[.ca] Velvet Rope

From Amazon.co.uk:
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 recontextualises 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 throw-down 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

amazing janet period:
The Velvet Rope era and album was amazing, and also underrated. The awards kept coming and so did the hits, and the tour was INCREDIBLE. I love the music on this album, it's a mix of r & b, pop and dance, but very mellow compared to the albums that came out before this one, which is why Velvet Rope is her most daring, most creative, most innovative and most ambitous album. I also agree with the many reviewers that she was never able to top this effort, despite the brand new janet single All Nite which I'm sure will become a hit. Buy this today.

a beautiful masterpiece of an album:
Janet expanded on her r & b roots with this beautiful album and created a timeless masterpiece that still sounds fresh today. If you want to hear the real janet jackson, this is the album. She's sexy(without overdoing it), she's creative and she's in control of her music and timeless sound on this album. And she's also very real, you can't get any realer than she did on Velvet Rope, and sadly she couldn't live up to it after this CD.

ONE OF JANET'S BEST ALBUM.:
Besides Rhythm Nation, this is Janet's best album. Nuff said.

Janet's Deepest Record...:
Even as good of a record as Damita Jo is (read my review on it under the third, fourth or fifth pages, lol), I honestly didn't think that Janet had peaked by the time of this album. Released in October 1997, Ms. Jackson's sixth record in her 15-year music career was deep, raw, introspective and serious. Janet truly had less relationships of love and sex in this album than she had done previously and afterwards with her last two records. In fact, most of the record dealt with depression, bisexuality, domestic abuse, racism, AIDS and self-esteem. This album was truly a shocker for those who had known Janet 20 years ago to be some shy girl backing her family members. This album was the first one that many thought it couldn't have been done by Michael and Jermaine's baby sister and yet at the same time, she confirms that yes, she is a Jackson, and yes, she is MJ's sis, but she was her own woman going through her own problems and was not too scared to reveal them here. This record was also the first that wasn't known for its pop classics but very much known for just being too deep for radio airplay. However Janet managed to branch out classics like "Got 'til It's Gone", which re-introduced the world to folk legend Joni Mitchell, "Together Again", her tribute to friends who died of AIDS, "I Get Lonely", which IMO is one of the greatest R & B songs of all time and "Go Deep", her own take of her brother's legendary "Billie Jean". This was truly an album that showed the quintessential life of a Black music icon in her personal mishaps and how she came out of it and wanted to come out of it. There's pain but there's also joy as she confirms that everyone's special and in the face of adversity and hate, we can't be stopped. Janet is forever an icon and this record proved Janet has true heart as her last three albums before had shown. After this record, I truly think Janet Jackson had nothing left to prove. This album confirmed that Janet was and is one of the greatest singular talents of pop and R & B music ever.

Janet's Best Album:
All her albums rock, but this is by far the best. I adore every track! Especially that opener, it really draws you into the album 'we have a special need' - played it many times. Also good are Together Again, I Get Lonely, Go Deep, Special, My Need, Got Till Its Gone, Rope burn and the calm Anything - very relaxing. Definatley recommend this one even if you arent a Janet fan. (PS. Look for hidden track 'Strong Enough')

• Interlude: Twisted Elegance
• Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson, Vanessa-Mae
• You
• Got 'Til It's Gone - Janet Jackson, Joni Mitchell, Q-Tip
• Interlude: Speaker Phone
• My Need
• Interlude: Fasten Your Seatbelts
• Go Deep
• Free Xone
• Interlude: Memory
• Together Again
• Interlude: Online
• Empty
• Interlude: Full
• What About
• Every Time
• Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
• I Get Lonely
• Rope Burn
• Anything
• Interlude: Sad
• Special