Personnel: Suzanne Vega (vocals, acoustic guitar); Frank Christian (acoustic & electric slide guitars); Steve Addabbo (electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, background vocals); Jon Gordon (electric guitar); Shem Guibbory (violin); Darol Anger (electric violin); Maxine Neumann (cello); C.P. Roth (synthesizer); Paul Dugan, Frank Gravis (bass); Sue Evans (drums); John Mahoney (programming).
Recorded at Celestial Sound Studios, New York, New York between January and March, 1985.
Personnel: Suzanne Vega (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); Steve Abbaddo (guitar, 12-string guitar, background vocals); Steve Addabbo (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, Synclavier, background vocals); Frank Christian (acoustic guitar, slide guitar); John Gordon (electric guitar); Shem Guibbory (violin); Darol Anger (electric violin); Maxine Neuman (cello); John Mahoney (synthesizer, programming); Mark Isham, C.P. Roth (synthesizer); Sue Evans (drums, percussion); Roger Squitero (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Steve Addabbo.
Recording information: Carnegie Hill Studios, New York, NY (01/1985-03/1985); Celestial Sound Studios, New York, NY (01/1985-03/1985); Sorcerer Studios, New York, NY (01/1985-03/1985).
Photographers: Matthew Vega; Charles Reilly.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Frank Christian; Paul Dugan ; Steve Addabbo.
Arranger: Steven Miller .
Vega's debut album marked a turning point, both for singer-songwriters and for female artists. Inspired more by the dark, poetic visions of Leonard Cohen than the hippie goddessisms of Joni Mitchell, she brought to the public an awareness that acoustic guitar-based music could be arch, urbane and artful. She also proved that, in an exceptionally male-dominated era, women didn't have to be either wallflowers or sexpots to make their artistic statements.
Though she receives sympathetic backing from Jon Gordon, Michael Visceglia and others, Vega's guitar and voice are at the heart of the arrangements. It's that focus on the song that allows the stark, angular lyrics of "Small Blue Thing," "Straight Lines" and "Undertow" to make their unpretentious poetry heard. And it's Vega's unique, vibrato-less delivery (a combo platter of Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson) that gives perfect voice to these songs of urban rootlessness and spiritual ambiguity.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone - Ranked #80 in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Albums Of The 80s"
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