Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega

Last updated
Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega - Retrospective.png
Greatest hits album by
Released2003
Genre
Length77:50
Label A&M
Suzanne Vega chronology
Songs in Red and Gray
(2001)
Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega
(2003)
Beauty & Crime
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega is a greatest hits album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega, released in 2003. [2] This album is an updated version of her previous greatest hits album Tried & True: The Best of Suzanne Vega , with a few more songs ("Tired of Sleeping", "Calypso", "Solitude Standing", "(I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May", and "Woman on the Tier (I'll See You Through)") but without "Book & a Cover". [1] Bonus CD from UK release includes live performance with another not published earlier song, "Anniversary". [3]

Contents

Reception

John Murphy from MusicOMH considered the album to have a "much more representative track listing" than Tried & True and had a positive view on it, writing: "With material this good it's hard to level any criticisms at Retrospective." The only problems he saw were "pretentious sleeve notes" not written by Vega herself and "the lack of a chronological order", but for him these were just "minor quibbles". [3]

Gregory McIntosh from AllMusic thought that "the overall collection feels a little bit more hearty with a total of 21 tracks instead of 17" compared to Tried & True and gave it a 4.5/5 stars. [1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Suzanne Vega, except where specified.

No.TitleWriter(s)Original releaseLength
1."Luka"  Solitude Standing , 19873:52
2."Tom's Diner" (DNA remix) non-album single, 19903:49
3."Marlene on the Wall"  Suzanne Vega , 19853:41
4."Caramel"  Nine Objects of Desire , 19962:54
5."99.9F°"  99.9F° , 19923:15
6."Tired of Sleeping"  Days of Open Hand , 19904:25
7."Small Blue Thing" Suzanne Vega3:56
8."Blood Makes Noise" 99.9F°2:29
9."Left of Center"Vega, Steve Addabbo Pretty in Pink , 19863:30
10."(I'll Never Be) Your Maggie May"  Songs in Red and Gray , 20013:48
11."In Liverpool" 99.9F°4:44
12."Gypsy" Solitude Standing4:03
13."Book of Dreams"Vega, Anton Sanko Days of Open Hand3:24
14."No Cheap Thrill" Nine Objects of Desire3:10
15."Calypso" Solitude Standing4:13
16."World Before Columbus" Nine Objects of Desire3:27
17."Solitude Standing"Vega, Sanko, Michael Visceglia, Marc Shulman, Stephen FerreraSolitude Standing4:39
18."Penitent" Songs in Red and Gray4:18
19."Rosemary (Remember Me)"  Tried & True: The Best of Suzanne Vega , 19982:44
20."The Queen and the Soldier" (live, July 26, 1991, Nyon, Switzerland) previously unreleased5:02
21."Woman On the Tier (I'll See You Through)"  Dead Man Walking, 19962:27
Total length:77:50

Charts

Chart performance for Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega
Chart (2003)Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [4] 27

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [5] Gold100,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Vega</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1959)

Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American singer-songwriter of folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. In the mid-1980s and 1990s she released four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the UK, "Marlene on the Wall", "Left of Center", "Luka" and "No Cheap Thrill".

The Rembrandts are an American alternative rock duo, formed by Danny Wilde and Phil Solem in 1989. They had previously worked together as members of Great Buildings in 1981. The Rembrandts are best known for the song "I'll Be There for You", which was used as the main theme song for the NBC sitcom Friends.

<i>Greatest Hits: My Prerogative</i> 2004 greatest hits album by Britney Spears

Greatest Hits: My Prerogative is the first greatest hits album by American singer Britney Spears. It was released on November 3, 2004, by Jive Records.

<i>Electric Warrior</i> 1971 studio album by T. Rex

Electric Warrior is the second studio album by English rock band T. Rex, their sixth since their debut as Tyrannosaurus Rex. The album marked a turning point in the band's sound, moving away from the folk-oriented sound of the group's previous albums and pioneering a more flamboyant, pop-friendly glam rock style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom's Diner</span> 1987 single by Suzanne Vega

"Tom's Diner" is a song by American singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega. Written on November 18, 1981, it was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine. Originally featured on her second studio album, Solitude Standing (1987), it was released as a single in Europe only in 1987 following the success of her single "Luka". It was later used as the basis for a remix by the British group DNA in 1990, which reached No. 1 in Austria, Germany, Greece and Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All These Things That I've Done</span> 2004 single by the Killers

"All These Things That I've Done" is a song by American rock band the Killers. The song was released as the third single from the band's debut studio album, Hot Fuss (2004), on August 30, 2004. It was written by frontman Brandon Flowers and features gospel choir The Sweet Inspirations. The song is about television host Matt Pinfield, and his work with the U.S. Army, as part of a program that mentored wounded/PTSD-stricken soldiers returning from Iraq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Me Up (Girls Aloud song)</span> 2005 single by Girls Aloud

"Wake Me Up" is a song recorded by British girl group Girls Aloud from their second studio album, What Will the Neighbours Say? (2004). It was released by Polydor Records on 21 February 2005, as the fourth and final single from the album. The song had been initially considered as the lead single, however, it was deemed to sound too harsh and the record company did not want to take the risk. The track was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Shawn Lee, Lisa Cowling, Paul Woods and Yusra Maru'e. "Wake Me Up" is a pop rock song composed of a "garage rock guitar riff". It received mixed reviews from music critics. While some described it as predictable, others wrote that it appeared to be an attempt to recapture the sound of some of their previous release. Alex Kapranos, the lead singer of indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, said "Wake Me Up" inspired the band to work with producer Brian Higgins.

<i>Reflections (A Retrospective)</i> 2006 greatest hits album by Mary J. Blige

Reflections (A Retrospective) is the first greatest hits album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, released in Europe on December 1, 2006, and in the United States on December 12 by Geffen Records. The album hasn't been certified by the RIAA but has sold 900,000 (according to the December 2009 Billboard magazine issue) copies in the United States. The album has also sold an estimated 140,000 in the United Kingdom despite only reaching a peak of number forty—this was due to consistent sales of 40k+ over the Christmas weeks. As of May 25, 2008 worldwide sales are 1,381,376.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Stand by You</span> 1994 single by the Pretenders

"I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, Last of the Independents (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and produced by Ian Stanley. The song is a ballad in which the singer pledges love and faithful assistance to a loved one in times of personal darkness.

<i>Days of Open Hand</i> 1990 studio album by Suzanne Vega

Days of Open Hand is the third studio album by Suzanne Vega. It was released on April 10, 1990, through A&M Records. The album was the follow-up to the successful Solitude Standing (1987). It was produced by Vega and Anton Sanko, who also co-wrote six of the album's eleven tracks. Recording took place across multiple studios throughout New York from late 1989 to early 1990.

<i>Beauty & Crime</i> 2007 studio album by Suzanne Vega

Beauty & Crime is the seventh studio album by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It is her first album of new material since 2001's Songs in Red and Gray and her first for Blue Note Records. It was released on July 17, 2007. Beauty & Crime won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, on February 11, 2008. It was dedicated to Tim Vega, Suzanne's younger half-brother who had died in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Speak French</span> 2008 single by Girls Aloud

"Can't Speak French" is a song performed by British all-female pop group Girls Aloud, taken from their fourth studio album and serving as the third and final single from the album Tangled Up (2007). The song was written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania, and produced by Higgins and Xenomania. Described as "a swirling, slower cut with great jazzy guitar changes," Higgins said it was "the easiest Girls Aloud single they made." Upon its release in March 2008, "Can't Speak French" charted within the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, continuing their five-year streak of top ten hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Try</span> 1996 single by Alan Jackson

"I'll Try" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in January 1996 as the second single from his 1995 compilation album The Greatest Hits Collection. Like "Tall, Tall Trees", it was a number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks. It also reached number 5 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.

<i>Shake You Down</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Gregory Abbott

Shake You Down is the debut album from R&B singer-songwriter Gregory Abbott. It was self-written and produced, being released by Columbia Records in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marlene on the Wall</span> Single by Suzanne Vega

"Marlene on the Wall" is a song by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. In addition to being her debut single, it appears on her self-titled debut album, released in 1985.

<i>Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles</i> 2014 studio album by Suzanne Vega

Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Vega discography</span>

The discography of American singer Suzanne Vega consists of nine studio albums, four acoustic albums, two greatest hits albums, one box set, seven live albums, one extended play, and 23 singles.

<i>Tried & True: The Best of Suzanne Vega</i> 1998 greatest hits album by Suzanne Vega

Tried & True: The Best of Suzanne Vega is a greatest hits album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega. The album was first released on September 28, 1998 and includes two songs that were not available on her earlier studio albums. Her next compilation album is very similar to this album, and includes several more tracks, but lacks "Book & a Cover".

"Do You Wanna Come Over?" is a song recorded by American singer Britney Spears for her ninth studio album, Glory (2016). It was written by Mattias Larsson, Robin Fredriksson, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and Sandy Chila, and produced by Mattman & Robin. The song was released as the third promotional single from the album on August 18, 2016, as an instant grat track for those who pre-ordered the album and for streaming. "Do You Wanna Come Over?" is a dance-pop and electropop song, with subtle keyboards, a strummed guitar and wobbly bass in its instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book & a Cover</span> 1998 song by Suzanne Vega

"Book & a Cover" is a song by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, which was released in 1998 as a single from her compilation album Tried & True: The Best of Suzanne Vega. The song was written by Vega, and produced by Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McIntosh, Gregory. "Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega". AllMusic. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  2. "Suzanne Vega – Retrospective: The Best Of Suzanne Vega". Discogs. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Murphy, John (July 7, 2003). "Suzanne Vega – Retrospective". MusicOMH. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  4. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  5. "British album certifications – Suzanne Vega – Retrospective: The Best of Suzanne Vega". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 5, 2019.