Melanie W. (novelwriter) from SURFSIDE BCH, SC Reviewed on 11/7/2007...
I absolutely love this cd. Debbie Gibson is one of my favorite artists. She has been my favorite since I was a teenager. This cd has all of my favorite songs.
CD Reviews
The early hits of a forgotten pop superstar
Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 09/26/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have been a Debbie Gibson fan since the very beginning, ever since I heard her first single Only in My Dreams. Gibson burst on the music scene as a bonafide phenomenon; she was topping the charts with great songs she wrote herself before she was even old enough to drive. Her first album, Out of the Blue, produced one successful single after another, and she followed up her debut effort with a second hit album called Electric Youth. Little did we loyal fans know that her career had already peaked. With the release of Anything is Possible, the radio soon became a stranger to Gibson's recordings. I admit to having been shocked by her appearance in the video to Anything is Possible, but my fears that Gibson had decided to forego her musical purity in favor of the exploitation of her feminine charms were allayed by the exceptional quality - overall - of her third album. Debbie went on to record additional albums of great music, but new fans were hard to come by in a world where this talented singer had been made invisible during the musical shift from the 1980s to the 1990s. Many of Gibson's early fans have missed out on some great songs over the course of years since her initial success, but everyone can still appreciate the great songs that made her famous.
This Greatest Hits album was released in 1995, and it is dominated by songs from her first two albums (with two exceptions). Out of the Blue supplies five tracks here, each one of them a great commercial success: Only in My Dreams, the single that started it all; Staying Together, Shake Your Love, and Out of the Blue, three energetic songs borne of the excitement of teenaged romance; and the incredible ballad Foolish Beat, the song that really put Debbie over the top. Electric Youth, Gibson's second album, produced a number of great tracks, three of which are included in this collection: the title track, a song pulsing with the dreams and possibilities of youth; Lost in Your Eyes, a huge ballad hit; and the equally becoming but less famous ballad No More Rhyme. Anything is Possible was a fantastic album, made up of 8 dance-oriented tracks and 8 ballads, but is represented here only by its first single; this was the worst song on that album, in my opinion, and it sent Gibson's career into a tail-spin in terms of sales and popularity.
This Greatest Hits album ends with three remixes. The first two are dance club mixes of Only in My Dreams and Shake Your Love. The third one is a "Masters at Work Version" of the song Losin' Myself from the 1992 album Body Mind Soul. While this fourth album was a little uneven, it produced several wonderful songs that no one apart from Debbie's loyal fans ever really got to hear. Losin' Myself in particular should have been a huge hit, and it truly deserved a place here on this Greatest Hits album despite its lack of commercial success.
If you were a Gibson fan in the 1980s, you will love this CD. Some may call Gibson's music bubblegum pop, but I know I am not alone in enjoying her music immensely. These songs bring back many great youthful memories for me, and it can do the same for many others out there - even those who consider Debbie Gibson a guilty pleasure at best."
Brings You Back Down 1980s Teen Pop Lane!
G. McDermott | Palm Springs | 06/26/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Debbie Gibson came onto the scene in 1987 and won immediate attention and success with her debut album "Out of the Blue", scoring 4 Top 5 Hits, and becoming the youngest performer to write, produce and sing a No.1 song.Great songs include "Shake Your Love", "Anything Is Possible", and her last Hot 100 chart single 1993s "Losin' Myself" remixed.Debbie now Deborah has come along way on the circuit of music, and though I have been a fan of her music and watching it change over the years, I am still reminiscent of her earlier music.Debbie has a talent for good pop....as it shows with her latest single "What You Want" now playing on the radio. Her career has spanned from Pop Diva to Broadway, which she is currently writing her first musical for Broadway titled "Skirts".This lady has it all brains, power, and musical talent....and if people want to kid me about "Electric Youth" so what! , its got a great beat and its easy to dance to.Debbie (Deborah) has always had a talent for hooks in songs, and there is nothing short on this compilation.The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 stars, is because whoever put this compilation together was not a true Gibson fan.They are missing remixes of "Out of the Blue", her other singles "Shock Your Mama", the chart single "We Could Be Friends" and the top 20 chart club success from the "Anything Is Possible" album, which unfortunately at this moment the title eludes me.Anyway the compilation could of been a little better since it was Deborahs last contractual album with her label Atlantic."
This is a great CD!
dolphingirl | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA USA | 11/22/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'd never thought I'd like Debbie Gibson, but I guess I was wrong. Most of her songs on this CD are great, and I aboulutely love them. I personally like "Out of the Blue", "Foolish Beat", "Only in my Dreams" and "Shake Your Love". They are all good songs. She is very talented and mauture for her age. Although I wasn't a teen back then, I have heard of her. If you like 80's music and are a Debbie fan, then this CD is for you. This CD gets me going whenever I listen to it. I like pop music and 80's music for that matter too. Hope this review is helpful to you."
She is Awesome!!!
dolphingirl | 07/30/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am 14 and wasn't around when Debbie Gibson was at her prime, but her music is better than Britney Spears or Christina Augulira's music. I first heard of Debbie Gibson on VH1 Classic. I have seen almost all of her videos there. Unlike other female singers, she wrote her own music. This album is a collection of her awesome songs. My favorite songs are "Only In My Dreams", "Electric Youth", "Staying Together", "Lost In Your Eyes", "Shake Your Love", and "Out Of The Blue". I recommend this album to anyone who loves '80s dance pop."
Deborah Gibson fan
ILoveDolphins | 08/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"to the 14 year old who wrote about deborah,it's good to read that this generation likes deborah's music.when deborah's first album came out i was a teen.i'm 31 now.i have met deborah twice.she is very nice,i have all her cd's.i would also like to rommend,there is a new teen singer renee olstead she's 16.her cd is a jazz cd,she sing's songs like summertime,taking a chance on love,just to name a few,she's on the sitcom still standing"