Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 18, 2014 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 36:40 | |||
Label | Amanuensis Productions | |||
Producer | Gerry Leonard | |||
Suzanne Vega chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 76/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
American Songwriter | [3] |
MusicOMH | [4] |
Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega.
Released in February 2014, it was Vega's first album of new material in seven years. The album features contributions from Larry Campbell and Tony Levin (bassist from King Crimson and Peter Gabriel). Although Vega's music had been sampled by various artists in the past, the album contains Vega's first own attempt at sampling with the track "Don't Uncork What You Can't Contain" which includes interpolations from 50 Cent's 2005 song "Candy Shop". [5]
The album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 37, the first time one of Vega's studio albums reached the UK Top 40 since 1992. It received generally favorable reviews. [6]
The album appeared under Vega's own label, Amanuensis Productions, and was distributed by Cooking Vinyl.
In 2014 the album was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, [7] which indicated sales of at least 20,000 copies throughout Europe. [8]
Over the past number of years, Vega had collected "recordings with melodies, lyrics, notes and pieces of ideas" for songs on her iPhone. Together with long-time collaborator Gerry Leonard she began to 'solidify these ideas' over the course of a year. After road-testing a number of these songs on tour, the duo began the recording of the new material. [9] Leonard gathered a number of musicians and began live-tracking at the Clubhouse Studios in upstate New York. Additional material was recorded at his home-studio, a converted railway station outside Rochester, New York. Leonard also oversaw the arrangement of the string section and the trumpet contribution made by Alison Balsom. [10] "Song of the Stoic" was a follow-up to Vega's 1987 hit single "Luka", and was written from the point of view of the character as he looked back on his life. [11]
All tracks are written by Suzanne Vega and Gerry Leonard except where noted [12] [13] .
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Crack in the Wall" (Vega) | 4:23 |
2. | "Fool's Complaint" (Vega) | 2:39 |
3. | "I Never Wear White" | 3:08 |
4. | "Portrait of the Knight of Wands" | 4:18 |
5. | "Don't Uncork What You Can't Contain" | 3:31 |
6. | "Jacob and the Angel" | 4:05 |
7. | "Silver Bridge" | 3:47 |
8. | "Song of the Stoic" | 4:05 |
9. | "Laying on of Hands/Stoic 2" | 3:52 |
10. | "Horizon (There Is a Road)" | 2:50 |
Total length: | 36:40 |
Technical personnel
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [14] | 66 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [15] | 19 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [16] | 51 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [17] | 47 |
French Albums (SNEP) [18] | 124 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [19] | 38 |
UK Albums (OCC) [20] | 37 |
US Billboard 200 [21] | 173 |
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [22] | 5 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [23] | 36 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [24] | 48 |
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American singer-songwriter best known for her folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans almost 40 years. She came to prominence in the mid-1980s, releasing four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s, including "Marlene on the Wall", "Left of Center", "Luka" and "No Cheap Thrill". "Tom's Diner", which was originally released as an a cappella recording on Vega's second studio album, Solitude Standing (1987), was remixed in 1990 as a dance track by English electronic duo DNA with Vega as featured artist, and it became a Top 10 hit in over five countries. The original a cappella recording of the song was used as a test during the creation of the MP3 format. The role of her song in the development of the MP3 compression prompted Vega to be given the title of "The Mother of the MP3".
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.
Are You Passionate? is the 24th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, his only album to feature Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and his eighth with Crazy Horse, released on April 9, 2002 as a double LP and as a single CD. It represents Young's foray into soul music, not sounding like anything he had previously released. Exceptions are rocker "Goin' Home", recorded with Crazy Horse, and the brooding "Let's Roll", a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The album ends with "She's a Healer", an extended jam.
"Luka" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, released as the second single from her second studio album, Solitude Standing (1987), in May 1987. It remains her highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, the song charted the highest in Sweden, peaking at No. 2, and reached the top 10 in Austria, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Shawn Colvin sings background vocals on the record.
Suzanne Vega is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, released on May 1, 1985, by A&M Records. It was well-received by music journalists in the U.S. and reached platinum status in the United Kingdom. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Steve Addabbo, the songs feature Vega's acoustic guitar in straightforward arrangements. A video was released for the album's song "Marlene on the Wall", which went into MTV and VH1's rotations.
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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.
99.9F° is the fourth album by American singer and songwriter Suzanne Vega. Released in 1992, the album marked a departure for Vega, as she embraced a more electronic, experimental sound. It peaked at No. 86 on Billboard magazine's album chart and was Vega's fourth Top 20 album in the U.K. The single "Blood Makes Noise" reached No.1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart.
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Watershed is the sixth and most recent solo studio album by k.d. lang and was released on February 5, 2008. It is her first collection of original material since 2000's Invincible Summer. In the US, it debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200, with approximately 41,000 copies sold. In Australia it debuted at #3 on the ARIA Albums Chart and in its ninth week moved to the #1 spot, up from the #38 position one week earlier. In the UK, it debuted and peaked at #35.
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