Scooter Chronicles

Suzanne Vega - “Nine Objects of Desire”

Tracks:

1. Birth-Day (Love Made Real)
2. Headshots
3. Caramel
4. Stockings
5. Casual Match
6. Thin Man
7. No Cheap Thrill
8. World Before Columbus
9. Lolita
10. Honeymoon Suite
11. Tombstone
12. My Favorite Plum

The wonderful world of MTV introduced me to this singer-songwriter, as it did many other millions of people. Who doesn’t remember “Luka” from the late 80’s? For those of you that grew up in the MTV generation that said “I don’t”, shame on you.

This became one of about 6 or 7 favorite albums of mine during the summer of 1997. It was in heavy rotation during my drives from Detroit to Brampton, Ontario. (Then my trips from Detroit to Louisville.) Though known for her folky sounding songs, this album has a lot of unique sounds that takes it away from that cliché. And though MTV introduced me to Vega, it was the old radio station 93.9 “The River” out of Windsor that introduced me to this album.

Some of the songs actually sound Beatlesque, but without over doing it, disguising it under her own sound. Those would include “Headshots”, “World Before Columbus”, and “Tombstone”. She also has some great stories or references to events or books. There is “Honeymoon Suite”, telling the story about spirits that visited her husband in the middle of the night while they were honeymooning in France. Also a reference to death in “Thin Man”. Then “Lolita”, which is almost as if a friend is telling the title character of Nabokov’s famous book (and later 2 movie versions) to come home and leave Humbert.

Some other highlights include the opening track. She presents some great dynamics, with a slower moving tune which cracks it up during the chorus, including some wailing organ ala the great 70’s rock bands (ELP and Deep Purple). Then there is the surprising “Stockings”, which is presented in a way that she is actually attracted to a female friend, but it is induced by alcohol (”Do you know where friendship ends and passion does begin? / When the gin and tonic makes the room begin to spin”).

There are no clunkers on the album, it’s all great stuff. Especially if you like the singer-songwriters types, like Shawn Colvin and Mary-Chapin Carpenter.