Cheap Debravation (Music) (Deborah Harry) Price

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Customer Reviews of Debravation

Parts Better Than the Whole
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.

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Strike Me Deborah!
A great CD in the tradition of Deborah's art/pop style. She again experiments with different styles of music, and her voice is suited for all. The first track "I Can See Clearly" is a underground dance classic, check out the remixes. "Strike Me Pink" is a beautiful jazz ballad. The following tracks are all great, better with each listen.

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NOT BLONDIE
A sad shame that Ms. Harry has fallen so far from the glory of her Blondie days. The cd can not make up it's mind if it was to be a Blondie sound a like, or a Modanna sound a like, or something in between. "I Can See Clearly" is hands down the best song on this outing, and it's not great. It really doesn't sound like any thing she has done before. Skip this cd if at all possible.