Janet Jackson - janet.

I'm tired today, and frankly kind of crabby. So if that shines through in my reviews, my pre-written apologies. Anyways, I think Janet Jackson was in Milwaukee or something a few days ago, and follower janis! asked that I do another album from her. So here I am today, reviewing another DIAMOND selling record. Having dropped in 1993, this album has sold over ten million copies easily. It's a ludicrous 28 tracks deep and produced an astonishing 9 radio singles. Now, some of the tracks on here are "interludes" which always surprise me are on Janet's albums. I don't particularly care for them, and don't understand why they're still so prominent in certain genres of music. This album is credited for cementing Janet's status as a global music icon and sex symbol - which also probably helped the twenty million in sales. If you have the time, check out the cover art for the 2 disc special edition. It's hot. I'm betting that a few guys bought it just for the photo. This was also an album where Janet really tried to set herself apart musically from her brother, as her first couple albums drew too much comparison between the siblings. Now, I want to be objective on this album. It's good, there are a ton of huge singles here and the music for the most part - has a quality factor. But it's so long, and there are so many interludes and not good tracks, it really takes away from the whole. A person like me would maybe listen to 3 or 4 songs from this whole discography of an album. For me, this is going to be a slightly above average effort, in spite of all the hoopla. I'd be curious for those people who love it, how many tracks they skip.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Morning
2. That's the Way Love Goes
3. You Know...
4. You Want This
5. Be a Good Boy...
6. If
7. Back
8. This Time
9. Go on Miss Janet
10. Throb
11. What'll I Do
12. Lounge, The
13. Funky Big Band
14. Racism
15. New Agenda
16. Love Pt. 2
17. Because of Love
18. Wind
19. Again
20. Another Lover
21. Where Are You Now
22. Hold on Baby
23. Body That Loves You, The
24. Rain
25. Any Time, Any Place
26. Are You Still Up
27. Sweet Dreams

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Again
2. That's The Way Love Goes
3. If

FINAL RATING:
3 out of 5 stars

Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope

My second Hump Day post is another Suggestion from the Box. This time it's follower Ashley and her request for me to listen to this album - and most specifically Janet featuring Q Tip and 'Got Til It's Gone'. I'm 99% positive that I've heard this song in the past, but like I've stated before, I'm not exactly Janet's number one fan. I've always respected her music - mainly because she's so iconic, but it's just not something I personally groove to. But hey, anyone who can step out of the shadows of the King of Pop and make a huge splash in the industry - big props. In the grand scheme of Janet, this is her 6th studio album and it came out in 1997. The album is a modest 3x platinum for Janet. Just a note from listening to it a couple times - it's very up and down. There are songs - some of the beat-y and uptempo, then it's just some slow spoken word type things (rap music would call them "skits"). Janet calls them 'Interludes'. It's very odd. And I haven't heard the sound of connecting to the internet via dialup in years. If you wanted to hear it again, check out track 12. I had high speed internet in 1998, come on Janet. Get with the times. As a whole, I can see why the sales of this record dipped for her by comparison to earlier records. It doesn't really have that classic Janet dance jam. And the mood type tracks - frankly, aren't any good. They're not memorable and it's just vocal. Usually I'm more than okay with that, but Janet's voice isn't exactly angelic. In terms of just the song that Ashley asked about - it's a bit of a saving grace. There are literally three tracks on this album I might listen to, that being one. Q-Tip does a nice job on it, and it's a good twist on a classic track. Like the beat over the vocal, and it's a track you could hear on the radio today and it would sound current. That's always a plus. Anyways, I'd skip this. But you know my stance on the Jacksons.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Interlude: Twisted Elegance
2. Velvet Rope
3. You
4. Got 'Til It's Gone
5. Interlude: Speaker Phone
6. My Need
7. Interlude: Fasten Your Seatbelts
8. Go Deep
9. Free Xone
10. Interlude: Memory
11. Together Again
12. Interlude: Online
13. Empty
14. Interlude: Full
15. What About
16. Every Time
17. Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
18. I Get Lonely
19. Rope Burn
20. Anything
21. Interlude: Sad
22. Special

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Got Til It's Gone
2. What About
3. Every Time

FINAL RATING:
2.25 out of 5 stars

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814

So Friday I asked all of you to drop some suggestions in the good ol' box. Well I'm happy to report - you guys responded nicely! Keep them coming though! Anytime you're listening to something you think I've never heard, or something that I haven't gotten to yet - drop it in there. With all the music out there, I know I've completely missed reviewing some pretty big bands/acts in the 6 months I've been writing. Anyway, first up is follower Janis! and her suggestion of Janet. She specifically put this album down, and then said do anything by her - so I'll stick with this. Now, obviously I know who Janet is. I've heard a few tracks off this record before, but never the whole thing. I was never a big fan of hers growing up, and can't say I know much current stuff by her. This came out in 1989 and is a nice 6x platinum in the states. Getting through this now, seems like I don't recall as many singles as I thought I would - which is kind of nice. The one thing that strikes me - a couple of the songs sound exactly the same. Escapade being the huge single off this record, that has virtually the same beat as State Of The World and Miss You Much. If you sit back, you could sing the same lyrics over those beats and it'd sound perfect. Personally, I hate when artists do that - but I get it. Even Love Will Never Do has a very similar arrangement. That's fairly lazy if you ask me. Anyway, this is fine. This was certainly the late 80's version of pop music, and I'm not sure it stands the test of time or not. I guess I'll let you guys be the judge of that. This is considered one of her best records ever, so I'll tell you to give it a listen - but I think it's an average record all in all. I guess I'll have to listen to more Janet to confirm my suspicion that she can do better. Happy Monday!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Interlude: Pledge
2. Rhythm Nation
3. Interlude: T.V.
4. State of the World
5. Interlude: Race
6. Knowledge, The
7. Interlude: Let's Dance
8. Miss You Much
9. Interlude: Come Back Interlude
10. Love Will Never Do (Without You)
11. Livin' in a World (They Didn't Make)
12. Alright
13. Interlude: Hey Baby
14. Escapade
15. Interlude: No Acid
16. Black Cat
17. Lonely
18. Come Back to Me
19. Someday Is Tonight
20. Interlude: Livin'...In Complete Darkness

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Escapade
2. Come Back To Me
3. Rhythm Nation

FINAL RATING:
3 out of 5 stars