THE FOUR ALBUM CLOSE-UP SERIES – IN WHICH SUZANNE VEGA REINTERPRETED MANY SONGS FROM HER THIRTY YEAR CAREER – WILL BE RELEASED AS A BOOK SET THIS SUMMER, CONTAINING TWO DISCS OF ADDITIONAL MATERIAL.
A 7″x 7″ hardcover book with 68 pages of lyrics and photos – including many by Suzanne – contains each of the four themed volumes alongside a fifth CD featuring bonus tracks previously only available digitally at the time of each release and a DVD of July 2013’s show at City Winery in New York City, which included acoustic versions of several of the songs from the series. The DVD also features behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage and a backstage interview.
Each of the four volumes gathered together songs around a particular theme – LOVE SONGS, PEOPLE & PLACES, STATES OF BEING and SONGS OF FAMILY. Reinvigorated versions of well-known tracks – hits MARLENE ON THE WALL, LUKA and TOM’S DINER – featured alongside intimate takes on Vega’s more esoteric material including LUDLOW STREET and BOUND (from 2007’s BEAUTY AND CRIME); FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE (from 1990’s DAYS OF OPEN HAND); 1999 single ROSEMARY; IRONBOUND / FANCY POULTRY (from 1987’s career-defining SOLITUDE STANDING) and sultry CARAMEL (from 1996’s NINE OBJECTS OF DESIRE).
The CLOSE-UP book set is due for release on August 11th and will be available to pre-order shortly, here. Suzanne Vega recently released an album of new songs, TALES FROM THE REALM OF THE QUEEN OF PENTACLES (reviewed here).