So the new Janet Jackson album is available online. Any thoughts so far?
I'll b listening to it the following hours and try to write some kinda review for it!

SpcMs said:

i've only listened to a few tracks and some pieces of others. i like what i've heard so far...it sounds a little different (in terms of janet's history). i just don't want to really sit and listen until i have the cd in my hand.

you guys are supposed to be "real fans" and wait until it is officially released.Shame on you!

DavidEye said:

I agree Sure I downloaded the first two singles (JALW & IWY) but I will NOT check out the whole album before it is in my hand 2 weeks from now.

I’m not a real Janet-‘fam’ and i have no access here to other resources since i’m not at home, so please bear with me:

1.Looking for Love: Velvetrope-like intro

2.Damita Jo: mmm…rappers :s Christina-territory? It’s not my kinda song, but I guess the kids will like it. Production ain’t too bad.

3.Sexhibition: Very rhythm-driven track (think Shout by MJ) – pretty well done, I like it, but radio won’t, I’m afraid

5.My baby (Featuring Key West): first balad – they def. went for an up-to-date sound, vintage JJ with a nice guitar loop and an interesting beat – Neptunes-like? Also think Beyonce feat. Jay Z, but with more soul and syrup. Btw, I heard some songs of the album in the past days, and the balance seems much better now then it was then.

8.Magic Hour: Interlude – Ocean in the background, talking about the hour between day- and nighttime
Thank God the album starts to sound more like Velvetrope than like All 4 U. It’s not as good – yet – but at least I know I’ll b listening to it more later

6.The Islands: Interlude – Again an Ocean theme.

9.Island Life – mmm…doesn’t make the cut, imho, way to lavish on strings, JJ in falsetto-harmonies with herself (I rarely like it when she sings higher than her natural key). Also it sounds too ‘loud’.

10.All Nite (Don’t Stop) – OK, so they def. went for the rhythm-driven tracks on this one, a bit like sexhibition, with some jungle drums, but not aggressive, somewhat Slave 4 U-like. This might b an excellent single, I can imagine a great video for this one. People might not agree, but a hot track imho.

22.Country: Interlude – Xplains where damito jo comes from, with a totally silly country-song in the background – funny, but unnecessary

More later, I’m reviewing them as I get them to my computer!

DavidEye said:

I sure do my part of illegal downloading, but i even bought the HORRIBLE all for you (IMNSHO) so she won't loose a sale from me, no matter what.

16 – Warmth: Full-out sex ballad, pretty xplicit I think. “Warm it in my mouth”? Again harmonies, but here they serve the song. It’s like ‘rope burn’ with the whispering and everything – mayb a bit too much alike. But it’s obviously the kinda song she likes to do, and I like it. But it really sounds alike with the thunder sounds and everything.

17 – Moist: Stripped down sex ‘ballad’. Mmm…after 1.30 minutes it grows bigger for the chorus, too bad. The quick-rythmic singing is something new for her (I think), and she uses it very well for different kinda songs. A sparse guitar. I like it better than Warmth. It’s quite groovy actually. And the album is starting to sound really good. I’m even somewhat xcited. They did make it 1 minute too long. Why do people do that?

20 – The One: Interlude - mmm…

23 – Just A Little While – I guess u all know it by now, xcept for me, I only heard a snippet of it before. If I rmmbr well reactions were mixed, but I like it. It’s happy, it’s a bit different. Mmm…what’s not to like? Anybody?

the only real question should be...


On what song does she do the whole faked orgasm bit?

DavidEye said:

i dont know y i am reading this, but I just wanna know is it comparable to the Janet album?

An artist usually doesnt top their peak Control & Rhythm nation, Velvet Rope has my 4 stars but alot of people i know dont remember that album too good) until like maybe years and yers later. All 4 U was very good at first, but it was sequenced wrong (sex songs last usually).

I like what i c so far!!

Where have the orgasm and the rain storm been placed?

I want to "save myself" for when the album is released on the 30th, but I needed to get a Janet fix the other day, so I decided to pick one to listen to. I picked "All Night" based on the sample I heard... and it's amazing! I love it so, so much and cannot get enough of it. This song is really good, and it's going to be incredible live!

I'm waiting until the 30th to listen to the album. It's kinda wack to listen to the album online with no liner notes, lyrics, album booklet, etc. I like hearing it that first time when it's fresh and surprising. So, yeah, I haven't DL'd anything other than JALW & IWY.

SpcMs said:

Its MC/Glitter all over again

Harlepolis said:

Actually, though the movie was bad, the Glitter album was one of Mariah's best, in my opinion.

theVelvetRoper said:

I was talking about the chaos surrounding the album/Mariah at that time, it was leaked and she got blasted becoz of the whole breakdown saga.

It was different in Janet's case but like MC she's going through ruff time!

SpcMs said:

Sounds like a real piece of shit album.

Harlepolis said:

Yeah, I see what you mean.

JANFAN4L said:

Well if artists like George Michael & Prince
have their way liner notes, lyrics, album booklets, etc.
will be gone since all your music will be downloads.

thedoorkeeper said:

i don't see why it has to be one way or the other. surely both ways can, and will, be used. i understand what janfan is saying, though (even if i did sneak a peak). there is a certain level of excitement when you get the whole package and experience it as intended. that is why i didn't download all the tracks and pretty much cancelled each download after about 30% was completed. i just wanted a "fix" until i get that whole package!

theVelvetRoper said:

Actually, Glitter is one of the worst albums by a major pop singer in recent years.

thedoorkeeper said:

Notice I said, "I like hearing it that first time when it's fresh and surprising." Waiting to listen to an album on the day it's officially released adds excitement to my consumer experience. If I downloaded all the tracks today, yeah, I'd be excited to hear it, but it wouldn't be the same as opening up the shrink wrap, pulling off that god-awful protective tape and cracking open a just-pressed album booklet -- nothing like it.

Janet so fucked up by releasing "just a little while" it gave the wrong impression
I was at a club on the weekend and the dj put on "r&b junkie"
this is the jam of the fucking year!! I love the line "I wanna get down to some old school" or something like that anyway, I have heard most of the album now the slow jams are sexy and the club tracks are so hot! I'll def be picking myself up a copy when it's released after all!
the only song i skip is "just a little while"

BlaqueKnight said:

Tha album was supposed 2 be called "Mellow" anyway so that's what expected.

I cant wait 2 hear the rest of "Thinkin Bout My X" WOOH!

I think Jimmy & Terry shouldve produced the whole album again instead. Is it better than All 4 U. Janet really never released a bad record. This one soesnt sound bad either.

BlaqueKnight said:

I've only listened to "All Night (Don't Stop)" (I'm waiting for the 30th!) and I am CRAZY over it! What did you think of that one? I think it's amazing.

From the samples I've heard and judging from "Just a Little While", "I Want You", and "All Night" and the reviews and comments of others, this album seems like everything All For You was supposed to be.

I'm not going to listen to it until the 30th. I'll have to buy the US import because Virgin has Copy Controlled the damn thing in Canada. I'll pick up the Japanese version sometime, too.
[This message was edited Sun Mar 21 10:56:15 2004 by VoicesCarry]

I remember liking JALW as soon as I heard it. Till this day, I like JALW. It's not a great song, but I like it because of the country rock meets dance feel to the song. JALW revivals most songs on All for You IMO. I think Damita Jo will be better than All for you. I want you is a cool song.

BlaqueKnight said:

Actually, "I'm in Love" is a credited "interpolation" on that song.



She didn't have one on All For You, either, and though that was supposed to be her happy, "just got divorced and now I'm free of that asshole!" album, it did have a lot of hurt and anger in it ("You Ain't Right", "Truth", "Son of a Gun", "Trust a Try"). It wasn't as "happy" as they made it seem like it was supposed to be, it was kinda her bipolar album! Nothing wrong with that, but I think from the sounds of it, Damita Jo will be a refreshing album from Janet.

Also, I've noticed that she doesn't have one of her "token rock songs" on here in the vein of "Black Cat", "If", and "Trust a Try", which are usually a staple of hers like the orgasms at the end of a "baby makin' song".

All in all, I cannot wait for the 30th! 9 days to go!
[This message was edited Sun Mar 21 11:16:07 2004 by theVelvetRoper]

More silly seques again? That's actually the most brilliant way of making some extra money if your label forgot to include the restricted royalties clause in your original contract.

JJ was on a kids pop show last week and you know what? she is awful. i kow i just walked all over somebody's shoes but she was dreadful. she was so amatuerish i could have done a better job. i miss early 90s JJ when she was branching out. now she's just trying to keep up with Britney.

like brother, like sister.