After "Hat Full of Stars", Cyndi Lauper still could not get arrested and now with "Sisters of Avalon", an accesible and brilliant album I still hear Britney Spears squawking away instead of Cyndi Lauper's new material. Cyndi has grown so much as an artist and songs like the hard rock anthem's "You Don't KNow" and "Love to Hate" showcase her talent well. Dance halls should be blasting "The Ballad of Cleo and Joe" and we should all be slow dancing to songs like "Hot Gets a Little Cold" and "Fall Into Your Dreams". The most touching song is "Fearless"...simple and simply great! BUY THIS ALBUM!!!! You won't be disappointed!

In all honesty, I truly believe that this was one of the best recordings of the 1990's. So many people always have, and sadly always will, think of Cyndi Lauper as the goofy New Wave chick with the Day-Glo hair and the wacky clothes, and really, only two or three of her numerous smash hits from the 80's are even remembered.

I'm going to be shot for this one, and I really don't care; this album, together with "Hat Full of Stars," makes Cyndi's 1980's work look like so much forgettable, trite pop (except "Time After Time," "True Colors," and "Money Changes Everything," which are all immortal). Cyndi plays a number of different instruments on this one, including guitar, recorder, dulcimer, zither, and omnichord. Her voice sounds remarkable, and the arrangements are fresh and invigorating, and utterly original.

The fact that "Sisters of Avalon" was not one of the biggest hits of the last decade is an absolute crime against humanity. The music is all over the place, she borrows from so many different styles. "The Ballad of Cleo and Joe" is a dance-club-ready song with a Middle-Eastern flavor. "Love to Hate" qualifies as grunge. "Hot Gets a Little Cold" and "Fearless" are beautiful folkish songs. "Fall Into Your Dreams" is a really cool slow burn. "Say a Prayer" is what would happen if jazz and rap mated. "Searching" and "Mother" are New Age and yet somehow not. The title cut and "You Don't Know" are anthemic and powerful songs with amazing hooks that should have been chart-toppers.

I feel Cyndi's plunge into obscurity in the '90's can be attributed to a few things; 1) her refusal to stick with the pop formula that made her rich and instead make out-there records like this, for which I truly respect her; 2) she's a female singer who turned the big five-oh in June of 2003. Let's face it, Johnny Cash can have a hit record at 74, but Cyndi Lauper can't have one at 50...it's a double-standard and it bites; 3) the image she had in the '80's, which seems to have permanently and unfortunately labeled her a relic.

Say you were a fan growing up back in the day. Or even if you hated her back in the day. Either way, go ahead and buy this record. You'd never believe this is the same woman that sang that pre-teen slumber party anthem "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

This album came out in 1996, and personally I was not used to the new sound of Cyndi Lauper. I guess I was still living "A Night To Remember." After playing this CD about three times, I felt that this is a wonderful album with such soul. It's a very eclectic album with Cyndi singing as she's never sung before. God, She's good!
SISTERS OF AVALON: Starts this album off with a bang! "Felt someone calling me into the howling of the wind." is the first lyrics she sings. This song is truly about union and strength. Very Spiritual.
BALLAD OF CLEO & JOE: is also awesome. Very dancey/disco/club song about a ballad of a drag queen "And the working boy becomes a dancing queen."
FALL INTO YOUR DREAMS: This song is one of my favorites. I love the melody as well as the wonderful lyrics. This song should have been a single "Little baby, on my shoulder
I could fall into your dreams ..."
YOU DON'T KNOW: was the first single off this album, and a song I truly love and relate to. It's about not fitting in, which I think Cyndi's had issues about ever since fame. "You don't know where you belong You should be more careful As you follow blindly along ... You just need to belong somehow." and I definetly think that's true.
LOVE TO HATE: Is a very nitty gritty song... totally cool!
HOT GETS A LITTLE COLD: acoustic/folk type song. Very cool and lovely lyrics.
UNHOOK THE STARS: This song took a long time for me to get into but I was going through a difficult time and these things helped me to know that other people go through hard times as well. "Just when everything's in order and good, things fall apart."
SEARCHING: Also a very cool track! Cyndi opened with this song a few times on the tour for this album... very new age "Feel like I'm crawling on my belly Longing and glad ... Excited at prospects, Humbled and mad"
SAY A PRAYER & MOTHER: These two tracks are still growing on me is the reason I gave this album 4/5 stars.

FEARLESS: YES!! An awesome song... most of us first heard it on the RuPaul Show! Great song! I love it, one of the best ballads she's done!! "But if I was fearless ...Could I be your reckless friend"
BRIMSTONE AND FIRE: A very Cutesy-Cyndi Type song. It's fun... felt kinda like "I KISSED A GIRL" From Jill Sobule..
But all in all, this album is wonderful, although i still love "I Drove All Night" and "Money Changes Everything" this feels like the ultimate complete album. Go buy it and don't expect the same Cyndi from 1984!

Cyndi's "Sisters Of Avalon" proved once and for all that she is a talented Lady. Her album came in the years of the return of poppy zappy happy pop, around the beggining of 1997. Sadly it didn't receive that much airplay and it failed to charte any single in the HOt 100, but scoring two Bubbling Under tracks. The leading single "You Don't Know" it's a perfect rock-track that could compete to any established rockers of the mid-90's like Morissette or Crow. But I guess the name Lauper haunted her to the hands of the record players in radio waves, denying her the benefit of the doubt. "The Title Track" my fav one, is an uplifting pop track with great vocals and rhythms, and one of the best opening tracks of any album I have ever heard. Other amazing tracks are the haunting "Searching", the mellow "Unhook The Stars", the funny reagge feelin' "Brimstone on Fire", the twisting "Ballad Of Cleo And Joe", the sweet and slo "Fall Into Your Dreams", the rock age "Love To Hate", the diming "Hot Gets a Lil Cold", oops I almost mentioned all the tracks, already, well guess what the album is that GOOD, so hopefully as many core fans of Lauper mention, people will rediscovered the underrated pop-rock gem, and give a lil respect, an amazin album by Lauper and I'm not afraid to state, maybe her best. *****FIVE STARS

Cyndi Lauper unfortunately suffers the same stigma of other 80's pop superstars...no talent. Which is obvisously untrue- this album is the proof of that. The fact is Cyndi Lauper has one hell of a voice, she ranks right up there with Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, and even Tina Turner. "Sisters of Avalon" is a remarkable combination of street smart beats and pop savy melodies. Starting the album is the stunning title track- hold on to your seat. Guitars, synh, and drums will start pouring right out of your speakers! Cyndi definately knows how to grab your attention-and keep it too. The next track is the albums best, "The Ballad of Cleo and Joe". Mixing urban funk and barn yard banging is never an easy combination, but Cyndi does it remarkably, creating an amazing song in the process. Track 4, "You don't Know", is...fabulous. Giving her guitar a good strumming, Cyndi gives a good one-two on to those who aren't so strong. Other stand-outs: "Fearless"-it will take your breath away trust me,"Fall into Your Dreams", and "Mother". Be warned-don't expect to by this album and get old rehashes of her previous work- this is truely and Cyndi to be reckoned with.