Aug 15 AOTD: Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual

Aug 15 AOTD: Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual

Well, I chose this album for a couple of reasons - one, because I was supposed to be seeing her in concert tonight with Rod Stewart.  But they have postponed due to Rod having strep throat. Sigh.  And two, and more importantly, because it is an effervescent celebration of pop music fun like no other album.

My greatest memory involving Cyndi is when my wife and bought her roses, arrived early at a Cher concert where she would be opening, and then had a security guard deliver them to her dressing room with a notes saying how much my wife and I loved her.  She then entered on the first song, knelt before us (we were in the first row) and sang to us.  She also took my hand and let me escort her down the stairs and into the crowd.  She was fearless.  Unforgettable.

This is not an artist or album where I am going to brag about musical boundaries being shattered.  However, she does have an impressive range of 4 octaves (according to Classic Rock Magazine) and impressive pitch.  That said, for me this one of the most entertaining albums of my life.  I like doing just about anything to it.  My relationship to it started with strapping on my Sony Walk Man in 1985
(album was released in 1983) and mowing my dad's lawn.  But these are also songs to clean the house to, drive to, sing along to, or karaoke to.

The album served up 4 top-five hits - a first for a female artist: "Time  After Time" (a fantastic ballad co-written by Cyndi); "She Bob" (another Cyndi co-write and a lot of fun with a controversial subject); "All Through the Night (for the impressive pitch I mentioned, just listen to the notes of purity from the 3:30 mark on); and "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" (which has been covered by 30 other artists and became a feminist anthem for its day).

For those of you familiar with other 80s music, if this album sounds a little like another band from that era, it's because two of the main musicians/arrangers on the album - Rob Hyman and Eric Bazillian - were also the leaders of he Hooters.  In fact, Rob is even listed as playing a "hooter melodica" on Cyndi's album.

So strap on music playing device - I doubt if any of you will reach for a Walk Man - or crank up the stereo (also rare these days), sing along, and be pop to your heart's delight - or She Bop if you like.  After all we all just want to have fun ;)