I Think it's Called My Destiny That I am Changing
5 Out Of 5 Stars
Like Tracy Chapman who followed her, Suzanne Vega's debut was a realignment in the folk-mainstream. While it did not have the immediate impact that Chapman's debut or Vega's own "Solitude Standing" did, Vega's debut set a standard soon to be followed by everyone from Sara Hickman, 10,000 maniacs to fellow NYC friend Shawn Colvin. It has antecedents in the likes of Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and (by her own admission) Lou Reed, using poetic metaphor to describe the emotional distancing and distraction of modern love in New York City.
Kindred spirit Lenny Kaye produced this album with an ear towards spare sound and open passages, often with little more than Vega's guitar and slight synthesizers for backing. His time with The Patti Smith Group obviously gave him understanding for literate writers, as he keeps Vega's voice dry and clear, even rough and edgy. The artist who watches her own succession of lovers in "Marlene On The Wall" keeps her distance from them while transferring her thoughts to the movie star poster hanging in the bedroom. The nearly spoken word of "Cracking" and the more rambunctious closer, "Neighborhood Girl," are near perfect descriptions of the transient and fluid nature of the city; her debut is her most NYC-centric CD aside from "Beauty and Crime."
Vega also keeps to the traditions of folk with another highlight, "The Queen and The Soldier." Placing a political message into a medieval context, the song could be about anything from the Knights of Camelot to any current useless war conflict. Or even about the hopelessness of the refusal of unrequited love. It is this kind of mix of songs and meanings, like on great tracks like "Small Blue Thing" or "Some Journey" that made this such a stunning debut. Vega polished up her singing after this and became a stunning success, but her debut remains a marvel of modern folk music.
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