Monnie1976's Full Review: Twelve Deadly Cyns...And Then Some by Cyndi Lauper
She was bizarre. An oddity. A spectacle. But she was talented. I feel these brief words sum up the appeal and the eccentricity that made the career of Cyndi Lauper. Rampaging the scene with goofy outfits, outlandish hair and a punk/pop blend of enthusiasm, Lauper clearly represents the decade of the 80’s. With a satirical look of the 80’s underway with Fox’s “That 80’s Show” I am sure we will see old things in a new light. I decided to start with this unlikely fashion mottled personality.
Any review covering a greatest hits collection from Lauper will undoubtedly have to start with “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. A bright, pop gem that people were singing all over the world this song was unbelievably popular. Her voice is brassy and bold, projecting an odd power when she enunciates the word “mother” and when she projects “all we really want….is some fun….” Her voice isn’t graceful, but it gets the job done.
Another eccentric piece of puffery is the sensibly nonsensical “She-bop” A hodgepodge of musical hooks it is hard to resist. The chorus mainly consists of a litany of “She bop, we bop, a you bop…” but its madness at its best.
Another classic from Lauper, which has been remade mercilessly in the R&B genre, is “Time After Time”. Of course, you can’t really blame groups like Changing Faces and Blaque for wanting to remake this song. It’s a picture perfect vision of longing and hoping laced with sadness. It was written so that it can lend itself to pretty much any genre and is a brilliant creation. The lyrics are simple but descriptive and the melody is pretty hard to forget.
Lauper changes gears again with the lullaby “All Through The Night”. Definitely different from some of her other creations her voice is uniquely subdued, but doesn’t lack punch. Many people could have done this song but I am not sure anyone could have done a rendition like hers.
Other familiar highlights include the Scottish influenced “Money Changes Everything” and other hits like “True Colors” and “I Drove All Night”. I believe, but don’t quote me, that “I Drove All Night” was originally done by Roy Orbison. “True Colors” is a very beautiful song and really reminds me of being young down in Tallahassee.
One serious misstep in my humble opinion is her remake of “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye. Her voice just doesn’t fit the song and it never really works. The musical arrangement is kind of bizarre and doesn’t have the soul I’m accustomed to in the original version or even the recent remake.
A definite highlight of this album and a song that surprised the heck out of me is “I’m Gonna Be Strong”, the first song on the album. Her voice is powerful and the performance is far beyond what you would expect listening to her earlier work. Kind of blues inspired with a signature Cyndi Lauper sound, it’s a powerful ballad and her voice just takes off. The last note of the song she really belts out the word “cry” and I am very impressed. The end is adorned with a Scottish flare of bagpipes.
Cyndi Lauper is an icon of the excessive 80’s that has some definitive talent and has left a legacy of quirky, spirited hits. Her career is interesting and I definitely recommend this greatest hits collection. I am also thinking of getting her first album for one of my other favorites of hers “When You Were Mine”.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.