Customer Reviews

Twelve Deadly Cyns and Then Some

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

By weighting this "best of" CD so heavily with songs from SHE'S SO UNUSUAL, Cyndi Lauper unintentionally gives credence to some of her harshest critics. Robert Christgau, who hasn't had a kind word for Cyndi since the first solo album, homed right in on the fact that five (he mistakenly says "six")of the tracks are from UNUSUAL. Whether you agree with him that they are the five BEST tracks or not, it does make you wonder if the debut solo album might not be the wiser purchase after all.

On the other hand, Christgau is so out of touch that,not only does he miscount the number of tracks from UNUSUAL, he doesn't even recognize that "I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a re-recording of one of her Blue Angel tracks and thus a doff of hat to her actual (group) debut effort. He also refers to the reggae-flavored "Hey Now, Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" as a remix of her first hit single, when it is also plainly a re-recording with a new chorus and at a different tempo. So how well could he have listened? How well has he bothered to listen to anything Cyndi put out since he decided not to like her music in '88?

If like me, you only had UNUSUAL on vinyl anyway, purchasing 12 DEADLY CYNS in a new format made sense. Like most "greatest hits" collections of the past 25 years, it also contains three new or newly recorded tracks, so there is plenty of incentive for fans to pick it up. It also has a fair enough sampling of the three other Lauper albums recorded prior to '94 to offer a solid overview of a decade of her work. (Although I would agree with those who express some disappointment over the fact that so little of the much neglected A NIGHT TO REMEMBER was included.)

The re-recording of "I'm Gonna Be Strong" is classic Cyndi by the way. This old Gene Pitney chestnut is, in Cyndi's hands, an intriguing blend of old and new styles--folksy fiddles emerge almost out of nowhere after a torchy pseudo-ending. Lauper's unique vocal ranges from scratchy-cute to soaring. She constantly surprises. The song is a total revamp of the Pitney classic: yet it retains and actually amplifies the original's emotional ache. Kristi Yamaguchi wound up doing a skating routine to it at one point...Yet it almost defies the listener to actually LIKE it. "Oh, you thought I was going to end this with dramatic flair...not so fast, get a load of the actual hoe-down ending!!" Well, I ended up loving it. After a few listens, you just might too.

Ultimately, I can't be too hard on Cyndi for including so much of UNUSUAL. It was an extraordinarily successful album, and any "best of" package would have to give it its due. I see now that there are some European products out there that actually include many more tracks and therefore better cover the entire track record. Still 12 DEADLY is actually a fine place for most neophytes to start. You may find that Cyndi Lauper, while certainly unusual, is a solid, versatile singer and not just the kooky soul you thought you knew.

this would be a 5-star cd if "the goonies 'r' good enough" was on it, but for some strange reason it's not. what makes it even worse is that the song isn't even available on any of her other albums or on any compilation albums. why is it that some artists and record labels feel the need to put a few new songs on their "best of" albums at the expense of songs that, in cases like "the goonies 'r' good enough", were top 10 hits? it makes no sense. note to sony music: the next time you put out a cyndi lauper hits album, please make sure to include "the goonies 'r' good enough", or at least put it on a compilation album. if you're going to put a new song in the place of a song that was a major hit, at least have the courtesy to make the song you're leaving out available on some other album. otherwise, this is a good cd; an 80's pop diva singing (most of) her biggest hits.

Cyndi Lauper has this magical way of evoking both joy and sorrow with the simple slip of a vocal chord. The sheer urgency in her voice on tracks like "She Bop" and "Money Changes Everything" to the sadness and nosalgic atmsphere of "Sally's Pigeons" show both her range as a writer/co-writer and as a truly talented vocalist. Just ask Mariah Carey to whip up something this...sincere...betcha she can't! And yes, the CD should include "Good Enough", "Hole In My Heart", "The World Is Stone" and "Who Let In The Rain", but even without those beloved slices of pop Cyndi-style, this collection truly shines. The sound quality of the tracks alone is enough to make saliva dance and gush all about your mouth, but add that to the fact the much of the content has been remixed into what I would deem as their definitive versions and it's nearly enough to send one into cardiac arrest. Definately a must have! (also...you should check out the new DVD)

Twelve Deadly Syns released in 1994 has still been comprehensive guide to Cyndi Lauper music. Interestingly though she let the compilation include two of the Blue Angel days' tracks I'm Gonna Be Strong and Come on Home by which you can enjoy the different color of Cyndi music. Particularly I'M GONNA BE STRONG is an excellent addition showcasing Cyndi's intensive vocal countering well with Bette Midler or Barbara Streisand. HEY NOW is the self-rendition of GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN. But I feel this one just ruins the original and should have had a different song instead. Two of collaboration with HOOTERS works fine in this CD. One of which TIME AFTER TIME is the very song which gave the Hooters an opportunity to debut with amazing result. The more recent collaboration THAT'S WHAT I THINK is fun pop track and I also love this.

Verdict: Great and Comprehensive compilation and has interesting approach to include unknown days tracks for fans. Well done.
Rating: 88 out of 100. HEY NOW contributed the loss of points.
Also Japanese version has three more tracks and that would add to the relative minus to this 14-track version.
Recommended for: Wide range of 80s pop rock fans.

In all my long life I have bought many albums. There were only two in which I liked EVERY song--"Tiffany," by Tiffany and "12 Deadly Cyns." And no, I'm no teenybopper, I'm a 61-year-old male who enjoys a wide range of music. Tiffany and Cyndi Lauper are also my two favorite singers of all time.Again, every song on this album is good; and, in fact, six of my seven favorite Cyndi songs are here. Only "Who Let in the Rain" is missing, and if you buy the "12 Deadly Cyns" video you also get that song!My favorites are "Who Let in the Rain," "She Bop" and "I Drove All Night," and if you just listen to those 3 songs you will hear the FULL range, power and beauty of Cyndi's amazing voice. Also here are her major hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "True Colors" and "Time After Time," plus"Money Changes Everything" and "All Through the Night" (which for some reason is not on the video).If you want to buy just ONE Cyndi album (although I can't imagine buying just one) this should be it!

Buy it it you like Cyndi Lauper, or if you think that you *might* like Cyndi Lauper. The first songs are from "Unusual", all the best stuff except for the Prince song (which is first rate). Oh, and "Unusual" has the three bonus live tracks, those are very nice. Cyndi tells the audience that "she loves them to", and asks the age old rhetorical question, "is it true that everybody bops?".

But back to "12 Deadly", Cyndi included "I'm Gonna be Strong", where she demonstrates that in terms of vocal range, and emotional intensity, she is up there with the best.

The last half or so of the CD is mostly "True Colors" and "Hat Full of Stars" stuff, and all I have heard from those. The only song that I really don't care for is "Whats going On". I liked the Marvin Gaye version, maybe that is the problem. That was from "True Colors".

Only one song from "A Night to Remember". That CD has three songs that are considered her best by many fans, so i assume that the record company did not want to interfere with sales on that one. i like the "A Night to Remember" CD a great deal.

"12 Deadly" ends with two previously unreleased songs with a reggae beat. "(Hey Now) Girls Just Wanna..." is quite nice, that song really was not appreciated enough for itself, when you get the Video out of your head (albeit a great video), you realize that the song stood on its own merits.

i agree with most fans, "Goonies" should be here, but it is said that Cyndi hates it. i don't know, but maybe she hates the video that went with it, that was lame, right up there with "Plan 9 From Outer Space". Cyndi was cute in everything she did, and the part where she complains about the gas station is funny, but *i* would be embarassed if i had done that video. So maybe that is why she hates "Goonies."

Last thing, i like the thank you's that Cyndi puts in the liner notes...i get the impression that she is really a nice person (not saying an angel...who is?), but clearly she has many friends, and that says a lot about her. She seems to always worry about hurting anybody's feelings by leaving them out. Not the cookie cutter thank you's but heart felt ones, you can tell.

"Twelve Deadly Cyns" is a compilation of Cyndi Lauper's greatest hits. Every track is equally as catchy as the next. She begins with the rerecording of "I'm Gonna Be Strong", originally recorded by her former band Blue Angel in 1980. At that time, the single didn't hit mainstream, and the album barely hit Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart.

The following single on this compilation, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", explains how that changed once she went solo. The hit singles from her album "She's So Unusual" are extra amazing considering her traumatic events before the recordings. She lost her voice in the early 80's, and doctors didn't think she would ever sing again. Instead, she sounded much better as expressed. Sometimes, she's wacky("She Bop"); sometimes, she's sensitively soulful("Time After Time"). Such combination is rarely mastered so well by a musician. These five tracks answer why she deserved the Grammy win for Best New Artist for 1984.

The singles from her other three albums are equally wonderful. She presents the audience how she's evolved as a musician. Through everything, her music remains wacky or soulful. Cover songs "What's Going On"(Marvin Gaye) and "I Drove All Night"(Roy Orbison) match the quality of the original versions. Her wackiness changes style on "That's What I Think", originally released in 1993. She adds some reggae with some of her own elements, and she begins playing some of her own instruments. Those are performed equally as well as her voice.

Her new recordings are "Come On Home" and the new version of "(Hey Now) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". "Girls..." was released specially for the movie "Too Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything...Julie Newmar". The two new tracks are a wonderful way to end the album. Seemingly, she presents her evolution in her music, but she's never forgotten her musical roots. They continue a similar musical trail as "That's What I Think".

"Twelve Deadly Cyns" is a great compilation for Cyndi Lauper fans. Behind the ever-changing hair color is an amazing and powerful voice. These tracks answer why the mainstream needs her back. Many will enjoy this album. Those who want to listen to her further musical evolution should also buy her newest album "At Last". Such back to back combination should give everyone a wonderful journey.

Cyndi Lauper was a sensation in the early 80s. She started to flop with the releases of A Night To Remember in 1989 (her third album) and Hat Full Of Stars in 1993 (her fourth album). This album is a collection of Cyndi's hits from the first four albums and they are her most greatest hits, despite the fact that The Goonies 'R' Good Enough, the hit theme from the film, The Goonies, is not included on here.

I'M GONNA BE STRONG
Previously unreleased. Back in 1980, Cyndi Lauper was in the band named, Blue Angel. They recorded and released their self-titled debut album, which went nowhere. On that album was a song, I'm Gonna Be Strong. Cyndi re-recorded the song for this collection and it is an amazing song and a good way to pay her respects to her band.

GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). Everybody says that Cyndi Lauper's first album, She's So Unusual, was released in 1984. That, ladies & gentlemen, is a typo. The album was released in 1983. Girls Just Want To Have Fun was the first single from the album and it is still a great song with fun-filled energy.

MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). A great song.

TIME AFTER TIME
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). One her best songs. The song was even played in the hit film, Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion (1998), starring Mira Sirvino as Romy and Lisa Kudrow (best-known as Phoebe Buffay on TVs Friends) as Michelle.

SHE BOP
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). This song shocked everyone around the world when it was revealed that the song is about female masturbation. It's still an awesome song, even today.

ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT
From the album She's So Unusual (1983). A great song.

CHANGE OF HEART
From the album True Colors (1986). One of only three songs I love from the True Colors (1986) album. If you listen closely, you'll hear The Bangles providing back-ups.

TRUE COLORS
From the album True Colors (1986). Second of only three songs I love from the True Colors (1986) album. Great guitar sound.

WHAT'S GOING ON
From the album True Colors (1986). This is not the third song that I love from the True Colors (1986) album. The third song from the True Colors (1986) album that I like is her rendition of Iko Iko. This was originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and I find it just as bad as his.

I DROVE ALL NIGHT
From the album A Night To Remember (1989). The album was a flop and that explains why this song was the only hit from the album. People seem to dislike the albums that are actually unbelievably amazing. A Night To Remember (1989) is my favorite album from Cyndi Lauper and this song is one of the best.

THAT'S WHAT I THINK
From the album Hat Full Of Stars (1993). A great song. I don't know what the rest of the HFOS album sounds like, though, because I don't have that one.

SALLY'S PIGEONS
From the album Hat Full Of Stars (1993). Not a great song.

HEY NOW (GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN)
Previously unreleased. That's right, this is a re-recorded version of her classic hit, Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Frankly, I prefer the original.

COME ON HOME
Previously unreleased. Okay.

Containing only the best of her hits, this is a must-have Cyndi Lauper album.

i don't know whether or not to call this a "best of" or not since the release of the essential cyndi lauper could possibly be called that but i'm waiting for the "definitive" best of, but it's all good you know?

anywho...
it's a great cd with songs that most casual lauper fans might not know about, and songs that a lauper fan loves...(which is possibly all of time heh). it's a nice collection but...it is a bit lacking for example no "my first night without you" from "a night to remember". but i am happy "i drove all night" is on here. "sally's pigeons" is definitely a tear-jerker. the version of "she bop" on this cd is the single version not the album version from "she's so unusual". for those who want the goonies song...it's on the essential.

all in all it's a great cd with 3 songs that aren't availible anywhere else (as far as i can tell). so this is definitely worth picking up.

+p.s. "i drove all night" is not a roy orbison cover. it was written for him but he turned it down. it was then offered to cyndi and she took it. he heard what she did with it and he covered her. in the end...it is her song :) thank you.

The release of Cyndi's cynful toonz on a compilation in 94 only served to revive (majorly in Europe) a talent that has been long overlooked and dormant since the True Colors effort. This cd only cover up to the Hatful of Stars cd, and even then doesn't give it full justice - the title track shoulda been a single! However, this is not a Greatest Hits 9as not all the big singles are on here) but rather a delectable taste of old and new/reworked trax which served to remind (along with a reggae update of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun) the world wot a wondrous and overlooked talent Lauper is. The re-recording of Blue Angel's I'm Gonna Be Strong is a harrowing vocal performance than would leave Franklin in awe and shame....torturous. All Through The Night and Time After Time timeless, and True Colors, poetry on a musical canvas, all of which reveal the range of auper's tonsils. I Drove All Night shall no doubt remain Lauper's mature chef d'oeuvre and the only track from the highly under-rated and magnificent A Night To Remember. I could go on...loadsa happy toonz too....Change of Heart with Bangles on backing is powerfully confident, She Bop (who'da thought ...[this] would be such a catchy song topic???) and the signatory classic Girls Just Wanna will go down in time. Hat goes off to Lauper for Who Let In The Rain ..... an anguished song that just chills. Add to that the wondrous poetry of Sally's Pigeons and the reowrking of Plamandon's French Epic The World Is Stone and you have one helluva ride from the girl who not only wanted to have fun but show the world wot a lost talent she is.....Come On Home a dodgy reggae thingy, and well worth skipping over. The sad thing is that sales of this cd indicated that there may have bene life in the old Lauper...yet the follow-up album, Sister of Avalon (an absolute KLASSIK) did nothing. The world's loss....but definitely my gain. A misunderstood genuis...this cd only gives a taster as to how amazin she really is