Cyndi Lauper - Same Ol' Story

I had forgotten how much I love Cyndi Lauper until I saw her perform at this year's Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. There she was at the ripe old age of 54 belting out "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" with the same passion and flamboyance that made her an icon all those years ago. The performance not only stoked the embers of my Cyndi obsession but also stirred up some fabulous memories. My sister was a huge fan in the 80s and I vividly remember sitting on her bed, watching her mime songs from "She's So Unusual" and "True Colours" into a hairbrush. Somewhere along the way, the silly bitch dedicated herself exclusively to INXS and I inherited her Cyndi collection. To this very day, I can recite most songs from those great albums word for word. I stayed loyal for the rest of my childhood ("Vibes" is one of my favourite films - ever!) but I sadly lost interest when Cyndi became more experimental in the mid-90s.

One of these days I'll catch up on the missing years as I'm sure I would have more appreciation for those albums now. However, that will have to wait until I get my hands on Cyndi's soon to be released dance album "Bring Ya To The Brink". The first single from the album, "Same Ol' Story" has just hit Australian iTunes and it's Cyndi's best song in well over a decade. A collaboration with DJ Richard Morel (perhaps best known for his work with Deep Dish), "Same Ol' Story" is an infectious slice of old school dance with more than a dash of disco thrown in for good measure. I just love everything about this, from the catchy, expletive filled chorus to amusingly downtrodden cover art. With any luck, Ms Lauper is on the brink of a well deserved career revival. Madonna, pay attention - this is how a lady of a certain age updates her sound without coming across as a desperate, old floozy!