Sunday, March 09, 2008
A "Discipline"d Review
Janet Jackson album releases are major events in my life. Maybe not so for most other people, but for the most part, each new album since Rhythm Nation 1814 has become my "theme music" for the subsequent years until the next release. The one exception was the last album, 20 Y.0., released September 2006. It just wasn't a JANET album. There were a couple notable tracks, but the end result seemed rushed.
HOWEVER, she's back with a vengence with her 10th studio album that recently became her 6th NUMBER ONE album! Below is my song-by-song review of the album:
1. I.D. - interlude
2. Feedback - the single that's already out there that is amazing. Great hook and lyrics. Extremely dancable and once again taking the pop music game to the next level. A
3. Luv - Pretty good beat, but in this case the production slightly overshadows the lyrics, sometimes making them hard to make out. The metaphor of a new love coming on quick and as noticable as a car wreck is a great angle to explore. B
4. Spinnin - interlude
5. Rollercoaster - The second pop-music genre bending track on the album. A breezy summer song with a twisted under beat. The lyrics, however, are slightly young for Miss J (you take me upside down with emotions, like a rollercoaster, spinnin like a ferris wheel). They're a little Jessica Simpson (pre-sex), but over all make for a good listen. B
6. Bathroom Break - interlude
7. Rock With U - the second single that's going to ROCK the clubs. What a great hommage to the club culture of yesteryear with its euro-pop/disco track and breathy (suitably so) lyrics. And the video.....by far the best use of the music video medium to portray the song's actual message (and a great throw back to some classic Kyle Minoge videos). B+
8. 2Nite - what would be looked at as the "dance" song, a la Throb and All Nite (Don't Stop), but only if the entire record wasn't already jam-packed with get-off-your-ass dance songs already. To be honest, while a great dance track, it gets a little lost in the shuffle with stronger songs on either side of it. B
9. Can't B Good - Classic Janet mid-tempo. So classic, in fact, that you could probably lift it from this album and place it on any others going back to 1993's janet. Radio-friendly and easy melody will make this one a radio hit, but for hard-core Jan fans, it feels like a possible hold over from a previous album's recording sessions. B-
10. 4 Words - interlude
11. Never Letchu Go - my least favorite. The throwaway ballad that drags the momentum down too much. Plus, the guitar hook is way too Nelson or Wilson Phillips for my taste. On an album full of mid to uptempo songs, this one (of three) slow jams sticks out, but only as the (only) track I skip. C
12. Truth or Dare - interlude
13. Greatest X - An OK song, but one that Janet says she chose for the song itself and not because of any personal references. Another one? Since the All for You album and her divorce with Renee Elizondo that preceeded it the year before, Janet has thrown in at least one "ex" song, that she then goes on record saying that its really not about her personal break up (and litterally says "It's not who you think it is" at the end of Damita Jo's "Thinkin About My Ex"). The song itself - C+. The decision for putting it on the album - D.
14. Good Morning Janet - interlude
15. So Much Betta - The craziest song and most infectious song, SO WHY IS IT ONLY 2:30 MINUTES LONG? Driving hip-hop dance beats, perfectly timed rewound lyrics within the song, and a FUCK YOU message. B+
16. Play Selection - interlude
17. The 1 feat. Missy Elliot - Perfection. 100% perfection. Perfect choice in having Missy contribute and a great retro/post modern drum kick (listen and you'll understand.) A
18. What's Ur Name - A cute song. Nice breezy midtempo song that will probably share a double-A side single with Rollercoaster. But again, the lyrics (with references to T-Mobile sidekicks) are young for a well-established diva. B
19. The Meaning - interlude
20. Discipline - THE BABY MAKING SONG. While racy, its MUCH more tame than songs of the same ilk. And no, when she sings of someone she calls "Daddy" it is NOT referencing to any form of incest from her past or a desire for in the future. In the sex-fettish world, those who are into Discipline play often refer to their "leader" or "top" as "Daddy" as requested by the "master" or relating to a roll-play fantasy. The song has a great hook and does a good job at delivering a sexy message without being as graphic as she has in the past. B+
21. Back - interlude
22. Curtains - The surprise at the end. In the past, Janet albums have followed a loose formula of putting the up tempo songs first, and slowly backing down to the slow-jams, with some mixed results. Mostly, the last 20 minutes of any album tend to drone on with songs that could have been cut. Curtains, however, picks the pace back up slightly with a cute metaphor relating Janet performing in concert to Janet performing in the bedroom. On first listen, you won't pick up on the more subtle references that turn out to be explicit once decoded, which is the best part of the song. A-
The interludes - I'm glad they're back to "normal" Janet-album levels. On 20 y.o. she alluded to the fact that she had said so much in the previous albums' interludes that sometimes it was better not to to say anything. The result was 4 random interludes that seperated the "moods" or tempos of the album, but with random word/music pairings that didn't really contribute. On Discipline, the interludes are cute, short, and somewhat follow a concept; Janet interacting with her personal computer, Kioko, that not only plays requested songs, but wake up calls, a "shoulder" to briefly lean on and a duet partner (So Much Betta). It would have worked great, if all nine of them followed this theme. Even better, she maybe could have explored the different moods and meanings derived from the word discipline as it pertained to each grouping of songs to tie it all together. Interludes as a whole - B-.
Album as a whole B (almost a B+). The throwaway songs really kept it from being a truly classic Janet album like Control or even Velvet Rope.
With that being said; my top five Janet albums of all time:
5. Velvet Rope
4. Damita Jo
3. Discipline
2. All for You/RN 1814 (tie)
1. janet.
HOWEVER, she's back with a vengence with her 10th studio album that recently became her 6th NUMBER ONE album! Below is my song-by-song review of the album:
1. I.D. - interlude
2. Feedback - the single that's already out there that is amazing. Great hook and lyrics. Extremely dancable and once again taking the pop music game to the next level. A
3. Luv - Pretty good beat, but in this case the production slightly overshadows the lyrics, sometimes making them hard to make out. The metaphor of a new love coming on quick and as noticable as a car wreck is a great angle to explore. B
4. Spinnin - interlude
5. Rollercoaster - The second pop-music genre bending track on the album. A breezy summer song with a twisted under beat. The lyrics, however, are slightly young for Miss J (you take me upside down with emotions, like a rollercoaster, spinnin like a ferris wheel). They're a little Jessica Simpson (pre-sex), but over all make for a good listen. B
6. Bathroom Break - interlude
7. Rock With U - the second single that's going to ROCK the clubs. What a great hommage to the club culture of yesteryear with its euro-pop/disco track and breathy (suitably so) lyrics. And the video.....by far the best use of the music video medium to portray the song's actual message (and a great throw back to some classic Kyle Minoge videos). B+
8. 2Nite - what would be looked at as the "dance" song, a la Throb and All Nite (Don't Stop), but only if the entire record wasn't already jam-packed with get-off-your-ass dance songs already. To be honest, while a great dance track, it gets a little lost in the shuffle with stronger songs on either side of it. B
9. Can't B Good - Classic Janet mid-tempo. So classic, in fact, that you could probably lift it from this album and place it on any others going back to 1993's janet. Radio-friendly and easy melody will make this one a radio hit, but for hard-core Jan fans, it feels like a possible hold over from a previous album's recording sessions. B-
10. 4 Words - interlude
11. Never Letchu Go - my least favorite. The throwaway ballad that drags the momentum down too much. Plus, the guitar hook is way too Nelson or Wilson Phillips for my taste. On an album full of mid to uptempo songs, this one (of three) slow jams sticks out, but only as the (only) track I skip. C
12. Truth or Dare - interlude
13. Greatest X - An OK song, but one that Janet says she chose for the song itself and not because of any personal references. Another one? Since the All for You album and her divorce with Renee Elizondo that preceeded it the year before, Janet has thrown in at least one "ex" song, that she then goes on record saying that its really not about her personal break up (and litterally says "It's not who you think it is" at the end of Damita Jo's "Thinkin About My Ex"). The song itself - C+. The decision for putting it on the album - D.
14. Good Morning Janet - interlude
15. So Much Betta - The craziest song and most infectious song, SO WHY IS IT ONLY 2:30 MINUTES LONG? Driving hip-hop dance beats, perfectly timed rewound lyrics within the song, and a FUCK YOU message. B+
16. Play Selection - interlude
17. The 1 feat. Missy Elliot - Perfection. 100% perfection. Perfect choice in having Missy contribute and a great retro/post modern drum kick (listen and you'll understand.) A
18. What's Ur Name - A cute song. Nice breezy midtempo song that will probably share a double-A side single with Rollercoaster. But again, the lyrics (with references to T-Mobile sidekicks) are young for a well-established diva. B
19. The Meaning - interlude
20. Discipline - THE BABY MAKING SONG. While racy, its MUCH more tame than songs of the same ilk. And no, when she sings of someone she calls "Daddy" it is NOT referencing to any form of incest from her past or a desire for in the future. In the sex-fettish world, those who are into Discipline play often refer to their "leader" or "top" as "Daddy" as requested by the "master" or relating to a roll-play fantasy. The song has a great hook and does a good job at delivering a sexy message without being as graphic as she has in the past. B+
21. Back - interlude
22. Curtains - The surprise at the end. In the past, Janet albums have followed a loose formula of putting the up tempo songs first, and slowly backing down to the slow-jams, with some mixed results. Mostly, the last 20 minutes of any album tend to drone on with songs that could have been cut. Curtains, however, picks the pace back up slightly with a cute metaphor relating Janet performing in concert to Janet performing in the bedroom. On first listen, you won't pick up on the more subtle references that turn out to be explicit once decoded, which is the best part of the song. A-
The interludes - I'm glad they're back to "normal" Janet-album levels. On 20 y.o. she alluded to the fact that she had said so much in the previous albums' interludes that sometimes it was better not to to say anything. The result was 4 random interludes that seperated the "moods" or tempos of the album, but with random word/music pairings that didn't really contribute. On Discipline, the interludes are cute, short, and somewhat follow a concept; Janet interacting with her personal computer, Kioko, that not only plays requested songs, but wake up calls, a "shoulder" to briefly lean on and a duet partner (So Much Betta). It would have worked great, if all nine of them followed this theme. Even better, she maybe could have explored the different moods and meanings derived from the word discipline as it pertained to each grouping of songs to tie it all together. Interludes as a whole - B-.
Album as a whole B (almost a B+). The throwaway songs really kept it from being a truly classic Janet album like Control or even Velvet Rope.
With that being said; my top five Janet albums of all time:
5. Velvet Rope
4. Damita Jo
3. Discipline
2. All for You/RN 1814 (tie)
1. janet.
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