JANET - DISCIPLINE

Back in the day, a new Janet Jackson CD was something to look forward to. I think it was about the time 'Janet' came out that I started loosing interest in her. It wasn't because she was getting boring... If anything, her music was becoming more diverse and I always like artists who challenge me. So what made me lose interest? I think it had more to do with the inconsistency in the quality of the material she was recording. I felt half the tracks on 'Janet' were throw away "filler" material. And subsequent albums have been the same. Not to mention the inordinate amount of segues littering her tracklists. On the first couple albums they were quite nice and clever, but as the discs progressed, she got carried away with it. Not always to the listening pleasure of her fans.

I stopped buying her stuff after 'Velvet Rope'. I'd pick up singles if I liked something here and there, but when this disc came out, a good friend of mine swore up and down this was "THE" record of the year and I had to have it. He played me a couple songs off the disc and I was convinced this was gonna be a great disc. I bought it. So was it a good choice or a mistake? Truth be told... I'm not sure.

Personally, I really really like Janet. I like watching her talk, perform and generally, I like her singing. She seems like a person I'd enjoy knowing. That being said, you can't base your appreciation of a musical work simply on your personal feeling toward the artist.

The segues are a problem. They're all over the place and annoying at times. Picking one segue theme and sticking to it would be advisable. She starts off with talking to what is implied to be an artificial intelligence who acts also as a friend. That would be fine if she followed through with it during the entire disc, but it only pops up a couple times. Instead of getting into the segues, I'll focus on the songs...

There are some outstanding musical numbers on this disc. The first song is 'Feedback' and it's awesome. Not only is it a great tune but the video is quite interesting as well. My absolute favorite track is 'Rock With U'. I'm not sure why this song appeals to me other than it's got an exciting beat and comes on fairly relentlessly. It's amazing! Other outstanding tracks include '2nite', 'Luv', 'Greatest X', 'So Much Betta', 'The 1' and 'Discipline'. 'Discipline' is extremely provocative and suggestive. It's very erotic and highly sensual. 'The 1' features Missy Elliott and is extremely funky.

This album is a departure from Janet's regular fare. She's not working with her long time producer partners Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She's using different people who are bringing her a new sound, but her songwriting input has lessened greatly.

I think it's better than anything she's done in a long time. There are still some throwaway songs that are boring and skippable, but you get the sense she's moving into something new. Whether she embraces this change or not remains to be seen, but it's worth the purchase for the funky numbers. Time to rediscover this artist.

I'm hopeful for the future once again. My final words: HOPEFUL & PROMISING.

JANET - DISCIPLINE
01. I.D.
02. Feedback
03. Luv
04. Spinnin
05. Rollercoaster
06. Bathroom Break
07. Rock With U
08. 2nite
09. Can't B Good
10. 4 Words
11. Never Letchu Go
12. Truth Or Dare
13. Greatest X
14. Good Morning Janet
15. So Much Betta
16. Play Selection
17. The 1 Feat. Missy Elliott
18. What's Ur Name
19. The Meaning
20. Discipline
21. Back
22. Curtains