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Most of All: The Best of Deborah Harry delivers on the title’s promise, the only problem is that Debbie Harry’s solo output was wildly uneven on a good day. So while with one or two exceptions, where’s “Liar Liar”?, this is the best collection of her biggest solo singles and appearances.
The first three songs are pure dance-pop magic. “I Want That Man” is just as kitschy and pure fun as when it first came out. “French Kissin’ in the USA” retains its cutesy New Wave synth-pop core. It’s also slightly hypnotic in its laid back and mellowed vocal delivery. “Brite Side” is the closest thing to a ballad on this collection, and it’s a great slice of late-80s/early-90s pop. After that the rest of the compilation starts to dip in quality. “Feel the Spin,” “The Jam Was Moving” and “Rush Rush” remain great fun, even slightly naughty and subversive, but the some of it is just too anemic to be great dance music. Which is a problem since this music was obviously targeted at the club-minded audience.
Although a few of the tracks prove that she could have gone into different, possibly more fruitful paths. “Well Did You Evah” from the Red Hot + Blue AIDS benefit is a good time to be had by all. Iggy Pop, one of the greatest and most underappreciated elder statesmen of alternative rock, duets with Harry on a Cole Porter song. You can practically hear them cracking up at each other in the studio. Perhaps Debbie Harry should have tried to sing the American songbook and add her own downtown glamour to the recordings. There’s a great cover of “Stormy Weather” from a different compilation that proves she’s got the muscle and attitude to do something surprising with it. “Rock Bird” is a rocking synth-pop song. Maybe Harry should have played around more in the trashy New Wave which she helped pioneer, create and bring to the mainstream with Blondie. Whereas Blondie was all glamour, chic and sophisticated, “Rock Bird” has more in common with her spiritual offspring like Berlin or Missing Persons. This isn’t a bad thing since Harry can do it with more brains, sass and vocal talent.
I love Debbie Harry. No other musical icon has entertained me, thrilled me or influenced me quite as much as she has. I fully admit that her solo career as a singer is difficult to support, but her work with Blondie and influence on the music industry cannot be challenged. There’s much to love and admire about this collection, even if you have to sit through some duds to get to it. DOWNLOAD: “Rush Rush,” “I Want That Man,” “Feel the Spin”
