Cyndi Lauper's "She's So Unusual" is one of the best debut CDs of all-time, so it is unfortunate that the "30th Anniversary Celebration" reissue is a bit of a mess.
Let's start with the cover art... the original iconic photograph of Cyndi in all her thrift shop glory has been replaced with a colorful pencil sketch that only leaves us longing for the real thing. This new artwork would be great as a poster but to have it as a replacement cover is not a good idea.
The deluxe version contains 2 CDs and the sequencing on both discs just doesn't work. Disc 1 contains the original CD + 3 2013 remixes. These last 3 tracks break the follow of the original album and should have been relegated to Disc 2 with the other Remixes, Demoes and LIVE tracks. The only song that should have been on Disc 1 is the non-LP b-side "Right Track Wrong Train" which was originally released as the flip side to the "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" single. Adding "Right Track Wrong Train" would have given the listener all the studio tracks recorded for "She's So Unusual" on one disc.
Of the 12 additional bonus tracks that appear across the 2 discs only the aforementioned "Right Track Wrong Train" and "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" (Early Guitar Demo) are worth your time. Everything else is really just a throwaway.
Finally... the price and packaging are ridiculous. Amazon sells the "30th Anniversary Celebration" for the low sale price of $37.98 for the Deluxe Edition (see photo above). The problem with this high priced edition is that there is no standard edition! You can buy a digital download version if you need this additional tracks but even that is priced high at $14.99.
For Lauper fanatics the "She's So Unusual" 30th Anniversary Celebration edition might seem like an amazing addition to your CD collection but for more casual fans who still adore this seminal album stick with the single disc remastered edition released in 2000.
Drumroll please...
"She's So Unusual" the original album... 10 out of 10 drumsticks!!!
"She's So Unusual" 30th Anniversary Celebration... 4 out of 10 drumsticks!!!
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