Janet Jackson Album: “The Velvet Rope”

Description :

Personnel includes: Janet Jackson (vocals); Q-Tip (rap vocals); Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis (various instruments); Mike Scott, Dave Barry, O. Nicholas Raths (guitar); Vanessa Mae, Hanley Daws, Brenda Mickens, Michael Sobieski, Elizabeth Sobieski, Carolyn Daws, Leslie Shank, Daria Tedeschi, Jan Chong (violin); Alice Preves, Myrna Rain, Glen Donnellen, Charles Gray (viola); Josh Koestenbaum, Daryl Skobba, Dale Newton, Camilla Heller (cello); Ken Holmen (flute, clarinet, saxophone); Lynne Erickson (trumpet); James "Big Jim" Wright (organ, keyboards, background vocals); Gary Raynor (bass); Alex Richbourg (drum programming, background vocals); Xavier Smith (drum programming); The United Children's Choir (background vocals); Joni Mitchell. <p>Producers: Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Janet Jackson. <p>Recorded at Flyte Tyme Studios, Edina, Minnesota. <p>"I Get Lonely" was nominated for the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. <p>In her most personal and emotionally revealing album to date, Janet Jackson tackles subjects close to her heart, including homophobia, abusive relationships, AIDS, and sexuality. THE VELVET ROPE is deftly produced by longtime Jackson collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who have a knack for injecting heavy, emotionally charged themes into musically flawless, stylistically innovative settings. The understated "Got 'Til It's Gone" features A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and a sample of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi." "What About," an edgy narrative from the perspective of an abused woman, contrasts a romantic, moonlit beach scene with memories of abuse. "Free Xone," highlights Jackson's open-minded perspective on sexuality: "Free to be/Who you really are/One rule/No rules." It is this expansiveness that marks THE VELVET ROPE as more than just another mainstream pop record.

When the salmon start gathering off the coast of British Columbia, so too do those who prey on them. Anticipating a yearly time of plenty, bears, wolves, and even killer whales collect to enjoy an annual feast.

Thus opens this documentary video of the Great Bear rain forest, a unique, 25,000 square mile region of temperate rain forest in British Columbia on Canada's west coast. The rain forest is the "Great Bear" of the video's name, but the forest contains more than just bears; the video also covers wolves and salmon in some depth, with cameo appearances by deer, the above mentioned killer whales, and a few other species.

Toward the beginning of the documentary, there are a number of scenes of the human researchers, but as the video progresses, the emphasis shifts to nature footage. Most of the attention is paid to how bears and wolves interact with the salmon - for example, how the bears eat just the eggs at the peak of the run, and wolves just the brains - but also shown are some confrontations between different bears, and between wolves and bears. There is also a substantial amount of information on other aspects of the forest, such as how the salmon end up providing nitrogen from the ocean to fertilize the trees.

There is also a short special feature on bears in various parts of Alaska, from the Aleutians to Prudhoe bay.

For bear lovers, this DVD is a good buy - but for those interested in learning more about the ecology of the unusual and unique Great Bear rain forest, it is excellent.

I enjoyed discovering the beauty and majesty of this pristine corner of the universe. The wildlife and scenery are captivating. This is a must see for any bear lovers. See rare footage of the elusive Spirit Bear (a white Black Bear). Who knew that wolves could fish? Both youth and adults will really enjoy this high quality National Geographic production.

An amazing DVD and a must to see. Excellent footage depicting the great spirit bears which are actually a white color variation of the black bear (not albino - no pink eyes). It goes into detailed explanations of the relationship of the salmon and the forest. Never a dull moment with the excellent footage of coastal wolves, grizzlies, spirit bears and the forest itself. I will watch this again and again and show it to my friends. I live in B.C. and am proud to know this region is in my province.