Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega

"Luka" was the breakout hit that introduced Vega to radio listeners. A bit folk and a bit of sophisticated tailoring with words and production. A heartfelt story about a child coping with abuse.

"Tom's Diner" offers a slice of life depicting a morning at a diner having coffee and peoplewatching. Originally accapella this collection has the DNA hit remix.

"Marlene On The Wall" has a fast paced vocal delivery over strumming guitars making this a fan fave at concets.

"Caramel" from the album NINE OBJECTS OF DESIRE came to me as a complete surprise! A beautiufl soft vocal over samba jazz which will remind listeners of the early 60's movement of Brazillian jazz and lounge music. It sits comfortably with other Latin lounge hits like "Corcavado" and "Girl from Ipanema". This song is indeed.....a treat.

"99.9F", "Blood Makes Noise" and "Woman on the Tier" show off Vega as an extraordinary industrial music artist. The first is catchy, the second is brilliantly strange, and the third is a disturbing piece from the film DEAD MAN WALKING..

"Left of Center" has an urgent beat that will have you singing this hit from PRETTY IN PINK all day long!!

"(I'll Never Be Your) Maggie May" is a reaction to the song by Rod Stewart! Very interesting lyrics and a neat notion to answer someone else's song!

"Solitude Standing" and "The Queen and the Soldier" show off Vega's folk infuence in epic storytelling.

There are many other gems including "In Liverpool", "Small Blue Thing", and "Book of Dreams".

This is a fine collection for any devout Vega fan or the newcomer to intelligent songwriting. You will enjoy this great CD!


So much more than "Luka".   April 30, 2003
H3@+h (VT)
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

I can't believe that this Retrospective came out last week, and it isn't even in the top 1000 sellers. Too bad for all those people that don't realize how talented Suzanne Vega is. This is an amazing, and lengthy collection of her best songs from her first album to her last. Whether you're a fan of her folkier stuff, or her more upbeat songs like "Blood makes noise" and "99.9 farenheit degrees", this has got it all. Included of course is her breakthrough hit "Luka", and "Tom's Diner" featuring DNA. My current favorite is "(I'll never be) your Maggie May". It's Suzanne's take (not cover), on the Rod Stewart Song. So good. This also has her songs from the movies "Dead man walking" and "Pretty in Pink". I saw her live this week, and she put on a great show. She was very nice and down to earth. Of my past 10-20 cd purchases, I might just enjoy this one the most.


A great starter kit.   June 27, 2003
W. Andrews (Greater Los Angeles)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

For those that remember 'Luka' or Tom's Diner and always wanted a copy, but the thought of buying a whole album seemed a bit much, this is the ticket. If you heard 'Caramel' in The Truth about Cats and Dogs, here is a chance to hear more of that smooth voice. This is also a great chance for an old fan to catch up. Great gift CD, Best-of's are generally well received.
For the American fan, this is a great chance to hear the hidden jewel "Rosemary". Rosemary was recently voted as a top pick by her fans. Rosemary is perhaps the best combination of her lyric writing talent, music writing and performance, and vocal work. This would be money well spent.


Bullseye   January 2, 2004
Craobh Rua (N. Ireland)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

It seems that Suzanne Vega has always been bubbling away in the background - though, for a long time, I quietly wondered what all the fuss was about. When she first broke through with "Marlene on the Wall", all the cool kids at school seemed to really like her. I also remember the really cool fans discussing what was really going on in "The Queen and the Soldier" (and, generally, just how nasty the Queen was). "Luka", released a couple of years later, proved much more popular - and this time, with a much wider crowd. A year or two later, a holiday in France saw "Small Blue Thing" become so associated with a certain girl that, even now, I can't think of one without thinking of the other. After that, the DNA remix of "Tom's Diner" hit the charts just as I was discovering the joys of Guinness. When "No Cheap Thrill" was released, the radio only seemed to play it on Friday evenings as I was driving home from the worst job in the world. Even now, it brings a smile to my face.

I'm not sure if my musical tastes have changed as I've grown older or if it's nostalgia having some sort of effect. Whatever it is, the indifference I once had is now gone. I was about to start picking up her back-catalogue, when I discovered she'd released this Greatest Hits album - just the perfect time for me. All the songs I mentioned above make their appearances, and would form the main highlights for me. (In fact, "Tom's Diner" manages it twice, as both the original version and the DNA remix are included).

The version I have comes with a 'bonus' CD. With 21 tracks on the 'main' CD and a further 8 on the bonus CD, you certainly get your money's worth with this album. It also means that - given this is the first album by Suzanne I've bought - there's a lot of material I'm not familiar with. It's also interesting to hear the different styles she's produced - something I certainly didn't expect. There's a big difference, for example, between "Solitude Standing" (a folk-based song, the style I would most have associated Vega with) and "Blood Makes Noise" (taken from "99.9F" - which won a New York Music Award as Best Rock Album of 1992). Of the songs I hadn't heard before, "Blood Makes Noise" (with its industrial influences) would be one of those I prefer.

Six of the tracks on the bonus CD were taken from a concert, recorded in May 2003. Only one of these tracks, "Widow's Walk" doesn't feature on the main CD - and, of all the songs I hadn't heard before, is the one I like best. It also features two versions of "In Liverpool" (a spoken word version and a song) in addition to the version on the main CD. This would probably be the only criticism I have - three versions of essentially the same thing is a bit much. It also features a new song, called "Anniversary", which is more of the traditional Vega song - an acoustic number, no whistles and bells, with Suzanne singing.

All in all, an excellent package - of all the "Best Of" albums in my CD rack, this is the one I'd rate highest. While this may have been the first album by Suzanne Vega I've bought, it certainly won't be the last.


An Introspective RETROSPECTIVE!   July 23, 2005
Lees (India)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

"Haven't you ever heard Suzanne Vega before?" my friend asked me about 2 years back. And when I replied in the negative, he hummed the tune of 'Tom's Diner' to me and I was like, "That sounds familiar..." He lent me his copy of 'Retrospective' and today it's one of my favorite albums!

See, when I like particular albums or music, especially if it's a female artist, it's usually because their lyrics, their beliefs as expressed in their music, their philosophies and so on, appeal to me in some way. That's the reason I've long liked arists like Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Enya, Dido...to mention a few among the female artists I like... With Suzanne Vega it was and still is a bit different because I don't actually understand her songs to be very honest... Perhaps I'm not old or mature enough to understand them but still I've enjoyed listening to this album SO much, I listen to it over and over again! I just like her music - every song is different and has a new thought to offer... I like that her songs are at times pensive (Small Blue Thing), wistful (I'll never be your Maggie May, Caramel), whimsical (Gypsy..), nostalgic (Rosemary), some are plain eccentric (Blood Makes Noise) and then there are the "everyday" songs like 'Tom's Diner' or 'In Liverpool'. I find almost all her songs wonderfully reflective. I love 'Penitent' for its music, 'Solitude Standing' for her personifictaion of Solitude as a woman who's been through so much in life.. 'Tom's Diner', besides it's great catchy tune, captures a regular experience so simply and vividly! 'Calypso' reminds me of Dido's 'My Lover's Gone' - both have kind of a similar mythological strain to them that I like a lot. There's 'Rosemary' which is nostalgic enough to give one goose bumps and 'Gypsy' which is so enchantingly dreamy...such an unabashedly comfort-seeking little ode! And then there's 'Luka' of course which is so hummable and also subtly moving...

Suzanne Vega is a difficult artist to understand. She's certainly a gifted, original artist with a very good voice. I hope that gradually as I keep listening to this album I'll realise things that I hadn't realised before...and new insights into her music will keep coming... I give this album a thumbs up! Great music, great reflections and a refershing alternative to some of the other music currently around...