Customer Reviews

Essential Cyndi Lauper

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I heard that another Cyndi Lauper best-of album was going to be released, my first question was whether this new collection would measure up to her previous best-of collections, especially 12 Deadly Cyns...And Then Some. Well I can tell you that it certainly does. Essential Cyndi Lauper, in my opinion, comes the closest to being the ideal Cyndi collection available. But before I go on, I thought it would be helpful to first give a track listing (taken from her official website) since there doesn't seem to be one here:

1) Girls Just Want To Have Fun
2) Money Changes Everything
3) Who Let In The Rain
4) She Bop
5) Time After Time
6) I Drove All Night
7) Hat Full Of Stars
8) Change Of Heart
9) Sisters Of Avalon
10) All Through The Night
11) True Colors
12) When You Were Mine
13) Unhook The Stars
14) The Goonies 'R' Good Enough

The first thing I noticed about this collection is that it offers *all 6* of the smash hits from She's So Unusual. That alone is a major plus when it comes to a Cyndi Lauper collection. I would have liked to see "What's Going On" on this disc instead of "Change Of Heart," as I think that song better represents the True Colors album. But oh well, "True Colors" is here, and that's the biggest hit from her sophmore release. Yet again, only "I Drove All Night" is included from Cyndi's highly underrated A Night To Remember album. The powers-that-be still think that this song is the only worthy one off that album. But we know better, don't we?

Another thing worth mentioning about this collection is that it offers songs from both Hat Full Of Stars and Sisters Of Avalon. Whether you agree or disagree that the songs here representing those albums are the best selections, it's nice to see some songs from Cyndi's lesser-known (but still great) albums here.

And of course, my review wouldn't be complete without saying that "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" has FINALLY been included in an official domestic best-of collection. Until now, one had to spend quite a lot of money to get this song from the import collections or the (also pricy, not to mention hard to find) Goonies soundtrack. The inclusion of "The Goonies" here will surely make a lot of Cyndi fans quite pleased. I think it's a tragedy that "Hole In My Heart (All The Way To China)" is again not included in a Cyndi Lauper best-of compilation. If it had been, I would have given this album 5 stars without a second thought. So if you want that song, you'll need to find the Japanese version of 12 Deadly Cyns or A Night To Remember: it's a bonus track on both of those albums.

All in all though, this Cyndi Lauper collection doesn't disappoint and delivers. Highly recommended.

Cyndi Lauper is wonderful. That's a given. And when I heard this CD was coming out, I was very excited. I was finally going to have all of Cyndi Lauper's hits together on one CD! Well, I gave Epic too much credit, and was therefore disappointed when I received this collection. Where is "What's Going On," which was a #12 pop hit in 1986? And where are the excellent minor hits "Hole In My Heart," "My First Night Without You" and "Boy Blue?" Of course, Lauper's Top-10 hits are here, but Epic passed up an excellent opportunity to produce a CD containing all the hits. Also, why were "Sisters of Avalon" and "Unhook The Stars" (nonhit tracks) included and "You Don't Know" and "Ballad of Cleo and Joe" (both hits on the dance charts in the mid '90s) not on this disc?

Sure, before you could buy the pricey imports, but "The Essential Cyndi Lauper" is much better than her previous American "hits" collections. It's not perfect, yet I think it's superior to "12 Deadly Cyns."

The big complaint was that for so long, american fans couldn't get "Good Enough" from "The goonies." Well, FINALLY it's included. Whether or not Cyndi likes the song, it's an 80's movie song classic and was a top 10 hit. Eight of Cyndi's top 10 hits are on here including the classic "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "She Bop", "All Through the Night" and "Time After Time" frm her debut. all four of these were massive radio hits and still heard to this day. "True Colors" and "Change of Heart" were big hits off of her sophomore album. Her last top 10 single is included too from "A Night to Remember" which is "I Drove All Night" *recently Celine Dion did an amazing cover of it.* "Money Changes Everything" is graciously included also which didn't hit the top 10, but was still a big top 40 hit. The non-hits are also very worthy. "Hat Full of Stars" is gorgeous and "Sisters of Avalon" is very catchy.

So why 4 stars? As outstanding as this collection is, "What's Going On" *a top 10 hit from "True Colors"* was left off as was the minor hit "Hole In My Heart." These are minor gripes but would've really put it over the top. Still, it's a great hits collection and well worth the money. Cyndi is awesome.

Cyndi Lauper has been another one of the most successful female solo artists of the early 80s. Her career started to take a fall with the release of 1989 album, A Night To Remember. After the unwanted failure of A Night To Remember (1989). In 1993, Cyndi released another album that failed entitled, Hat Full Of Stars.

In 2003, she was able to release, The Essential Cyndi Lauper, her second greatest hits compilation since Twelve Deadly Cyns ...And Then Some (1994). I definitely call it a must-have album.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). I have loved this song since my years in middle school. I love it's fun-filled energy and I love it's crazed vibe. It's a classic all the way.

MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). Another great song, but in my opinion, not among the best. I hope you know that it's true that money, in most ways, most certainly does change everything.

WHO LET IN THE RAIN
From the album Hat Full Of Stars (1993). The album Hat Full Of Stars (1993), as for I know, only had three songs I ever liked and they are That's What I Think, Hat Full Of Stars, and Who Let The Rain In. This is a moving ballad and I recommend that you all listen to it.

SHE BOP
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). I still can't get over the fact that this one talks about female masturbation. Nobody wagged their fingers at Cyndi for making a song like this, but if Madonna recorded this song, the critics and parents would have been down her throat. This is a great song. I remember watching Cyndi's Behind The Music on VH1. When they were talking about this track and all the controversey, Cyndi said that her mother called her up and said, "Is this song about... that?" I was laughing for days.

TIME AFTER TIME
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). I have always enjoyed this song because of its moving arrangements and vocal arrangements. Everytime I see Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow dance with Alan Cumming to this song in 'Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion', I cry after laughing so hard, even though they did a great job with the choreography. I know shouldn't be laughing because they danced so great, but it's just that they chose a romantic ballad that requires slow-dancing and they decided to use ballet as their dance.

I DROVE ALL NIGHT
From the album A Night To Remember (1989). This is one of the best songs I have heard from Cyndi Lauper and it came from the best album Cyndi Lauper has ever recorded, A Night To Remember. The album did not get the recognition it deserved, it is her best album by far.

HAT FULL OF STARS
From the album Hat Full Of Stars (1993). Another great song from the Hat Full Of Stars album. I knew from the moment I read the title that it would be a great song and I was right. I love it when I'm right.

CHANGE OF HEART
From the album True Colors (1986). This is one of the three songs from the True Colors (1986) album that I like. The True Colors (1986) album is not a favorite album of mine, all though I love the front and back covers of that album. This song has a great vibe to it and the lyrics are well-written. Cyndi's voice was amazing on this one to begin with, but The Bangles', who provided back-ups, vocals thicken Cyndi's voice, making her voice sound like it has more enthusiasm.

SISTERS OF AVALON
From the album Sisters Of Avalon (1997). This is a good song, but it's not like her original sound. If she decided to change her sound, she shouldn't have made it sound like this. I know she has the talent to better than this.

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). This is another song with a moving sound. The vocals are incredible, the music is incredible. Who would not love this song, except for people with no brains?

WHEN YOU WERE MINE
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). Although, this is a great song, I don't like the fact that it was originally done by Prince. I literally hate Prince with a passion. In my opinion, he's a great lyricist, but he and his music can go straight to hell because I can't stand him or his music.

TRUE COLORS
From the album True Colors (1986). The second of three songs I like from the True Colors (1986) album. The guitar arrangements are incredible.

UNHOOK THE STARS
From the album Sisters Of Avalon (1997). She did reinvent her sound for the Sisters Of Avalon (1997) album and not well at all. This is a song I always skip. I can't waste my time listening to a song that sounds like crap.

THE GOONIES 'R' GOOD ENOUGH
From the original motion picture & soundtrack The Goonies (1985). The Goonies has always been one of my favorite movies. The movie was filmed and released in 1985, the year that I was born. It's hard for me to believe that this movie is as old as I am and I still get a kick out of it. This song is amazing and Cyndi was the right choice to record it. The movie, original motion picture score, and this song all remind me of Wildwood, New Jersey. I don't know why, it just happened. This is one of the best songs from Cyndi Lauper and I'm happy to know that it was included in this incredible collection.

If you are a Cyndi Lauper fan, then you need to buy a copy of this collection. It's worth all the money you pay and you are guaranteed to be impressed.

Honestly I feel that this cd could have been better. I cannot give it less than 4 stars because it has all of her Big Hits, even the top 10 Goonies song which many have been craving here in the U.S. but it does lack a lot of other songs. Hole In My Heart, You Don't Know, Ballad Of Cleo And Joe, Disco Inferno, and Shine are all left out while Unhook The Stars, and Sisters Of Avalon are included. Not sure why they do not really make a collection with true hits and remixes of those latter hits. Well I guess you ahd to buy the singles when they came out to get it. Other than that it is almost the same as Twelve Deadly Cyns... And Then Some. So unless you want to collect them all you can live without it if you have all her albums.

Both collections are 14 tracks, and both have the "essential" songs, but my vote is for this one. The other tracks on "Twelve Deadly Cyns" are good, but not as strong as the ones here. Specifically, this cd has "Who Let In The Rain", "When You Were Mine", and "Hat Full Of Stars", which the other does not. The other big inclusion here is "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough", which will make alot of people happy. Anyone who really misses "What's Going On", "Hole In My Heart (all the way to china)", and others, may want to order the "36 All Time Favorites" import. Overall though, if you're looking for an affordable single disc collection, I'd say this one IS the "Essential Cyndi Lauper".

This collection is hardly "essential" when it is missing one fo Cyndi's greatest... "Hole In My Heart (That Goes All The Way To China)" from the movie, VIBES.

Though I'm sure she'd love to forget that film!

First, I think you should buy this CD if you like Cyndi Lauper at all---she's a completely unique and powerful singer, a sometimes gifted songwriter and a smart, outspoken survivor.

That said, I'm not totally on board with this collection.

She's no longer on Epic, so probably they didn't worry much about pleasing her. What could have been a long overdue COMPLETE kind of collection is more a sturdy and unimaginatively arranged grouping of some of her absolute must-have tracks with very few surprises.

Cyndi's early work sounds a little dated, yet its appeal is undeniable--there are 6 tracks from SHE'S SO UNUSUAL here. I'm glad "All Through the Night" was included as you might expect it would be overlooked. From later CDs, it's more like one-track-per, and the set ends with a shocker--the inclusion of "(The Goonies 'R') Good Enough."

My reluctance to rave is not that[garbage]was included (the only song I truly dislike that made it on is "Who Let In the Rain," (which I really think is a bad song badly sung, maybe the only song she's ever NOT sung brilliantly). But I would gladly swap "When U Were Mine" for any number of more un-u-su-al (insert Cyndi laughter) songs that are missing:

"Hole in My Heart (That Goes All the Way to China)" from VIBES is so needed. It's a fantastically fun song from a terrible movie in which Cyndi's acting was nonetheless quite good. It's a song many fans probably don't own. I'm sure Epic could have gotten it on there.

Where are such obvious M.I.A.s as "Come On Home" and "That's What I Thinik?" Her non-Epic "Shine" could have been licensed (I'm reaching there). And with so, so many from SHE'S SO UNUSUAL, where on earth is "What's Goin' On?" or "My First Night Without You?"

Less glaring and more my own personal picks, and for your humble consideration, howzabout..."Right Track, Wrong Train" the exquisite B-side to "GJWHF"; "Maybe He'll Know" (or any other Blue Angel stuff, but I included that since it was legitimately included on an Epic CD); "Boy Blue?" "Heading West?" "Sally's Pigeons?" ""Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)?"

Even without these, the collection shows off Cyndi's vocal artistry...but she deserves a really juicy "Essential" collection that has more flair and that has the brains to INCLUDE "Goonies"...but not use it as the finale.

Cyndi Lauper became one of the most well-known singers of the 80's. If it weren't for Madonna she would have become huge. Lauper's original style will evoke memories of the 80's for those living in that era. These songs have a classic and magical style to them that gets better with each listen. Lauper's vocals are not for everyone. For some they may be irritating but for others comforting. Her powerful vocal range makes Madonna's vocals pale in comparison. She can sing ballads as well as up-tempo 80's pop songs. Co-writing every song on this album she proves to the public that she is a respected artist for the most part. In 2008 she released a new album called "Bring Ya To The Brink" which is the style of dance-pop.

I bought this Cindy Lauper CD as a birthday present for my wife, who has always liked her more than I did. But this CD is making me a bigger fan every time I hear it. I would recommend it for any of her fans or for those curious about her music.