339. Janet Jackson, "Rhythm Nation 1814"

 


Another album I've never heard before!  Well, I think I had heard the title track before, because I was generally familiar with the (instantly earwormy) chorus, but that's about it.  And guess what?  It slaps!  I know, I'm super late to this (this album came out in 1989) but hey, I'm just throwing it out there.  

But let's say this: it is very, very, very 80's-sounding.  I'm not sure there's an actual real drum sound on this album, and it's got that slap bass and too-shimmery guitar through a Roland Jazz Chorus that you associate with the 80's.  It's not really my thing, but the songwriting is pretty great, even if the production is the Crystal Pepsi of sound.

I think of all the (faintly similar) uptempo tracks, I like "Rhythm Nation" the most.  It's apparently built on a sample from Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" which we just saw, but I listened to the song a number of times and I can't hear it.  Great song, though.

This being a product of its time, of course it is freighted with Socially Conscious Lyrics and references stuff like homelessness and racial inequality and mass shootings and guess what, Janet, it's only gotten WORSE.  Remember the Stockton schoolyard shooting?  That's referenced on here, because it was so shocking at the time.  Now it's not even one of the bigger school shootings.  Well, this ended on a depressing note.

Does this album deserve to be in the Top 500? Sure, I guess.

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