Customer Reviews

She's So Unusual

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This review refers to the SACD version of this classic album. From reading other reviews of the SACD of CYNDI LAUPER, SHE'S SO UNUSUAL, one gets the feeling that the SACD version has a different mix than the black vinal or the standard CD of the same title. This just is not so! The SACD version of this excellent CYNDI LAUPER album has the same exact mix as all of the previous versions, but the SACD really rocks. Confusion might arise regarding an engineers sound mastering and an engineers sound mixing of music, and that is understandable.When an artist goes to the studio to record a song, they do so on a multi-channel tape machine. These original mixdown tapes, which often contain 8, 16 or even 32 tracks of information, contain the information which correlates to individual instruments and vocal takes. These original mixdown tapes are then mixed together to create a final version of the song that contains all of the different elements from the various instuments and vocals. This original master tape of an artists product usually contain just two channels, a right and a left channel, and it is this version that we, the consumer, listen to on the radio and from CDs. It is important to note, that a remastered disc does not mean remixed, it means that an engineer went back to the original master tape and tweaked the sound of the two channel information to clean up the distortion, or to otherwise make some minor adjustments to the sound quality.That is exactly what this SACD version of SHE'S SO UNUSUAL contains, a remastered edition of this classic album, not a remixed version. You can rest assured that when you play this SACD you will hear the same mix of vocals and instruments that you are familar with, but with a new vibrancy and clearness that will blow you away. As a very huge fan of this classic album, I can tell you that this SACD version blows away every other version for sound quality. Once you listen to the SACD of SHE'S SO UNUSUAL, you will be CYNDI LAUPER fan forever.

She's So Unusual is one of the best debut albums in the history of music.Unfortunately for Cyndi, with the release of this album drew unfair comparisons between herself and Madonna. Fortunately, this album is far superior to anything Madonna has put out as a whole in her entire career. She's So Unusual is a mix of fun pop songs and songs sung from the heart. There's no shortage of fun here, with Girls just Want to Have Fun, Yeah Yeah, I'll Kiss You and even She Bop which also raised a few eyebrows back in 1983. Of course, with Money Changes Everything, Time After Time, When You Were Mine (written by Prince), and All Through The Night, Cyndi's songs are so powerful and heartfelt it's hard to understand where those ridiculous Madonna comparisons came from. This is one of the best albums released in the 80's and remains one of my personal favorites today, this does not come off as 80's drek, infact it hasn't dated at all. It's a fun, emotional and wonderful exhibit of one of music's most unique and wonderful artists.

It's easy to undertsand why Cyndi Lauper will always have a place in music history. This album says it all. Songs like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Time After Time" take me back to those days when I was a kid and had those songs on vinyl. "Money Changes Everything" is so true in its message that people will only stand by you if you have money. Of course the scandalous (in those days) "She Bop" shows that Cyndi was not afraid to talk about something that only few artists have dared to mention in their songs. The 1920's-ish "He's So Unusal" reflects Cyndi's uniqueness which is why I think this album was so successful. All the songs are great and they reflect that 80's beat that we all know and love. Buy this album, you won't regret it!

Why this record didn't lead to megastar status for Cyndi is still beyond me. It has the musical freshness and quirky charisma (not to mention a whole passle of good tunes) which should have sent Lauper to pop heaven with that other breakout female singer (can't remember her name, something Catholic) in 1984. But it didn't. Still, after nearly 15 years, returning to this CD is an unmitigated delight: the infectious joy of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" still communicates, as does the wholesale delicacy and pathos of "Time After Time" and "All Throught the Night." Best yet, Cyndi could really sing--check out the sustained notes she hits at the end of "Money Changes Everything." I think people got caught up in Lauper's rainbow-haired look and forgot to listen as closely as they should have. (Note: the original CD transfer isn't all that good, hence the one star deduction--Columbia/SONY needs to reissue it. But if you don't mind highlights, the "12 Deadly Cyns" CD contains some well mastered versions of a number of "Unusual's" hits.) Cyndi, in a Material World, you're still so unusual, thank God!

In 1980, Cyndi Lauper released an album with the band Blue Angel, which she led. In the US, it flopped. Then she was forced to quit because she lost her singing voice. Doctors didn't expect her to sing again. This almost shattered her dreams of success in music. In the following years, she proved them wrong namely in 1984. Those who know these events are amazed by her miraculous recovery as they listen to her sing.

When Cyndi Lauper released her debut album "She's So Unusual" and her first single "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", she instantly took the world by storm. She was often compared to Madonna, who was also newly emerging at the time. More than just her wild image and wild antics proved that she is a true work of art. Such quality led many critics expecting her to stay on top for many years. She later earned the Grammy for Best New Artist for 1984.

The wild pop music, which matches perfectly with her image, keeps listeners smiling through every note. Its funky and dance additions keep the music unique and timeless. Therefore, this is an album that capitalizes the 1980's. The catchy beats remain catchy today. Her throaty vocals blend perfectly with the theme and offers the added fun theme. She never loses her edge with any song as she sings odes (...), girl power, love, and more. Through the wildness, she rooms two ballads, which are performed beautifully: hit singles "Time After Time" and "All Through the Night". Despite the mellow theme, the emotional value never loses its touch.

Her overall musical quality have many fans looking beyond her image and crediting her rightfully as a true artist. "She's So Unusual" is the essential album for any Cyndi Lauper and/ or 1980's music fan. This will surely keep listeners dancing for many more years. Those interested in hearing a Cyndi Lauper update should also buy her 2003 successful release "At Last", which launched her as the biggest comeback of that year. This combination makes for great musical enjoyment.

This album is full of unforgettable songs that sound good in any decade!!! Cyndi has never sounded better. If you just want to have fun then you NEED this album! It belongs on Amazon.com's "Essential recordings" list!!!

This album takes me back to when I was 10 years old and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was released. The video took me aback, and, once I bought She's So Unusual, I found myself listening to it non-stop for days on end. I know every song and appreciate each song's value.

The best thing about this album today is that it's a true example of the modern pop/rock of the early- to mid-80s, full of songs with pop sensibilities but just the right amount of new wave style. Every number is rife with synthesizers and heavy drums, and yet somehow Cyndi's persona and voice dominate throughout so that you never lose track of what's at the center of all this creative energy.

Cyndi Lauper made one hell of a debut with this album, and it's worth having just to recap the history of that time period because, when I'm old and gray, it'll be what I go back to, time after time.

Although SACD is a phenomenal improvement over regular CD sound IF you've got the right equipment, this review pertains to the artistic content of the album, and as such applies to either version. I was a junior in college when this album was released, and though even then I thought "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" was a bit too quirky and "bubble-gum" for my taste - the track has stood the test of time remarkably well. My appreciation has only increased since then. Better examples of Lauper's amazing ability to emote through her vocals are "Time After Time", and "All through the night." No less an artist than Linda Ronstadt has commented that Lauper's ability to express emotion in her vocal style is amazing. This is no faint praise. To set the record straight - as some younger reviewers evidently don't have a clue - "She Bop" is a rather obvious statement about masturbation. 'Everybody does it - what's the big deal?', is the message here. Lauper directly acknowledged this during an appearance on Dr. Ruth Westheimer's TV show, "Good Sex", years ago. "Money Changes Everything", both the studio and live version, is a standout as well. Anyone who has seen Lauper perform live knows what a musical perfectionist she is. Her live performances are sensational, something I noticed from the time "Girls" hit the charts, and Cyndi hit the talk-show circuit to promote the album. I'd also strongly recommend Lauper's later work, particularly "Hat Full of Stars", a brilliant album that was panned by many ignorant critics and did not enjoy much commercial success. What a shame. Great singer AND songwriter - much more than her superficial oddball persona would seem to indicate. Listen to this album and I guarantee you'll be impressed.

Putting the material aside, this disc is a dissapointment. If it had that "analogue" sound that just blows me away on many other SACD releases which were done better and in 5.1, (i.e. "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits), I'd find myself reaching for it 'time after time' for many hours of musical bliss. The singer does not come into my listening room but remains shrouded behind a digital realm. Alas, it is just ok and with not enough discernable improvement over a regular cd, especially considering the price, so it will likely spend it's life on a shelf undisturbed but for the occasional dusting. Recommended only if the artist is special to you.

I believe the first time i heard this album I may have been 3 or 4, i dont remember. What i do remember is that i loved it. I remember dancing to "All Through the Night" & "She Bop". Hearing this cd again, now that im in my 20's really takes me back to the days of the 80s, when i was little, and music was good.