Cher Album: “Cher”

Cher is always on the cutting edge, but often its do to the fact that the record company is on at the time is really striving for a hit. In the case of her self titled 1987 LP, it was David Geffen's brain child to bring back Cher as a hard rock queen, but with songs that aren't to rough. Its power chords meets a light AC feel for the most part on the album "Cher".

It begins with three big hit pieces. First is her big comeback hit in "I Found Someone". It's edgy with a lot of force. She battles her way to find new love with smoky vocals on top of guitar rock sounds. "We All Sleep Alone" is a smart power ballad with Bon Jovi's style as they craft this work with a combo of rock sounds and biting lyrics like "You may have lovers wherever you roam, but sooner or later, we all sleep alone." It's meaningful in a world that has too many people desperate for love. "Bang Bang" is a semi interesting rock take on the original, which was kind of an odd folk rock number.

Then the album just goes into another area all together. You get Cher combining her voice with the womanly anthem of "Perfection" with Darlene Love and Bonnie Tyler. It's pop perfect indeed with a slight rock edge. You also get really hard numbers like "Dangerous Times" and "Give Our Love..." not to mention pristine ballads like the lovely "Hard Enough Getting Over You" and the solid lyric work of "Main Man". Cher strikes an even more rebellious song for the working gals with the pop rock of...well, "Working Girl".

The real winner is a dance track out of the realms of Madonna's club scene. "Skin Deep" is an outrageous blend of bass, drum and keyboard that resembles eighties pop fever. It doesn't really fit on this Cher rock album, but its an unexpected joy and separates from the near sad tones of love, loss and fighting for independence in the other songs. It's just kooky dance that is simpler yet more magical then her sexual disco records.

In all, a great short set of Cher songs, but not her most famous of even the eighties. That would be the full on AC rock of "Heart Of Stone", but "Cher" with it's new ideals on even old music is trend setting. The sad fact is though, many credit Cher's huge name in motion pictures for making this set a hit, while others just the unbeatable rock sound of the time. I would hope that fans will check this one out for something different and really appreciate the woman for trying new things and making them work.

And she works it, with the leather and hair-band sound! I like the change of pace with "Skin Deep" which is a fun little dance tune and her voice sounds good on it. Recently picked up the CD version of this on sale and it sounds good. Of course, "I Found Someone" is the power ballad hit, I love the haunting synth lead-in. I like "Perfection" with Bonnie Tyler and Darlene Love and I also like "Main Man." Her voice sounds really good on this one. It's a must for Cher collectors!

In the US, in 1982, Cher released I Paralyze, and it wasn't a big success. For another five year, Cher focused on her career as an actress, then went back in the studio, and in 1987, released this fantastic effort. Cher said that she was worried about the release of this album, and thought that everyone almost forgotten about "Cher: the singer", and just thought of her as "Cher: the actress", and her career as an actress was very successful, mind you. This album, however, turned out to be her most successful so far. The album bought her right back into the charts, and fans were lovin' Cher's new work!

I FOUND SOMEONE

This is a truly awesome song that should be remembered as one of the best Cher singles ever. The song peaked at #5 in the UK, and was a sensational hit in the US. A brilliant song.

WE ALL SLEEP ALONE

My fave Cher single of all-time! This isn't the same version as the one on the BELIEVE album. It's the better original version recorded 11 year before the dance version on BELIEVE. An awesome song, and definately my fave on the album. The single made #14 in the US, and #47 (bluddy hell!) in the UK -- EXTREME DISSAPOINTMENT. Despite not getting the success it deserves, WE ALL SLEEP ALONE is a fan fave!

BANG-BANG (MY BABY SHOT ME DOWN)

This originally recorded in 1966 Cher classic was re-recorded into a metal/rock version in 1987 especially for this album, but also appears on a few of Cher's hit collections. The original version was good, and reached #3 in the UK; #2 in the US, but this version is 10 times better!

MAIN MAN

Truly awesome ballad. There's nothing else that needs to be said about this song.

GIVE OUR LOVE A FIGHTIN' CHANCE

This awesome track shows a more snarling Cher that we never knew was there up to this point - it was quite different to anything Cher had ever done before. It's brilliant, and Cher speaks of how her b/f wants to throw their love away, and she tries to persuade him, in many ways, to give their love another chance.

PERFECTION

This song pretty much describes me: I am a perfectionist and almost everything has to be perfect, so I love it! When Cher sang this on her Extravaganza tour, I actually thought it was the best performance given. The refrain at the beginning is sung by Darlene Love and Bonnie Tyler.

DANGEROUS TIMES

This song is good, but not one of my faves. I don't listen to it much.

SKIN DEEP

Awesome, but only reached #79 on the US charts. This song deserved alot more!

WORKING GIRL

My fave unreleased song from this album, it's awesome and really showcases Cher's fantastic vocals.

(IT'S BEEN) HARD ENOUGH GETTING OVER YOU

This is one of the best Cher ballads that has ever hit planet earth, it's so brilliant and beautiful. If you have just been dumped by your b/f or g/f, let Cher help you recover speedly by listening to this fantastic song!

So overall, Cher (1987) is definately one of the diva's best albums. She had another album entitled Cher from 1966, but if you were to choose between the 2 (they both have completely different songs - this one is not a re-issue!!), I would choose this one. It's 100 times better! Totally recommended along with all the other great albums Cher has released!

I think this might just be one of Cher's best sets. It is very diverse with love songs (Hard Enough.., Main Man), power ballads (We All Sleep Alone), rockers (Dangerous Times, Give Our Love...), and even a dance number (Skin Deep) and a diva fest (Perfection). A record that can be listened toforward and backward.

It was 1987 and forty-one-year old Cher had been the star of a highly rated television series (with former husband Sonny), had won an Oscar (and had received several acting nominations), and had become a fashion icon. However, she had somewhat alienated herself from the younger record-buying public. She had to show the kids that she could still rock with the best of them.

Well, she really showed them with this self-titled album, a collection of hard rocking tunes that exhibits the singer's passionate vocal and distinctive style.

She also pays tribute to her past with a hard-hitting remake of "Bang! Bang!, as well as the dance-flavored "Skin Deep."

Of course, the quadruple punch of "I Found Someone," "We All Sleep Alone," "Working Girl," and "Dangerous Times" are the album's highlights, but this is an excellent release from a legendary performer.

It is also one of the best albums of the 80's and it's sometimes good to "turn back time" and reflect on monumental music.