45 REVELATIONS
Who’s that singing that nasty song? Janet Jackson?! And who’s produced that nasty vocal? Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, hottest production team in the land. I was a bit concerned about this much-praised (here and elsewhere) duo—not from a commercial standpoint, not after they snagged three of the Black/Urban chart’s top four one week, but artistically.
45 REVELATIONS
DEPARTMENTS
KEN BARNES
Who’s that singing that nasty song? Janet Jackson?! And who’s produced that nasty vocal? Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, hottest production team in the land. I was a bit concerned about this much-praised (here and elsewhere) duo—not from a commercial standpoint, not after they snagged three of the Black/Urban chart’s top four one week, but artistically.
“Saturday Love’’ by Cherrelle was inescapably catchy but quickly cloying, Patti Austin’s “The Heat is Heat” was lukewarm, and even “The Finest” by the mighty SOS Band sounded like “Saturday Love” sideways.
And Janet Jackson’s first Jam/Lewis single, “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” also disappointed me; despite its obvious hook-city hit qualities, it seemed strangely devoid of melody and served mainly to irritate me...until the follow-up emerged. Now “Lately” sounds just fine as a blueprint for the masterwork, “Nasty.”