By weighting this "best of" CD so heavily with songs from SHE'S SO UNUSUAL, Cyndi Lauper unintentionally gives credence to some of her harshest critics. Robert Christgau, who hasn't had a kind word for Cyndi since the first solo album, homed right in on the fact that five (he mistakenly says "six")of the tracks are from UNUSUAL. Whether you agree with him that they are the five BEST tracks or not, it does make you wonder if the debut solo album might not be the wiser purchase after all.

On the other hand, Christgau is so out of touch that,not only does he miscount the number of tracks from UNUSUAL, he doesn't even recognize that "I'm Gonna Be Strong" is a re-recording of one of her Blue Angel tracks and thus a doff of hat to her actual (group) debut effort. He also refers to the reggae-flavored "Hey Now, Hey Now (Girls Just Want to Have Fun)" as a remix of her first hit single, when it is also plainly a re-recording with a new chorus and at a different tempo. So how well could he have listened? How well has he bothered to listen to anything Cyndi put out since he decided not to like her music in '88?

If like me, you only had UNUSUAL on vinyl anyway, purchasing 12 DEADLY CYNS in a new format made sense. Like most "greatest hits" collections of the past 25 years, it also contains three new or newly recorded tracks, so there is plenty of incentive for fans to pick it up. It also has a fair enough sampling of the three other Lauper albums recorded prior to '94 to offer a solid overview of a decade of her work. (Although I would agree with those who express some disappointment over the fact that so little of the much neglected A NIGHT TO REMEMBER was included.)

The re-recording of "I'm Gonna Be Strong" is classic Cyndi by the way. This old Gene Pitney chestnut is, in Cyndi's hands, an intriguing blend of old and new styles--folksy fiddles emerge almost out of nowhere after a torchy pseudo-ending. Lauper's unique vocal ranges from scratchy-cute to soaring. She constantly surprises. The song is a total revamp of the Pitney classic: yet it retains and actually amplifies the original's emotional ache. Kristi Yamaguchi wound up doing a skating routine to it at one point...Yet it almost defies the listener to actually LIKE it. "Oh, you thought I was going to end this with dramatic flair...not so fast, get a load of the actual hoe-down ending!!" Well, I ended up loving it. After a few listens, you just might too.

Ultimately, I can't be too hard on Cyndi for including so much of UNUSUAL. It was an extraordinarily successful album, and any "best of" package would have to give it its due. I see now that there are some European products out there that actually include many more tracks and therefore better cover the entire track record. Still 12 DEADLY is actually a fine place for most neophytes to start. You may find that Cyndi Lauper, while certainly unusual, is a solid, versatile singer and not just the kooky soul you thought you knew.

Cyndi Lauper has this magical way of evoking both joy and sorrow with the simple slip of a vocal chord. The sheer urgency in her voice on tracks like "She Bop" and "Money Changes Everything" to the sadness and nosalgic atmsphere of "Sally's Pigeons" show both her range as a writer/co-writer and as a truly talented vocalist. Just ask Mariah Carey to whip up something this...sincere...betcha she can't! And yes, the CD should include "Good Enough", "Hole In My Heart", "The World Is Stone" and "Who Let In The Rain", but even without those beloved slices of pop Cyndi-style, this collection truly shines. The sound quality of the tracks alone is enough to make saliva dance and gush all about your mouth, but add that to the fact the much of the content has been remixed into what I would deem as their definitive versions and it's nearly enough to send one into cardiac arrest. Definately a must have! (also...you should check out the new DVD)

In all my long life I have bought many albums. There were only two in which I liked EVERY song--"Tiffany," by Tiffany and "12 Deadly Cyns." And no, I'm no teenybopper, I'm a 61-year-old male who enjoys a wide range of music. Tiffany and Cyndi Lauper are also my two favorite singers of all time.Again, every song on this album is good; and, in fact, six of my seven favorite Cyndi songs are here. Only "Who Let in the Rain" is missing, and if you buy the "12 Deadly Cyns" video you also get that song!My favorites are "Who Let in the Rain," "She Bop" and "I Drove All Night," and if you just listen to those 3 songs you will hear the FULL range, power and beauty of Cyndi's amazing voice. Also here are her major hits "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," "True Colors" and "Time After Time," plus"Money Changes Everything" and "All Through the Night" (which for some reason is not on the video).If you want to buy just ONE Cyndi album (although I can't imagine buying just one) this should be it!

"Twelve Deadly Cyns" is a compilation of Cyndi Lauper's greatest hits. Every track is equally as catchy as the next. She begins with the rerecording of "I'm Gonna Be Strong", originally recorded by her former band Blue Angel in 1980. At that time, the single didn't hit mainstream, and the album barely hit Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart.

The following single on this compilation, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", explains how that changed once she went solo. The hit singles from her album "She's So Unusual" are extra amazing considering her traumatic events before the recordings. She lost her voice in the early 80's, and doctors didn't think she would ever sing again. Instead, she sounded much better as expressed. Sometimes, she's wacky("She Bop"); sometimes, she's sensitively soulful("Time After Time"). Such combination is rarely mastered so well by a musician. These five tracks answer why she deserved the Grammy win for Best New Artist for 1984.

The singles from her other three albums are equally wonderful. She presents the audience how she's evolved as a musician. Through everything, her music remains wacky or soulful. Cover songs "What's Going On"(Marvin Gaye) and "I Drove All Night"(Roy Orbison) match the quality of the original versions. Her wackiness changes style on "That's What I Think", originally released in 1993. She adds some reggae with some of her own elements, and she begins playing some of her own instruments. Those are performed equally as well as her voice.

Her new recordings are "Come On Home" and the new version of "(Hey Now) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". "Girls..." was released specially for the movie "Too Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything...Julie Newmar". The two new tracks are a wonderful way to end the album. Seemingly, she presents her evolution in her music, but she's never forgotten her musical roots. They continue a similar musical trail as "That's What I Think".

"Twelve Deadly Cyns" is a great compilation for Cyndi Lauper fans. Behind the ever-changing hair color is an amazing and powerful voice. These tracks answer why the mainstream needs her back. Many will enjoy this album. Those who want to listen to her further musical evolution should also buy her newest album "At Last". Such back to back combination should give everyone a wonderful journey.

i don't know whether or not to call this a "best of" or not since the release of the essential cyndi lauper could possibly be called that but i'm waiting for the "definitive" best of, but it's all good you know?

anywho...

it's a great cd with songs that most casual lauper fans might not know about, and songs that a lauper fan loves...(which is possibly all of time heh). it's a nice collection but...it is a bit lacking for example no "my first night without you" from "a night to remember". but i am happy "i drove all night" is on here. "sally's pigeons" is definitely a tear-jerker. the version of "she bop" on this cd is the single version not the album version from "she's so unusual". for those who want the goonies song...it's on the essential.

all in all it's a great cd with 3 songs that aren't availible anywhere else (as far as i can tell). so this is definitely worth picking up.

+p.s. "i drove all night" is not a roy orbison cover. it was written for him but he turned it down. it was then offered to cyndi and she took it. he heard what she did with it and he covered her. in the end...it is her song :) thank you.