99.9 F°

Yesterday we talked about how fickle the finger of popularity can be. There are a thousand stories like this in the ruthless world of music - and we' ...

99.9 F°
99.9 F°
Suzanne Vega
A & M Records, 1992
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/12/1997
Yesterday we talked about how fickle the finger of popularitycan be. There are a thousand stories like this in the ruthlessworld of music - and we're going to look at another one today, thatof Suzanne Vega.
Had it not been for the runaway success of "Luka" from hersecond album Solitude Standing, Vega may have been relegated to the folkworld permanently. However, her ability to tell a story of childabuse from the eyes of a child captivated top 40 radio and made thealbum a surprise success. Unfortunately, her followup Days Of Open Hand left many people unimpressed, and somewondered if Vega was a one-hit wonder.
The scene shifts to 1992, and Vega's return to the public withher fourth effort 99.9 F°, an album that had folkies running for coverwith the industrial beats of the lead-off single "Blood MakesNoise." I don't remember how well the album sold, but I don't thinkit did as well as Vega or her record label would have wanted. Pity- it's a stark picture of beauty, and is easily Vega's bestwork.
"Blood Makes Noise" should have been a scream for help. Notknowing any private details of Vega's life, one could immediatelyrush to the judgment that the song tells the tale of a victim ofsome kind of abuse. Our hero is clming to grips - albeit slowly -with the horror that has been inflicted on them, but they are notmentally ready to talk about it. One lyric says it best: "I thinkthat you might want to know / The details and the facts / Butthere's something in my blood / Denies the memory of the acts."Ka-pow.

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