red and Gray and Beauty& Crime in the Noughties – but she’s never repeated the huge success of 1985’s Suzanne Vega and Solitude Standing. Perhaps that’s why the musician has decided to re-record (it’s all the rage at the moment, with everyone from Bryan Ferry to Jeff Lynne doing it) her back catalogue on four themed albums: Love Songs, People and Places, State of Being and Songs of Family. It’s the equivalent of laboriously re-collecting all of your old childhood football stickers.
Nevertheless, Vega's voice has matured exquisitely, particularly on "Caramel" where she's redolent of Nina Simone, and her sultry country twang on "Calypso". It's just a shame there's the odd dirge, the occasional longueur, which is always a peril when an artist has to perform every song off an old album.
Tonight is ultimately redeemed by Vega's warm personality and three standout tracks, the evocative breakthrough hit "Marlene on the Wall", "Luka" and her "outsider" anthem, "Left of Centre", which she wrote for film Pretty in Pink. She confesses that "I wrote it about the lead character, but I'll tell you a secret it's my point of view".
That's very nice to hear and this groundbreaking singer, with a talent for a killer line ("You just don't argue anymore"), warrants the whoops and standing ovation she receives tonight.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments