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Gordo's Favorite
Songs
(and some thoughts on not-so-favorite songs)
Another shot from that magical Boston show,
October 1995.
Roughly in chronological
order...
Or you can skip to the album of your choice...
| Blue Angel | True Colors | Hat Full Of Stars |
| She's So Unusual | A Night To Remember | Sisters Of Avalon |
| Shine |
| MAYBE HE'LL KNOW | The original version recorded with Blue Angel, later re-recorded for the True Colors album. It's funny, but I actually like this version better than the True Colors version. I heard the latter version first and I thought it sounded somewhat weak and out of place, but on the Blue Angel it sounds totally natural. I also like the way she sings it better here. I think the phrasing is a little better and even the production is more suited. Cyndi must have been very fond of this track to re-record it, place it second on such a highly-anticipated album and include it prominently in the supporting tour roster. I feel she should've left it here in the past, however. |
| I HAD A LOVE | A slow 50s-style dance number which evokes images of girls in poodle skirts slow dancing with their boyfriends. They made a video for this one which may or may not have influenced the images that this song conjures up for me, seeing as how, in the video, she's frolicking around with her boyfriend in 50's-style garb...hahaha. A very decent song to be sure. |
| FADE | A bubbly mid-tempo pop tune. Pretty sparse sound during the verse & bridge, but it really fills in during the chorus. This song really grows on you and is very enjoyable. One of my favorites on the album. |
| ANNA BLUE | Another slow tune, this one more dark and brooding rather than the gentle happy feeling one gets from I Had A Love. This song has a really good arrangement and phrasing. I particularly like the build-up-and-stop-on-a-dime technique used. A pretty dynamic song with a really cool saxophone solo. |
| CAN'T BLAME ME | Probably the cutest pop song on the whole record. Very much the kind of thing you'd expect from Cyndi. The verses are really bouncy, catchy and great, but it's the chorus that really makes this song. It rises up so strongly and brilliantly on Cyndi's flawless delivery of the awesome vocal melody. Possibly my favorite overall song on the record! |
| LATE | A rather hyper song with plenty of tinkling ivories not unlike Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On", but the repetitive "don't stop" bridge brings to mind the Cars' awesome "Dontcha Stop". The roller-coaster up and down chorus might make you a little queasy, sorta like a ride on the tea cups after a long day at the amusement park with too much fried dough and cotton candy sloshing around in your stomach. Others may just get a headache. They made a video for this one too which features some cool shots of the band really tearing it up live. |
| CUT OUT | Despite some very adequate musicianship, this song is a totally generic throwaway near-instrumental. Sorry guys, but there's nothing at all original about this song. It's not particularly bad or anything, it's just been done a zillion times before. The title of this song is an eerie prediction of the bin that this album would soon end up in. Ha! I kill me... |
| TAKE A CHANCE | Another good song with a standout chorus. Not much to really say about this one other than it's quite good. I think people should "take a chance" on this album :) |
| JUST THE OTHER DAY | This track includes female backing singers ala The Supremes or something. This song is a perfect example of a great bridge/chorus totally making the song (well, for me anyway). The "Did she let you go? oh oh... I see you're walking alone. Will you still talk to me if she's not by your side anymore?" part is so friggin' good! You gotta hear it to understand. It's my favorite single moment on the whole album. In the middle it breaks into this cabana-type solo that makes you want to break out a piņa colada or something. |
| I'M GONNA BE STRONG | This is really good, but she did a superior version of this song 14 years later. See my review of the song below from the 12 Deadly Cyns collection. |
| LORRAINE | First time I heard this song I barely noticed it. It just didn't make an impression on me. It's somewhat languid, monotonous, and uninspired. However, repeated listens revealed it to be a very pleasant tune and I've become quite endeared to it. It's still the weakest song on the record, though, after Cut Out. |
| EVERYBODY'S GOT AN ANGEL | A driving, rockin' tune to close out the album. It could've been much more powerful if not for the spacious production. This song is very 1980. I would not have been surprised to learn that this song was co-written with Chrissie Hynde, Nick Lowe or Elvis Costello, but instead it was co-written with Henry Gross, one of the original Sha Na Na greasers. It really wraps up the album well. |
| MAGAZINE COVER | This song wasn't on the album and it's a darn shame cuz it's really good. Quite possibly better than most of the tracks that are on the album. It's a pretty standard-style pop tune with a very slight nod to a 50's sound. The part that really grabs me is the verse. Really good vocal melody there. I haven't come across a decent-sounding version of this yet, perhaps because this never got beyond the demo stage of recording. I don't know. Obviously, if anyone has a high-quality copy I would greatly appreciate it. |
| WHAT A THRILL | Another Blue Angel track that wasn't on the album. When this song starts off it sounds like a cover of Cheap Trick's "She's Tight". Uncanny. However, after the first couple measures it steers away from that and chugs along like a locomotive. This is pretty much right in line with the rest of the Blue Angel stuff and would've sat perfectly alongside the other songs on the album. Not sure why this was left out and not released until 1985 (on the Goonies soundtrack of all places!). Perhaps it was written after they recorded it? I'd really love to know what she says at the very beginning before that adorable little laugh, so if anyone can clue me in I'd appreciate it. |
| MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING | This song really kicks off the first album with a strong rock-based pop tune. It's simple, catchy, very memorable and very "80s". Written by Tom Gray and originally recorded by the Brains, it's written from the guy's point of view and when she sings it, she changes the "she said" to "I said". This is a really good song and features the drum work of Anton Fig (who did a great job on Ace Frehley's 1978 solo album). The video for this (shot live in Houston) really captures Cyndi in her spunky, hyperactive, almost-childlike early incarnation which is disturbingly charming. This song was written in 1978. I'd like to know a little more of the origins of this song... |
| GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN | Most people will undoubtedly find this hard to understand, but I can't stand this song. I never listen to it. Maybe it's because I'm not a girl and can't relate to it, but I don't think so. I just think it's a bad song (sorry). I also think it's unfortunate that she was so branded by this song. As much as it helped her career, I think it also trivialized her in a lot of peoples' minds and her real talent wasn't given true recognition. I don't like the video either, but this shot here is irresistible. Just as a side note, this song was written by a guy, Robert Hazard...what's up with that?? |
| WHEN YOU WERE MINE | Another song written by a guy. In this case Prince (or The Artist Formerly Known As... or whatever). This is a nice, simple song. Still, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense when she says "I know that you're going with another guy." One of the few songs on this blockbuster album that wasn't a hit. She performs this song on the American Music Awards. It's a very good live version very similar in look & feel to the Money video, although the band is not visible :( |
| TIME AFTER TIME | God, what can I say about this song? One of the best songs of her entire career. Incredibly beautiful and sad. Very reminiscent of the mid-80s and anyone who was remotely cognizant at the time is surely transported back to whatever they were doing in 1984/1985 and filled with some degree of nostalgia. The first song on the album that she had a hand in creating and what an achievement. This was a glimpse of things to come from this incredible woman! The ending of the video for this song is classic. |
| SHE BOP | This song is OK, but not one of my favorites. I do prefer the album version over the single version because it's a little more stripped-down. I guess if you're into 80s music (which I am not) you can't help but love this song. The video is pretty inane and I'm not that crazy about it. It's not a bad song, though, and I certainly don't skip over it. As for the subject matter...well, I'll leave that to Dr. Ruth ("Master-Bingo"?...real subtle...haha!) |
| ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT | I love this song so much. For so many years I didn't even know it was Cyndi Lauper singing it. It soars. Again, very 80s, but not suffering for it. Written by Jules Shear. Simply excellent! She should have made a video for this. It's easily one of the best songs on the 1st album. |
| WITNESS | I think this was a carry-over from Blue Angel if I'm not mistaken. This song is OK. It has a quasi-reggae feel to it with it's syncopated staccato guitar work and echoey rim shots on the drums. Still, this, along with every other song on the record, is entirely 80s pop. I particularly like the "oh oh oh oh" parts. |
| I'LL KISS YOU | This song really exemplifies her early, spunky, teenyboppery essence. Normally I can't stand that type of thing, but she does it so naturally and unpretentiously, I can't help but adore it. This song is barrels of fun and always brings a smile to my face. Who else but Cyndi could pull off a line like "twidely-dee and twidely-dum"? OK, the Temptations did, but it just didn't have the same effect. Too funny. |
| HE'S SO UNUSUAL / YEAH YEAH |
The first half of this pair is a remake of a song written in 1929, but you won't get any depression from this lovable, lighthearted little song that doesn't even run over a minute. Her Brooklyn accent is turned up to 11 on this one and is very Helen Kane/Betty Boop-sounding. It is produced to sound very lo-fi as if it were playing on an old crank-up phonograph with a big conical speaker (like the one you see the RCA dog sitting next to). It's very low and you may be tempted to turn up the volume, but beware the beginning of Yeah Yeah which comes in very suddenly, abruptly and loudly. I made that mistake the first time I listened to it and nearly had a heartattack! Now I use quick reflexes and good timing to turn it down in between. The song Yeah Yeah is pretty dismissable. I think it's the weakest song on the album. |
| RIGHT TRACK WRONG TRAIN | The b-side to the Girls Just Want To Have Fun single. This is a really good song and, in my opinion, should have replaced one of the weaker songs on She's So Unusual. It's an upbeat, poppy number not unlike I'll Kiss You. |
| THE GOONIES R GOOD ENOUGH | I have no idea what this song has to do with The Goonies. I have a feeling she had this song called Good Enough and was approached by the movie makers to contribute a track and someone just threw 'The Goonies' into the title. The lyrics have nothing to do with the movie. Anyway, this is a good song and very representative of her early work. I remember (vaguely) going to see this movie when it came out at the theaters. There was a 2-part video for this which was loosely based on the movie but also tried to tie in some story about her and her family trying to resist getting their business taken by a bunch of thugs played by all those wrestler-types she was associating herself with back then. As you can imagine, it is very nonsensical and I find very hard to sit through. I never did understand that whole wrestling connection. |
| CHANGE OF HEART | At first I wasn't that crazy about this song, but it's grown on me. Very 80s (which is probably what turned me off on it so much in the first place), but has a lot of performance value. The video is great. It's shot in England and Cyndi looks marvelous...plus you get to see Rick Derringer on guitar. I was so surprised to see him in Cyndi's band! He came a long way from Rock & Roll Hoochie Coo, that's all I can say. |
| MAYBE HE'LL KNOW | Easily the weakest song on the record. Billy Joel doesn't help things either, I'm afraid. This definitely should have been left in the past with the Blue Angel stuff. |
| BOY BLUE | A very enjoyable song. Kinda slow and dreamy on the verses. This didn't win me over on the first listen, but after the melody sunk into my head I became very fond of it. Very nice. The live version of this on the Paris video is absolutely amazing! |
| TRUE COLORS | This one's right up there with Time After Time as one of the best songs of her career, possibly more so. This song is colossally beautiful. I don't think a more beautiful song could possibly exist. This song blows me away every time I listen to it. Very deep, very profound. This song justifies the entire album (the weakest of all her records in my opinion). Love it love it love it! I was very disappointed with the video, however. It was far too metaphorical and arty. I think just shots of her singing the song and nothing else would've been much more effective. What a song! |
| CALM INSIDE THE STORM | Another very nice song. Very upbeat and refreshing sounding. |
| WHAT'S GOING ON | The old Marvin Gaye song. She shows her good taste in covering this. The choice of this as a cover was probably partially due to his shocking murder at the hands of his father barely two years previous. Later redone for the 12 Deadly Cyns greatest hits collection and I like that version a little better that the True Colors version. The video for said version is again, not one of my favorites, but attention must be called to Rick Derringer's appearance in this. He looks like a 50-year old woman...too funny! |
| IKO IKO | Another cover from days gone by, this time from 1964. A strange song to say the least. It sounds rather Japanese, but in fact it's an old Mardi Gras song. I must say I really don't understand this at all. Not a bad song, but not particularly great either. For some reason, though, it was great to see this song performed live on the Paris video...probably because it's just so unexpected. It gives the song a new life. |
| THE FARAWAY NEARBY | This is another favorite off of this album, second only to the title track. Very catchy, upbeat and melodious. Co-written with Tom Gray, author of Money Changes Everything, and I actually like this song better. Very nice. |
| 911 | Not one of my favorites. It's OK, but not terribly memorable. Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman) makes an appearance at the end which I guess is funny if you like him. |
| ONE TRACK MIND | Same as above. |
| HEADING FOR THE MOON | Same as above. This was the b-side of the True Colors single. |
| HOLE IN MY HEART (ALL THE WAY TO CHINA) |
A wonderfully poppy song that was used in the movie Vibes, her first leading role in a feature film. Written by some guy named Richard Orange. I don't know where he came from, but he was never heard from again. Good song anyway. |
| I DROVE ALL NIGHT | A very good song written by the same two folk who gave us the unforgettable True Colors. I thought the video was a bit tacky, but the song still gleams. This kicks off her fabulous A Night To Remember album and heralds in the new, improved Cyndi. She really shines on this album! |
| PRIMITIVE | Not much to say about this song except that it's thoroughly great. She sings in a pretty high register throughout the entire song and sounds great. Nice beat and overall feel to this song. |
| MY FIRST NIGHT WITHOUT YOU | Beautiful but sad. The title says it all. Great song. Very soft and heartachingly reflective. She made a video for this, but it's pretty hard to come by. It's quite nice. I love this song. |
| LIKE A CAT | Pure pop as only Cyndi can do. This song is so awesome. I can't quite put my finger on why I like it so much. It's just so playful and very enjoyable. |
| HEADING WEST | Easily one of my favorite Cyndi songs of all time. The verses meander through one great melody after another and the choruses just soar up to the skies. A great song to listen to while driving with the window down on a cool summer night. Just be careful when you pull up beside someone because you will more than likely be singing your heart out along with her! |
| A NIGHT TO REMEMBER | Great song. Again, there's a video for this but was never released to the public. The video is very good and actually has a slightly different version of the song. It's very similar, though, so was probably an alternate take from the same recording session. Her band at this time was absolutely first-rate and it's great to get to see them just playing all together in here. |
| UNCONDITIONAL LOVE | Another one of my favorites (you're gonna hear me saying that a lot from here on). She sings so sweetly and beautifully on this, so gentle and lilting, really capturing a feeling of love. Another soaring bridge on this one. Simply excellent! Possibly one of the sweetest songs you'll ever hear, not just from Cyndi, but from anyone. I fall in love with this one every time. |
| INSECURIOUS | A little more of an upbeat song than the rest of the album. Harkening back to her early days a little bit, but not disrupting the album at all. It's kinda refreshing after so many slower, quieter songs. |
| DANCING WITH A STRANGER | This song is one of only three songs in Cyndi's entire repertoire that I dislike. I can't stand this song. I think it's horrible 80s dance music. It's strange because every other song on this record is so good. |
| I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND | Oh man, what a way to end a great album with this incredibly great song. Possibly the best on the record. Sadly beautiful much like My First Night Without You, but this is even better and more heart-tugging. It actually sounds like she's stifling tears on the verses. This song is so good. |
| KINDRED SPIRIT | Kinda more of an idea than really a song, this is the intro and outro to the A Night To Remember album. I think I read somewhere that this album was originally supposed to be titled Kindred Spirit. This is a nice little song and a nice little sentiment. Like two little musical bookends holding together a great collection of songs. |
| UNABBREVIATED LOVE | B-side to My First Night Without You. Awesome song! It was also used in the movie Off & Running. Very upbeat and somehow sophisticated sounding at the same time. I love this song. |
| BLUE MOON | I don't think this was ever officially released. If it was I desperately need a copy of it!! This is the song she's singing on the piano in the movie Off & Running and what little I got to hear of it sounded awesome! I'm not sure if she wrote it or not. She doesn't even sing the whole song, only like about 30 seconds of it. It's a real tease. If anyone knows any more about this song please let me know, especially where I can get it. |
| COLD SKY | This was from a various artists album called Music Speaks Louder Than Words. It's another great song that is kinda hard to find. Kind of a mellow song. Kinda sad and just about feeling the longing for a lost love. It really captures a feeling of loneliness and bleakness. Very good. This song was written during a trip she took to Russia as part of a humanitarian group, and there's some spoken Russian segments in there as well. |
| PUT ON YOUR GREEN SHOES | Another song from the "lost" years between A Night To Remember and Hat Full Of Stars. This is basically a song about being environmental. It's from various artists album with an ecological theme. This is very light and bouncy and very Cyndi-esque. A great little song! Her vocals really stand out on this song! |
| THE WORLD IS STONE | I love love love this song!! It's definitely one of her best songs. What can I say about it? It's classy, very sophisticated, sung with incredible emotion and execution. The lyrics are profound and cut me to the quick. The music is right there beside it and her singing is in top form. Just an awesome song through and through!! Oh yeah, the video for this is just as good as the song. Black and white and very effective. What an awesome package! |
| YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LIVE ALONE | The b-side to The World Is Stone. A lost classic is what it is. Most people probably haven't heard this song and they don't know what they're missing. It's kinda cool and restrained like a song you'd hear in a smoky jazz club or something. It has nice saxophone parts in it. It's just another really good song but not her usual style. |
| THAT'S WHAT I THINK | The track that kicks off the stellar Hat Full Of Stars album. The operative word here is "fresh". It's really a new sound for Cyndi probably due, in part, to the co-production work of Junior Vasquez. I'm sure people were surprised when they first heard this, but underneath it all it's still Cyndi, so it's great of course. A very lighthearted, upbeat and carefree sounding song that really doesn't prepare you for the incredible collection of songs to come. I was surprised she made a video for this. It seemed an unlikely choice, but it's a great video. She looks awesome and very confident and excited about her new material, which is 100% justified of course. |
| PRODUCT OF MISERY | Another one of my all-time favorites. This is probably her best pure pop song. It has a real simple melody, a heavy, foot-stomping beat, and some of her most endearing vocal work ever. She soars high and comes down low, gets raspy at times and all the time riding such an awesome pop melody. God, I love this song. Oh yeah, the lyrics are great too! |
| WHO LET IN THE RAIN | OK, you're probably sick of me saying "this is a great song", but that's just too bad (and it's not going to let up either). This is an excellent song! Another sad song, but this has a nice little melody to it that keeps it from getting excessively maudlin. I have to make mention of the video for this song which is absolutely breathtaking. Her best video ever in my opinion. She looks sooooo beautiful it nearly kills me every time I watch it. Here is an awesome snapshot from the video. Great song. |
| LIES | I'm not sure how to describe this song. It's certainly very good but not one of my favorites. A little dancey, but still firmly rooted in melody so it doesn't get into the "vacuous" territory of most of that stuff. The lyrical subject, about the sexual abuse of a child, is quite disturbing, especially considering the autobiographical element. |
| BROKEN GLASS | I was surprised when I first heard this. It has almost a retro feel to it. Almost a 70s funk thing going on here but given a 90s treatment. The subject matter of domestic spousal abuse conjures up images of Tina Turner singing it in an impassioned, sweaty 70s performance. This one took a few listens to grow on me, but of course it did. |
| SALLY'S PIGEONS | Do I need to say it again? OK I will...one of her best songs ever!! Truly an achievement as a singer and songwriter. She co-wrote this with Mary Chapin Carpenter so cheers to her as well, but I'm sure this song wouldn't be half as good if anyone but Cyndi sung it. This song is so beautiful and drips with nostalgia. The video only adds to all of this and alone is worth the purchase price of the 12 Deadly Cyns video collection. The lyrics are vague and glancing but clearly convey a sad look back at lost innocence. Simply beautiful. |
| FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS | Very strange to hear a Christmas song smack dab in the middle of this (especially considering the fact that I first started listening to this album in the month of June!) but once you get used to it it's A-OK. A nice, happy, boppy song that will eventually win you over no matter what. |
| DEAR JOHN | I still haven't quite figured this one out yet. Great song, but a little odd. It has this heavy pounding beat with kinda dirty sounding blues guitar and she's sings real low at times (she really bottoms out at times and I think that's her limit in that direction...it almost sounds like she's straining to get that low). I really like this song. The lyrics aren't about breaking up with someone, as the title may lead you to believe, but rather about trying to cheer someone up and lift their spirits. |
| LIKE I USED TO | A very upbeat, bubbly song with a message of "screw you" basically. Ha! Great stuff. At the end she gets very soulful ala Janis Joplin which is hilarious when you first hear it. You never expect to hear her singing like that, but she's full of surprises and of course does it grandly. |
| SOMEONE LIKE ME | Another great song! Classic melodious singing that hits the mark dead center. This song has a killer verse (particularly the last section of the verse) and it's my favorite part of the song. So good! |
| A PART HATE | Co-written with her husband David Thornton. Cool. This is a very good song with sort of an islandy/jungle feel to it. When I hear this song I think of rain forests or something for some reason. I'm not sure why. The lyrics are about how terrible hate is (something that is kinda funny in hindsight considering on her next album she sings a song called Love To Hate). The lyrics are very good on this one. Very well-written. It's the music, I guess that makes me think of the islands and such. It's kinda tribal. Anyway, another great song! |
| HAT FULL OF STARS | A piano ballad ala Elton John. Naturally it's beautiful. A satisfying ending to an outstanding album. |
| COLD | The b-side to Who Let In The Rain. This one is pretty upbeat, kinda dancey. It's about sealing off your feelings and being afraid of intimacy. It's a really nice song any Cyndi fan would eat up. |
| I'M GONNA BE STRONG | I talk about this one in the album review for 12 Deadly Cyns and I don't have much more to say about it. This is excellent. It wasn't until after I had listened to the song about 100 times that I actually read the lyrics. What I thought was "...I won't break down and cry" (in fitting in with the title) actually turned out to be "...how I'll break down and cry". That discovery made the song so much more powerful to me. Now I tear up every time I listen to it. Such a great song and such a fabulous performance!!!! I love the video for this song. There's also a live video for this, recorded somewhere in France I think, that is mind-blowing. It's one thing to see her lip sync to it in the video, but seeing her actually sing it is paralyzing. |
| COME ON HOME | Again, not much more to add to what I say about this song in my album review. Such an awesome song. That bass line is so playful and infectious. An absolutely adorable song. Alone makes it worth the purchase price of the collection. Even if you have every other song, you must own this! |
| SISTERS OF AVALON | As you may or may not know, my favorite album, so get ready for a lot of uncontrolled gushing. From the first few lines you know she's ascended to a new level of songwriting. Everything sounds so good and promising and it's true...the best is yet to come! |
| THE BALLAD OF CLEO AND JOE | Well, we have to get over this one little speedbump first. This is part three of the four least liked songs of mine. I don't really like this song. I have no affection for the whole clubbing scene that this song pays homage to. All I can think of is images of assorted transvestites cavorting about. Not a pretty sight in my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not homophobic or cross-dresser-phobic (is that a word?) in the slightest, but it's just not something that I find appealing. I also think this is one of her worst videos. She filmed this video while pregnant wearing a tight, glittery dress and I swear her belly looks exactly like a disco ball. I assume this was intentional and it is pretty funny. All imagery aside, though, most importantly I don't like the song itself. It just doesn't sound good to me. Incidentally, does the "Ooooooooooooh ooh ooh" part remind anyone else of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"?? And this wasn't too distant from when she actually did a cover version of it. Hmmmmmmm...just a thought. |
| FALL INTO YOUR DREAMS | Moving on... Here we have one of the best songs on the album, of her entire career. This song is sooooo good, I can barely stand it. That melody is irresistible. So soothing and enchanting. Then out of nowhere comes this soaring bridge that lifts you up and then this violin solo that makes your head swim. This song is incredible, period. |
| YOU DON'T KNOW | Another awesome song. This time more pop, rock even, but very restrained. Like you expect her to go over some edge, but she never does. It's very controlled (unlike the next song). I love the guitar work of Nigel Pulsford on this (Jan's brother? husband?) which is very reminiscent of Mick Ronson circa 1970 (can you say The Man Who Sold The World??) This song sounds so fresh and very cool. That's the best way I can describe it. It's like taking a step out of a stuffy building into a cool, clear night. Great song! I wasn't really crazy about the video for this, though. I liked the shots of them just performing in that room, but the camera is too all over the place and doesn't let you focus on anything which really annoys me. This song is the first (and only as far as I know) to reveal Cyndi with a pottymouth. She says "bullshit". Please Cyndi, my virgin ears!! |
| LOVE TO HATE | OK, when I first heard this I thought, what are you doing Cyndi? My cynical, jaded brain said she was jumping on the Alanis Morrissette bandwagon. I don't know. It's awfully coincidental this song coming out at that time. Either way, I really don't care that much. I still love this song. She never sings about being really angry, and it certainly sounds strange at first, but as always she pulls it off with great results. This is far and away her "hardest" song and features real rock guitar and drumming. It's great. |
| HOT GETS A LITTLE COLD | One of only two songs on the whole album not co-written with Jan Pulsford. This one is with Catherine Russell (who I know absolutely nothing about) and it is another spectacular song. Stripped down with just acoustic guitar, vocals and some ambient effects. Simply excellent. |
| UNHOOK THE STARS | This album just doesn't let up. Another one of my all-time favorite songs. This song has a waltz-type beat, but the song is more of sultry, wistful ballad. She gets kinda raspy here at times with her vocals to great effect. I love this song so much. It's night music. Beautiful, sober, and reflective. Awesome. If I'm not mistaken her husband was in a movie called Unhook The Stars and I think this song was used in that movie. I don't know if it was written for the movie or not, though. |
| SEARCHING | Very low-key and quiet, almost mood-music. A good part of this song is kind of meandering, free-form and improvisational. I think a lot of people would be bored by this song and probably skip over it. I love it, though. That dreamy middle part does lose my interest sometimes, but I wouldn't change it if I could. |
| SAY A PRAYER | Continuing the mood from the previous song and carrying it throughout almost the rest of the album. Again, I think a lot of people lose her on this tangent. I think it's great. Here she breaks into almost jazzy, scat-type singing for the verses that is just awesome. It sounds very intimate and up front, like she's right in your ear. Very cool. This lady can do anything, man! |
| MOTHER | Another subdued song here and I get that jungle/tribal feeling from this one also. What can I say? Another great song. Just listen to it. |
| FEARLESS | Wrapping up this slew of quiet, ponderous songs is this crowning masterpiece. This one is written entirely by Cyndi (very uncommon for her not to collaborate with someone) and it's just her, her dulcimer, and some sublime percussion. Fabulous! So beautiful! There's a video of her performing this live on the Rupaul Show that is absolutely stunning. |
| BRIMSTONE AND FIRE | Had enough of the heavy, dark songs? Well, let it never be said that good 'ol Cyndi doesn't produce a lighthearted, peppy song when you need it, and here it comes punctuating the album. A song about an emerging lesbian affair (not autobiographical I don't think, but who knows?) with a lovely and lively almost-reggae feel to it. Another song you'll find yourself singing along to heartily as you're driving down the road listening to it for the hundredth time (like I do). There's actually a track after this. It's a studio goof that they tacked onto the end of the disc just for kicks. It's a false start on Hot Gets A Little Cold. Someone hits a bum note seconds into the song and everyone in the studio breaks out into laughter. Cyndi's laugh is obvious as it's the one that breaks all the windows within 20 yards!!! Awesome! |
| WHITE MAN'S MELODY | Now I've heard it all. Cyndi does a blues. OK, it's not a down and dirty blues ala Hendrix or Howlin Wolf, but it's a blues nonetheless. It's also possibly the longest song she's done lasting over seven minutes. This is from the Largo soundtrack which I think was a movie based in Czechoslovakia. I haven't seen it and don't quite understand the lyrics, but I still love the song. She sings smolderingly and kinda writhes around the words and music. Definitely not her typical song, but very very good! |
| I WANT A MOM THAT WILL LAST FOREVER | From the Rugrats In Paris movie. Again, didn't see it, and sure as heck don't want to. As long as I can listen to this song I'm happy. This is a strange song too, about a kid longing to have a good mother. It's very simple and she sings it very innocently and earnestly, like a child. She sounds spectacular, once again. Of note is the fact that this was co-written with Mark Mothersbaugh who was the man behind Devo. Talk about strange! I would never expect him to contribute to a song and/or project such as this. I'd love to know how that came about. |
| SHINE | One of the most pleasant, uplifting pop songs you will ever hear in your life. Much more beautiful and heart-warming than any religious tripe about how Jesus loves us or something. This song is on par with True Colors for the truly heart-touching, good, positive feeling that it portrays, in a completely different way, of course. This is a mid-tempo pop song as opposed to a ballad. This has a great little orchestral intro to it that adds such a perfect, unpredictable touch. I saw her do this with the Boston Pops and I was a afraid she'd drop it when it came down to finally recording it. I'm so glad she kept it on. Unfortunately, the recorded version wasn't as full & rich sounding as when the Pops did it. Anyway, a truly beautiful song and the perfect opener. |
| IT'S HARD TO BE ME | One of the best songs on the record! Total rockin' pop with a real 80s feel to it (but, again, not suffering for it). A real "return to her roots" of sorts. This wouldn't sound too terribly out of place on her first album, although I think it's much better than almost anything on there. When I first heard it I thought the lyric was extremely odd. When I found out it was a sarcastic jab at Anna Nicole Smith I laughed my ass off! What a thing to write a song about! So great! It's still strange, but funny as hell. This is an awesome, catchy, driving pop song with adorable vocals and a superb bridge. Great through and through. I saw her perform this not 20 feet from me in a record store and I tell you it was one of the greatest moments of my life... |
| MADONNA WHORE | A kind of slow, slithery, shuffling dance song with a title designed to stir up controversy. I must say, pretty clever. It's, of course, not about her once-rival pop "diva" (god I hate that word) Madonna, but rather the concept of woman as being pure and divine or something. It's a really cool message and not a bad song either. Not totally up my alley, but it's good. Here we have more of those South American flutes she's so fond of, which always remind me of her time spent in Ecuador, if you know what I mean ;) |
| WIDE OPEN | A nice, solid pop song with a little guitar piece that reminds me of The Wreck Of The Edmond Fitzgerald, of all things (!?) More great vocals here showcasing her beloved, signature voice...and more of those damn flutes! No, I like them, really I do. |
| RATHER BE WITH YOU | A sprightly little poppy tune the comes in overlayed with these funked-out 70s-style keyboards. A totally sweet, lovable song. I can't really think of anything special to say about it other than it's thoroughly great! |
| COMFORT YOU | I really love this song. The vocals showcase another facet of her capabilities. How to describe them... They're very fluid, streaming, going up, down, around corners, falling off. Something different than what you normally get from her. Nothing drastic, but just tweaked a bit and it works extremely well. I particularly love the vocal lead-in to the chorus, which is very bobby. |
| EVENTUALLY | A very beautiful, airy almost-ballad. These incredibly beautiful, melodic vocals are skimming over this subtle-but-hyperactive backbeat and those spacious sounding keys really add to the whole atmosphere. Simply awesome! |
| WAITING FOR VALENTINO | This sorta carries over the feeling of the previous song. It has this airy quality to it with dreamlike vocals and a fair amount of hazy sizzle. It's almost hallucinogenic. However, this song has more of an Arabian flavor to it with that violin melody (I think it's a violin anyway). Perhaps it's supposed to be a Sicilian flavor (she sings about being young back in Sicily), but to me it sounds Arabian. What do I know? At first this song seemed rather dirge-like and boring. She has a way of pulling the vocals out like taffy that can be a little, well, annoying. Like you wanna say, "just sing the damn line, will ya?", but once you get the feeling it works. It's a great song and, again, not what you'd normally expect from Cyndi. I feel kinda stupid saying that at this point because, basically since A Night To Remember she hasn't really been predictable. OK, I won't say that anymore. Anyway, great song. |
| THIS KIND OF LOVE | OK, the one song on the album I hate. This sounds like some horrible modern "urban" dance/love song. I don't even know who to compare it to because I'm not familiar with any of the artists who normally do this kind of thing. I just cannot stand it at all. It's not my bag, baby. |
| HIGHER PLANE | I guess this could really be a dance club favorite, but it's much better than something like Cleo & Joe. Much more catchy and melodic. More of those familiar flutes here (no problem). The verses are great, but it's the choruses where this song jumps out of the speakers and pummels you. From that snappy, solid drum roll through the instantly catchy ascending vocal arrangement, the chorus really sticks in your head. A totally solid song that's sure to please all Cyndi fans and win over some new ones. |
| WATER'S EDGE | This was actually the first song I heard from the album and I was blown away instantly. It actually sounds a little like a Christmas song at first, particularly the way she sings the verses. I wonder if she started writing it for her Christmas album and then it just developed and grew out of that pigeonhole. Again, though, it's the chorus that really brings this song into the stratosphere. Simply beautiful. I saw her perform this one also before my very eyes. I am indeed a lucky man. The perfect ending note to a great album. |
