I've been playing this one a lot lately and damn if the CD still doesn't rock! This is Janet, Jam and Lewis in their finest hour. To me, the album is much more self-assured than Control and shows Janet in her strongest and clearest voice. The problems of the world arc at the beginning still seems timely and I love how she flows from the serious songs to the undeniably great pop song, "Miss You Much". "Get the point...good...let's dance", she says with much missed confidence. The title track rocks hard and navigates the fine line between beng busy with instruments and effects and being cluttered by them. "Escapade" is so good she's tried to re-make it like three times since. "Come Back to Me" is one of her finest love songs and "Love will never do without you" is one of her finest pop efforts ever.

RN 1814 is one of my top 10 of all time of any artist and I find it to be just about a perfect album. They went to the well a few many times with that airplane lifting off background noise but other than that I love this album!

I wouldn't say that it's timeless. A lot of the production sounds very much of it's day. I wouldn't say it sounds dated, but it'd definitely state of the art 1989 that has aged very well.

Still Janet's pinnacle, IMO. I don't think the album is perfect ("Living in a World" is way too close to Michael's schmaltz for comfort, and "The Knowledge" is only ok), but it's as close to perfection as Janet's ever gotten. The image, the music, the videos, this was a time when everything just clicked for Miss Janet.

And she's never been sexier than on "Someday is Tonight".

RZR said:

And I agree with this too; it's too programmed to sound timeless. It sounds a hell of a lot better today than much of what was out in '89, but I wouldn't call it timeless.

definitely her best album, although it sounds very dated. i still enjoy it, though.

GottaLetitgo said:

I love RN. It's not my favorite cd by her (janet holds that title). I believe it is a true classic. Sure, some of the production is a little dated, but we are talking about an album that is nearing 20 years of age. Alright is definitely my favorite track, but I do love "The Knowledge", "Miss U Much", "Come Back 2 Me", "Someday Is Tonight" and "Black Cat".

Janet invented industrial!

Her best album so far!!!! Hands Down!

remember in those fabled times when MTV played Music Videos? They always used to start playing the old videos of artists getting ready to release a new album.

I still remember sitting with my babysitter, Misty, who did her hair just like Axl Rose from Welcome From the Jungle, and When I Think of You started playing again. I was soo pumped a new Janet Album was coming!!! My whole 3rd grade class so was soo excited and learnt the dance to Miss You Much.

the good times!!

ehuffnsd said:

remember Madonna weekends? Janet weekends? MJ weekends? damn. the last time I remember them doing anything like that was in 1998 when Ray Of Light was coming out.

I love RN! I think it's defenitly Janet's best album ever. Almost every song on there works. Yeah it does sound a little dated but it's stilll great. I was just listening to "Someday Is Tonight" the other day and I was thinking to myself "Now that is a sexy song!", Not like most of the sex songs Janet's been singing for the past few years where it comes across like she's trying too hard and it sounds so forced but "Someday Is Tonight" is just perfect. I also love "The Knowledge", "Come back to Me", "Miss You Much" and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)".

RZR said:

I miss those.

I think because those songs were on so often while I was young and that they are still played a lot, familiarity breeds contempt with that album. I tend to rank it lower than most of Janet's other classics like "Control" and "The Velvet Rope". A great concept album, even if the concept got kind of lost and it became a fun pop album toward the end...

It's a great album and it's also her last great album. Too bad she sold out to shit hop on the next one.

RN 1814 is a kickass album

I wish more artists did stuff with numbers...the whole 1814 mysterious code thing. Then again Prince has drive the 3121 thing into the ground so maybe not.

vainandy said:

"janet"? I think that album was a very smooth and had some great poppy experiments. I'll give you that "Becuase Of Love" was fluff and "You Want This" was pretty useless (Mc Lyte or not) but in general, it's a good album. Working with Chuck D is selling out to hip hop shit. Besides "The Velvet Rope", it's her best attempt at R&B becuase it's really R&B and not hip-hop (which her last two albums fell victim, too).

One of my favorite CD's ever. Janet was on point in every way with this album. Pure classic from start to finish.

GangstaFam said:

Don't you mean big bro Randy created industrial.

My favorite album that isn't by Prince. Just watched the video compilation recently. This album is legendary.

love this album

"Someday Is Tonight"

vainandy said:

"janet" and "velvet rope" are really good also