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Shortly before this little disc came out, this artist's brother was enjoying the success of the most popular record of all time. Imagine what the impact that would have on brothers and sisters who were also trained as singers and dancers but never achieved any solo success. So now imagine his chart topping success followed almost immediately by his baby sister's disc that almost did as well as "Thriller".
For those of you who weren't there, "Control" took over everything. Girls at school were wearing their housekeys on their hoop earrings, kids practiced her dance moves during lunch and in the halls between classes. If you missed recording it on cassette off the radio, you didn't have to wait long for another chance.
While fans dreamed of rivalries between Prince and Michael Jackson and squared up behind the star of their choice, Janet tried a different approach. She knew she didn't want to go into the studio with a label, engineers and producers who'd worked with her family and the Motown sound for many years. She wanted to do something new and exciting. She was listening to the Minneapolis sound. And she liked what Prince and other artists surrounding him were doing. But she also knew her parents would never let Prince produce their baby girl.
So she did the next best thing. She's met Jam & Lewis during her previous recording sessions in Minneapolis. And they were excited to work with her. But the trick was... Blending the pop sensibility of Motown's hit making traditions with the vital and exciting energy of the Minneapolis sound. She brought the experience and the knowledge of the Motown history and Jam & Lewis brought the Minnesota funk.
The blend was something new and exhilarating. When it hit the streets, fans couldn't keep their hands off it. Her parent's worried she'd sound like Prince, but Janet didn't let it stop her. Ultimately, it was the blending of these two very different styles of musical tradition that helped Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis develop their own signature version of the Minneapolis sound. And once the hits started coming, they never stopped.
With one declarative statement, Janet ... Sweet little baby sister Janet, stepped out into the spotlight and seized control of her own life. And her message, heard all the way around the world, was a very public wake up call to her family and friends.
Her first single, 'Control' was accompanied by a live performance video letting everyone know, this time she meant business. And the album released single after hit single. I think there are only a couple songs that didn't actually get a single release.
Listening to it now, some of the drum sounds are a bit outdated and there are songs where they rely heavily on old R&B sounds on the keyboards, but otherwise, the disc has held up. 'Control' kicks it off with just the right blend of both musical schools of production that you think you know what you're in store for. Fans of The Time who know Jam & Lewis saw it as a Time performance. But it was completely different. For one thing, instead of the misogynist preening of the Morris Day character, this band was led by a woman. Her dance moves were bold and avoided being overtly sexual. She took the stage as a confident band leader and rocked the house down. This is when we knew something special was happening.
Even now, the drum track on 'Nasty' sounds amazing. It was such a different sound and no one really copied it. Where Madonna empowered 80's women to own their sexuality, Janet empowered them to expect/demand equality and projected an image of a strong female archetype who didn't rely on sensuality to send a message. In fact, the message of 'Nasty' was a demand for respect rather than objectification. It was followed by, 'What Have You Done For Me Lately' which tells the story of a partner who takes his lady for granted. All three of these songs were released as singles and had huge chart success.
After the progressive and new sounding opening of 'Control', 'Nasty' and 'What Have You Done For Me Lately', 'You Can Be Mine' sounds a little outdated and weak. The message is empowering and as the song progresses, the music clears up and you get some wonderful arrangements from the masters of Minnesota funk. It goes out on a high note. Next up are two more tracks that saw single releases... 'The Pleasure Principle' and 'When I Think Of You'. 'The Pleasure Principle' is the first track appearing on the album not written by Jackson, Jam & Lewis. However, it's written by former bandmate and Time member, Monte Moir. Most of the original Time members went on to produce and write for other artists and they were all part of that Minneapolis sound. Although this tune does have a distinctive quality that sets it apart from the others, it still sounds like it belongs in the fused sound they'd created.
Both 'The Pleasure Principle' and 'When I Think Of You' reached the US top five. The next track is the one song that seems utterly and completely out of place on the record. 'He Doesn't Even Know I'm Alive' was written by Spencer Bernard. Although I'm not sure where he comes from or how he hooked up with Jam & Lewis, he's been with them ever since and contributed numerous songs to their artists. This one, however, sounds like dated Motown, not something that belongs with the innovative style of the rest of the album. In addition, the song seems take the powerful strong woman Jackson has presented throughout the rest of the album and turn her into a tiny, frightened uncertain little girl. It's demoralizing to see it happen. This song would have better served the record if it'd stayed in a drawer for another artist.
I don't even consider it part if the album. More like a filler track left over from her previous two albums recorded under her father's watchful eye.
The next two tracks set up a formula Janet would repeat a few times over the years. Both are ballads. It wasn't uncommon for her to save the slow music for the end of the album and use it to segue out of the disc. 'Let's Wait Awhile' is a song about abstinence and not allowing yourself to be pressured into sex. Once again, Janet was empowering women to say no. To control with whom and when they choose to engage in sexual conduct. Although today this isn't seen as a radical concept, in the 80's it was still a topic people wanted to ignore and pretend didn't happen.
The disc ends with Janet gently but firmly rebuffing her beau in the middle of an intimate setting choosing instead to wait until the time is right for both of them. 'Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)' is both sensual and serious without being preachy or pandering to one specific ideal. With this final track, Janet told an entire generation of women, intimacy is wonderful and can be extremely fun, but you have the power to say no. You can stop at anytime.
The importance of this record and how it shaped women's roles in society cannot be taken for granted. Madonna and other pop singers of the time wanted to free women from oppressive sexuality and allow women to enjoy and control sex. But the message of "Control" branched out into virtually ever corner of society and expressed strength for almost every conceivable obstacle a young woman in that decade might face in her life.
Her social awareness, dedication to empowerment and strength made her an overnight icon. The impact of this record may never be fully known. But it does demonstrate a social awareness none of her family possessed in any great amount. Her brother Michael produced and wrote songs he used to inspire change in others but his attempts were almost always extremely direct and lacked the inventive approach Janet took each time she planned an album.
My final words: THIS ALBUM EMPOWERED ME! HER BROTHER WANTED TO HEAL THE WORLD, BUT JANET CHANGED IT.
JANET JACKSON - CONTROL
01. Control
02. Nasty
03. What Have You Done For Me Lately
04. You Can Be Mine
05. The Princeiple of Pleasure
06. When I Think Of You
07. He Doesn't Even Know I'm Alive
08. Let's Wait Awhile
09. Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)
I think it was the "Janet" album that threw me initially. After it came out, I wasn't keen on following Janet as hardcore as I had been throughout most of the 80's. The production on that record was a new direction for her and for Jam & Lewis. They branched out into new sounds, new beats and a new style I wasn't altogether pleased with. I still liked her and I enjoyed her music, but I didn't rush out and buy what she was releasing.
I got her next album only because I won it at a Pride event in Las Vegas. They were giving away promotional copies and I won one. But the subsequent releases, I admired from afar but never picked up. Until recently. I won an auction on eBay and stocked up on a bunch of CDs I'd missed out on over the years. By a lot of bands I loved, but didn't have complete collections of their material. Janet was one of them.
And that's how this record came into my possession. I know this sounds like a broken record, but I think sometimes the segues on Janet Jackson records can really slow the pace of the music and can sometimes actually ruin a song. And although I'm not fond of the snippets appearing on this release, they're not nearly as bad as some of her other records.
It starts off with 'Intro' that is somewhat funny, but doesn't really have to be there. 'You Ain't Right' kicks in shortly after and although it's funky and aggressive, it's not her best track. It's still pretty good, but nothing to write home about. However, 'All For You' is absolutely incredible. I loved this song the first time I heard it. Not only do I love it, I love the video! This is pure Janet. The dancing, the moves, that cool girl next door vibe she wears so well... This is the Janet we remember from 'Love Will Never Do Without You' video. That cool chick we all wanna hang out with and be best friends with. She rocks this track!
The next track is another interlude that kinda drags, but it sets up the next track... 'Come On Get Up' is another driving number that screams "Here's the Janet you remember!" I love this song too. It absolutely bursts out of the speakers and swings you as you sing along. These are the songs she does that are so wonderful because as you sing along, your heart feels happy and cheerful. Next up is 'When We Oooo' and it's the first ballad on the record. It's also another strong track. Janet does seduction well and this number let's her express all of that sensuality with minimalist music arrangement and a mellow groove beat...
'China Love' clocks in at number 7 and it's the second ballad on the disc. The first time I heard it, I initially thought it was a throwaway slow jam, but as I listened to it, the more I fell in love with it. It's a delicate number with interesting notes and sounds. Janet really delivers on this one too. She sounds sincere and soft on it. I picture her laying on a velvet couch in the middle of a pool with huge orchids and other flowers floating in the water around her. Cherry blossoms in trees surrounding the pool. It's a very visual song and you can't help but imagine a romantic rendezvous when you hear it. The next ballad is 'Love Scene (Ooh Baby)' and this one isn't as good as the previous two, but it has a lovely chorus. It's followed by yet another ballad, 'Would You Mind'. This song is on the naughty side and I'm a little uncomfortable with it. It's a bit raunchy for this medley we've heard thus far. She fades out to another interlude that supposedly winds up the medley.
'Trust A Try' is up next and this frantic panic number is a rockin' fast paced bit that leaves you feeling a little confused. It combines different elements to create a song that is basically all over the place and so intent on making it point, it slams you more than rocks you. I'm not a fan. Next up is the interlude leading into the Carly Simon collaboration. I'm not a huge fan of Carly Simon. I dig the beat of 'Son Of A Gun', but I'm not big on the lyrics or the inclusion of Carly Simon. I guess it's OK for what it is. 'Truth' is another ballad and it's nice, but it's not exactly what I wanted to hear after the previous song. It goes out with another interlude. Unremarkable. But it's cool for what it is.
'Someone To Call My Lover' is a mid tempo pop number and this one gets us back on track with cool Janet grooves. I love this one. It's got those lovely bell sounds in the chorus Jam & Lewis are famous for using. And it don't stop there... Cause 'Feels So Right' kicks in with another strong beat and it's more classic Janet. It's followed by 'Doesn't Really Matter'. Once again, we have string of great tunes back to back. 'Better Days' rounds out the album and it's another ballad. It's good, but not as exciting as other tracks on the album. Then one final segue to close out the disc.
So to my surprise, there are some strong Janet songs here. Enough to keep me coming back for more. But there's also a lot of filler material here. This disc is loaded with ballads. Almost half the actual song material on the disc is slow. That would be fine if Janet had come up as a ballad singer like Whitney Houston or someone like that. But she's a pop star. People wanna dance and hear some beats when she comes on. So in that sense, I think the album failed. But there's enough strong material to make me feel like I shoulda stayed around. I shoulda kept listening to Ms. Janet. My final words: SOPPY WITH BALLADS, BUT FUNKY WITH BEATS... IT'S WORTH THE MONEY!
JANET JACKSON - ALL FOR YOU
01. Intro
02. You Ain't Right
03. All For You
04. 2wayforyou (Interlude)
05. Come On Get Up
06. When We Oooo
07. China Love
08. Love Scene (Ooh Baby)
09. Would You Mind
10. Lame (Interlude)
11. Trust A Try
12. Clouds (Interlude)
13. Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) With Carly Simon
14. Truth
15. Theory (Interlude)
16. Someone To Call My Lover
17. Feels So Right
18. Doesn't Really Matter
19. Better Days
20. Outro
Although I knew who most of the people in this movie were, I didn't actually see Krush Groove until it was released on DVD back in the early 2000's. But I knew a lot about the movie and I already had the soundtrack on cassette.
I won't go into the movie because it's not really important to this review. I mainly bought the CD because of the Sheila E. solo number which was co-written by Prince. It was released as a single, but this is the only place you can find it on CD.
There were a lot of great songs in the movie that didn't make the album. Sadly... But oh well. You can't always control what's going to happen with a soundtrack. There's some great material on this record, but there's also a lot of bad stuff too. This record basically shows you the development of Hip Hop and Rap. These were the artists who created the genre. And compared to the artists in the genre today, this stuff sounds amateurish and outdated.
There's not much to be said for the rap numbers except you can hear some really interesting music by rappers like LL Cool J and The Beastie Boys.
Right off the bat, you have Chaka Khan doing the main title number and it's a great song! A remix of the track closes the disc out. I quite like it and I really liked what she was doing during this whole time period. This was about the same time she covered 'I Feel For You' by Prince. It's followed by LL Cool J doing 'I Can't Live Without My Radio'. Not his best effort, but still kinda fun to listen to. Kurtis Blow is next and I don't like this song at all. In fact, I cringe when I hear it. I find it embarrassing. It's followed by the Fat Boys big hit, 'All You Can Eat'. You can tell most of these raps were written or produced by the same people because they have very similar rhyme schemes and beats. Of the tracks the Fat Boys performed on the film, this is not the best and I'm surprised the others were left off.
Debbie Harry is up next with 'Feel The Spin'. It's not her strongest or most memorable song, but it's a good one. I like it. This track has a mix at the end of the disc as well.
Sheila E.'s 'Holly Rock' kicks in and is easily the best track on the record. There's one other track that comes close but we'll discuss that in a minute. If you don't know 'Holly Rock', you need to hear it. NOW!
Beastie Boys are next with 'She's On It' and this is a great number. They do a really good job with this song. The Gap Band deliver 'Love Triangle' which has some good ideas but doesn't go anywhere. The next track is the 2nd best song on the album and it's phenomenal. 'Tender Love' by Force MD's is written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It's beautiful.
The closing number is the entire cast performing 'Krush Groovin''. Another boring number that leaves me feeling flushed and slightly annoyed.
I'm happy this disc has finally seen a CD release and I'm enjoying it immensely, but I'll be honest with you, this is one disc that sounds super dated. You won't listen to this record and find yourself amazed at how well the sound has endured. Because most of the material you'll hear is trendy. They followed a pattern and structure created by a producer that never really evolved.
It's still worth it just for the good tracks because the good songs outnumber the bad ones. My final words: A BLAST FROM THE PAST THAT COULDN'T LAST...
KRUSH GROOVE - MUSIC FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUND TRACK
01. Chaka Khan - (Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street
02. LL Cool J - I Can't Live Without My Radio (Short Version)
03. Kurtis Blow - If I Ruled The World
04. Fat Boys - All You Can Eat
05. Debbie Harry - Feel The Spin
06. Sheila E. - Holly Rock
07. Beastie Boys - She's On It
08. Gap Band - Love Triangle
09. Force MD's - Tender Love
10. Fat Boys, Run-D.M.C., Sheila E., & Kurtis Blow (The Krush Groove All Stars) - Krush Groovin'
11. Debbie Harry - Feel The Spin (Extended Remix)
12. Chaka Khan - (Krush Groove) Can't Stop The Street (Extended Remix)
Crystal Waters is a singer I'd heard at clubs and sometimes on the radio when I lived in Las Vegas. I didn't know much about her, but there was a period of time when I was buying cds from artists who covered Prince songs. I'd done my research on the internet and I knew this album had a Prince cover so when I found it at the used CD store for a couple bucks I bought it. I can't say for sure what I was expecting, but when I put it in and played the first song, I was eager to skip ahead and hear the Prince track. Mostly because I hated it and I wanted to see if she'd murdered 'Uptown'.
Since that time, I've listened to the disc and my opinion has changed greatly. Although I'd be hard pressed to include this album on any top list I can think of, I certainly enjoy it for what it is. The majority of this record is the pop electro equivalent of what's circulating all over pop stations today. That being said, it's surprising Waters didn't have more success with this record. As a vocalist, she isn't the most dynamic or exciting. Her range is fairly limited and her voice lacks any great quality that might set it apart from other singers. But it's not irritating and certainly pleasant enough to hear. For her part, Waters doesn't write music outside of her range. She certainly knows her limitations and you have to give her credit for that. As a song writer, she's ok but more on the lackluster side. Her songs aren't trite cliches used over and over. She's smart enough to choose different word play instead of going straight for the vernacular punch; however, she's also got a tendency to write some tedious material as well. For example... The opening track to this recording is 'Momma Told Me'. The sing song chorus doesn't create a magical feeling. Instead, it sounds whiny and complaining. The lyrics are also a little silly. But she follows it up with 'The Love I Found'. This is the first track that really stands out on the record. Soon enough you get the Prince cover and for the record, she does a great job. It's more danceable and fun than the original, though it loses some of the intense energy of the Prince version.
An added bonus is the appearance of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on the album. They co-wrote the single 'Say... If You Feel Alright'. This song is the best track on the album. It's awesome from start to finish. Even though it's got Flytetime sound all over it, they manage to stay within the range of Crystal's other material and it blends right in with the feel of the album. I want to mention some of the other tracks on the album that I like. 'Easy' is a great little number and it's followed by 'Female Intuition'. This track is slower but has a strange beat and it works to accentuate Water's lyrics and vocal style. The final three songs, 'Body Music', 'Spin Me' and 'Passion' are all great numbers. 'Spin Me' incorporates Dead Or Alive's 80's smash hit, 'You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)' and is almost as infectious. 'Passion' is a nice way to end the disc. It's got a great chorus.
So was it enough to make me a Crystal Waters fan? Not really. But it is a disc I can put in and let play without worrying what song is coming up next. It's enjoyable enough to make it a fun listen every now and again. It's also great for the Jam & Lewis track and the Prince cover. So if you come across the disc, you can pick it up knowing its got enough good material to jam while you're in your car or let it play in the background while you're at work or doing something more important. Any way you slice it, you'll be grooving in your seat most of the time and ready to party by the end of the day. My final words: GOOD ENOUGH TO DANCE TO, GOOD ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO.
CRYSTAL WATERS - CRYSTAL WATERS
01. Momma Told Me
02. The Love I Found
03. On My Mind
04. Uptown
05. Say... If You Feel Alright
06. Easy
07. Female Intuition
08. Let Go My Love
09. Just A Freak
10. Body Music
11. Spin Me
12. Passion
Alexander O'Neal comes from that whole Minneapolis sound movement back in the 80's. He was floating around that whole group of people who eventually made up the bulk of Prince's satellite groups and his own band. Originally, Alexander was slated to be the lead singer of Prince's side group, The Time; but was replaced for some reason. Who knows what happened there. But one fact is true... Alexander knew those guys and his association with them led to his career later on. When Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis became a popular production team, they got with him and propelled him to the top of the R&B charts by producing hit after hit.
Of course their association with him started way back when they were first coming into their own and developing their own sound. They have a distinct sound that even though it's based on the Minneapolis sound, it still has features distinctly its own. At the beginning though, the sound was more grounded in 70's funk rather than the new material they later worked on.
Much of the material on this record falls into this category. You can hear Jam & Lewis searching for something to define themselves with. You get a couple tracks that are more polished and showed up later when they'd found a way to be distinctive, but the majority are somewhere between that original more traditional R&B sound and that new spark. Obviously some tracks showcase this more readily than others. The two songs that really step up and say, "Hey I'm here!" are the first track, 'Fake' and 'Criticize'. Both tracks are from the "Hearsay" CD. There are a couple other from that record on here too, but those are the two that really define Jam & Lewis at the time. I think they intentionally tried to keep O'Neal sounding different from other acts they were producing at the time like Janet Jackson. O'Neal's voice is a more traditional and legitimate sound for R&B as well.
Many of the other songs from this CD were also hits on the charts. For example, 'A Broken Heart Can Mend' was a big chart topper. I love the song and I seem to remember it showing up on a couple soundtracks, but I may be wrong on that. Other truly standout tracks include 'Never Knew Love Like This', 'Crying Overtime' and 'Innocent'. The version of 'Innocent' on this record is an extended version that breaks into a funky bridge towards the end of the song. It's really exciting and quite exhilarating to hear.
Ultimately, I think Jam & Lewis could have done much more with Alexander if they'd have taken their signature sound and really dumped it into this guy. He's got a great strong voice and he works well with the Jam & Lewis sound. I don't know if they've worked with him in some time, but I certainly would be interested in future collaborations. Unless Jam & Lewis have completely changed their signature sound; which I'm thinking they have based on the last few Janet CDs they worked on. But we'll see. My final words: NIFTY LITTLE COLLECTION.
ALEXANDER O'NEAL - THE BEST OF ALEXANDER O'NEAL
01. Fake
02. A Broken Heart Can Mend
03. Sunshine
04. Criticize
05. You Were Meant To Be My Lady (Not My Girl)
06. Never Knew Love Like This
07. All True Man
08. If You Were Here Tonight
09. Crying Overtime
10. Innocent/Alex 9000/Innocent II
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
This is a disc I bought because Prince wrote a song for her. However, I didn't know the song existed until the early 90s when I was living in Europe. Fortunately, I found the disc at a shop in Olten, Switzerland. I'm also a fan of Jam & Lewis. Flyte Tyme Productions is one of my favorite production houses. I've loved the work they've done with Janet Jackson and others.
The disc starts off relatively nicely. The first two tracks are fun, though not exactly groundbreaking in any way. They were typical pop fare for the time period. In fact they sound like something from the "Pretty Woman" soundtrack. The Prince track segues from the second song. It kicks in with a strange, off balance beat that somehow manages to make you wanna start moving around and waving your hands. 'Baby Go-Go' makes me wanna go-go.
The next two tracks are the Flyte Tyme numbers. The first, 'Rhythm Of Change' is written by Spencer Bernard and features a standard collection of Flyte Tyme musicians playing in the background. The tune itself isn't all that exciting, but it has a strong beat reminiscent of Janet Jackson's 'Black Cat'. 'Why Should I Cry?' is more standard Flyte Tyme and features a melodic hook. My only complaint is the echo on Hendryx's voice. It really distracts from the lyrics. Still, it's an awesome number and excellent turn out from them.
The remaining tracks are pretty common sounding and none of them stand out in any form. They're typical filler material from the time. But when you consider this cd as a record, virtually one whole side is worth hearing while the second is fluff bits. 50% isn't a bad percentage when you're talking about a full album. Hendryx has a powerful voice and she's not afraid to use it. She's a bold sounding artist. Her political messages all over the album liner notes are impossible to ignore and obsolete today, but they don't distract from the musical value. There's more than one reason to check this disc out. Worth the effort. My final word: DECENT.
NONA HENDRYX - FEMALE TROUBLE
01. I Know What You Need (Pygmy's Confession)
02. Big Fun
03. Baby Go-Go
04. Rhythm Of Change
05. Why Should I Cry?
06. Too Hot To Handle
07. Winds Of Change (Mandela To Mandela)
08. Female Trouble
09. Drive Me Wild
