Cyndi Lauper - At Last
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Free Music Notes for At Last
Free Music Review: At Last--covers I can listen to! I smell Grammies!
Hit: 5 Stars
Updated 12/21/03: It seems a lot of fans (and so-called 'fans' who can't spell her name right) are disappointed with her agreement to cover some classics, rather than record songs of her own accord. I, too, had hopes for a complete "Shine" (which most fans downloaded anyway), but if we want that next chapter in her career to come to light, we have to accept that she may have to do what it takes to get back into the spotlight and hold onto a major record label. This is what's called "Business Savvy". She's had her highest debut on Billboard with this release. She's proving that she CAN sing! And more will take notice and, at least, give her next release of original material a chance to be heard. Any true fan knows that her next release will be just that. I have turned 6 co-workers onto this CD and they all love it. All of them thought she stopped singing since the 80's! That should give you an idea of how many people were listening in the 90's. And on top of all that pressure, she's come out with 'covers' that sound very little like the popular recordings. It isn't easy to cover songs and make them 'new' again the way she has on "At Last". Give her a break and really listen to these interpretations! They're fresh and original. If you want to hear a successor to the great "Sisters of Avalon" or "Hat Full of Stars", then stop rating this CD with 1 or 2 stars simply based on that fact you're disappointed that these songs aren't written by her. As another reviewer said, "this is not background music". Crank it up and really listen to this woman sing with all the emotion only a true artist can deliver! First review: Cyndi's keeping me up late tonight on its first day of release! I listened to the Sony 30-second previews over and over before this CD was released, and it's still better than I anticipated! I've never been fond of cover songs, but when Cyndi records a cover song, she makes it her own. The emotion, the angst, she pours into these recordings are absolutely beautiful and, on occasion, tear-jerking. Like one reviewer suggested, I sat in the dark with candles and a glass of wine to intently listen to these songs and I was mesmerized. This should be Cyndi's best-selling CD yet. Don't listen to the cynical reviews that try to poke creative fun. There is nothing funny about this CD! This is a well-developed, mature voice singing like an angel to the songs she treasured from her youth--and making them 'original' again. I've always disliked covers where the singers try to mimick the popular recordings. Cyndi does NOT. It's like the lyrics and music were fresh and just presented to her to see what she could do with them. And what she does with them is pure magic! Yes, I am biased and have loved Cyndi since 1984, but this is by far her best creative effort. I imagine reworking 'standards' the way she has would be the most challenging effort. There isn't a bad song on this CD; nor a bad note. The simplicity of the orchestration as a backdrop to her impressive 4-octave vocals makes this CD one-in-a-million. "La Vie En Rose" had to be one of the most difficult songs to approach, but she does it with such grace. Not to mention the songs we've heard done over and over--like "Unchained Melody"--are done with the artisty only she can pull off. "At Last", "If You Go Away", "Walk On By", "Until You Come Back to Me" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" are stand-outs. And before it seems I'm slighting any song, let me say ALL of these songs are an important part of this creative masterpiece. Just when you think you've had enough of the somber songs, she throws in a Latin-Lounge "Stay", an enjoyable "My Baby Just Cares For Me", a fun duet with Tony Bennett on "Makin' Whoopee" and finalizes the disc with an energetic 'New Orleans' style "On the Sunny Side of the Street". Do not pass-up the opportunity to be one of the first to purchase this CD. You won't be disappointed. This is one of a kind! Artists will try to repeat this effort in the future...and fail in comparison!
Free Music Review: She's magnificant
Hit: 5 Stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from this collection, but I must comment that the negative reviews must have been based on people expecting to hear something like "Girl's just wanna have fun", which I also like by the way, or by people who didn't quite hear what they expected and dismissed it.
Don't listen to it and make a judgment. Listen 5 times, a dozen, 50. Each time I listen, it becomes more moving. Each time it draws something new and exciting from my assortment of emotions. This collection exudes raw emotion and expects to create an emotional response in the listener. It succeeds.
Cyndi, please do more.
Correction:
I wrote a review of "At Last" a few days back. It was written based on my memory of having listened to the album a while back.
After I wrote the review I went back and listened again. Several times.
Cyndi nails it. The producer/music director nails it. Buy this album. At a minimum purchase several of the individual songs. You can't go wrong.
There are at least eight songs on the album that are each worth the cost of the album, much less a $.99 download.
The album is Cyndi and her interpretation/ presentation of the material. The instrumental presentation compliments her voice while at the same time allowing Cyndi's unique presentation to take center stage. Unlike some albums I've listened to, the instrumental accompaniment never takes the stage, it's always Cyndi.
Now, my some of my favorites.
At Last.
I'll start with the title track. In my opinion, Etta James has always owned this song. Hers is the "Gold standard", by which others will be measured, but which will never be surpassed. Surprisingly, while I will admit, Cyndi probably doesn't surpass Ms James, she certainly equals her. Had Cyndi's performance occurred first, we'd be measuring all others against hers and I'm not sure if Ms James would measure up to Cyndi. Cyndi is that good.
Unchained Melody.
One of the most recorded songs of the 20th century. It seems an artist has to attempt this song in order to see how their interpretation measures against others. I love the song and have heard many wonderful presentations of it. The motion picture "Ghost", provided both vocal and instrumental versions which are very good. I'm not sure I had a particular favorite among those that I've heard which varied from excellent to very bad.
I just may have a "favorite" with the release of "At Last", as I find it difficult to imagine someone surpassing or even equaling Cyndi's. Just take a listen. Enough said.
La Vie En Rosé, Hymn to Love. I'll put these two together because every time I listen to one I feel it's one of the best vocal presentations I've ever heard. Until I listen to the other. Listen to them both. Over and over. Have a tissue handy.
Of the remaining songs, there may be one or possibly two which would individually not be worth the price of the album, "Making Whoopee" comes to mind, however if you're a Tony Bennett fan (Isn't everyone?), I'm sure you'll enjoy it. But on a Cyndi Lauper album, I wanted Cyndi. I wouldn't have been disappointed had this song not made the cut.
Not wanting to end on a negative, I'll repeat. Listen to any of the tracks I've mentioned above. The samples on Amazon are nice, but you really need to listen to the entire track, preferably several times, to fully appreciate Cyndi's presentation. Try "Stay" for a somewhat Latin interpretation of an old standard. No one will ever equal Maurice Williams, even Cyndi, but hers is somewhat unique. "If You Go Away", "Don't Let Me Be misunderstood", both excellent.
Some may fault my assessments. That's OK. Edith Piaf is hard to beat on "Hymne a l"amour", but try to listen to Cyndi without a compelling emotional response. I could go on, but enough said. Buy it. You'll really be missing something, if you don't.
Free Music Review: Cyndi doesn't disappoint her numerous fans
Hit: 5 Stars
Cyndi Lauper fans have been anxiously awaiting the follow-up to her short but intriguing CD "Shine," and this collection of standards proves the wait was worthwhile. "At Last" is full of superb renditions of songs Cyndi loved while growing up in Queen's, New York. This eclectic, heartfelt CD opens with the Etta James standard "At Last," adding a vulnerability surpassing that of the Etta James version. Cyndi's voice is still shiver-inducing after all these years, after all her personal problems, critical and commercial failures, and a droning chorus of people who clucked their tongues about her wasted potential, especially compared with another, more commercially-successful blonde pop singer from the 1980s. This CD should silence all of her detractors, and make her a legion of new fans. The second cut is a plaintive version of "Walk on By," stripped of anything but the barest accompaniment and thus a perfect vehicle for the familiar voice. The next track, the Latin-flavoured "Stay," is a nod to her numerous dance-music fans. The song is punctuated with brassy horns and congas and a shouting male chorus and still manages to transcend the campy, kitschy possibilities. The fourth song, her reading of Piaf's "La vie en rose," is soft and sad, as is Brel's/McKuen's "If You Go Away," the sixth track. The sixth track seems to pay a small debt to Natacha Atlas' superb version of the song (titled "Ne me quitte pas" in French). The fifth cut, Cyndi's version of "Unchained Melody" is surprisingly subtle and understated, and more powerful for that reason. The jazzy, breezy "Until you Come Back to me" is made even more fun by the addition of a Stevie Wonder (one of the cowriters of the song) harmonica solo. Next is "My Baby Just Cares for me," which is cool and blue in a New York-at-night kind of way. Her duet with Tony Bennett on "Makin' Whoopee" is likewise a lot of fun, especially with the spoken banter between the two legends. It sounds like Cyndi actually managed to crack the old crooner up. Cyndi manages to take "Don't Let me be Misunderstood" in an unexpected and very personal direction, adding as much power and emotion as she previously did with "Time After Time," "All Through the Night," and other classics. It is probably this cut which will invite the most comparison with Tori Amos, although I think the comparison is a bit superficial. The eleventh track is "You've Really Got a Hold on me," spare and simple but with dark undertones and a sense of longing. Next is another evocation of Piaf in "Hymn to Love," again elegant and moving in its simplicity. Cyndi's version is so beautiful, it's like hearing the standard for the first time. The CD closes with the sunny, ska-inflected "On the Sunny Side of the Street," a tribute to Cyndi's loyal fans. I'm thrilled with Cyndi's version of these old classics, and think this CD will stand among her best work for many years to follow.Free Music Review: At Last - The Fire behing Elegance
Hit: 5 Stars
Hi I am a young Cyndi Lauper fan. I have been reading a lot of these reviews. Lots of greats ones! But truly some shocking ones. How can anyone say this is bad?!?! A vocal matser-piece. If you truly are a Cyndi Lauper fan - you will appreciate this. You need to open your minds, ears and most of all your hearts and you will see the magic of this album come to life. You will see how she took these songs and they were brought back to the heart of the matter. The all tell a story.I am a rare one in my generation. Being born in the 80's - my musical taste are that of the 60's. The greatest muiscal influence in my life is that of Mr. Bob Dylan. So there is the man in my life. The most powerful influential woman in my life would be Cyndi Lauper. Cyndi has always stood her ground and been her own color. And like Mr. Bob Dylan is not easily accepted by all. People don't understand her or see the magic.
The cd "At Last" - is indeed magic. Cyndi Lauper has held the crazy fun girl image her whole life. Did you ever think she would shake that? Of course not!!! She will always be the wild child of the 80's - but now that wild girl has stepped up and Took that 80's rock drive and brought to life the 40, 50's and 60's with elegance. The power of her vocals will make you melt. Her emotional impact on the standards are truly devine and full of inspiration and wonder.
You hear theses songs and it brings you back to a time. I feel like this cd takes me as far back as the Roaring 20's. Times when I can only use my imagination to see - these songs paint the picture. "Stay" is Ms Cyndi with a Latin twist - a spunky touch to a classic. Don't you see The 80's Wild Child is all there. The 40's, 50's and 60's have been brought to life in a unique, powerful and very touching way. "At Last" - The song itself brings you to the heart of NY - to the hustle and bustle of the streets and the people. Cyndi is one of the most inspirational woman of this time. Never afraid to be herself and to give it her all. She has reinvented herself - no longer the funky little pop 80's girl - that spark will always be in her only now her beauty and Elegance shows the spark of the Woman in her.
"At Last" is by far one of the best vocal albums I have ever heard in my entire life - To passionalty touch some one singing to them face to face is one thing, but to pull passion through an album and put it in to the soul of another almost seems impossible - but hey to Cyndi Lauper - NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Buy this cd - she is classy and devine with the 80's spark. As for you still lost in the 80's and not accepting change - well you don't know WHAT YOU ARE MISSING!!!!!
Free Music Review: Cyndi's ode to New York City
Hit: 5 Stars
There's a right time and a right place for many things throughout life. After my first listen to Cyndi Lauper's latest offering "At Last", that's exactly the feeling that I had. The right time- the right place. Although at a quick glance one would think this was just another "covers" album, scratch the surface and you realize that it's much more than that. As another New York artist, Laura Nyro, accomplished when she sang covers, Lauper's album is a love song to New York City. (The cover photos suggest such as well.) Like Nyro, the choice of material and the essence of its effect on the listener have more to do with the streets of New York than anything else. In fact, Lauper writes of the influence of her youth in New York City as the primary inspiration for this album.
Given her inspirational source, I would have to say that Lauper delivers a stunning display here. First of all she boldly sings these songs with somewhat sparse instrumentation that is not necessarily what we're accustomed to her doing. (Although I have seen her live on TV do such things.) The large presence of the sparse and bleak piano accompaniment echoes the sound of Nyro's classic "New York Tendaberry."
The album has the feel of a minimalist cabaret setting. It has a somewhat spontaneous and natural quality to it and sounds like many of the vocals may have been recorded in one take. That leads me to say that another certain someone who came to fame at the same time as Lauper would fall flat on her face if she tried something as daring as this. Unlike this other "performer", Lauper has moved through her career with grace, charm and wit and comes out the real winner in the end.
There have already been many reviews written here that praise this song and that song on the album. I can only add my voice to those others and say that Lauper's version of "Walk On By" will break your heart and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" hits the nail on the head. Her version of Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" ( a song that Nyro covered too) is impressive in the way that she keeps the emotions of the song at bay and sings it with quiet frustration. "Hymn To Love is quite lovely and it's use of the Shaker tune "Simple Gifts" is very clever and unexpected - and it works.
But, we still get some of the "old" Lauper style on her takes of "Stay" and "The Sunny Side of the Street" and they're great fun! Her bantering with Tony Bennett on the duet "Makin' Whoopee" is also the Cyndi that we've always known.
After all's been said, this album must be considered a complete success. And no one deserves it more than Lauper. She's always done things on her own terms and persevered. Here's hoping that this wonderful performance gets its due recognition.