As I say all the damn time, coming at an artist backwards is a bad idea. And yet here I am doing it again. This is only the second Janet Jackson album I’ve ever heard, but the first one I heard was the sequel to this one. The problem for me is that the sequel is, shockingly, braver and more interesting. That makes it harder to judge this one, though I was going to have a hard time anyway, given that I basically never listen to R&B and dance pop.
I found the interludes on The Velvet Rope to be the least positive aspect of that record and I’m annoyed to find even more of them on this record. And related to those interludes is the sheer length of the album – 27 tracks over 75 minutes, only 14 of which are songs. And some of those songs are awfully long for dance pop songs. It’s a slog for someone like me who doesn’t particularly like the music on offer; it feels interminable.
Though Janet is obviously a charismatic performer, I find the vehicles for those performances to be dated a lot of the time, and not enough of them stand to me. Sure, there are songs that are catchy but the whole thing is way too ’90s R&B for me.
But I can’t help the sneaking suspicion that if I had never heard The Velvet Rope, or heard this one first, I might have had my surprise with this record, and might have judged this differently. Ah well.
I was going to give it a 5/10 but it’s too varied so I’ll give it a 6/10
- “Morning” 0:31
- “That’s the Way Love Goes,” written by Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 4:24
- “You Know…” 0:12
- “You Want This,” written by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 5:05
- “Be a Good Boy…” 0:07
- “If,” written by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 4:31
- “Back” 0:04
- “This Time,” written by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 6:58
- “Go on Miss Janet” 0:05
- “Throb” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 4:33
- “What’ll I Do” by Jackson, Steve Cropper, Joe Shamwell, produced by Jackson, Jellybean Johnson; 4:05
- “The Lounge” 0:15
- “Funky Big Band” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 5:22
- “Racism” 0:08
- “New Agenda” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, Chuck D, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 4:00
- “Love Pt. 2” 0:11
- “Because of Love” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 4:20
- “Wind” 0:11
- “Again” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 3:46
- “Another Lover” 0:11
- “Where Are You Now” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 5:47
- “Hold on Baby” 0:12
- “The Body That Loves You” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 5:32
- “Rain” 0:18
- “Any Time, Any Place” by Jackson, Harris III, Lewis, produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jackson; 7:08
- “Are You Still Up” 1:36
- “Sweet Dreams” 0:14
- “Whoops Now” 4:59
- (Ex) Cat Heads – rap
- Alice Preves – viola
- Ann Nesby – background vocals
- Bernie Edstrom – horn arrangements, trumpet
- Carolyn Daws – violin
- Celine Leathead – violin
- Chuck D – rap
- Core Cotton – background vocals
- Daria Tedeschi – violin
- Dave Karr – flute
- David Barry – guitar
- David Bullock – violin
- David Carr – flute
- David Eiland – sax (alto)
- David Rideau – mixing
- Frank Stribbling – guitar
- Gary Raynor – bass
- Hanley Daws – violin
- Jamecia Bennett – background vocals
- Janet Jackson – main performer, record producer, vocals, background vocals
- Jean Krikorian – design
- Jeff Gottwig – clarinet, trumpet
- Jeff Taylor – bass, vocals
- Jellybean Johnson – producer
- Jimmy Jam – keyboards, producer, vocals
- James “Big Jim” Wright – keyboards, vocals
- Jossie Harris – talking
- Kathleen Battle – vocals
- Ken Holman – clarinet, sax (tenor)
- Kool & the Gang
- Laura Preves – bassoon
- Lawrence Waddell – organ (hammond)
- Lee Blaskey – orchestration
- Len Peltier – art direction, design
- Marie Graham – background vocals
- Mark Haynes – bass, drum programming, programming
- Merilee Klemp – oboe
- Mike Sobieski – violin
- Patrick Demarchelier – photography
- Robert Hallgrimson – sax (alto), trumpet
- Steve Hodge – mixing
- Steve Wright – trumpet
- Steven Pikal – trombone
- Stokley – drums
- Tamas Strasser – viola
- Terry Lewis – producer
- The Average White Band
- Tina Landon – talking
- Tom Kornacker – violin