Back when I was about 15, a famous reworking of 'Tom's Diner' reached number 1 in the UK charts. That was my introduction to Suzanne Vega. The song was catchy and fun, and yeah, I liked it, but it was not until I heard 'Marlene on the Wall' on a late night radio show a year or so later, that my interest in her music began in earnest.
The song seemed to fit the nocturnal ambience of that otherwise quotidian Sunday evening as I sat all alone in my room doing my homework. It was there, in this context, that I truly heard Vega for the first time and fell in love with the silken, husky tones of her voice, captivating songcraft and the compelling tales her lyrics weaved. In spite of that, it would be a few more years (and after hearing a few more songs here and there) before I even thought about picking up any of her albums, but when I finally did, this was the first. It had to be.
On hearing this album for the first time, it felt like finally meeting someone who'd long anticipated my arrival. The music spoke to me and what it said was simply this: "I've been waiting for you all this time... what took you so long?".
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