Solitude Standing

Last updated
Solitude Standing
Pongnan21-1-.jpg
Studio album by
Suzanne Vega
ReleasedApril 1, 1987 (1987-04-01)
RecordedSeptember 1986–January 1987
Studio
Genre
Length44:20
Label A&M
Producer
Suzanne Vega chronology
Suzanne Vega
(1985)		Solitude Standing
(1987)		 Days of Open Hand
(1990)
Singles from Solitude Standing
  1. "Gypsy"
    Released: April 1987
  2. "Luka"
    Released: May 21, 1987
  3. "Tom's Diner"
    Released: June 1987
  4. "Solitude Standing"
    Released: August 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Orlando Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Village Voice C+ [6]

Solitude Standing is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, released on April 1, 1987, by A&M Records. It is the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed album of Vega's, being certified Platinum in the US and reaching number 11 on the Billboard 200.

Contents

Overview

"Tom's Diner" was included twice on the album; the a cappella version was the first track, and the instrumental version was the last track. In 1990, a remixed version of the song featuring DNA reached number five in the US. The song was later used to test prototype MP3 compression software. [7] "Night Vision" was inspired by the poem "Juan Gris" by Paul Éluard. [8] "Calypso" is based on the Odyssey , namely the part in which Calypso is forced to let Odysseus go. [9] It is mentioned in the work All the Young Dudes (fan fiction) by MsKingBean89 in which Odysseus and Calypso's relationship mirrors Remus and Grant's. "Gypsy" is mentioned in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, in which the main character Charlie includes it on one of his mixtapes. Vega once stated she wrote "Gypsy" when she was only 18 years old (which would be 1977) which means the song was written 10 years before it was first released. [10]

25th anniversary

In 2012, to mark the 25th anniversary of the album's release, Vega played four celebratory concerts in which the album was performed in its entirety. The first was in Copley Square, Boston on July 28; the second and third were at City Winery in Hudson Square, New York City on October 9 (7pm and 10pm shows); and the fourth at London's Barbican Theatre on October 16.

A limited-edition two-CD set, titled Solitude Standing: Live at the Barbican , was produced by Concert Live and made available for purchase instantly after the final show, as well as online.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Tom's Diner" Suzanne Vega 2:09
2."Luka"Vega3:52
3."Ironbound/Fancy Poultry"
6:19
4."In the Eye"
  • Vega
  • Marc Shulman
4:16
5."Night Vision"
  • Vega
  • Sanko
2:47
Total length:19:23
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Solitude Standing"
  • Vega
  • Michael Visceglia
  • Sanko
  • Marc Shulman
  • Stephen Ferrera
4:49
2."Calypso"Vega4:14
3."Language"
  • Vega
  • Visceglia
3:57
4."Gypsy"Vega4:04
5."Wooden Horse (Caspar Hauser's Song)"
  • Vega
  • Visceglia
  • Sanko
  • Shulman
  • Ferrera
5:13
6."Tom's Diner (Reprise)"Vega2:40
Total length:24:57

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Solitude Standing
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [37] Gold25,000 [37]
Brazil—50,000 [38]
Canada (Music Canada) [39] Platinum100,000^
France (SNEP) [40] 2× Gold200,000*
Germany (BVMI) [41] Gold250,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [42] Gold10,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway) [43] Gold50,000 [43]
New Zealand (RMNZ) [44] Platinum15,000^
Singapore—12,000 [45]
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [46] Gold50,000^
Sweden (GLF) [47] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [48] Platinum300,000^
United States (RIAA) [49] Platinum1,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide—5,000,000 [50]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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References

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Bibliography

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