#40/1207
February 4 1986
Janet Jackson
Control
Genre: New Jack Swing
3.5 out of 5
Highlights:
Nasty
What Have You Done For Me Lately
Yes. We are covering this record. For the same reason that we do Madonna. And Run-DMC. And Beastie Boys. And, probably Public Enemy. Some albums are too important to the era and had too much of an impact to ignore. (But I will ardently resist any Paula Abdul records)
Consider these slight detours. But, not really.
To me, Janet Jackson was the kid on Different Strokes and in the Fame TV show. And, since this was coming at a time when my musical snobbery wouldn’t allow for dance music I was only cursorily aware of it.
While I think the opening track is sort of boring and repetitive and more of a showcase for production it’s important to set the tone for what this record is, which is a breakaway. From the shadow of her brother and the iron fist of her father. It could just as easily be called “Emancipation” and probably would have in the Aughts.
And this is exemplified by the pure ownership of self of “Nasty”, a track that is not only rifftastic but Janet’s sultry, knowing Prince-like vocals are probably the sexiest stuff of its kind to this point in the 80s. And it should be remade for the current climate. Damn, things just don’t change, do they.
As for the rest of it? It’s not that it’s “dated” per se. It’s that the beats and arrangements are so repetitive that it really has no place other than the dance floor, where I bet it killed.
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