TotalAlisa said:

I even listened to samples of Damita Jo on ITunes last night just to make sure I wasn't missing anything special. & I'm not

it is absolutely criminal that feedback and rock with u were not massive radio hits. i don't know what her people are doing with luv or can't be good, but they should be releasing 2nite, so much betta...and screw it, she should be bold and release discipline as a single! i mean i radio isn't gonna play her, she may as well be bold!

CalhounSq said:

SAMPLES.. do NO justice.. that album is great. .you have to hear the whole song... DUAH.. everyone knows that

TotalAlisa said:

Um, no. I did not buy Mariah's album. I downloaded it and listened to it exactly twice. I think it's absolute garbage. So you bet wrong.

As for being hard on Janet, I'm not. I really like this album. The ballads are weak and repetitive, though. But "Discipline" is light years ahead of "DJ" and "20YO".

Xcalibre said:

I'm surprised people hate the ballads so much. I really dislike the midtempos which are just kind of there...."The 1" and "What's Ur Name"...blah! "This Can't Be Good" is nice and "Never Letchu Go" is such a well crafted pop song. Simple but great. Reminds me of her old school ballads. Now "Greatest X" is a great waste of time lyrically (when you already have a much better song on the same subject with "Thinkin About My Ex", maybe Babyface's only Janet collabo but so under the radar since it is buried on DJ, which people either hate or don't own.

Not only do I think "Never Letchu Go" could be a single for pop radio, but with right promotion (not a lot, but Janet going on some shows to perform) and time, it could be a hit. Something tells me with songs being sent directly to Urban AC stations, kind of like with "20YO" and "With U", Def Jam might be bailing and hoping for gold next time?
[Edited 4/29/08 21:25pm]

VinnyM27 said:

I didn't say that I hated the ballads. I just think that there are too many of them and the mid-tempo ballad-type tracks that sound alike and the album would be a lot tighter if a few songs were axed (or if somehow 2 tracks could morph into one here and there on the album).

Calloun:

I know you love 20 YO. I think you would love Spending Time With You, Moist and Like You Don't Love Me (these 3 are produced by jam & lewis and the avilla brothers), maybe Thinkin Bout My Ex from Damita Jo, at least those tracks if nothing else. I'm sure you've heard the singles already.
I even listened to samples of Damita Jo on ITunes last night just to make sure I wasn't missing anything special. & I'm not
[Edited 4/29/08 23:09pm]
[Edited 4/29/08 23:11pm]

TotalAlisa said:

If I can't tolerate 30 seconds of generic shit, what makes you think I wanna hear the whole album?? Don't be goofy

alphastreet said:

I'll admit that "Moist" almost got me, but it's just too blah. I d/l'd ONE song from Damita Jo (I Want You) & I couldn't listen to it anymore within a month. That album just doesn't do it for me

There's no justifying the truth: The "slow jams" on "Discipline" are absolutely the worst songs of their kind that Janet has ever done in her entire 1987-and up career. In an area that can usually be counted on for quality, the fact that both the title track and "Curtains":

#1. Are NOT very melodic
#2. Are devoid of any soul or passion
#3. In the case of the former, just plain terrible all around while the latter fares a little better better but still manages to go nowhere

just emphasize the fact that Janet's heart was not in the record like its predecessors. Neither have grown on me and probably won't. All I have to do is go back one record to "20 Y.O." and listen to "Take Care" and get my fix.

Moving one step up, "Can't B Good", which was marketed as the throwback track, never gets out of first gear (though it has grown on me). C'mon now...

Y'all really have no idea the disappointment I felt with "Discipline". I felt terrible, as a Janet fan.

BTW: I heard both "LUV" and "Can't B Good" on both my visits to Syracuse, NY this month. My fam. tells me they play both of them a lot, especially "LUV". In contrast, I stay in Dallas and have yet to hear *anything*. Honestly, I hate the inconsistencies with radio...it throws me, other fans, the record label and probably Janet herself completely off...hearing both songs made me very happy though
[Edited 4/30/08 0:30am]

calhoun, just listen to 'spending time with you' if you haven't sampled the album already. I don't mean to sound like a pushy fan, but judging from your posts, I can see you liking that one. It reminds me of something like Butterflies or Enjoy

as for the ballads, maybe it's the voice that's not helping people feel the ballads, though I think they were well written with pretty melodic hooks. Curtains is the weakest song on the album, I don't know why fans are in love with that one, I can't get into it.

CalhounSq said:

well you are really missing out on some of janet's best songs of 2000..

that album has some nice songs.. .a 30 sec sample does nothing.. plus its not even a quality sample..

alphastreet said:

calhoon is a prime example.. of how people do NOT want to give janet a chance at all...

even my friend who does not care to much for janet.. NOW loves that Damita Jo album... after we listened to it in the car.. he loves that song "spending time with you".. that is is jam. and he's going to put it on his cell phone as a ringtone cause he loves it so much....

he always ask me to bring the Damita Jo album..

alphastreet said:

No worries dude, but I didn't even make it through the whole SAMPLE (30 seconds) so there's no way in I'm buying the whole song. It just didn't get me

TotalAlisa said:

Oh please, I have almost ever album the chile has ever done I just don't like that one, but I think we'll all live

CalhounSq said:

NO im not upset.. its just your the one missing out...

TotalAlisa said:

Enjoy!

TotalAlisa said:

It's all a matter opinion...and DJ is NOT a great album....it's just OK. We have all had that discussion here.

CalhounSq said:

YES!!! Enjoy is one of the best songs Janet has written/performed in YEARS!!