Personal tribute.



To: Janet Jackson -- Thank you.
With much and respect, JANFAN4L (Janet Fan For Life)

Today, Oct. 7, marks the 7th anniversary of Janet's phenomenal work "The Velvet Rope" -- her most personal and introspective album to date.

The album debuted at #1 on Billboard (becoming her fourth #1 album) and went on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide.

"Together Again" went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100, #1 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart and its single went platinum -- and was recognized in many dance lists as one of the best dance songs of the '90s. (It also spent 19 weeks on the British singles chart).

"I Get Lonely" was a top 3 smash and was #1 on Billboard's R&B chart.

The Velvet Rope World Tour live in Madison Square Garden was broadcast on HBO and became the network's 3rd highest watched concert.

Personal milestones:
* I became a Janet fan during the TVR era.
*TVR was the first album I bought on its release date (I bought the most copies of this album -- 6 total as gifts, replacements, etc.)
* I was a member of the "Friends of Janet" fanclub
* I saw Janet in concert for the first time at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, CA (Aug. 1998)
* I won tickets from FOJ to see Janet live at the '98 American Music Awards (I watched her perform "Together Again (DJ Premier Remix)" live at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles
* I started my first artist fan page the "Janet Jackson Appreciation Page" in March of '98, which later became a full fledged website entitled "Foreverjanet - The Janet Jackson Website" in Dec. of '98









[Edited 10/7/04 18:52pm]

It might be her best although I'm not sure if it's my favorite anymore.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I LOOK ABOVE AND BEYOND
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I FEEL YOUR LOVE AROUND ME BABY
WHEN I FEEL THAT I DON'T BELONG DRAW THE STRENGTH
FROM THE WORDS WHEN YOU SAY HEY IT'S ABOUT YOU BABY
DEEPER INSIDE YOU BABY...

JANET JACKSON FAN FOR LIFE.

call rene and boo
gotta meet them soon
tell T to call shawn
i'll be there @ 1
when we show up
all the guys at the club
wanna get our backs

WE LOOK GOOD IN BLACK

i'm scared to fall in love
afraid to love so fast
cause evertyime i fall in love
it seems to make love pass
everytime your love is near
and everytime i'm filled with fear
cause everytime, i see your face
my heart just begins to race...

EVERY TIME

Twisted elegance.

.

.


It's my belief, that we all have the need to feel special
And it's this need that can bring out the best in us, yet the worst in us
This need created....

THE VELVET ROPE

Janet Jackson, your music.

Thank you.

I loaned this album to someone and never got it back. I really miss it. Definitely my favorite Janet album.

JANFAN4L said:[quote]



not a major janet fan but i really love her look here, when and where is that pic taken from?

madartista said:

Whoa!

I remember I played this album so much that I had to replace it twice.

I gave this album out as gifts to my friends. One of my friends came up to me 4 years later and said, "you know what, I still have that Velvet Rope album you gave me and I STILL play it to this day."

kinaldo said:[quote]

JANFAN4L said:

That's a screencap from the "You" video circa 1998. It's available on the "From janet. to Damita Jo" DVD.

JANFAN4L said:[quote]

kinaldo said:

thanks i might try and download it instead of buying though

The Velvet Rope: Janet's MASTERPIECE. I LOVE it mUch.

I adore The Velvet Rope.

"The Velvet Rope" is probably Janet's most important album.

Janet easily could have made a half baked R&B album with a few Euro mindless dance tracks (dance music was popular at the time) but took a risk that paid off in many ways. It wasn't her biggest seller and probably still doesn't get the props it deserves but it is still a great album.

my favorite janet release (followed by damita jo, by the way) and such an important cd. it came at a very precarious time in my life and i've always used this record as a motivational tool. corny but true. a lot changes in 7 years...and a lot stays the same. thanks to janet for such a great, honest, heart hitting cd.

Hey J
It's been a long time since I've seen you last
A half and twenty-six years
(how time goes fast)

I'm well
Though I've gone through some deep changes in my life
It hasn't been easy
Oh no not for me

It's been difficult at times
Sometimes I sit down and cry
And ask God oh why
(fair... what is?)

I know how you're feelin
Same thing I did deal with
You're not as alone as you may feel
You see but oh it catches up to us fast
We have to deal with our past
I know it's painful but
There you'll find specialness
Cuz everybody needs to feel real special

We need to
Remember
That love lies deep within ourselves
We have to
Want it so
It starts with us and only us
We must learn
We're all born
With specialness inside of us
I have the need to feel real special too

You see
You can't run away from your pain
Because wherever you run
There you will be

You have to learn
To water your spiritual garden
Then
You will be free

I know how you're feelin
Same thing I did deal with
You're not as alone as you may feel
You see but oh it catches up to us fast
We have to deal with our past
I know it's painful but
There you'll find specialness
Cuz everybody needs to feel real special

We need to
Remember
That love lies deep within ourselves
We have to
Want it so
It starts with us and only us
We must learn
We're all born
With specialness inside of us
I have the need to feel real special too-

Work in progress

Her last great album. Totally underrated, and gets even better with time. The two following it are decent at best.

Ramonachris said:

Hardly underrated my friend, it was given great ratings and most people recognize this as janet's best

This album came at a crucial time in my life. I was a sophomore in high school and I remember I was so unsure of my future and my life. I really didn't have any clear sense of direction or purpose. I put on this album and it was extremely cathartic for me. I remember playing this album on my Discman at school and just zoning out on the football bleachers. It helped me survive high school and showed me that the world was much larger and its possibilities much wider than I could imagine. The track I identified with most at the time was "Empty" and "Got 'Til It's Gone," but "Every Time" and "Together Again" had me, too. My grandmother passed away in 1997 (R.I.P.) and that song makes me think of her and all the people in my life that aren't here on earth, but are with me in spirit. I remember going to bed with this album playing in my earphones for about a year and a half. I even wrote about this album in a college application! I have history with this album, y'all.

7 years? Wow time flies. I had such high hopes for Janet after this album. With VR I felt she was talking the next step in her career. So many great songs on that album in so many different styles. Go Deep, Got Til It's Gone, Together Again, I Get Lonely, and that hidden track at the end was just the bomb. VR is still one of my all time fav albums from any artists.
[Edited 10/8/04 9:02am]

Great Album. This cd proved that Janet was not repeating herself after the "Janet" cd. Very underrated IMO. This cd helped me during my times of struggles with my sexuality. "Free Xone" is funky.

PrettyMan72 said:

if only she had contuined down this road instead of running scared back to janet part 2

More pics 4 U (shoutouts to the homegirl Raquel of the Janet-Xone for compiling these):

Sadly this was her last personal CD since Rhythm Nation at that point.


I guess people make better music when they were fighting demons and the anger and fustration in the music i.e. "Free Xone" "Velvet Rope" "What About" "You" ; express the sadness / futrations / questions she had in life.

Got damn that is a good album. Although it fell a lil long after a while..it is still a very stable and intoxicating record.

****1/2

We was on a an airplaine
Sittin next 2 this guy
Say he wasnt 2 shy
And he seemed real nice



until we found out he was gay
That's so not mellow..

(LETS GET FREE!)



Free 2 b who u really are

One rule:
No rules
One love

Free Xone


(LETS GET FREE!!!)


Oh god i gotta pull this record out 2nite!!
[Edited 10/8/04 17:46pm]

JANFAN4L said:

If there's one thing i love about Janet, it's those boobs, so beautiful.
Too bad she had to put a peircing through one of them

jayaredee said:

Nipple rings are hot!!!!!

i guess it's cause of my PA i think pirecings are hot... but it goes with the whole Leather/BDSM community vibe.

go LAboL!!!!!
LA boys of Leather for those who are wondering.

oh and my ex American Leatherman 2003... good guy


[Edited 10/8/04 20:44pm]

It's a good album, yes.

But her best album?

I'm sorry, but I'll pick Control or Rhythm Nation over Velvet any day.

My fav song from The Velvet Rope would have to be wifout a doubt "Rope Burn"...wifout mincin wordz here, cuz it'z damn hot!!!

My absolute fav album would have to be JANET...it was her first exploration into sexuality in as far as album theme is concerned and it has a certain edge to it dat i find really appealing.

Go Miss Jackson if u nasty