Albums of the Year for 2016: Lover, Beloved: Songs From An Evening With Carson McCullers - Suzanne Vega (October 2016)

Over the next few weeks I intend to post some of my favourite albums of  the year. They will no doubt be a  musically diverse selection and I hope that you take the opportunity to have a listen to some of them and expand your own listening experiences from what is your normal sphere.

I begin today with a quite fascinating album from Suzanne Vega. Her music has always appealed to me but I was quite taken with the subject matter of this new release. It only came out last month but it impressed me enough to be considered among my Albums of the Year for 2016.

 Lover, Beloved: Songs From An Evening With Carson McCullers - Suzanne Vega

Amaneunsis Productions

Producer Gerry Leonard

Released 14th October 2016

1 Carson's Blues    
2 New York Is My Destination    
3 Instant Of The Hour After    
4 We Of Me    
5 Annemarie    
6 12 Mortal Men    
7 Harper Lee    
8 Lover, Beloved    
9 The Ballad Of Miss Amelia    
10 Carson's Last Supper

Suzanne Vega wrote 8 songs in collaboration with Duncan Sheik and 2 with Michael Jefry Stevens.

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Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers is the ninth studio album by the American singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega, which was released on October 14, 2016. The album is based on a play Carson McCullers Talks About Love about the life of the writer Carson McCullers, written and performed by Vega, which premiered in 2011.

I have to say that I wasn't too aware of the writings if McCullers and I am sure that would actually enhance the listening to these ten tracks and make them sound a whole lot better. Vega has been reading McCullers since the age of 15 and this she considers to be her third treatment of the life of the writer having first performed it in school prior to the 2011 performances. A number of the songs have been around in Vega's live sets dating back to 2011 so there must be a real sense of fulfilment on her part being able to present the project as a whole with this fine album.

The link for the essay below is worth checking out as it will be a good aid for those unaware of Carson McCullers.

Musically the album has quite diverse sounds Blues, Jazz, Pop and Folk and that merely adds to the delightful listening experience.

Reflection in a Distant Mirror - An Essay on Carson McCullers and Suzanne Vega.

Read Andrew Anthony's great article from The Guardian published last month about the album.

Here's recent concert performance by Suzanne Vega in Germany where she performs a few tracks from the latest album as well as a number of her most well known offerings.

 Setlist:
01 Marlene On The Wall
02 Queen And The Soldier
03 Left Of Center
04 New York Is My Destination
05 We Of Me
06 Annemarie
07 Harper Lee
08 I Never Wear White
09 Luka
10 Tom's Diner
11 Lover Beloved
12 Jacob And The Angel
13 Gypsy
14 In Liverpool
15 Rosemary