Customer Reviews

Number Ones

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So, I've been waiting for a new Janet collection for awhile, so when she announced "Number Ones", I was super excited. I was even happier when she announced the official track listing. I thought, except for the exclusion of "You Want This", it was perfect. And when I got the CD, it even exceeded my expectations. The remastering is superb! You hear it as soon as you put in the first CD and hear the very beginning of "What Have You Done For Me Lately". It really stands out on the first disc, especially songs like "When I Think Of You", "Let's Wait Awhile", and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)".

Another thing I like is the rare tracks, or at least rare versions. Thankfully they included the Single Remix of "Let's Wait Awhile" unlike on "Decade". Another great inclusion is the video mix of "All For You", which includes the dance break and was originally only available on the CD Single. I DO wish they would have just used the single edit for "Any Time, Any Place" instead of the R. Kelly Remix, which it didn't even say it was. Another 'false labeling' is the fact that it said "Janet feat. BLACKstreet" on "I Get Lonely", but was actually the solo album/radio edit instead. I like the solo version better, but I hate that they put one thing and it says another.

Overall, I would suggest this collection to major fans, minor fans, and everyone in between. It covers her past 23 years of music so well.

Here is the track listing including which version it is: (PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG)
DISC ONE
1. What Have You Done For Me Lately? - Album Version w/o Spoken Intro
2. Nasty - Album Version
3. When I Think of You - Album Version
4. Control - Album Version
5. Let's Wait Awhile - Single/Remix Version
6. The Pleasure Principle - Album Edit
7. Diamonds - Main Version
8. Miss You Much - Album Version
9. Rhythm Nation - Single Edit with Pledge Intro
10. Escapade - Album Version
11. Alright - Video Edit (aka 7" Mix) with Heavy D Rap
12. Come Back to Me - The 12" I'm Beggin' You Mix
13. Black Cat - Video Edit
14. Love Will Never Do (Without You) - Single Version
15. The Best Things in Life Are Free - 1992 Soundtrack Version
16. That's The Way Love Goes - Album Version

DISC TWO
1. If - Album Version
2. Again - Album Version
3. Because of Love - Album Version
4. Any Time, Any Place - R. Kelly Remix
5. Scream - Radio Edit
6. Runaway - Album Version
7. Got 'Til It's Gone - Clean Radio Edit
8. Together Again - LP/Radio Edit
9. I Get Lonely - LP Edit (*NOTE: Does NOT feature BLACKstreet)
10. Go Deep - Album Version
11. What's It Gonna Be?! - Radio Edit
12. Doesn't Really Matter - Full Soundtrack Version
13. All For You - Video Version with Dance Break
14. Someone to Call My Lover - Single/Radio Edit
15. All Nite (Don't Stop) - Album Version
16. Call On Me - Album Version (Including a 10 second intro from the end of "With U" on 20 Y.O.)
17. Feedback - Single Version (Almost same as album version, except with an extended outro)
18. Make Me - Single Version

34 tracks on 2 discs remastered to perfection. I have fallen in love with Janet's music all over again.
PROS
1. Excellent Remasters of all her classic hits!
("that's the way love goes" sounds brilliant.
"when I think of you" never sounded better.)
2. Almost complete and comprehensive collection of Janet's career spanning hits, including duets she has done through the years! (Diamonds,Best Things In Life,etc)
3. New track - Make Me (Produced by Darkchild/Rodney Jenkins) Disco House/Pop Janet is Back. This song is a major stand-out.

CONS
1. I am not a fan of some of the versions chosen to be on this collection. The one that is really glaring at me is the hip hop sounding mix of "Best Things In Life Are Free" Would have much preferred the more popular version used in the music video over this one.
2. Album cover = Snooooze!

As you can see, we are short on the cons here and the fact that you have amazing remasters trumps any negatives for this project. A&M and Janets team have really done a spectacular job on making this a very neat and concise collection. There was another remastered comprehensive greatest hits that came out just a couple months ago from another artist (whose name I wont mention) which was disastrous in such a number of ways that it is now impossible for me not to appreciate this strong effort.

This is a real must-have for anyone who grew up in the 80's, 90's and today with Janets great sounds!

Long overdue, "Number Ones" is Janet Jackson's first greatest hits album since "Design of a Decade 1986/1996", which was released in 1995. Record label politics made me wonder if a comprehensive collection of Janet Jackson's greatest hits would--or could--ever be released. (Janet originally signed with A&M, then moved to Virgin for the "janet." album, and then to Def Jam for 2008's "Discipline".) But comprehensive is what exactly what we've got here with "Number Ones", which is a worthy look back at one of the most successful recording artists of all-time.

The album, which is in chronological order, begins with "What Have You Done For Me Lately" from the 1986 album, "Control". While Janet had had already released "Janet Jackson" and "Dream Street", it was "Control" that established Jackson as a superstar, propelled to that level by hit makers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. After that the hits kept coming with albums including the socially conscious "Rhythm Nation 1814", "janet.", the album that explored Jackson's sexuality, "The Velvet Rope", which Janet recorded during a bout with depression, and "All For You", which explored her fun side. It's amazing just how fresh these songs still sound. This is helped All of the songs from these albums have been digitally remastered to a very high standard. Songs like "Rhythm Nation" have never sounded better. Everyone has their own opinion as to why Janet's last three albums, "Damita Jo", "20 Y.O." and "Discipline" have not been received as warmly by the public, but all three spawned number ones and are of course are included here.

I appreciated the fact that Janet's number one collaborations with other artists, including "Diamonds" with Herb Alpert, "The Best Things In Life Are Free" with Luther Vandross, "Scream" with her brother Michael, and "What's It Gonna Be?" with Busta Rhymes are included here. This is an extra incentive to purchase "Number Ones" since none of these singles have appeared on any of Janet's own albums.

The album concludes with one new track called "Make Me". The disco inspired song is infectious, and is a return to her lighter, more fun roots and whets the appetite for what we can expect from Jackson's next studio album, due out in the first quarter of next year.

While these compilation releases often spark debate on what should have been included--or left off--I think most of Janet's diehard and casual fans alike will be completely satisfied with "Number Ones". The only thing that could have made this release better would have been the option of a deluxe package with a DVD of all of Janet's iconic music videos. However, that's just a slight quibble and "Number Ones" is truly a comprehensive look back at one of the greatest entertainers of all time and some of the best pop music ever recorded. It was worth the wait.

Barring a major comeback--which I would gladly welcome--Janet Jackson's hit-making career seems to have come to an end when she performed with Justin Timberlake at a certain Super Bowl halftime show. Prior to that lapse in judgment, she had been one of America's pre-eminent pop-R&B singers--after all, she came from musical royalty. Even if she is never able to return to her former glory (sadly, radio is not kind to performers over 35, in any genre, no matter how good the music), this collection will stand as an impressive body of work. The first disc is the stronger of the two, and covers the years of 1986-1993. Many of these songs are certified classics: "What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a wonderfully defiant statement:, "That's the Way Love Goes" is a sexy treat, "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" still goes off like a bomb when it plays in your iPod, not to mention "Escapade", "Miss You Much", and "Nasty", among others. This disc also includes Janet's collaboration with Herb Alpert--a hit-maker before she was even born--whom Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis gave one final top ten hit, "Diamonds", as well as "The Best Things in Life Are Free", recorded with the late great Luther Vandross and those guys from New Edition. The second disc finds her career kicking into a lower gear, but not always for a lack of trying. The disc opens with the rest of Janet's 1993-94 work from the album "janet." This material is still great overall, but you can see the sexiness start to creep in--"Any Time, Any Place" is pretty ribald compared to "Escapade". This era also ushered in interludes--short skits that occur on R&B albums, marring the overall flow of the album. The only time these every really worked was on "Rhythm Nation 1814", when they were part of the flow and not like speed bumps standing in the way of good music. The disc also includes some important one-off items: the collaboration with her King of Pop brother, "Scream" (the first time it has appeared on a Janet album); a duet with Busta Rhymes(!) on "What's It Gonna Be?!" and a reprise of the hit single from "Design of a Decade", "Runaway". Surprisingly, "The Velvet Rope"--a dark, sexy album that showed many sides of Janet's personality--is well represented. It includes top five hits `Together Again" and "I Get Lonely", as well as dance/airplay hits "Go Deep" (good slice of pop) and "Got Til It's Gone" (a song I've never quite understood, but nice to have on here). The "All for You [Extra Track]" era is well-represented, too, by "Doesn't Really Matter" and "All For You" (both #1 pop hits) and "Someone to Call My Lover" with its "Ventura Highway" sample. Around this time, Janet seems to have pushed the limits of her image too far. She was more or less nude on the cover of "All For You", and then topless on the cover of "Damita Jo". She began to lose her funky independence and her clothes in favor of breathy tunes about her...climax. Rather than tantalizing, it just came off as desperate. Granted, many men sing about the same thing on their albums and I also find that desperate. Perhaps I am just showing my age, as this has been increasingly popular in today's music world. "Damita Jo" found Janet failing to reach the top 40 with any singles, in spite of a #45 debut for "Just a Little While" and strong R&B airplay for "I Want You". The lone inclusion from that album--a bloated disappointment that might have been better with some trimming, some different production, and better publicity--was a song that mainly just got dance airplay, "All Nite (Don't Stop)". Around this same time, Janet was also dating Jermaine Dupri, a decent-if-annoying producer whose M.O. is to say "uh-huh" and "yeah" all over his artists' productions. He seemed to steer Janet in a different direction--away from her record label, her longtime producers and her fanbase. Her next album, "20 Y.O", seemed like an attempt to recapture former glory. I streamed the album and couldn't find much to get excited about. The magic was gone. The album is represented here by "Call on Me", an okay duet with Nelly--another artist whose career seemed to decline as this decade wore on. With this album out of the way, Janet gave the world "Discipline". This album returned Janet to the top of the sales charts but did not include Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis behind the boards. The single "Feedback", which is pretty good if not great, is included here. The final track is new--called "Make Me", it recalls her brother's "Don't Stop `Til You Get Enough" as well as Janet's danceable past. Janet has split with Jermaine Dupri, so the future for her musically seems to be in her hands, to paraphrase "Again". Nearly every hit is here, save for "You Want This"; others such as "Son of a Gun" are not missed by me. And as for the packaging? The cover of this album looks pretty good as well--Janet is dressed and looks like, well, a lady. The few times when she has appeared on TV this year--her brother's memorial, his MTV VMA tribute, and the recent ABC interview--Janet has looked very classy and in "Control". We also get something too many albums lack these days--legible liner notes with writer/producer/album credits. Overall, this is an excellent package and a great addition to any collection of popular music from the last 25 years.

When I think of JANET and her music...it puts a smile on my face and a steady groove in my heartbeat.I too have all Janets albums and have been a FAN for over 28 years now...yeah from junior high,high school,college and the real world..lol.I guess you can say that JANET'S music has been the soundtrack of my life...(Janet & Madonna) All the songs on here are REMASTERED FLAWLESSLY..!!!I agree it would be nice to have some the B-Sides but if you're already a huge fan then you already have them :-)..Janet is an AMAZING and very HUMBLE WOMAN that sparks creativity and motivation.I will continue to be a loyal FAN. This album is a MUST have!!!

This collection really reminds me what a force Janet Jackson is! Regardless of her super talented family, she stands on her own. There is just hook after hook on this album! Ever since I heard this was coming I've had "Miss You Much" stuck in my head. Great collection that captures her whole career!

This is possibly the greatest compilation CD since MJ's Number One's. I think we all need these types of CD's to really remind ourselves that we do not have to endure what is being sold to us by the labels. We are in 2009 almost reaching 2010 and someone needs to officialy declare that music today, sucks. I could go on all day, comparing what was with what's left, but I really think people get the picture of where I'm coming from.

Favorite song: "Together Again"

I love these tunes some of which were not on her regular CD releases like "Diamonds". This gives the listener an opportunity to hear songs you don't always get to hear on a regular basis. Some of the songs were a bit different from the ones from her original releases but its all good. I kind of liked that at times but in some cases the song was cut off a bit like the song "The Best Things in Life" with Luther. I got to hear some of her newer songs too. I have not been following her tunes very closely like I did in the 80's and that was good to know what her recent hits were. All in all the CD is very entertaining although I liked to hear more of her slow tunes but I guess they were not number ones. I love the CD.

Spanning two full-length discs, Janet: Number Ones (2009) nicely updates Janet Jackson's (that's 'Miss Jackson if you're nasty!') first retrospective Design of a Decade (1996) with a comprehensive review of Jackson's most successful single releases. (The title refers to Jackson's achievements across different charts.) With longtime producers Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam providing the sonic architecture for most of Jackson's career, the music has been consistently big on beats and unmistakable hooks.

Nice surprises on this compilation include the sassy "Diamonds," Jackson's superb, but often overlooked, collaboration with jazz trumpeter Herb Albert, and a generous selection of single/video-only mixes ("All for You," "Alright," "Black Cat," "Let's Wait a While" ). A new song--the club-ready "Make Me"--closes out the set.

Sequenced chronologically, the newly remastered singles catalog shows how Jackson's message has evolved through the years. From the youthful rebellion of Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation (1989) to the coming-of-age sensuality of Janet (1993) and The Velvet Rope (1997), the music has grown and matured--usually in provocative fashion, like the artist herself.

For the most part, the results have been highly satisfying, though some of Jackson's latter, more experimental work can be a little overwhelming. Tracks from the sexually-raw Damita Jo (2004) and production-heavy Discipline (2008) can reveal too much of a good thing. But these are creative risks to be expected from an artist who set the ground rules years ago when she affirmatively declared to the world "I'm in control, and I'm never going to stop."

Janet Jackson's career has seen mostly highs and a few lows (that would be the last 3 studio albums). In 1995, the best-of "Design of a Decade" was released. Fourteen years later, this updated "best of" is issued.

"Number Ones" (2 CDs; 34 tracks; 150 min.) collects 33 tracks that have reached number 1 in some chart, plus one new track "Make Me" to close the collection. CD1 (16 tracks; 76 min.) goes up to 1993. Rightfully so, the 2 classic albums "Control" and "Rhythm Nation" each get 6 and 7 tracks, respectively. There are a couple of nice additions from that era, in particular the Herb Albert track "Diamond", and the duet with Luther Vandross "The Best Things in Life Are Free" (from the "Mo' Money" soundtrack). Somewhat unfortunately, CD1 closes with "That's the Way Love Goes", the first single from "janet.", rather than lumping it with the other selections from that album on CD2. CD2 (18 tracks; 74 min.) continues with 4 more tracks from "janet.", and then rolls on with the duet with Michael "Scream", and one of the then-new tracks from Design of a Decade" ("Runaway"). "The Velvet Rope" gets 4 tracks; and more than halfway through CD2 we are still only up to 1997. The last 12 years are covered quickly, as Janet's commercial success drops off steeply in the last 10 years or so. The last 3 studio albums each get 1 track, that's it.

Listening to this collection, you come to the realization that this is truly an impressive string of hits. Thankfully, the entire collection is brought in strict chorological order (which was not the case on "Decade"). The liner notes are quite helpful as they bring full information which song was number one on what chart (it is here that we find out that all-but-one of the songs here have charted on Billboard, the lone exception being "Got 'Til It's Gone", which is credited as "#1 Japan, 1997". While "Decade" was a good compilation, this one is better yet and therefore the recommended way to go.