Is She so Unusual? Go back to the main Cyndi Lauper page and find out ... She's So Crap Overall Album Score: 7.6 out of 10 No discussion of '80s pop music can ever be complete unless the phenomenon of Cyndi Lauper is brought up. I want to call Lauper a phenomenon because she was not just a very popular figure of the early '80s, but for some unexplained reason she continues to be a household name to this day. Even I was aware of Cyndi Lauper during my teen years in the late '90s when I professed to hating rock music altogether. So, the cultural impact Lauper had is significant if not staggering. Furthermore, the only reason Lauper is famous is because of this album. None of her subsequent releases has any songs that even approach such monster '80s pop staples as "Time After Time," "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "All Through the Night." Looking at this album, it's not a great work of art; it's just another inconsequential addition to the pop music of the early '80s. It's definitely above average for the genre, but she nor her producers or songwriters strive to make any grand statements. Perhaps the biggest reason for Lauper's status is her funny fashion sense ... often putting together a mixture of random articles of clothing. (Just look at that outfit on the album cover ... not to mention the funny pose.) She's also well regarded for her four-octave voice, although she's not singing too nicely on this album. She sings almost exclusively in her cartoony, baby-girly voice with the combined stylings of Bryan Ferry and Elvis Presley. There's nothing wrong with that of course, but there are a few times when her vocals are annoying. But she's trying at least, and she does have much more style than other singers from the era such as Laura Branigan or *ahem* Madonna. Like any pop album, the most worthwhile moments are the big hits, and the supporting material is usually filler. Though I think using the term 'filler' for this album is going too far. At least I get the sense that the producers were trying to create some formidable songs with developed arrangements even though the original melody might not have been catchy whatsoever. Although I will definitely point out that the non-hit "Money Changes Everything" is a thunderous opener and there are enough merits to the straight-ahead pop song "When You Were Mine" and the Orwellian synth-pop "She Bop." It's the final four songs of the album that comprise of the weakest bits. "Witness" is a bland take-off on reggae and "Yeah Yeah Yeah" is so ridiculous that you think that Lauper was joking. Well, maybe she was joking! After all, she's so unusual... Whether that's the case, it definitely doesn't make the songs any more enjoyable. Anyway, let's just be happy that this is a formidable album. I'll never concede to Lauper's legion of fans that this is one of the best pop albums of the '80s, but it's certainly above average. Furthermore, its historical notoriety is undeniable. Overall Album Score: 7.6 out of 10 (Not a masterpiece whatsoever, but this is an iconic album and for legitimate reasons. The hits are certainly worthwhile anyway...) Average Song Score: 7.9 (This is an above average album for the genre. So, good job 'dere.) Album Tilt: 7.5 (It's not an album-oriented work, but it's more consistent than these kind of things generally are.) Artist Rating: 7.5 (The production is better than most albums of the genre. That is undeniable. Plus, you have to acknowledge that there's an Orwellian synth-pop song here...) Track Reviews Money Changes Everything 8/10 So, you're going to just have to accept that Cyndi Lauper has an annoying voice. She sings with some overly cutesy, bubblegum vocals that frequently find themselves off-key. I suppose she was trying to be the '80s female version of Bryan Ferry or something --- which was a nice idea I suppose. Otherwise, this actual composition isn't a poor one. It's a typical '80s harder pop song with a determined snare drum and some nicely chosen synthesizers. (I especially like that one we hear cranking away at a low register.) The melody is pretty catchy, and I can see how they thought it would have made a great, anthemic song to get the ball rolling on this album. Girls Just Want to Have Fun 8/10 One of the most horrible memories I have of my disastrous one-year tenure at Kansas State University took place during a very hot afternoon at the dormitories. The people in charge of turning on the air conditioning were sleeping on the jobs, so everyone had to have their windows open. Some dork on the first floor decided to loop this song on his stereo very loudly at full volume --- and we had to live with it or leave. We weren't going to shut our windows for no man! Well I had to leave, because I couldn't take it anymore. ... Six years later, I still feel the pain. But in all honesty, this is a pretty good song. The melody is formidable but nothing that's feeling proud about. The '80s song production has a fun, kitschy quality to it that's undeniable. All in all it's a well written tune, but I wish people weren't so compelled to play it all the time. I love listening to the '80s pop radio stations, but I'm compelled to switch it off when the inevitable time comes for them to play this... When You Were Mine 8/10 You can't claim that this early Cyndi Lauper albums isn't consistent in its first half. This is just a slightly lesser song than the previous two. The production is just about the same, above-average quality. There are a few memorable hooks in the melody and a few nice chord changes. Lauper's over-the-top vocals are kind of fun, and I think I exaggerate sometimes when I say they're annoying. She does have solid chops and at least she sounds like she's trying. However, there are some moments in here where she's trying to sound so over-the-top, and it comes off as goofy. This is probably filler material, but it's better than the average pop hit from the era. There, that's worth something. Time After Time 9/10 This is another song that gets tremendously overplayed, but I actually enjoy this one. This song is played in every single movie that predicts a prom dance in the '80s (or it seems like it should be). The synth-heavy instrumentation is certainly memorable, and the melody is undoubtedly catchy. I have trouble telling this apart from Alphaville's "Forever Young," but this one's definitely better... So, way to go, Cyndi. She Bop 8/10 This is a ridiculous song. I watched the music video of this (for some reason) a year or so ago, and this song is apparently about some horrible Orwellian existence... Geez... The chorus consists of variations of "And she bop, you bop, they bop, and you bop..." But musically speaking, this has some merits. It begins as a robo synth-pop song with Lauper delivering the most enjoyable vocal performance on the album, appearing to give her best Elvis impersonation. The chorus is extremely well orchestrated that manages to help this song soar despite the limited lyrics! The hooks are primitive, but they're definitely there, and that's worth something. All Through the Night 9.5/10 I heard this song in the grocery store the other day!!! ... OK, that's no surprise. Well I always enjoy listening to this song, and I can say with an amazing degree of confidence that this is the song of Cyndi Lauper's career. How can I say that? I listened to all her studio albums of course! This is a great song because the melody is so catchy, and it doesn't get much better than that chorus. Some points are taken off for the instrumentation, which is utterly clunky sometimes. (Who knows what was with that synthesizer solo that sounds like someone killed a bagpipe.) Still, this is brill. Witness 7/10 Alright, reggae-pop should probably have ended with The Police ... especially if you're not too sure what to do with the genre. Right off the bat, this choppy and sloppy song comes off as a huge bomb, and it doesn't do anything throughout its running length to convince me otherwise. The instrumentation is hopelessly misfired (this would have sounded much less awkward without those reggae rhythms), and even then the song isn't hooky whatsoever. I appreciate the goofy developments at the end (that include a drum solo and random synth solos) and they're worth something. At the very least, this comes off as misfired instead of throwaway. I'll Kiss You 7/10 The good news is that this song isn't as awful as banal '80s pop normally gets. It's clear that this wasn't being groomed to be a hit, but the production values are perfectly passable. Lauper's vocal performance is extremely erratic. She's doing that on purpose, but it's so strange. (I guess she is so unusual after all!) The melody is alright but definitely on the bland side. The robo-funk groove is only marginally interesting. He's So Unusual 7/10 And, he's so unusual, too... This is a 30-second, scratchy old recording of Lauper singing an old jazz tune (giving a pretty impressive rendition of Betty Boop). Yeah Yeah Yeah 7/10 Geez, they really saved the worst stuff for last. There isn't anything else wrong with this song other than it's just not catchy and interesting. Maybe the most interesting aspect about this song is Lauper saying some of the most ridiculous things in the background with her baby-girly voice (i.e., "Sushi! I want sushi!"). The groove is rather menacing, and the production is alright. I like that cheap New Wave organ. BONUS TRACKS Geez, Lauper has a cartoony voice. Just hear her introduction to this live version of "Money Changes Everything." Nobody talks like that! Anyway, this live version features a much less enthusiastic vocal performance than the studio version. Other than that, it's just about as good. Why is she covering live versions of songs like "She Bop" instead of one of those massive radio hits? Eh who knows... Anyway, as expected this live version is less produced. A few new synthesizers can be heard... Um... I don't care enough to go into more detail. The only reason I got out of bed this morning was to write what I thought about the live version of "All Through the Night." Yup, I'm glad I got up this morning. She bop yer comments here!

All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. He bop on she bop on they bop over your bopping face.