Debravation

Debravation (deprivation) the title should give you a clue as to the sense of humour and brilliance that Deborah Harry as an artist carries.

This album for whatever reason was not taken well by most fans. The record company (Sire records, who was Madonna's label) under promoted and advertised this album as they probably didn't know how to market it.

In a nut shell I'd say it's a very adult contemporary modern album with light appartment jazz influences and dance fare. Far from the power pop that was Blondie this album still shines through the many collaborations.

For those not too sure:

I Can See Clearly - A classic high energy dance oriented track with a smooth velveting voice from Harry from the writer's over her big hit "I Want That Man".

Stability - A rap style ditty done in the fashion only Ms. Harry can get away with since she is the one who wrote the 1st rap song to go #1 in america in 1981. Not too focased on rap and really it's just her talking in a cool way than what most others thingk rap is.

Strike Me Pink - a ballad type jazzy song very cool and very hip.

Rain - One of the collaborations with a future Blondie band member Leigh Foxx. Great guitar solo and great chorus.

Communion - Either you love this one or you hate it. Dancable and tongue-in-cheek campy lyrics she's famous for this album could have gone without it but it holds up for camp style for most fans.

Lip Service - From the same producer of her dance hit "Sweet And Low" this Club dancefare track will have sing along complete with an Edgar Allen Poe excerpt from "The Raven".

Keep On Going - Calypso influenced uplifting track very early 90's and dateable but okay. She switches languages to spanish at the very end.

Mood Ring - More sexy jazzy grooves. Great for night time listening. This track showcases her lyricist abilities and the instument of her voice.

Dancing Down The Moon - Very dance rock very fast paced track with guitar. I like this one a lot.

Standing In My Way - More rock and roll with a punky twist more like her older material Blondie fans are used to. Originally done as a Duet with Joey Ramone but for some reason the record company rejected that version for this album. Still a great great song.

The Fugitive - Another rock track up beat and fun. Great Guitars.

Dog Star Girl - Another of Deborah Harry and Chris Stein's unique collaborations with influenced from H.R. Gieger. Rock acid jazz I think one could try to categorize this song.

Buy this if your into unique stylish rock.

It's quite unfair that people had to learn the difference between Blondie and Deborah Harry at the expense of the singer's solo career. Though she was largely the reason Blondie was so successful, Harry never drew the same crowds on her own. None of her solo work is bad, but Harry was never able to establish a musical identity of her own. Consequently, she's often grasping at straws, jumping between Madonna-esque dance tracks (clearly the path most record companies wanted her to take), campy rap numbers and Blondie sound-alikes. "Debravation," Harry's last solo effort to date, follows the same mish-mash approach of its predecessor, "Def, Dumb & Blonde," but not as successfully. Things get off to a promising start with "I Can See Clearly," a catchy dance tune perfect for Harry's voice, followed by the quirky "Stability," which showcases the singer's deadpan sense of humor. From there, though, Harry starts wandering down the middle of the road, with forgettable ballads ("Strike Me Pink," "Mood Ring") and overblown pop songs ("Rain"). This CD's nadir is "Communion." Using the liturgy of communion as a metaphor for sex ("Take! Eat! This is my body!"), it's sung too earnestly to be a parody, but the tacky lyrics and cheesy arrangement make the song too silly to be enjoyable. I don't know if Harry should be more embarrassed for recording it or having a hand in writing it. Things improve later on, with "Standing In My Way"--a definite nod toward Harry's Blondie days--and the tribal groove of "Dog Star Girl." Perhaps the best tracks, though, are the bonus ones: "My Last Date with You" (with REM) and "Tear Drops." These do-wop gems are ideally suited for Harry, and she performs them expertly. Too bad her best perfomances are tacked on as a CD extra.

Debbie's voice just gets better and better as she becomes older. This CD is a fine proof for that. You can hear almost the same voice as in NO EXIT--- very mature, articulate, powerful and sexy. All the songs are surprisingly in such high quality that even now it doesn't sound old a bit. This album will be treasured for decades, as it has been, by all the Debbie fans around the world.