Music Review: Debbie Gibson "Only In My Dreams"

http://www.amazon.com/Out-Blue-Debbie-Gibson/dp/B000002ILO/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in
from JoeUser Forums

Only In My Dreams
Album: Out of Blue
Year: 1987

Posing on the front cover with a stuffed teddy bear and in the trendy clothes of the time (striped, off-the-shoulder t-shirt and acid-washed jeans), the only skin being shown is Debbie Gibson's knee. The stuffed teddy bear doesn't have any hidden meaning other than to represent innocence and girlishness. Pop without the dripping, sweaty sexuality can hold up well. The only difference between today's pop and the 80s version was how it was sold.

In "Only In My Dreams," Gibson's first major hit, she pines for a guy she lost. Plagarizing from Madonna's notes, she uses dance-pop to get the message across. In the first verse, telling secrets is what reminds her of being with her ex-boyfriend. She misses the intimacy she shared with him and realizes that being single is not what she wants ("every time I'm tellin' secrets/I remember how it used to be.") She wants to get back together, but knows it's unrealistic ("it's only in my dreams/as real as it may seem/it was only in my dreams.")

She knows she made a big mistake and blew her chance as she muses that: "couldn't see how much I missed you/now I see my world tumbling down/now I see the road is bent." Then, she backs to the fact that it's "only in [her] dreams."

If it weren't for the saxophone halfway through (the only 80s giveaway), "Only In My Dreams" could be sung by Hilary Duff today and be a hit again. It's solidly written by Gibson. The second verse hints that she could write music singing heavier material. The "now I see the road is bent" is a great detail. She is conveying that it's over, but says it with imagery instead. It shows subtly in her writing. Her voice is consistent and she reaches the high notes without any computer assistance.

For price, tracklisting and other album information please visit Amazon.com.

music debbiegibson
1,736 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
Boy does that bring back memories........................I wish they would go back to marketing the way they used to, or do something else. Anything but prostituting teenage girls the way they have been lately.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
It is really a shame that in this day and age a cover like this one would be laughed at, but we are okay with near nudity and blatant sexuality in pop-tartlets that are still more children than adults.

Acid washed jeans! Oh how I miss them (not really though). I do remember this song quite clearly. It was shortly after this I stopped listening to pop music. Nice review.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Debora Gibson really had talent back then. Her closest competitor Tiffany didn't come even close to Debora's popularity. Bring back Gorf! Bring back the 80's but without some of those wacky hair styles
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm with you, Mgosh. Most of the music I've been buying lately has been from the 80s. The pop music wasn't so overproduced then as it now. Although, IMHO, I think it's mostly due to Pro-tools computerizing the vocals.

I liked Debbie Gibson growing up and while I still like some of her music, I've found that I enjoy Tiffany's music more. I bought the Tiffany CD this year from a used CD store (it was out of print and had do some extra hunting for it) and I don't regret it. It's one of my favorite CD's now.