Misplaced Pages

Anything Is Possible
Studio album by Debbie Gibson
Released	November 20, 1990 (1990-11-20)
Recorded	October 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	Pop dance-pop bubblegum pop
Length	73:38
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Deborah Gibson Lamont Dozier John "Jellybean" Benitez Fred Zarr
Debbie Gibson chronology
Electric Youth (1989) Anything Is Possible (1990) Body, Mind, Soul (1993)
Singles from Anything Is Possible
"Anything Is Possible" Released: November 13, 1990 "(This So-Called) Miracle" Released: February 13, 1991 "One Hand, One Heart" Released: April 17, 1991 "One Step Ahead" Released: July 22, 1991 "Sure" Released: November 1991 "In His Mind" Released: February 25, 1992

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Calgary Herald	C
Entertainment Weekly	B
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

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.

Critical reception

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

Reissues

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

Track listing

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.

∗ denotes track featured only on CD and cassette formats.

Charts

Certifications and sales

Personnel

Adapted credits from the liner notes of Anything Is Possible.

References

1. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. July 20, 1991. p. 21.
2. Sure / Stand Your Ground (Philippines 7-inch single sleeve). Debbie Gibson. WEA International. 1991. ATR-0456.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
3. In His Mind (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). Debbie Gibson. Atlantic Records. 1992. AMDY-5076.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
4. AllMusic - Anything Is Possible's Review Retrieved February 22, 2016.
5. Mayes, Alison (December 2, 1990). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
6. Arnold, Gina (December 21, 1990). "Anything Is Possible". Entertainment Weekly.
7. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 280.
8. "Album reviews" (PDF). Billboard. No. 17 November 1990. p. 64. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
9. "Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. No. 17 November 1990. p. 6. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
10. "Anything Is Possible". EW.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
11. "ALBUM REVIEW : ** DEBBIE GIBSON "Anything Is Possible" Atlantic". Los Angeles Times. 1990-12-09. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
12. Anything Is Possible - Debbie Gibson | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-04-10
13. Sinclair, Paul (September 20, 2017). "New content added to Debbie Gibson 'We Could Be Together' deluxe set". Super Deluxe Edition. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
14. "Debbie Gibson: Anything Is Possible, Expanded 2CD Edition". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
15. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 113.
16. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1051". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
17. "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.
18. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
19. "Debbie Gibson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
20. "Cash Box Top 200 Albums – Week ending December 22, 1990" (PDF). Cash Box. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
21. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
22. "Official Album Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
23. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
24. "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
25. "American album certifications – Debbie Gibson – Anything is Possible". Recording Industry Association of America.
26. 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

• Official website
• Anything Is Possible at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
• Anything Is Possible at Discogs (list of releases)

• 1990 albums
• Debbie Gibson albums
• Albums arranged by Paul Buckmaster
• Albums produced by Lamont Dozier
• Atlantic Records albums
• Bubblegum pop albums