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Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 09:22:31 -0500
From: Jeremy513@aol.com
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
Subject: in defense of 99.9
Hmm well it seems no one else has roused themselves to defend it but me I think 99.9F *far* surpasses the status of noble-but-flawed/failed experiment. I think it is thoroughly wonderful, I listen to it probably more than any of her other records at this point, and this is coming from a fan who's been with her since 1985, and who ranks the first album among his all-time favorites by anyone.
I guess it's that there are certain artists with whom I am willing to go wherever they take me. It's not-- quite-- unbridled, uncritical adoration, I don't think. It's more that I have over the course of ten years felt such admiration of and attraction to SV's music that I deal w/ her as an artist of utmost talent, conviction, and inspiration. If 99.9F was what she felt compelled to put out, I don't listen to it w/ the idea of 'well, gee, I don't really like industrial-sounding music,' I listen to it as a SV record. If it doesn't grab me right away (and, actually, it did), I listen to it again, and again. Sometimes it takes time.
Now, this is just my opinion, and everyone is free to feel differently. Likewise is this my opinion: I do not think it prudent to sit and wait for an artist either to 'return' to something she's done before, or to completely abandon something produced w/ genuine inspiration. She may well move on from the precise sound of 99.9F, but if she does it won't be because she's leaving it behind as a botched 'experiment.'
Jeremy
To: Undertow
Jeremy wrote:
>Hmm well it seems no one else has roused themselves to defend it but me I
Agreed! Though I must say 99.9F is my favourite album of ALL time. I was
an avid Vega fan till 'Days'... I'm afraid I found that album too wishy
washy - it doesn't really seem to have an edge to it ... ( I realise my
opinion is 99 percent subjective - please forgive me all you 'Days'
supporters!) Its a 'nice' album; its pleasant sounding too; its something
that you catch yourself humming even if its not your fave album.... But at
the end of the day I find it doesn't really grab or move me.
I actually didn't bother to get 99.9 because I was so disappointed with
'Days'. When I saw Suzanne in concert I soon realised my mistake! She
was, of course, outstanding.
Now I know it is suppose to be "industrial folk" but actually I find the
album very moving; I think it is the intriguing subject matter ("As girls
go"; "Blood makes noise")... and I love the melancholia of "Song of Sand"
and "Private goes public" (reminiscent of another fave "Wooden Horse")...
and above all (my fave song of all time) "In Liverpool" - the images in
that song haunt me so much!! Can anyone enlighten me as to the story
behind that one?? I think I read somewhere it was something to with
someone getting over a soured affair - that sort of spoiled it for me cos I
always thought it was about a suicidal street kid!!
Anyway, hope to hear someones thoughts!!
Ivar!
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
Jeremy513@aol.com wrote:
Maybe you will be surprised but i'm glad to hear that there are defenders for 99.9F.
It would be terrible if we'd all share the same taste of music. But as you were to
see there are many of us who were not that enthusiastic about this Album.
> I guess it's that there are certain artists with whom I am willing to go
Then it was a love at second sight? This things happen, i know. The first time i
was listening to Pink Floyd i thought "uh... Oh... thats awfull!!" but now i
really love them.
> Now, this is just my opinion, and everyone is free to feel differently.
If i'm right about Suzanne then she will do as she please.She won't care too much
about what we want her to do. She has always gone her own steps and this is part of what
we all love her for!
EricS10332@aol.com wrote:
>As for Germans on the list - I know there are at least a few, but on the
>Welcome to the list, Manfred!
Yes i actually came to the List via the website. I thank you for your warm
welcome and the many time you spend to provide us all with new info!
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 1996 11:58:47 +0000
I believe that 99.9f is without doubt the best of SV's albums. I always
apreciate people bending and streching preconceived ideas of what each
individual genre of music should sound like. It is always refreshing to see
someone like SV, associated with a particular genre, experimenting while
still keeping her roots. Tracks such as Private goes public and song of
sand harking back to the days of her debut album, haunting vocals
acompanied by the acoustic guitar we have come to know and love. While
Tracks such as 99.9f and Blood makes noise her music, and many others
besides, into a new era.
99.9 has everything. You get to hear SV as we have in the past while seeing
her music progress into something new. Many artists get bogged down into
reproducing the same tracks over and over, while others progress to far and
leave their fan base wishing for the old style. 99.9 has got it right.
Stef
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 96 17:23:49 CST
Hello, everyone,
I'm noticing a nice 'international' flavor to this discussion - i.e. comments
coming in from several countries - this is what we need!
Stef wrote:
Well, as I've said before, I can't really pick a 'best' - I love them all!
>someone like SV, associated with a particular genre, experimenting while
Agreed. It's encouraging to hear new styles, new ways of presenting the
songs. However, it's *dis*couraging to hear reviewers try to slap labels
on 99.9F (and Suzanne also) - i.e. the 'industrial folk' thing - as they did
10 yrs ago with the 'waifish' image. They feel the need to categorize, I
suppose - something to give clueless people a convenient phrase to use! :-)
>99.9 has everything. You get to hear SV as we have in the past while seeing
Yes, that's what I was thinking when I first heard 'In Liverpool' - a return
to her previous styles. Then, of course, when I heard the entire album I
was (pleasantly) surprised. I agree that 99.9F has it right, and I'm sure
I'll be pleasantly surprised again when the new album comes out.
-Rob
----------------------------------
From: M.Litim@acoustics.salford.ac.uk
Blurp everyone !
Just a very short contribution to the 99.9 F debate...
I've got the feeling that many people on this list focus almost
exclusively on the two 'extremes' of this album, that is : the
'industrial' side, with Blood makes noise etc..., and the 'folk' aspect
(blood sings, Private goes public, etc...); so of course the resulting
designation for the whole album is 'naturally' : 'Industrial Folk',
although many are very happy to notice some traces of 'Classic Suzanne
Vega Style'...
I think all this has the effect to limits the album (in the opinions
of the listeners) to a few particular styles, much more than the songs
themselves do it.
And what about songs like 'As Girls Go' ? Is it industrial, folk,
grunge, 'New Orleans'...?! (My intention is not to debate on this
particular song; it is just an example)
My feeling is that even when, on this album, SV is said to do some folk
(blood Sings), it sounds hardly folk to me; and when she is supposed to
sound industrial (Blood Makes Noise), I can notice very few (!) traces
of it (for example, if someone on this list, pleased by the BMN sound,
goes to a record shop and buys a whole collection of Einstuerzende
Neubauen, he/she is very likely to be deceived...).
I think that what Suzanne has done with this album (like with the
previous ones), is to take only the best of different musics she has
been playing or listening to for years, and to give them her own
interpretation, in order to create simply Suzanne Vega songs.
So to conclude, I think that this album is a genuine Suzanne Vega
album (and not simply an experiment that she should either forget or
take further), because in every single song (no matter how it
sounds) I can find the sensibility and the feelings which are in
every release since the first album, and which are the reasons why I
love her music.
Mourad
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 1996 11:58:47 +0000
I believe that 99.9f is without doubt the best of SV's albums. I always
apreciate people bending and streching preconceived ideas of what each
individual genre of music should sound like. It is always refreshing to see
someone like SV, associated with a particular genre, experimenting while
still keeping her roots. Tracks such as Private goes public and song of
sand harking back to the days of her debut album, haunting vocals
acompanied by the acoustic guitar we have come to know and love. While
Tracks such as 99.9f and Blood makes noise her music, and many others
besides, into a new era.
99.9 has everything. You get to hear SV as we have in the past while seeing
her music progress into something new. Many artists get bogged down into
reproducing the same tracks over and over, while others progress to far and
leave their fan base wishing for the old style. 99.9 has got it right.
Stef
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 96 17:23:49 CST
Hello, everyone,
I'm noticing a nice 'international' flavor to this discussion - i.e. comments
coming in from several countries - this is what we need!
Stef wrote:
Well, as I've said before, I can't really pick a 'best' - I love them all!
>someone like SV, associated with a particular genre, experimenting while
Agreed. It's encouraging to hear new styles, new ways of presenting the
songs. However, it's *dis*couraging to hear reviewers try to slap labels
on 99.9F (and Suzanne also) - i.e. the 'industrial folk' thing - as they did
10 yrs ago with the 'waifish' image. They feel the need to categorize, I
suppose - something to give clueless people a convenient phrase to use! :-)
>99.9 has everything. You get to hear SV as we have in the past while seeing
Yes, that's what I was thinking when I first heard 'In Liverpool' - a return
to her previous styles. Then, of course, when I heard the entire album I
was (pleasantly) surprised. I agree that 99.9F has it right, and I'm sure
I'll be pleasantly surprised again when the new album comes out.
-Rob
----------------------------------
From: "Johan Finell"
Rob wrote:
Adding to the international flavor...
imho 99.9F is THE best SV album.
I love the industrial folk sound -or whaterver it is you call it out
there.
I am 23 years old now, when I started out as a SV fan (at the time of
the first album) I was just a small scared schoolboy in the middle of
the big wide world knowing nothing obout anything.
My english was very bad then I didn't understand much of the lyrics
and the little a could understand was probably wrong. I had no idea
what Luka was about.
I just heard her lovely voice singing songs I thought were nice,
somehow soothing.
Since then a lot of water has run under the bridge, I have had my
english lessons and the world don't seem such a big place anymore.
And my taste regarding music grew out of just wanting to hear nice
songs. I began wanting "some balls" to the music I listened, something
Suzanne just didn't seem to offer.
Days of open hand was a disapointment (sorry!!). On 'room of the
street', listen to the hand claps. They are credited to SV. Every time I
listen to the song my attention is captured by them hand claps. I see
in my minds' eye a vision of Suzanne sitting in an otherwise empty
studio recording to the 'hand clap track'. The (in my opinion) stupid
'hand clap track' and the thing that it actually is credited to someone
are good examples of what as a whole is wrong with the record. It is
over produced.
I still got some kicks of Suzannes music as I eventually began little
by little understanding the lyrics, "hey these are great!"
Lyrics were the thing that kept me hanging on. I didn't/don't listen
to other folk singer/songwriters, neither their music nor their lyrics say
nothing to me. Suzanne is an exeption. Her lyrics just hit the sweet
spot in me... well I know I don't have to explane, you know what I mean...
And then came 99.9F.
BOOOM.
The minute I got the CD in my hands saw the cover and opened the
booklet I knew that this is it. It was as if she had read my mind.
Just what I had wanted/needed. It seemed allmost unnatural, how
could she?
And now,I just can't wait to hear "Woman On The Tier" and "slices
of life". "Sexy sound" sounds very good to me, could it be it has got
something to do with the groove/jazz thing that seems to be buzzing
in the air at least here in europe...
Anyway whatever it is I know I'll love it.
Johan.
VegaNet@aol.com
From: ivar_k@postoffice.utas.edu.au (Ivar Kvistad)
Subject: Re: in defense of 99.9
>think 99.9F *far* surpasses the status of noble-but-flawed/failed experiment.
>I think it is thoroughly wonderful, I listen to it probably more than any of
>her other records at this point, and this is coming from a fan who's been
>with her since 1985, and who ranks the first album among his all-time
>favorites by anyone.
Cc: strauss@spock.klautern.fh-rpl.de
Subject: Re: in defense of 99.9
>
> Hmm well it seems no one else has roused themselves to defend it but me I
> think 99.9F *far* surpasses the status of noble-but-flawed/failed experiment.
> I think it is thoroughly wonderful, I listen to it probably more than any of
> her other records at this point, and this is coming from a fan who's been
> with her since 1985, and who ranks the first album among his all-time
> favorites by anyone.
> wherever they take me. It's not-- quite-- unbridled, uncritical adoration, I
> don't think. It's more that I have over the course of ten years felt such
> admiration of and attraction to SV's music that I deal w/ her as an artist of
> utmost talent, conviction, and inspiration. If 99.9F was what she felt
> compelled to put out, I don't listen to it w/ the idea of 'well, gee, I don't
> really like industrial-sounding music,' I listen to it as a SV record. If it
> doesn't grab me right away (and, actually, it did), I listen to it again, and
> again. Sometimes it takes time.
> Likewise is this my opinion: I do not think it prudent to sit and wait for an
> artist either to 'return' to something she's done before, or to completely
> abandon something produced w/ genuine inspiration. She may well move on from
> the precise sound of 99.9F, but if she does it won't be because she's leaving
> it behind as a botched 'experiment.'
>website, there have been more visitors from Germany (many hundreds) than from
>any other country outside of the US (folks from over 75 countries have
>visited). I found that surprising, I thought that the UK, or Austrailia, or
>Canada would come in #2, but then again, Germany is the second largest PC
>market in the world...
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
From: zccan05@ucl.ac.uk (Stephen Boylett)
Subject: Re: in defense of 99.9
(zccan05@ucl.ac.uk)
"I wish I had heads like yours Zaphod.....
I'd have unless fun banging them against walls."
Ford (The hoopy frood) Prefect
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
Subject: Re: in defense of 99.9
>I believe that 99.9f is without doubt the best of SV's albums.
>still keeping her roots.
>her music progress into something new. Many artists get bogged down into
>reproducing the same tracks over and over,
rwalters@zeh2.lafayette.unocal.com
*any opinion expressed or information provided is my own and not that of
my employer*
Date: 18 Jan 96 24:01
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
Subject: 99.9 F
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
From: zccan05@ucl.ac.uk (Stephen Boylett)
Subject: Re: in defense of 99.9
(zccan05@ucl.ac.uk)
"I wish I had heads like yours Zaphod.....
I'd have unless fun banging them against walls."
Ford (The hoopy frood) Prefect
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
Subject: Re: in defense of 99.9
>I believe that 99.9f is without doubt the best of SV's albums.
>still keeping her roots.
>her music progress into something new. Many artists get bogged down into
>reproducing the same tracks over and over,
rwalters@zeh2.lafayette.unocal.com
*any opinion expressed or information provided is my own and not that of
my employer*
Organization: University of Helsinki
To: undertow@law.emory.edu
Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 15:55:39 EET DST
Subject: 99.9
>
>I'm noticing a nice 'international' flavor to this discussion - i.e.
>comments coming in from several countries - this is what we need!
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