Boppin', Rockin' and Groovin'

She's So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper

A smash major label debut is the stuff of musician dreams. If I could simply get folks to listen to my music, the usually unspoken plea begins, I know people would buy it. These words are most often realized after playing before a dozen drunk patrons on a Wednesday night, none of whom managed to capture your name or pay attention to your music.

Cyndi Lauper undoubtedly had such thoughts on the roller coaster ride that culminates in what the press usually calls an overnight sensation. After forming a duo in the late 1970s called Blue Angel with keyboardist/saxophonist John Turi, Lauper hit rock bottom when their album did not sell. The trained vocalist filed for bankruptcy and supported herself with local gigs.

After Bankruptcy, Look At Cyndi's Hooters

Only the advent of MTV and its embrace of the anthemic Girls Just Wanna Have Fun video finally caused the public to listen to Lauper. What they found was a mélange of sounds - pop, dance and light new wave skated over solid beats laid down by a super South African session player, Anton Fig. The beat was admirably supported by soon-to-be Hooter Eric Bazilian's guitar work and Rob Hyman's haunting harmonies with Lauper on Time After Time.

Hyman and Bazilian went on to form The Hooters, playing a generation later version of The Eagles to Lauper's Linda Ronstadt. The Hooters never enjoyed the Eagles' success, of course, but several hits, mostly from 1985's Nervous Night have given the band its spot in rock history, albeit a smaller one.

As Ronstadt's Eagles caused her early music to soar, so too the crackerjack band used on She's So Unusual allowed Lauper to switch styles, melding perfectly on ballads, pop and dance alike. Production, handled by native New Yorker Rick Chertoff, is top notch. The song mix glides between styles and no songwriter involved in the project, including Lauper herself, receive too much space. Chertoff hones the ten cuts found on She's So Unusual to a radio-friendly 34 minutes, perfect for the short attention span theater that was quickly invading U.S. homes in the form of rock videos. Chertoff rode his success from Lauper and The Hooters to similar debut efforts from Joan Osborne and Sophie B. Hawkins. The trio of popsters all had incredible debuts - as much a tribute to Chertoff's skills. Naturally, he was also behind the boards for The Hooters' debut.

Lock Into A Block That Grooves

No female artist - not Madonna, not Janet, not Paula Abdul, may have summarized the entire range of 1980s chart-top hits as the middle block of songs on She's So Unusual. The fourth through the sixth tracks lead off with Time After Time (a number one single), She Bop (number three) and All Through The Night (number five). Add in Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, a platinum single selling a million copies by itself, and the entire album swells with the sounds of the 1980s.

Even the ballads feature a commanding rhythm and irresistible dance-style hooks. Frequently, songs have a schizophrenic nature and effortlessly segue between multiple styles. This may be the definitive series of consecutive tracks from that era.

It's Not The Clothes, Stupid

Unlike KISS or other gimmick-laden acts, Lauper seems happy to use her looks and style to capture the listener's attention and then simply overpowers them with the strength of her music. Several hits followed, mostly minor, and Lauper was quickly and unfairly dismissed as a Material Girl wanna-be. That is a shame, but poor song choice (with the exception of True Colors) did just as much to damage her career.

Still, those who do not have this debut effort would be missing out on a special piece of rock that holds up surprisingly well after almost twenty years. Cyndi Lauper rocks. And pops. And grooves. You will too when listening to She's So Unusual.

There is a reissue that has three bonus tracks and some remasters. This review is from the original 1983 album.