For yet another musical series in which I apply the personally biased Album Rank-O-Rama method to an artist’s albums, here’s an old favorite: Suzanne Vega. She just released a new disc called Beauty And Crime.

Suzanne Vega grew up in Manhattan and wrote poems as a child. She began performing with guitar in Greenwich Village while in college. Despite her outward appearance as a singer-songrwriter-guitarist in the vein of Bob Dylan or Joni Mitchell, Vega’s debut album from 1985 (titled Suzanne Vega) is not as “folky” as one may think - the songs are adorned with jazz-rock arrangements, most notably the addition of Fairlight synthesizer and tasteful electric guitar. The musicians backing Vega around this period were producer Steve Addabbo, guitarist Jon Gordon, and bassist Mike Visceglia. The songs also have lyrical wordiness that Vega has only recently recaptured, contemplating the themes of urban life, relationships, and introspective introversion.

Cracking

= 4 stars

The speaking verses are followed by choruses featuring nothing more than an “ah,” accompanied by penetrating guitar. Pleasant enough, but as the years have gone by I wish there was more “there” there.

Freeze Tag

= 5 stars

Strange chords with a meandering melody, shifting rhythm and some nostalgic lyrics referencing classic films stars Dietrich and Dean, Bogart and Bacall. I like how the melody is echoed by the guitar, round-style.

Marlene On The Wall

= 5 stars

Still one of my favorite Vega songs, with a changing tempo, steam-pipe keyboards, tasteful drums, metallic guitar, and a poster of film star Marlene Dietrich that may have seen too much, hinting at some personal paranoia. The wordy verses find release in the exquisite guitar solo at 1:29. This is first song on this disc with drums.

Small Blue Thing

= 3 stars

One might take this song literally to mean a shy girl watching a lover, but it could any seemingly insignificant concept in need of precious protection.

Straight Lines

= 3 stars

Neigborhood violence, as a woman learns to stand up for herself. The straight lines could be bars on a window, thorns of self-defense, or clarity of purpose with conviction.

Undertow

= 3 stars

Pretty melody, but Vega’s high sung note seems better realized in the simpler Cracking. She also seems unsure how hard to push her voice here - her breathy delivery I find more appealing.

Some Journey

= 3 stars

Not a fan of this relationship song, but there is a notable violin solo.

The Queen And The Soldier

= 4 stars

A long folk-song tale of a soldier wooing an icy queen, but she ends up beheading him. An abuse of power, or just an emperor that doesn’t like to be told about the lack of clothes?

Knight Moves

= 3 stars

A continuation of the previous story? The verse is rather ordinary but the chorus melody (do you love any, do you love none…) is quite nice.

Neighborhood Girls

= 2 stars

The whole band jumps in for a sort of country rock jamboree. The dense lyrics recall Dylan or Lou Reed as we revisit the urban neighborhood from Straight Lines.

Intra-Album Rank-O-Rama: 3.5

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