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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Cover Me(self) Mar 28, 2009
You know, I've read a lot of reviews for this CD and I don't think I've ever seen ANY commentary on the cover shot. I can't be the only one who's found the positioning of Cyndi's right hand a little--shall we say--suggestive? I mean, c'mon: is she 'bopping' there or what? Well, she does include a remake of her diddling ditty on the record, so the visual is not inappropriate (thematically, at least).
Singers who have lengthy careers and one or more signature tunes (and, yes, you CAN have more than one) often wind up re-recording them, sometimes more than once. What might end up feeding the arguements Cyndi's harsher critics is the fact that so many of these "self-covers" come from her first solo album. (I'm referring to those folks who maintain to this day that SHE'S SO UNUSUAL is the ONLY essential Cyndi Lauper record). Throw in "True Colors" from the 2nd record, and you're pretty much admitting that Cyndi was an artist who peaked early and never re-captured that initial magic.
Of course, there are those of us who believe the actual case is quite the opposite. We maintain that--despite relative the lack of sales--she has continued to develop and grow as a singer and songwriter, and if the larger public AND the rock-crit establishment hasn't caught on to that fact, well, it's THEIR loss.
Some of the best re-makes on this record are the tunes that many listeners will find unfamiliar in the first place. "Sisters of Avalon"--the feminist anthem that should have been --is just as rousing here as the original was in '96. And "Shine"--the title track from the ALBUM that never (fully) was (except in Japan)--is as much an emotional tour de force as it was in its original version, maybe moreso.
As a project album, BODY ACOUSTIC (a title that is a great literary pun, by the way, proving once and for all that one of America's favorite high school drop-out's is no dummy--if there was ever any doubt) is certainly a worthy successor to her previous "cover" classic AT LAST. It should not be regarded as a career summary or overview, but just as what it is, a collection of new versions of her classic songs (several actual hits and others, as the liner notes put it, fan favorites.) One can argue over the selections. I could have used fewer hits like "Money Changes Everything" and "She-Bop," although they're certainly sung well and it's understandable why they were included. I love the tunes, but I don't think they necessarily translate all that well into acoustic setting. Particularly the latter, which was just made for a cheesy 80s style synth arrangement: it was giddy fun in '84. By comparison, the '05 version seems rather staid.
By comparison, however, the "new" Cyndi Lauper is rather more serious than the '84 version. The gorgeous new compositions "Above the Clouds" and "I'll Be Your River" are thoughtful and heartfelt. As are some of the other ballad selections. "Fearless," originally from AVALON is very much a sequel to such previous efforts as "Time After Time" and "True Colors." Still, Cyn is still a girl who likes her fun, as the new, even funner version of "Girls Just Wanna..." demonstrates. It's ska, it's Japanese, it's as exhiliarating as it was in any of it's previous incarnations.
Both BODY ACOUSTIC and AT LAST served as proof positive to the skeptical that Cyndi Lauper could really sing--and interpret. Those of us who have followed her career closely already knew that, of course. She has always been an artist to reckon with, and these two "project" albums drive home the point.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
No Surprises... Oct 13, 2008
What would you expect from a collection of old pop gems recorded again after several years, by using a defferent band base and instrumentation?
So that's it. Except for the two new songs and for the 'new' sound on "She Bop" and the 'ska-ish' version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", there's not really much worth stuff.
Good for fans - newcomers would prefer a Greatest Hits or the Essential Collection...
Just good enough.
3.5 *
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Good but not great Aug 01, 2008
Good Cyndi music, but if you have her albumns, then I would skip this one.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Cyndi Lauper unplugged Sep 05, 2007
I grew up in the 1980s when pop music was at its most interesting peak. Cyndi Lauper was and still is one of my favorite artists from that era. While Madonna continues to churn out and sell more (awful) albums, Cyndi has kept putting out more interesting albums. I will say I was not crazy about her last cd of jazz standards she covered. Thankfully Cyndi makes up for that awful cd with THE BODY ACOUSTIC.
THE BODY ACOUSTIC is another cd of cover songs but this time the songs are all Cyndi Lauper's, going back to the 1980s when she was enormously popular. Not only does Cyndi re-invent her own songs as acoustic tracks but she also collaborates with a diverse range of artists like the Japanese power pop duo Puffy AmiYumi, Ani Difranco, Sarah McLachlan, Shaggy, and Vivian Green. The results is immensely satisfying for me. I didn't think that Cyndi's duet with Shaggy "All Through the Night" wouldn't work but much to my surprise, the duet works. This new version is as good as the original version. I personally loved the latest version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with Puffy AmiYumi. I guess as Puffy AmiYumi fan, I am biased. I definitely like this version better than the last updated version which I thought stunk to high heavens. Who would have imagined that "She Bop" would sound good acoustically but it did. I especially loved the acoustic version of "True Colors". This version gave the goose bumps the first time I heard it.
I loved every song on the cd. Cyndi sounds wonderful as ever. I always felt she had a superior voice than Madonna. The songs still sounds fresh and never dated despite the obvious tweaking. The energy and the fun never left the songs. I'm glad I picked up this cd when I had the opportunity to get it.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Loving it! Mar 19, 2006
As a child of the 80's, I am loving her now more then ever. This is a great album. I am not going to write a book, but just simply say that I highly recomend this to anyone who remotely liked her in the 80's, she has only gotten better with age. Love It!!!
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