Janet: Number Ones
For the first time, 33 of Janet Jackson’s global Number One hits, plus the new “Make Me,” are available together in a two-disc set. Number Ones takes us from the early days of “What Have You Done For Me Lately” and “Nasty” to her more recent work with her late brother Michael, Busta Rhymes, Blackstreet, Q-Tip, and Nelly.
Number Ones celebrates the career and creativity of one of the most successful and influential artists of our time. It spans more than 20 years of hits from Janet’s original albums-from her 1986 stellar breakthrough Control, which included five chart-toppers, to the most recent set Discipline.
Rhythm Nation 1814 was the best-selling album of 1990. Rhythm Nation 1814 contained “Miss You Much,” “Rhythm Nation,” “Escapade,” “Alright,” “Come Back to Me,” “Black Cat,” and “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” which all peaked within the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first and only album to achieve that feat. All these hits are here!
From the later albums, hits like “If,” “Together Again,” “All For You,” “All Nite (Don’t Stop), and “Someone to Call My Lover” are included. Other highlights are “Scream,” her only duet with her brother, “What’s it Gonna Be?!” with Busta Rhymes, and “Got ’Til It’s Gone” with Q-Tip and Joni Mitchell.
Number Ones is Jackson’s first greatest hits compilation since 1995, and is a must-have for Janet fans, especially those of us who had some of the earlier albums on cassette.
Rhythm Nation
Janet Jackson Love Will Never Do (Without You) (live)
That’s The Way Love Goes
Again
Together Again
All For You
Happy 25th Anniversary, Purple Rain!
”Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today 2 get through this thing called life …”
Those are the first words of Purple Rain’s opening song Let’s Go Crazy.
Twenty-five years ago, eccentric superstar Prince created what many consider to be the greatest pop film soundtrack of all time. Purple Rain is an album that was as commercially successful as it was artistically innovative. It combined funk, R&B, heavy rock, and pop. It produced five hit singles, and there are only nine songs on the album!
Purple Rain influenced not only music, but fashion and censorship. Purple Rain’s “Darling Nikki” topped the Parental Music Resource Center list as the most offensive song that year. It was Prince who “inspired” the Parental Advisory stickers on albums.
Purple Rain was released on June 25, 1984 and by August, it was Number 1 on the album chart, the singles chart, and in movie theaters. The movie – conceived by, staring, and revolving around Prince, was a multi-tiered effort to make himself a star. And as the closing song in the film proclaims “Baby I’m A Star,” it worked!
Here are the songs, in order, on Purple Rain:
More on Prince and Purple Rain:
Entertainment Weekly, The New Classics: Music
June 5, 2009, WNYC Soundcheck: “Songs Fit For A Prince”
The Mystix: Blue Morning CD Review
The Mystix serve up a delectable mix of blues, R&B, country, and rock with Blue Morning. These musicians are at their finest, and have crafted an album full of soul that could easily become a new favorite of any music lover.
Jo Lily – the band’s front man – plays acoustic and slide guitar, and sings with the raspy voice of Tom Waits, Dr, John, and Bob Dylan. Bobby Keyes, who has recorded with greats like Jerry Lee Lewis and Ben E. King, plays guitar and his excellent skill dazzles. He can switch from funky blues style to rock riffs effortlessly. Bassist Marty Ballou and drummers, Marty Richards and Dennis McDermott, round out the Boston-based group. Keyes and Lily co-produced the CD.
While all ten songs on Blue Morning are good, some standout a little extra. A Change in Jane is a ballad that would fit nicely on one of Dylan’s later albums or pass for one of Van Morrison’s movie songs. It’s strong on images, and because it’s a short song, it leaves you wanting more. The spirited rhythms on the aptly named New Orleans set the scene for a rollicking street party in The Big Easy. New Orleans is the liveliest song on Blue Morning. Another lively tune is The Mystix’s cover of Rattled. And while the Traveling Wilburys: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison are and were the masters, The Mystix’s version just might beat the original.
The title track slows things down a bit. It’s a heartbreak song that offers the hope that there’s always a new day, offering a new start. Which Side of Heartache is a weepy country tune and is reminiscent of The Tennessee Waltz. Hi-Line closes Blue Morning. It conjures up the image of an empty bar when the last shot of whiskey has been served and the final song is coming to an end.
The Mystix’s Blue Morning is a solid album that mixes genres seamlessly. It’s got something for everyone. Blue Morning is an excellent example of how good songwriting and instrumentation can create a perfect listening experience.
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