Songs in Red and Gray is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was released on September 25, 2001, by A&M Records.
Music and lyrics On Songs in Red and Gray, Vega returns to her signature acoustic folk-pop sound, shedding the experiments she had done in the 1990s with her husband, record producer Mitchell Froom. New producer Rupert Hine shows some traces of his past work with '80s new wave bands by employing electronic beats, but mostly allows Vega's voice and guitar to dominate in a manner reminiscent of her debut album and its 1987 follow-up, Solitude Standing.
Most of the songs, like "Widow's Walk" and "If I Were a Weapon", deal with the dissolution of Vega's marriage with Froom. Her "calm, hushed, clear singing" belies the album's "mood of heartbroken defiance". The lyrics are "the most personally revealing songs she has written" in her career.
Track listing
Personnel Suzanne Vega – vocals, acoustic guitar Gerry Leonard – electric and acoustic guitars, dulcimer, mandolin, zither Rupert Hine – keyboards, bass guitar, percussion, drum programming Mike Visceglia – bass guitar Nik Pugh – drum programming, synth lead Jay Bellerose – drums Matt Johnson – drums Doug Yowell – drums, percussion Pamela Sue Man – backing vocals, harmony vocals Elizabeth Taubman – harmony vocals Stephen W Tayler – recording and mixing engineer
Charts + Chart performance for Songs in Red and Gray Chart (2001) PeakpositionAustralian Albums (ARIA) N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. This history only contains data from the commencement of the ARIA-produced chart in mid-1988.187 UK Albums (Official Charts Company)100
References