Hat Full of Stars

by

Cyndi Lauper

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It's interesting to see that, although there is a divergence of opinion on just where to place this CD in Cyndi Lauper's oeuvre, most of the reviewers below find "A Hat Full of Stars" to be a quality effort. Indeed, there was little reason for Cyndi's '90s work not be better promoted and better known. Tastes change, of course, but Sony really should have found a better marketing strategy to promote Lauper's more mature work. The fact that many people still consider her to be a sort of novelty act is disheartening. She is a singer of considerable range and an artist who takes her work seriously and has seldom, if ever, come up short.

Rock critics, who championed Lauper in '84, pretty much abanoned her by the late 80's. That's a pity, because she was developing as a singer and as a songwriter the whole time. I understand that some fans found this more seriously-themed effort (she addresses such topics as abuse, abortion, and racism) as something of a "downer." But "Feels Like Christmas" is exuberant, and the (mysteriously ignored) single "Who Let In the Rain" is elegant pop. Perhaps the only problem with the song is that it was released shortly after Madonna's similarly themed "Rain"--echoing the whole "True Colors" / "True Blue" synchronicity from the '80s.

One thing Cyndi Lauper does not need is more Madonna comparisons. Yes, they did emerge at the same time and they both were originally exponents of thrift store chic, but the similarities pretty much end there--well, OK, they're both Italian-American Catholics too...but the similarities really DO end there. OK, OK, they both came from homes that were at least at times single-parented, and they both had issues with step-family. But the similarities really do end there!! Here's the key difference: Cyndi Lauper decided, at some point, to focus more on her music than on her persona. She has paid a price for that in terms of commercial viability. But as this CD and her subsequent work demonstrate, she remains a talent to be reckoned with. It's a downright shame that her work has been so ignored.