Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 24, 1989)
• Original Release Date: September 19, 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GFN
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,334 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Picking up where the breakthrough funk-pop of Control left off, Janet Jackson and her production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis laced Rhythm Nation with high-minded references to societal ills--seldom the favored province of dance music, but a daring attempt nonetheless. Songs like "State of the World" and "The Knowledge" follow in the tradition of "free your mind and your ass will follow." Still, aside from the title track, it was the pure pop fare and dance music that stormed the charts: "Escapade," "Love Will Never Do (Without You)," "Alright," and "Come Back to Me" concentrate on the politics of personal relationships, not public policy, while "Black Cat" burns the place down with a fierce burst of hard rock. Rhythm Nation 1814 doesn't necessarily hang together thematically, but it's so chock full of hits, you scarcely notice. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down Janet Jackson's strongest record., December 31, 1999

By	D. Mok (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Control showed her to be a massive singles act, but Rhythm Nation: 1814 proved that Janet Jackson was not only capable of propelling a song, but fully conceiving a concept album as well. Rhythm Nation: 1814 was her most coherent artistic statement and, sadly, also her last truly great album: Edgy and diverse, dark but never completely forboding, Rhythm Nation combined tough beats, irresistible melodies and anthemic lyrics to build an R&B landmark.

The title track opens the album with a real kick, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis' mighty rhythm track, the massive backing vocals and the stunning chorus. "State of the World" was a deserved radio hit (which but for the lack of a commercial release would've been the album's *eighth* Top 10 single); "Miss You Much" added a maturity and a harder-edged sound to her Control dance formula and triumphed in spades; "Come Back to Me" and "Lonely"'s Spanish guitars and moody keyboards helped Janet achieve her first good ballad performances ("Let's Wait Awhile" from Control came tumbling down into the syrup jug); "Black Cat" was "Beat It" updated with snarling guitar riffs and a growling Janet Jackson lead vocal; and "Escapade" proved that Miss J. hadn't lost her sense of fun.

Sonically this is the only Janet Jackson album that doesn't sound dated at all -- even The Velvet Rope and janet. heralded to an '80s sound, looking back instead of forward. Rhythm Nation: 1814, on the other hand, was a prophetic and important work, and ten years after its release holds up to scrutiny on all fronts -- vocal performance, arrangement, recording, groove.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MY FAVORITE ALBUM OF ALL TIME, ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN..., November 24, 2001

By	Knyte "To The Stars" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Musically, 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is an ingenious blend of pro-social anthems, gorgeously beautiful ballads, and new jack swing dance cuts. To this day, I have yet to hear an album that pleases my ears, moves my feet, and lifts my spirit the way 'Rhythm Nation' did, and still does. What Janet Jackson, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis put together at the end of the 1980s was sheer pop/R&B magic -- and it has endured the test of time oh-so well. Great music always does.

The 'Rhythm Nation' project had it all: substance, style, pop appeal, energy, and a socially conscious message. Amazingly, seven top five singles (U.S) were released during the 'Rhythm Nation' campaign, spanning from September 1989 until January 1991, when the majestic "Love Will Never Do Without You" became the album's fifth #1 single (something no other album has done since). Also, there was a double meaning to the "1814" tagged on to Janet's album. The well-known meaning is the fact that Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star Spangled Banner" in 1814. The lesser known meaning is that "R" is the 18th letter in the alphabet, and "N" is the 14th letter. Although these facts may seem trivial, I mean to include them to illustrate that RN 1814 was much more than a "pop" album in the traditional sense. Rather, the 'Rhythm Nation 1814' album (and tour) was a shining portrait of a caring individual employing her influence as a recording artist to spread an honest, pro-social message a la Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder.

Now, let's get to the music:

True to the mysterious cover art (black & white), the album begins with a tolling bell, a door opening, and then a recitation of the 'Rhythm Nation' pledge, ending with the line, "pushing towards a world rid of color-lines". An elevator sound descends into Janet's famous "5,4,3,2,1" -- and then we're off into the title track (2nd U.S. single), a gloriously funky anthem that still sounds as fresh, exciting and inventive as it did back in 1989. I really can't say enough about this song...

Next up is an interlude that introduces the listener to "State Of The World", an urgent dance number (almost the 8th single) addressing societal ills such as homelessness, violence, and world hunger. Following another interlude, we are led into "The Knowledge" which musically has Janet chanting over a wonderfully produced 'new jack swing' beat provided by Jam & Lewis during what I consider their creative peak.

After a "get the point?" interlude, we're off into dance-land with "Miss You Much" (1st U.S. single), a confident, carefree jam that nicely recalls her earlier 'Control' material. We hear a somber "Come Back To Me" interlude before going into "Love Will Never Do Without You" (7th U.S. single) perhaps one of the most beautiful midtempo R&B/pop songs ever recorded. The background vocals on "Love Will Never Do Without You" are incredibly uplifting, and make me miss the days when Jam & Lewis vocally contributed to Ms. Jackson's music.

"Livin' In A World (They Didn't Make)" is a powerful ballad primarily inspired by the Stockton school playground killings of 1989, and the last full-length song to address social issues on the album. Its message -- addressing youth violence, adult hypocrisy, and protecting children -- is as relevant today as it ever was. One word: "colors" (a reference to gangs), is censored from the album; this was an interesting move by A&M Records...makes me wonder why?

Then we get to dance again in the form of "Alright" (4th U.S. single), a new-jack-swing number in every sense -- so much so that rapper Heavy D contributed to the video (along with legends Cab Calloway, Sid Charese and the Nicholas Brothers). Next we go into the explosively fun "Escapade" (3rd U.S. single), which I still hear quite often. Both "Escapade" and (especially) "Alright" had great videos.

After an anti-drug interlude, we're led into "Black Cat" (6th U.S. single), a scorching rocker that actually has a much better single version (which can be found on 'Design Of A Decade'); but it's the next song, "Lonely" that I consider a true work of art. It's a misty ballad featuring delicate percussion, a tender spanish guitar, and the most vividly plush background vocals I have ever heard. Jam & Lewis were able to create this 'quiet storm' magic a year earlier in 1988 when they wrote and produced "Can You Stand The Rain" for New Edition. "Lonely" is this reviewer's favorite song of all time.

The beauty continues in the form of the oh-so-somber "Come Back To Me" (5th U.S. single), which follows perfectly in the footsteps of "Lonely". This is the Janet Jackson I fell in love with, and came to look up to during my youth: pure, sweet, caring and beautiful. Right after "Come Back To Me", Janet invites the listener into her bedroom, and sings "Someday is Tonight", a sequel of sorts to her earlier pro-abstinence ballad, "Let's Wait Awhile". Featuring a steamily muted trumpet by Herb Alpert, "Someday is Tonight" is an intensely sensual finale to this long and eventful journey of an album...

We close 'Rhythm Nation 1814' with a 'morning after' final interlude ending with the line, "don't let your eyes deceive you" and a tolling bell - leaving the listener with a haunting, almost disturbingly unresolved ending to a perfect album. 'Rhythm Nation 1814' is a seamless work of pop/R&B brilliance. The subsequent 'Rhythm Nation 1814' world tour still maintains the record of being the most successful debut tour in history.

Grade: A+

Andrew Knyte

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Terrific , February 16, 2007

By	Dr Jeremy Buddle (Battery Point, Tasmania Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is really terrific. I listened to this album a lot in 1989-90 while all its hit singles were spinning into the charts and playing from the radio.
Janet Jackson was 23 when she made this excellent album, and it remains her best work. She had really good producers on her team, wrote strong social-comment lyrics, and made stylish videos , usually with squads of well-drilled dancers performing funk workouts in formation . The mission statement on Track 1 of Rhythm Nation is the dream of a "nation with no geographic boundaries... free from colour lines" and this admirable ideal is promoted on funky title tune. The lead single Miss You Much also funked out with a staccato beat and hit US #1 in October 1989. Further hits were also squarely in the dance/pop tradition , such as the upbeat Escapade, the happy-sounding Love Will Never Do ( Without You ) and the groovy Alright . Social injustice is highlighted on the rather-good ballad Livin' In A World ( They Didn't Make ) and the uptempo State Of The World , while the rocking number Black Cat really works very well, with its heavy rock guitar sound precisely capturing the song's raunchy sentiments. The Knowledge is an angular funk groove all about getting a good education. Janet's albums always balanced funky and smooth elements, so here we had the nice, stately love ballad Come Back To Me and the seductive bedroom tune Someday Is Tonight to represent the softer side of her music. Interspersed throughout the running order of the disc are sound snippets and fragments of commentary that help to link the songs together rather like a sound collage. A very good idea !

Every song here succeeds - that's why Rhythm Nation 1814 deserves a 5 star rating.
Highly Recommended to all music fans.