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"Solitude Standing"
Suzanne Vega
A&M Records
★ ★★★V2
There are few popular music
artists whose lyrics, without the
aid of music, can stand up to
serious scrutiny. John Lennon,
Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan,
Tom Waits and Leonard
Cohen are some who have
written lyrics that would be
worthy of study in a college-
level English course. To that list
add Suzanne Vega.
Vega is somewhat of an
anachronism — an acoustic
guitar-strumming folk singer —
in these days of of high-tech
rock. But her soft, pleasing
voice and brilliant, incisive
lyrics are so refreshing that you
are usually left wanting more.
Unlike most singer-
songwriters of the ’70s who
spent so much time writing
prententiously obscure lyrics
that they couldn’t come up
with anything more than a
boring drone of piano and
guitar for backup, Vega can
write music that is as engaging
and memorable as her lyrics.
Vega worked her way up
through Greenwich Village
coffee houses and folk clubs
during the late ’70s and early
’80s before she landed a
recording contract in 1985. Her
first album, “Suzanne Vega,”
sold well and won critical
acclaim. Last year her “Left of
Center, ” a song she wrote for
John Hughes’ film “Pretty in
Pink, ” and her duet with Pat
DiNizio on the Smithereens’
“In a Lonely Place,” both did
well on the charts.
“Solitude Standing” is a
collection of Vega’s songs that
date back to 1978. The album
suffers slighlty in that there is
no cohesive structure to the
music like there was on her
debut album. But most of the
songs are so powerful that they
are able to stand on their own.
The New York City streets
provide the inspiration for the
acappella “Tom’s Diner” and
“Ironbound/Fancy Poultry. ”
“Tom’s Diner (Reprise),” an
instrumental version of the first
tune, shows how well Vega’s
sidemen, guitarist Marc
Shulman, bassist Michael
Visceglia, keyboardist Anton
Sanko and drummer Stephen
Ferrera, can flesh out her
musical ideas.
Vega has a way of looking at
Best Bets
Howdy! Here it is, another week later. Time is
ticking away and you’re in need of some
serious fun. Best Bets is set up to provide you
with unique entertainment opportunities
which can be reached with little difficulty. If
your agency or group has a unique event
coming up, let us know by calling At Ease at
845-3312.
Saturday, June 27
Motorcycle Racing:The Central Road
Racing Club will thrill you with motorcycle
racing at the Texas World Speedway. Gates
open at 7 a.m. and the four hour endurance
race will begin at 11:30 a.m., rain or shine.
Admission is $7 for one day or $12 for
Saturday and Sunday.
Harvest Preparation: Messina Hof Wine
Cellars on Old Reliance Road offers this tour
of the winery this week. Admission is free, but
reservations must be made ahead of time.
The number is 778-WINE.
love affairs that rivals Elvis
Costello’s sense of cynicism. In
“In the Eye,” Vega tells her
lover that she will not play the
part of the submissive partner
and accept the breakup until
she makes sure he feels as
much pain as she does. In
“Calypso,” Vega lets another
lover go, not because she has
stopped loving him, but
because she wants him to
continue his life. “Solitude
Standing” has Vega facing
loneliness that has come
disguised as her other self.
“Gypsy,” like “Undertow”
from Vega’s first album,
describes a relationship in
which the woman will allow the
man to drop the traditional
sexual role in order that both
partners may benefit.
“Night Vision,” inspired by
Paul Eluard’s poem “Juan
Gris, ” is the best representation
of a still-life painting set to
music that I’ve ever heard.
“Language,” probably inspired
by William S. Burroughs,
shows the inadequacy of words
to fully express thoughts and
feelings.
The most overpowering
songs on “Solitude Standing”
are about children. “Luka” is
Sunday, June 28
Motorcycle Racing: Texas World
Speedway gates open at 7 a.m. and national
sprints begin at 11:30 a.m. Admission is $7.
The fourth of July is just around the comer
and plans for a great weekend should begin
now. If you’re going out of town, you might
want to make lodging reservations and think
about what you’re going to do for
entertainment. If you’re staying around town,
you might want to consider swimming at the
Bryan Aquatic Center from noon until 8 p.m.
Stay close for future information on
upcoming events.
One of the hottest stars in the country music
field will soon be in our midst. Gary Morris is
performing in Brenham, July 10, at the Silver
Wings Ballroom. The performance is from 8
p.m. to midnight and the Texas Unlimited
Band will also appear. If you’re interested,
you might want to buy tickets early. Advance
tickets are $10 and can be bought at all
Courts Western Wear Stores.
the story of child abuse as told
by the abused child. Vega’s
lyrics capture the confusion
and frustration that an abused
child feels while the upbeat
music seems to reflect some
type of childlike innocence.
“Wooden Horse (Caspar
Hauser’s Song)” is based on
the story of a 17-year-old
German boy found wandering
the streets of Nuremberg in the
19th century. Nothing was
known about the boy except
that he had been locked up in a
basement since he was an
infant. The song shows an
imagination that has grown
tremendously due to isolation.
“Solitude Standing” shows
two things about Suzanne
Vega. First of all it shows that
she has great talent as a singer
and a songwriter. Secondly it
shows that she has great
promise for the future.
At Ease Staff
Editor
Karen Kroesche
Assistants
Anne Dejoie
_ Melisa Hohlt
Reviewer
Karl Pallmeyer
Production
Alan Sembera
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