Anything Is Possible (Debbie Gibson album)

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Anything Is Possible
Studio album by
Debbie Gibson
ReleasedNovember 20, 1990 (1990-11-20)
RecordedOctober 1989-August 1990
Studio
  • GPI/Electric Blue (Long Island)
  • The Hit Factory (New York City)
  • Innersanctum (Encino, California)
  • Tyrell, Sunset (Los Angeles)
  • Z (Brooklyn)
Genre
Length73:38
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Debbie Gibson chronology
Electric Youth
(1989) 		Anything Is Possible
(1990) 		Body, Mind, Soul
(1993)
Singles from Anything Is Possible
  1. "Anything Is Possible"
    Released: November 1990
  2. "(This So-Called) Miracle"
    Released: December 1990
  3. "One Hand, One Heart"
    Released: April 1991
  4. "One Step Ahead"
    Released: July 1991
  5. "Sure"
    Released: November 1991
  6. "In His Mind"
    Released: February 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Calgary HeraldC[2]
Entertainment WeeklyB[3]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]

Anything Is Possible is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson, released on November 20, 1990, by Atlantic Records. The album features a collaboration between Gibson and veteran Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier, who co-wrote four of the album's tracks including the title single. "Stand Your Ground" marked Gibson's final collaboration with longtime producer Fred Zarr.

At the time of the album's release in late 1990, Gibson was 20 years old and the late-1980s teen pop wave was near its end. The album was Gibson's first to not reach the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, peaking at No. 41 in the United States. It made the top 40 of the Cashbox albums chart for one week, peaking at No. 38 on December 22, 1990, before descending down the chart. The album sold fewer copies than her previous two albums, Out of the Blue and Electric Youth, both of which had gone multi-platinum.

Anything Is Possible was certified Gold by the RIAA. In Japan, the album reached No. 5 on the Oricon weekly albums chart and was certified Gold by the RIAJ. The album was released in March 1991 in the United Kingdom but stalled at No. 69. The title single reached the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Reception[edit]

Billboard praised the album, stating that "much will be made about Gibson's more adult image and vocal style. What deserves more attention, however, is something that has always been found in her work: a true gift for crafting memorable pop songs."[5]

Cashbox noted that "she's back, and with some pretty powerful ammunition. As if her own, still developing, songwriting skills aren't impressive enough, she has support from the great Lament Dozier. Divided into a ballad side and a dance side so you can enjoy either mood uninterrupted."[6]

Entertainment Weekly also praised the album, noting that "it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Debbie Gibson’s third record, Anything Is Possible, is a more polished work than her vibrant debut, Out of the Blue, or her brasher follow-up, Electric Youth. What she’s lost in raw teen energy she’s gained in musical assurance," however conceding that "clearly Gibson means well; her advice just isn’t very meaningful. But if she gets a little more emotional experience, a little more insight about life and how to live it — and a slightly bigger record collection — anything really may be possible."[7]

The Los Angeles Times were more critical of the record, calling it a "redundant, overproduced, 72 minute sprawl," yet also stating that "Gibson does display a good knack with a melodic hook and a credible mastery of contemporary pop craft. When she combines those qualities with some sass and spunk on the deliciously catty, unabashedly adolescent "It Must've Been My Boy," the results are vibrant. Too often, though, Gibson uses her craftsmanship to dress up thin lyrics in overly elaborate garb."[8]

AllMusic were also mixed in their review, commenting that "though some of the material is fairly decent (including "Another Brick Fall" and the Madonna-ish "It Must've Been My Boy"), most of it is pedestrian, homogenized and quite forgettable."[9]

Reissues[edit]

The album was included in the 2017 box set We Could Be Together, with two B-sides as bonus tracks.[10] A special two-disc digipack edition was released by Cherry Red Records on March 18, 2022.[11]

Track listing[edit]

The LP and cassette releases have unique labels on their sides. Side A is labeled "NRG↑" (pronounced "energy up") for its upbeat songs while the ballad-oriented side B is "Mood Swings".

All tracks are written and produced by Deborah Gibson, except where indicated.

NRG↑
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Another Brick Falls"  3:55
2."Anything Is Possible"
Dozier3:44
3."Reverse Psychology"
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
Dozier4:25
4."One Step Ahead"
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
John "Jellybean" Benitez4:51
5."Stand Your Ground∗" Fred Zarr3:48
6."Deep Down∗"  4:52
7."It Must've Been My Boy"
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
Dozier4:19
8."Lead Them Home My Dreams"  5:32
Total length:35:33
Mood Swings
No.TitleLength
1."One Hand, One Heart"4:35
2."Sure"4:17
3."Negative Energy"3:40
4."Mood Swings"3:52
5."Try∗"4:07
6."In His Mind∗"3:33
7."Where Have You Been?"6:07
8."This So-Called Miracle"7:28
Total length:37:46
Japan bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Without You"
Andrew Zulla4:17
Deluxe Digipack Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
17."So Close to Forever" 
18."The Most Beautiful Love Song" 
Deluxe Digipack Edition Disc 2: The Remixes
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Anything Is Possible" (Remix Edit)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
2."Anything Is Possible" (12″ Harding & Curnow Remix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
3."Anything Is Possible" (Jellybean Dance Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
4."Anything Is Possible" (Radio Edit of Dance Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
5."Anything Is Possible" (Dub Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
6."Anything Is Possible" (Instrumental)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
7."(This So-Called) Miracle" (Edit)  
8."One Step Ahead" (Hot Radio Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
9."One Step Ahead" (Club Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
10."One Step Ahead" (Masters at Work Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
11."One Step Ahead" (Underground Mix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
12."One Step Ahead" (Radio Mix with Rap)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
13."One Step Ahead" (Bonus Beats)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
14."One Step Ahead" (PWL 7″ Edit)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 
15."One Step Ahead" (PWL 12″ Remix)
  • Gibson
  • Dozier
 

∗ denotes track featured only on CD and cassette formats.

Charts[edit]

1990 Charts[edit]

Year Chart Position
1990 Australian Albums Chart[12] 80
1990 Canada Albums Chart[13] 85
1990 Japanese Albums Chart[14] 5
1990 UK Albums Chart[15] 69
1990 U.S. Billboard 200[16] 41
1990 US Cash Box Top 200[17] 38

Deluxe Edition[edit]

Year Chart Position
2022 UK Independent Albums (OCC)[18] 27
2022 UK Album Sales Chart (OCC)[19] 65
2022 Scottish Albums[20] 79

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[21] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel[edit]

Adapted credits from the liner notes of Anything Is Possible.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ AllMusic - Anything Is Possible's Review Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  2. ^ Mayes, Alison (December 2, 1990). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
  3. ^ Arnold, Gina (December 21, 1990). "Anything Is Possible". Entertainment Weekly.
  4. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 280.
  5. ^ "Album reviews" (PDF). Billboard. No. 17 November 1990. p. 64. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  6. ^ "Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 17 November 1990. p. 6. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  7. ^ "Anything Is Possible". EW.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  8. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW : ** DEBBIE GIBSON "Anything Is Possible" Atlantic". Los Angeles Times. 1990-12-09. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
  9. ^ Anything Is Possible - Debbie Gibson | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-04-10
  10. ^ Sinclair, Paul (September 20, 2017). "New content added to Debbie Gibson 'We Could Be Together' deluxe set". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  11. ^ "Debbie Gibson: Anything Is Possible, Expanded 2CD Edition". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  12. ^ "Anything Is Possible - Australian chart run". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
  13. ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 53, No. 14 March 09, 1991". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2016.. RPM (magazine).
  14. ^ "エニシング・イズ・ポッシブル | デビー・ギブソン" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 75". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  16. ^ Billboard - Debbie Gibson Charts Lynne Segall Billboard Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  17. ^ "Cash Box Top 200 Albums – Week ending December 22, 1990" (PDF). Cash Box. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Official Album Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Official Album Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Japanese album certifications – デビー・ギブソン – Anything is Possible" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 1992年5月 on the drop-down menu
  22. ^ "American album certifications – Debbie Gibson – Anything is Possible". Recording Industry Association of America.
  23. ^ Anything Is Possible (booklet). Debbie Gibson. Atlantic Records. 1990. CD 82167.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

External links[edit]

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