It's strange to hear a bubble pop princess making a concept album, but that's exactly what the young Debbie Gibson did on her 1990 Anything is Possible album, which was third and last successful record before going a more independent root and changing her name back to Deborah. First off, I've gotta say that this album is strange. I really want to love everything about this record, but half of it falls on its face, crashes, and burns into a pile of bad pop-music rubble. Ms. Gibson once told Arsenio Hall that music critics never talk about the music; well, 18 years later, I'll give you a true review. I love Debbie Gibson, and it's least I can do.

Anything is Possible is divided into two concepts: NRG^ (Energy), which is filled to the brim with scorching hot dance tracks, and Mood Swings, filled with disgustingly sweet ballads. When I received this album in the mail, I shoved it into my computer and was crossing my fingers for it to not be the same old cheesy stuff she'd always done-- well, I was have pleased and have nonplussed. "Side A" starts out with stylized Another Brick Falls, a song with a message of perseverance, but isn't lame or over the top. It's fun production mixed 1970s influences with 1980s pop and Deborah's clever lyrics. The fact that she wrote 95% of this album herself is impressive. What follows is the greatest Debbie/Deborah Gibson track of all time... ever: Anything is Possible, in my opinion, is an amazingly clever song with overlapping vocals, a catchy chorus and hook, and really great production. In the words of Genesis, turn it on again!

The next track, Reverse Psychology, took a few plays to get into, and, eventually, I realized just how great this song was. For those who follow Debbie's rival Tiffany, they know that her 1990 album New Inside was a newjack inspired journey into the hip hop world. Reverse Psychology is Debbie's answer to Tiffany's New Inside, and I've gotta say that she did a good job: "Reverse psychology-- doesn't bother me. It gets on my nerves, but I think logically." Oh, Debbie, you're so damn catchy.

Really, all the tracks on NRG^ are amazing in their own right, especially the 80s masterpiece One Step Ahead, but Debbie's songwriting and vocal talent is really showcased on Send Them Home My Dreams, the song that cuts the ties with Planet Energy. There's a sense of subdued urgency in this track that keeps it on repeat for me. Unfortunately, it's the last good track on the album.

Mood Swings starts here and turns Anything is Possible into a catastrophe. For as strong and fun as the first 8 tracks are, the remaining ones are awful and sappy. Every track from Try to One Hand, One Heart makes me cringe. There are, however, a few could-have-been-great moments on this part of the album. Negative Energy and Mood Swings (the song) are almost there in terms of being listenable. If any of this ballads get played again, it'll be these ones. Debbie had tricked me into thinking that she had matured since her Electric Youth album, but she still couldn't shake that lame teeny-bopper image on these songs. Luckily, on albums like Body Soul and Mind, Debbie would show her chops as an adult contemporary artist, rather than a lost 80s artifact.

Overall, I have to give this album 3 stars, though I wish I could give it 3.5. The first half of the album make it entirely worth it, if just for the title track alone. This album produced no other hits, but it's chock full of em. Unfortunately, the latter half of the album is bad enough to kill record sales and this albums replay value.

Tracklist
NRG (Energy)
Another Brick Falls
Anything is Possible
Reverse Psychology
One Step Ahead
Stand Your Ground
Deep Down
It Must've Been My Boy
Lead Them Home My Dreams
Mood Swings
One Hand, One Heart
Sure
Negative Energy
Mood Swings
Try
In His Mind
Where Have You Been?
This So-Called Miracle

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Exercising