The Velvet Rope [2 LP]

I bought this great album as a Christmas gift for my granddaughter and she loved it! It arrived in fantastic condition and was packaged very securely in the box.

An amazing record, highly recommended!

This my baby

Janet killed me softly with the Velvet Rope CD in that she was singing my life with her words. This is not only the best work of Janet's, but the best of producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis as well. The CD opens with the clever and mysterious title track that invites us into a lair filled with demons that she bravely faced at that point in her life. So begins the most personal, most revealing, and most uninhibited musical journey I've ever experienced. "Velvet Rope" - A recognition of the fact that we all have personal, private struggles and an invitation to share hers with the listeners. "You" - An emotional agressive self-examination the one in the mirror calls her out. "Got Til Its Gone"- An expression of regret that leads to love lost. "My Need", "Tonight's The Night", "Rope Burn", "Anything" - Different arrays of sexual insatiabilty and desperation. "Go Deep" - Nice party cut celebrating going out with the crew. "Free Xone" - an intriguing social commentary on America's hypocritical conservative view of sexuality "Together Again" - A beautiful celebration of the life of a loved one gone too soon. "Empty" - Obsession, and we have all been unexplainably obsessed with someone or something to some degree. This is one of my favorites on the CD! "What About" - Liberation from an abusive relationship. Perhaps her most important song. "Every Time" - The fear of falling helplessly in love. "Special" - Words to remember. She explains how it's those personal struggles and how we deal with them that make us who we are and make us special. I could go on and on about this CD. I fear that there will never be another CD that makes such an impression on me as The Velvet Rope. And yet 10 years later, I remain a work in progess.

This is the album that introduced me to Janet Jackson as an artist. Unfortunately, the media did a great job of silencing her and hiding her talents after the infamous Super Bowl incident, and I believe that this led to those of us who came of age afterward to grow up without a real understanding of her impact. Thankfully, I took the time to listen to this record after realizing at the age of 23 that I didn't know much about Janet's music, other than her most popular singles, especially those from the Control era. I believe The Velvet Rope is truly her magnum opus. It is a masterpiece. It's her darkest record, but I think it's Janet at her most vulnerable and introspective. Being someone who's favorite genres are post-hardcore, progressive hardcore, and pop punk, this is her most accessible record to me because of its darkness. In every track, I can find pieces of myself and my own struggles. Songs like "You," "Empty," (which is, IMO, the MOST beautiful track on this record), and "What About," show Janet's artistry and depth. The sexuality on this record fits perfectly with songs that deal with domestic violence and depression. The album is also incredibly ahead of its time, with "Empty" perfectly describing the emptiness, loneliness, and longing that can come with online relationships before 'catfishing' was a part of our lexicon. This album came out when I was four, but I relate to it more than many records that have been released in the last five years. I recommend anyone who wants to learn about Janet for themselves, pick up this record and give it a good listen. You will not be disappointed.

Janet, Janet, Janet. Yeah her music career is pretty much over at this point but back in 97, Janet was on top of the world with this classic album. Janet manages's to touch on love (Tonight's The Night), hate (You), domestic violence (What About?), sex (Rope Burn), homosexuality (Free Xone), black pride (Can't Be Stopped is a hidden track) and depression (Velvet Rope, Special) ALL on one very long album. One of the things I like about this album is the fact that Janet was ahead of her time. On ''Empty'' she sings about finding love on the Internet when it was not nearly as common or as popular as it is now. In fact you looked desperate trying to find love over the internet in the 90's but Janet was not afraid to touch on the topic and see nothing wrong with it. Also on ''Free Xone'' Janet came out in full support of the gay community. Which also was great cause being gay was still very taboo and for some odd reason many black celebs didn't support gays like many do now. That's Janet. Always ahead of the game. This is really an amazing album and the writing and production are on point. The only down side is she over did it on the Interludes (Was that really her and Lisa Marie on the Speaker Phone Interlude???). Overall, this is a 5 star album and Janet's last classic.

As I’m starting my vinyl collection I know I couldn’t allow myself to buy other vinyls without having this MASTERPIECE in the collection. This album has had me happy the past couple weeks

For years I've longed for a decently priced version of this album. The original UK-only pressing goes for ridiculous prices online. I had almost given up my hope that this would ever get a repress, but it's here! The artwork and sound quality is great. No issues with skipping or surface noise on my copy. My only complaint is that it seems the European 2019 reissues have the hidden "Janet" embossed text on the cover, and embossed squares on the gatefold (like in the original CD booklet), but the US pressings do not. So, be warned before ordering a US copy. Regardless, it is still a gorgeous pressing. If you love this album, snatch it up while you can!

A very professional way of handling the order, the quality is as stated, overall excellent

Increible album de Janet, totalmente recomendable, para mi una obra maestra.

I bought this as a gift for my fiancée, who is a massive Janet Jackson fan, and she was overtly happy with this. The packaging and presentation is beautiful, and each record come sleeved individually with a logo on it, so you can display that as well. Highly recommended!

Pour moi le meilleur album de Janet et très diversifié niveau son, du très haut niveau technique aussi

Le canzoni che ci sono in questo CD mi piacciono moltissimo, l'ho voluto prendere perché è la versione completa confronto al CD originale, contiene remix e un pó più canzoni. I fan di Janet non possono non averlo