Disco de Debbie Gibson: “M.Y.O.B.”

Personally, I think M.Y.O.B. is one of Deb's best albums. It shows her amazing vocal talent, her versatility and style, and her creative songwriting skills. I've read some other reviews saying she's singing songs she didn't write. Have you people even read the booklet where it shows who wrote the songs???? Do you even own the CD at all??? Well I'll tell you one thing, there are only 2 songs she didn't write or co-write. Those are M.Y.O.B. and Knock Three Times. If you don't believe me, I'll include who wrote the songs along with my track ratings. Here are the tracks:

1.MYOB(The Alessi Bros.)- a great opener with a cool dance beat and cool kid "raps" in between certain parts. 9/10

2.Your Secret(D.Gibson & J.Sharell)- another great dance song with a great beat and a fresh sound, and it has potential to be a single. 10/10

3.What You Want(D.Gibson & R.Haeusermann)- the first single which was very successful in radio stations across the country. Very sensual lyrics and slammin' dance/R&B beat. 10/10

4.Down That Road(melody/lyrics-D.Gibson & music-G.Haase)- the first ballad on the CD. Very laid back and relaxing with great lyrics. 10/10

5.The One(D.Gibson & C.Phillips)- the 2nd ballad and one of Deb's best. Co-written with fellow pop singer Chynna Phillips, her voice shines with the lyrics and classic pop-ballad music. Also has potential to be a single. 10/10

6.Wishing You Were Here(D.Gibson & J.Sharell)- not exactly a ballad, more of a mid-tempo, but still very good. Sounds like the Deb we all know and love! 10/10

7.What Part Of No(melody/lyrics-D.Gibson & music-G.Haase)- in this song, Deb takes on a funky, R&B-ish sound. Very good. Another song that could be a single. 10/10

8.In Blue(D.Gibson)- here, Deb takes on a whole different sound with her lyrics and melody. Sometimes when an artist tries another sound, they sound bad. But Deb defies that jinx with this interesting little ditty. 10/10

9.Jaded(D.Gibson)- in my opinion, this should be a single. It has a classic rock sound with the electric guitar solo that gives it a great sound. The lyrics are great, too. 10/10

10.Knock Three Times w/ Tony Orlando(I.Levine & L.R. Browne)- a nice duet with a pulsating latin-ish rhythm and heavy drum beats. But I wonder, where in the world did she come up with the idea of covering and dueting a Tony Orlando song?? 10/10

11.MYOB Dance Mix(The Alessi Bros.)- Nice remix, unlike any I've heard in a while. Very cool with a slammin' bass line. The rap's cool, too. sure to get you dancin'! 10/10

Overall, this is a great album. Deb did really well with this effort. Plus, she's one of the first artists to ever thank all the guys who caused her pain ( I thought it was cool). She's right, though, a hit song is really the best band-aid. ^__^

-To all you non-believers and critical cynics- M.Y.O.B!!!!!!!!

I do not like this CD! I love Deborah, I have met her, I own everything she has ever done...but this CD is SO bad! I do like Your Secret and What You Want....but compare to the Deborah and Think With Your Heart CD's this does not even come close! The ballads are boring and not very melodic. My favorite songs by Deborah are always her ballads....but this CD is very weak!

M.Y.O.B. reflects Deborah Gibson's depth and complex personality as an artist (as well as a business woman). Earning recognition as the youngest person in history to write, produce and perform two #1 hit songs (e.g., Foolish Beat and Lost In Your Eyes), Gibson (as a young person and a woman) has had to knock down doors and stereotypes throughout her career. M.Y.O.B. is a testiment to Gibson's talent and longevity. Returning to the mainstream music scene after establishing herself as an accomplished Broadway/musical theater actress, Gibson is comfortable enough with herself to delve into diverse musical styles such as dance, pop, ballads, funk, jazz, R&B, and even world music. The best tracks might be "Jaded" and "In Blue" which feature jazzy and blues influences. Gibson's vocals on "Jaded" truly conveys a sense of vulnerability, raw emotion, and melancholy. "Wishing You Were Here" is a classic Gibson tune; an example of a "perfect" pop ballad reminiscent of her earlier hits. "What You Want" (produced by Tony Moran) is a slick and sensual R&B-infused gem. "Down That Road" hints at world music influences with wonderfully self-reflective lyrics. "Down That Road" leaves you feeling calm and peace, reflecting where Deborah's life is at as a 30 year old woman. "The One" is a soul-touching and complicated love song written with Chynna Phillips, that conveys simultaneously a sense of push and pull for "the one" that got away. "What Part Of No" is a funky and sassy tune that has a lively and fun vibe. Just when you thought Gibson's mellowed out, she surprises us with super-charged dance anthems such as "M.Y.O.B." and "Your Secret". Gibson demonstrates that she can still throw down and kick (...) if she fancies. The worst tune on this CD might be "Knock Three Times". Although "Knock Three Times" feature show biz veteran Tony Orlando who really rocks on this song, Gibson's vocals does not match the vibe of this song. Gibson's vocals on "Knock Three Times" sound overly polished and restrained. All in all, M.Y.O.B. is a collection of high quality songs with diverse and sophisticated styles. M.Y.O.B.'s varied styles is both a strength and a liability. Perhaps aiming to reach diverse audiences, the CD lacks focus. But there are several first rate gems, such as "Jaded" and "In Blue" that reinforces Gibson as a vital artistic force. M.Y.O.B. is a complicated piece of commercial art that reaches a wide spectrum of emotion ranging from mellow melancholy to feisty determination.

I was thrilled to walk into my local Tower Records and see a brand new Deborah CD illuminating the stands. The purple artwork grabbed my attention, and I figured that the music on the CD would be Deb's best work to date. With each Deborah CD I buy, I've noticed a definite growth in lyrical and vocal expression, but on Deborah's new CD, I am a tad disappointed. Don't get me wrong, Deborah is without a doubt one of the most underrated singer/songwriters of the past decade. And, vocally speaking, Deborah has come a long way. You can definitely hear the richness in Deborah's voice from all of her musical theater from the last several years. However, many of the songs on M.Y.O.B. just aren't up to par with the Deborah compositions we've grown to know and love.

The title track has a nice punch to it, and some dark vibes going on, but what's with the kids in the background? It's a bit hard to find the meat of the song when you keep getting ripped out by the children chanting. Personally, I think that a radio remix of this song (minus the children) could really make some waves. I was hoping that "The One" was going to be another "Naturally" or "For Better Or Worse" (two of Deb's best ballads in my opinion) but it ended up feeling forced with Deborah's vocal acrobatics towards the end. Deborah can sing, but in this situation, it seemed too formula to slam the high notes. (It's time for Deborah to stop fighting the urge, and just release a Broadway CD already!)

The cut "Knock 3 Times" absolutely blew me away. A song with a lot of life (a bit reminiscent of Ricky Martin's The Cup Of Life). We need more material like this. Last but not least, Deborah's new style witnessed on "In Blue" definitely peaked my interest. Perhaps this is the sound that Deborah should venture into. Who knows...all I'm saying is that there are too many styles and not enough focus. Regardless, i'm sure i'll have this CD memorized soon enough, and I'll wait patiently for more to come. (on a nice note, Deborah's thanks to her fans in the booklet was very touching)

She looks so more mature (with a brunette hair colour) in the picture inside..hehe. Well, the single "M.Y.O.B." looks very nice beat..with a cool arrangement on the voices. Seems like a new and fresh melody for Debbie. I think she wants to follow the trends with tried something new. But, her trademark-which is have an easy listening music-still there. That's good. So, her fans (like me) didn't loose what we ever heard a long long time ago, when she still teenager. Her colaboration with ex singer trio 'Wilson Phillips'-it's Chynna Phillips-really really cool. Nice meldoy with a romantic lyric. And at track 8 called "In Blue" have a very smooth melody. Nice song with a nice music. Even this song can make us remembering to Latin Diva-Gloria Estefan. But this is a great song Debbie ever wrote. Too bad, she didn't do much for the promotion of this album. A lil' bit not easy to get this record in my country.