Surprise (Syd Straw album)

1989 studio album by Syd Straw

Surprise

Studio album by

Syd Straw

Released| 1989
Genre| Folk rock
Label| Virgin
Producer| Syd Straw
Syd Straw chronology
|  | Surprise
(1989)  | War and Peace
(1996)

|
|

Surprise is the debut solo album by the American musician Syd Straw, released in 1989.[1][2] The first single was "Future 40's (String of Pearls)".[3] Straw supported the album with a North American tour, backed by a band that included D.J. Bonebrake and Dave Alvin.[4][5] Surprise was a commercial disappointment.[6]

## Production

[edit]

The album was produced primarily by Straw, who also wrote or cowrote most of the songs.[7][8] She spent more than year recording it at studios in London, New Orleans, New York, Austin, and Los Angeles.[9] "Future 40's (String of Pearls)" was cowritten by Jody Harris and Michael Stipe.[3] "Think Too Hard" was written by Peter Holsapple; Marshall Crenshaw played guitar on it.[10][11] "Hard Times", coproduced by Van Dyke Parks, was composed by Stephen Foster.[12][13] Richard Thompson played guitar on "Sphinx".[14] John Doe contributed backing vocals to some of the tracks.[15] Straw considered "The Unanswered Question?" to be a combination of pop music and opera.[16]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [17]
Chicago Sun-Times| [15]
Chicago Tribune| [14]
Robert Christgau| B[18]
Los Angeles Times| [19]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide| [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [20]
St. Petersburg Times| [8]

The New York Times concluded that "perhaps the most striking cut on Surprise is 'Almost Magic', a diaphanously textured showcase of overdubbed vocals on a song in which Ms. Straw pleads for one more chance to hold together a crumbling relationship."[3] Trouser Press determined that the album "boasts a guest list that suggests a hipper version of the bloated superstar processions Peter Asher used to assemble for James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt."[10] The Los Angeles Times wrote that "the slower, softer [songs] ache or rage convincingly, a Talking Heads-style art-funk number hits its groove, a Dylanesque shaggy-dog story ambles along playfully."[19]

Spin opined that "her voice, though beautifully pitched, lacks emotional range."[21] The Globe and Mail called Surprise "both immediately accessible, full of familiar country and pop elements, and bursting with interesting little instrumental and vocal flourishes."[22] The Washington Post deemed the songs "electric, eclectic folk-rock, with elliptical, fragmented lyrics ... and a tendency toward melodic meandering."[11] The Sacramento Bee considered it one of 1989's best debut albums.[23]

AllMusic wrote: "The album's style and production mix jangle pop elements from the preceding decade with a roots rock tone, and the overall result has a healthy folkish disposition. Surprise anticipates what was to come for females in rock during the '90s."[17]

## Track listing

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No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Think Too Hard"|
2.| "Heart of Darkness"|
3.| "Chasing Vapor Trails (His Turn to Cry)"|
4.| "Almost Magic"|
5.| "Crazy American"|
6.| "Hard Times"|
7.| "Future 40's (String of Pearls)"|
8.| "The Unanswered Question?"|
9.| "Sphinx"|
10.| "Racing to the Ruins"|
11.| "Golden Dreams"|

## References

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1. ^ Williams, Stephen (18 June 1989). "A Whole Lotta Quakin' Syd Straw". Part II. Newsday. p. 13.
2. ^ "Music". New York. Vol. 22, no. 28\. Jul 17, 1989. p. 21.
3. ^ a b c Holden, Stephen (21 June 1989). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
4. ^ Potter, Mitch (17 Oct 1989). "Pop's Syd Straw can afford to be flip". Toronto Star. p. E1.
5. ^ Brodeur, Scott (30 Oct 1989). "Camper Van Beethoven at the Chestnut Cabaret". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. E5.
6. ^ Shapiro, Benjamin (Apr 12, 1993). "Syd Straw Brings Harmony to Recording". All Things Considered. NPR.
7. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 652.
8. ^ a b Jones, Malcolm (15 Sep 1989). "Sound Bites". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 18.
9. ^ Blackstock, Peter (13 July 1989). "Straw debut a delightful 'Surprise'". Austin American-Statesman. p. G2.
10. ^ a b "Syd Straw". Trouser Press. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
11. ^ a b Brown, Joe (11 Aug 1989). "Feminine Folk, Rockin' Proud". The Washington Post. p. N23.
12. ^ Browne, David (11 Apr 1992). "Longest comeback: America's first pop star finally getting respect". The Gazette. Montreal. p. E13.
13. ^ Gnerre, Sam (July 28, 1989). "Syd Straw gives fans a 'Surprise'". Daily Breeze. p. E12.
14. ^ a b Heim, Chris (17 Aug 1989). "Rave Recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. 15F.
15. ^ a b McLeese, Don (June 26, 1989). "Syd Straw, 'Surprise'". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2:23.
16. ^ Harrison, Tom (13 Aug 1989). "Syd Straw: Surprise". Entertainment. The Province. p. 74.
17. ^ a b "Surprise Review by MacKenzie Wilson". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
18. ^ "Syd Straw". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
19. ^ a b Boehm, Mike (9 July 1989). "Pop Stars". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 63.
20. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 678.
21. ^ Schoemer, Karen (Aug 1989). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 5, no. 5\. p. 74.
22. ^ Dafoe, Chris (13 July 1989). "Surprise Syd Straw". The Globe and Mail. p. C6.
23. ^ "The New Order". The Sacramento Bee. October 22, 1989. p. EN16.

*[No.]: Number