Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope

Teaming with her most accomplished collaborators, producer-songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson delivers what is easily her finest record since Rhythm Nation--and arguably her best ever. Highlights include jams like "You" and "Got 'Til It's Gone," which recontextualizes samples from War and Joni Mitchell, respectively; the funky memorial to a dear departed, "Together Again"; and a slinky cover of Rod Stewart's "Tonight's the Night." Best of all, though, is "What About." An accusatory throwdown for a lover who beats and cheats even as he professes his love, it swings angrily between tender quiet and raging bitter funk. --David Cantwell Amazon.com

 Dark, expressive, introspective...a masterpiece
One of the traditions in my parents' house was stuffing the stockings at Christmas with smaller gifts. CDs, movies, books...something to keep us kids busy while our parents attempted to stay asleep for just a few more minutes. In 1997, I ran downstairs to discover The Velvet Rope sitting in my stocking. Having been a Janet fan since Control, I instantly popped it into my over-sized portable CD player and listened.

It was the one Christmas where my parents actually were able to sleep in.

At the time when I was an impressionable and naive 15 year old, I didn't understand everything that was going on and after the one listen, I put it aside and went back to the safer Janet; the known Janet. It wasn't until a few years later, after hearing repeats of some of Janet's songs that I realized how many great songs came from that album. The Velvet Rope marks Janet's pinnacle achievement. It was her masterpiece, a culmination of everything that came before.

Things hinted at and talked around where instead thrust into the open air. It's a startling CD and a very honest one. Ten years later, I still find myself popping the CD in and never-not even once-hitting skip. From the moment the piercing electric violin strikes the first shiver-inducing note to the final song that provides a glimpse of happiness, The Velvet Rope has capitvated me, over and over.

With later albums on the lightweight and airy side, I turn to The Velvet Rope to find Janet at a time in her life where her music was sexy, dark and personal. I love this album and if you haven't listened to it, check it out. May 7, 2008

 "The Velvet Rope"-A Twisted Masterpiece
In 1997, Janet Jackson went throught one of the toughest times of her career. Suffering from severe depression, Janet ran to her music and used it as her therapy. Unknowingly, Janet would create one of the most bizarre yet incredible albums of all time. Rivaling even the epic powerhouse "Rhythm Nation 11814" as the best album of her career, "The Velvet Rope" has such a significant depth in it's music that most artists dream of. Like "Rhythm Nation", Janet covers a vareity of strong topics like depression, loneliness, domestic abuse, AIDS, death, homophobia, even bondage! The music is so surreal and one of the few albums that I've truly idenfied with as I too have suffered from severe depression. This flawless album can be summed up like this:

Twisted Elegance-Janet utters the title and declares that we have a need to feel special and that it create The Velvet Rope.

Velvet Rope-A haunting, thought-provoking track that has Janet singing mysteriously. The lyrics are poetic and the arrangements are stunning with Vanessa Mae's great input.-5/5 stars

You-One of the most bizarre songs of Janet's career with a flashy yet retrospective beat and Janet singing in a very deep even inhuman. A song about self-reflection, it song that has you wondering about you you think you really are.-5/5 stars

Got Til' It's Gone-One of my favorite songs from Janet's career and one of her most underrated, this is a dreary yet soulful r&b groove that's about yearning for the things you lost and wished you had again. With an exceptional rap solo from Q-tip, Janet's whispery yet chilling vocals, and an ingenuis sample of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi", this is musical bliss!-5/5 stars

Interlude: Speaker Phone-A dirty yet hilarious coversation between Janet and (possibly?) Lisa Marie. "You're cooche gonna swell up and fall apart", lol!

My Need-A fast paced r&b track that has Janet singing about her sexual desires for the night. It's very cool and well arranged track that is catchy and matches the mood of the album perfectly.-4.5/5 stars

Interlude: Fasten Your Seatbelts-A funny intro to the next song with Janet and her friends telling listeners to fasten their seatbelts.

Go Deep-A great fun-filled club groove that is a refreshing change from the darkness of the album with great arrangements and an undeniablly catachy chorus.-5/5 stars

Free Xone-Another bizarro song with the track shifting from a subtle beat to swinging uptempo beat. Janet hardly sings but the lyrics are strong as it speaks on homophoia and the arrangement truly handled flawlessly-4.5 stars

Interlude: Memory-Janet gives touching quote about memory and pain.

Together Again-One of the greatest songs of her career with an infectious beat, Janet's wonderful vocals and touching lyrics about losing her friend to AIDS. It's no wonder it was her most successful single worldwide!-5/5 stars

Interlude: Online-The sounds of internet use fill the background.

Empty-A breathtaking song beyond it's time which is about the emptiness of online chats since it was relatively new in the late 90s. Janet just excels throughout the song.-5/5 stars

Interlude: Full-Janet gives another amazing quote: "How empty of me...to be so full of you."

What About-The most intense song Janet has ever done! It switches from a calm, soothing beat to an raging rock/r&b flare with jaw-dropping lyrics. Janet give one of the best vocal performances as she switches from vuneraable state to an enrage siren with such ease. A powerful song with a heartbreaking message about domestic abuse, this is an unforgettable masterpiece!-5/5 stars

Everytime-A beautiful ballad that sees Janet showing that vunerable side of herself so well.-4.5/ stars

Tonight's The Night- An effortless and refreshing rendition of Neil Young's 1975 classic.-4.5/5 stars.

I Get Lonely-Probably her best r&b song since "That's The Way Love Goes". With a heavy soulful beat, Janet's smokin vocals, and lovely lyrics about loneliness, it's all so good!-5/5 stars

Rope Burn-The most controversial song on the album that finds Janet for the first time pushing her sexual limits! The lyrics are very risque and ratchy yet Janet still pulls it off...this time anyway.-4.5/5 stars

Anything-A very dark and soothing ballad that sees Janet still sexually frustrated and urging her lover that she would do about anything to get some. The smooth arrangements and Janet's quality carm make this irresitible!-5/5 stars

Interlude: Sad-"You must learn to water your spiritual garden." Nicely siad, very poetic!

Special-A graceful ballad that has Janet sounding so sweet and vunerable as she explains that she has the need to feel special by singing about her life.-4.5/ stars

*Hidden Track* Can't Be Stopped-A glamourious uptempo track that should have been an offical track. The beat is cool with Janet singing with confidence about being invunerable when it comes prejudice, her gender, etc. A perfect finish!-5/5 stars

I can't explain it in any other words how incredible this really album is. To this day, it's timeless and is better than ALL of the crap these young artists are putting out today. "The Velvet Rope" is an album that makes you think about the music you're listening to instead lsiteners just jamming to it. Janet truly created her finest and unfornately, last truly classic album as her albums of the 2000s just can't touch the brilliance of this phenomenal effort. February 9, 2008

 Gothika : A Moment of Grief, Darkness & Depression : Janet's True Legacy is This Album
As Janet Jacksons' darkest album, this one could easily be termed a `sombre masterpiece'. Coming as it did after her more lighthearted "janet" in 1993, this remains the most underrated and misunderstood album in Janet's catalog - from the cover art to the near gothic subject matter, this is by no means an easy listen - and definitely not for the casual pop and R&B fan.

Here are some of the subjects that Janet tackles on this album - race, religion, education, world economics, politics, abortion, homosexuality, polygamy, polyandry, relationships, divorce, pain, suffering, poverty, drugs, alcohol, sexuality, sensuality, S&M, depression, suicide, homicide, death, rebirth, rape, abuse, mental torture, suffocation and insensitivity. If that wasn't enough, Janet even tackles more controversial subjects such as free love, and sexually transmitted diseases.

However, if any of the above terms rub you the wrong way, not to worry. All of the above themes are wrapped up in slinky and upbeat R&B grooves, so you can either listen to the lyrics, or tune everything out and just enjoy the melodies. And while speaking of melodies, there are tons here. The most tuneful of the lot - the black power anthem "Got till its Gone" is Janet's most `black' sounding song, in the best sense. The video for this portrayed the ills of apartheid and the song is interesting for its use of "Big Yellow Taxi" (yes, THAT song).

However, "The Velvet Rope" did have its' fair share of hit singles. Prime amongst these was "Together Again", which was originally written by the singer as a tribute to someone who had passed away. The dancey song isn't my own personal favorite, but it works for what its' worth. Further singles "Go Deep" and the plaintive ballad "Everytime" (which is almost a direct copy of Jacksons' own "Again" from 1993) are both enjoyable.

But where the album really soars is when the song is NOT a single. The album-only track "My Need" is definitely the best thing here (and amongst the two best Janet songs of all time, in my opinion). Everything on this song just WORKS. The same might also be said of the opening number (titled simply "The Velvet Rope") - this is an epic masterwork that uses some excellent piano sections from Vanessa Mae.

The album also contains the slow burner "I Get Lonely", which all these years later still stands out as one of Janet's greatest songs (it really is a bonafide classic). In fact, this was one of her albums where all the interludes made sense, and her more risqué subjects were addressed without fear of judgement or ridicule. For example, her lesbian confessions on "Free Xone" and the same-sex-heavy subject matter are talked about with normalcy and honesty - a fact that will draw alternative listeners to this album in hordes.

For an album from 1997, "The Velvet Rope" holds up beautifully even in the 2000s. It wasn't hugely successful upon first release, but its definitely a wonderful record when inspected through any microscope. Musically, lyrically, and execution-wise, this is definitely the best Janet Jackson album out there. My own favorite Janet album is the popular `janet' from 1993, due to reasons of association, but I have to admit that this one is definitely her greatest work.

Five Stars.





February 7, 2008

 Janet was there at My side when I was dark, lost and no one wanted to be around Me! 4 stars.
Janet was there at My side when I was dark, lost and no one wanted to be around Me! 3.84 stars., November 11, 2007
By Adrian Cooper (Dunkirk, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

1. Interlude Twisted Elegance Janet Jackson 0:42 ***1/2 stars.
2. Velvet Rope Janet Jackson Feat. Vanessa Mae 4:55 ***1/2 stars.
3. You 4:42 ***1/2 stars.
4. Got 'Til It's Gone Feat. Q-Tip And Joni Mitchell 4:01 **** stars.
5. Interlude Speaker Phone 0:54 **** stars.
6. My Need Janet Jackson 3:44 **** stars.
7. Interlude Fasten Your Seatbelts 0:19 *** stars.
8. Go Deep 4:42 ***3/4 stars.
9. Free Xone 4:57 ***3/4 stars.
10. Interlude Memory 0:04 **** stars.
11. Together Again 5:01 ****1/2 stars.
12. Interlude Online 0:19 **** stars.
13. Empty 4:32 ****1/2 stars.
14. Interlude 0:12 ** stars.
15. What About 4:24 ***1/2 stars.
16. Every Time 4:17 **** stars.
Tonight's The Night 5:07 ***3/4 stars.
18. I Get Lonely 5:17 ***** stars.
19. Rope Burn 4:15 ***1/2 stars.
20. Anything 4:54 **** stars.
21. Interlude Sad [Explicit] 0:10 ***** stars.
22. Special (Hidd. Track: 'Can't Be Stopped') 7:54 ***3/4 stars.

85 ÷ 22 = 3.8636363636363638

3.8636363636363638 = 3.86

3.9 = 4

4 stars. November 11, 2007

 The Dark Road to Liberation
Janet killed me softly with the Velvet Rope CD in that she was singing my life with her words. This is not only the best work of Janet's, but the best of producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis as well. The CD opens with the clever and mysterious title track that invites us into a lair filled with demons that she bravely faced at that point in her life. So begins the most personal, most revealing, and most uninhibited musical journey I've ever experienced.

"Velvet Rope" - A recognition of the fact that we all have personal, private struggles and an invitation to share hers with the listeners.

"You" - An emotional agressive self-examination the one in the mirror calls her out.

"Got Til Its Gone"- An expression of regret that leads to love lost.

"My Need", "Tonight's The Night", "Rope Burn", "Anything" - Different arrays of sexual insatiabilty and desperation.

"Go Deep" - Nice party cut celebrating going out with the crew.

"Free Xone" - an intriguing social commentary on America's hypocritical conservative view of sexuality

"Together Again" - A beautiful celebration of the life of a loved one gone too soon.

"Empty" - Obsession, and we have all been unexplainably obsessed with someone or something to some degree. This is one of my favorites on the CD!

"What About" - Liberation from an abusive relationship. Perhaps her most important song.

"Every Time" - The fear of falling helplessly in love.

"Special" - Words to remember. She explains how it's those personal struggles and how we deal with them that make us who we are and make us special.

I could go on and on about this CD. I fear that there will never be another CD that makes such an impression on me as The Velvet Rope. And yet 10 years later, I remain a work in progess. November 11, 2007

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