Disco de Janet Jackson: “Design of a Decade: 1986-1996”

Back in 1986 Janet Jackson, with callaborators/producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, set a new standard in R&B, making music that was knee-shakingly funky and still managed to cross over to the pop genre. In hindsight her hits from the late 80's and early 90's isn't so much a dated exercise in nostalgia as it is a measure of how good contemporary soul music can be.

Ok, so she's adorable, sweet as can be, etc...but let's face it. Janet has never possessed the sort of pipes that would steal material away from Whitney Houston. But Jam & Lewis capitalized on the limits of her voice by placing them smack dab on top of the heaviest, thickest grooves you'll ever find in pop music, and the contrast between the two is striking. Her low moans on the likes of "Nasty" and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" opposite Jam & Lewis' pounding beats make for delicious ear candy; ditto for her energetic delivery on Prince-inspired dancefloor anthems like "Escapade" and the damn-near-perfect "Miss You Much." Janet even proves that she can flat-out rock on the guitar-heavy "Black Cat."

"Alright" is a brushed-up single remix, which serves the song well, considering it has minimal melody and no chord progression whatsoever. Why then, didn't they include the killer video version for "The Pleasure Principle" or the slick single remix for "Let's Wait Awhile"? The album versions of these two tracks sound a bit empty in comparison. Still, with new material at the level of the funky "Runaway" and the sultry "Twenty Foreplay," there's little to complain about. You're even treated to the best track from her "janet" release ("That's the Way Love Goes") without being subjected to the rest of that album's overheated, Madonna-wannabe sexuality. All in all this is as comprehensive and enjoyable a compilation as any casual fan of Janet or R&B in general could ask for.

I recently got around to finally updating my cd collection, by ordering a few CD's from some artists I use to listen to - on cassette, in the 80's and early 90's (when I was a little boy and in my pre-teens)...you know, back when pop music was still good, bearable, and even a little bit meaningful...? Since I obviously couldn't afford to order a whole boatload of cd's, I got the greatest hits versions from some that used to be my favorites from the time - Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Prince, Madonna, George Michael, Billy Joel, Hall & Oates.

When I popped in this cd (Design of a Decade 1986/1996), it was good to hear Janet Jackson's smooth, beatufiful, soothing voice again, because I'll admit, it had been a very long time since I've listened to anything at all from her. The thing that kind of pissed me off though, and that I really just don't understand is why in the bloody hell did she or whoever put this one together decide to include only ONE song from her "Janet" CD? That and I personally think that the one song, "That's The Way Love Goes" they did include is by far the lesser of the hits she had come off of that CD. My personal all-time favorite song by Janet Jackson is "Again", anybody who has ever heard that song knows it is just simply f'n breathtaking! "Where Are You Now" is another really good song that came off that CD. But yet they're both somehow missing from this CD. I just don't get why she or they would've left those off.

Aside from that, it's an excellent CD, but I simply cannot overlook my personal favorite song by her being flat-out missing from it! If anybody knows of any other Janet Jackson - !!COMPLETE!! Greatest Hits (or anything along those lines) types of CD's, by all means please hit me up, and let me know what it's called and where I can find it - [...]. Thank you.

When Madonna released "The Immaculate Collection", she made the mistake of remixing most of the tracks, which seem to miss the freshness of the originals. With Michael Jackson's "HIStory" the classics got buried underneath the hype of lackluster new material. Seems like Janet is the only modern pop legend to get it right. She leaves the 14 original hits the way they were originally released, and gives them the finest remastering job the record industry has ever seen. These classics still sound as incredible as they did more then a decade ago. What makes the album even more impressive are the 2 new songs; "Runaway", the hit indian-themed dance single, and "Twenty Foreplay", a sexually explicit ballad explaining the joys of real love. They aren't merely just filler tacked on to make the album sell better, these tracks are so professionally made that they actually deserve to be on a "greatest hits album". "Design Of A Decade 1986/1996" shows why Janet is considered the talented artist she is. One-third well produced grooves, one-third deep lyrics, and one-third innocent voice equal the most exciting compilation of the nineties!

"Design of a Decade 1986-1996" is a compilation of most of Janet Jackson's hits within that time span. Every song plays a great role in music history. This presents listeners how she evolved as an artist within that time. Through strong independence, fighting against discrimination, and sex, she became more than a musician and a dancer. She's influenced a generation of pop musicians that came after her. The variety of music genres give listeners the added pleasure: pop, R&B, rock, and funk. Her great talents prove that she greatly deserves the recognition she's received.

Janet Jackson took her tracks from her previous three albums: "Control" (1986), "Rhythm Nation 1814" (1989), and "Janet" (1993). All three albums reached #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Charts. Despite the long time span between albums, the quality proves worth the wait. Every track through her career tells a story and gives listeners the amazing emotional pleasure. Therefore, they take them on a musical journey through her life, trials, and beliefs. Through every release, she amazed fans with her changed style, attitude, and looks. Within 1986-1996, she won four Grammys and several other awards.

Before 1986, she starred in two sitcoms briefly: "Good Times" (1978-1980) and "Diff'rent Strokes" (1981-1982). She also released two albums: self-titled (1982) and "Dream Street" (1984). Unfortunately, both albums flopped. "Control" is when her career lauched to enormous levels. She released six hit singles from this album, starting with "What Have You Done For Me Lately", all which are featured on "Design of a Decade". These tracks define her strong-willed independence. She fired her father manager before recording began. Her lyrics are accompanied by wonderful funky pop backgrounds. With the help of longtime producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the dance beats give listeners great dancing pleasure. Through the dancing, she expresses her more sensative side on the ballad "Let's Wait a While". Such quality proves that her success is only the beginning.

Her album "Rhythm Nation 1814" expresses her strong political beliefs, namely racism. This launched seven hit singles, all which are featured on "Design of a Decade". Musically, she explores more pop/dance rather than pop/funk. The occasional various genres keep listeners interested. The dance beats continue to attract audiences. She performs every track expressively and beautiful, offering a deeper look through her words. Through the signature dance music, she manages to record a rock song "Black Cat". Her final single from this album "Love Will Never Do Without You" readies listeners for her next album.

Janet Jackson's biggest selling album "Janet" surprises listeners most. Her previous well-known conservative look transforms to a sexually charged image. She launched six hit singles from this album. Due to record company contracts, "That's the Way Love Goes" is the only one featured on "Design of a Decade". This calm, groovy R&B song partially introduces listeners to the album's theme. This remains her most successful single to date. This was written and performed beautifully. Her voice perfectly matched with the intimate theme.

Through the career journey on "Design of a Decade", Janet Jackson rooms two new singles: "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay". The musical quality proves that she continues to evolve as an artist with this album release. "Runaway" is a great pop single that explores her career times. She quotes that through all of her success, her then-husband (in secret) was missing. The ballad "Twenty Foreplay" is a great song to relax to.

"Design of a Decade 1986-1996" is a great album for all Janet Jackson fans. This is sure to please listeners for a long time. Every song featured will become classics in the following years. Her successes after this prove that "part two" will come shortly. Go Janet!

Janet Jackson's albums after "Design of a Decade" (all recommended):

I got this CD, not really knowing what to expect. I was familiar with Nasty, and Runaway and Thats The Way Love Goes were favourites of mine before hand. So when I got this album I took comfort in knowing those three.

Although I love Design Of A Decade now I did find her early stuff on the album to be a little repetitive. It all seemed to have the same beat incorperated into it. But anyway, I got over it and fell madly in love with Rythmn Nation and Alright. Her slow songs are also excellent. Come Back To Me is a wonderful track with a lot of emotion in it.

If I wasnt a Janet fan I am now after listening to Design of the Decade.