Hey - I'm a Janet fan, and my favorite Janet album is 'Rhythm Nation 1814'. My favorite Janet video is "Alright". So that might clue you in to what I'm into since Janet has so many facets to her.

As far as this album goes, it's excellent. The best part, however is for those with the ear to notice that some of the 'Rhythm Nation' hits (which make up the majority of this album) are remixed single versions! That is, "Alright", "Black Cat", and "Come Back To Me" are all revised like they were on the radio...improvements on the ones you'll find on the album - especially "Come Back To Me".

But all the 'Control' hits are here (in their original form - get the remix album if you want the single versions) and there's "That's The Way Love Goes" from her 'Janet' campaign that makes you wanna pop that CD in to keep it going. "Twenty Foreplay" is an O.K. song but I absolutely love "Runaway" which seems to go back to her 'Rhythm Nation' days al la Escapade.

I just wish she included "On and On" - the B-side to "Throb", but other than that, this is a must own, especially since Janet is dropping her new album very soon, and her new single, "Never Fall In Love" is off the hook! (I guarantee this one will be a hit, or my name isn't Knyte.)

Trust me.

In spite of the misleading title, this collection of pop singles spanning a mere 4 years, 1986-1990, is a far better buy than either of the two albums from which its songs were culled.

Janet Jackson is one of those frustrating performers who has had a succession of excellent pop singles, the majority of which are necessary to own if you want the hit versions versus the more readily available full length releases where these same tracks tend to drag on forever and are locked into their respective albums by pointless, overlapping interludes.

Fortunately this collection presents the seperated mixes and the songs included here are fantastic examples of mid-late 80s pop at its finest.

From 1986s Control: "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Nasty", "When I Think Of You", "Control", "Let's Wait Awhile" (shamefully not the single remix), and "The Pleasure Principle" (curiously not the Shep Pettibone remix used in the video as well as on the international single release, but an edit of the painfully bland album version).

From 1989s Rhythm Nation 1814: "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation" (the album version for which a special "pledge"-less intro has been mixed), "Escapade", "Alright" (fortunately the Shep Pettibone single remix and even more fortunately Heavy D's rap has been removed), "Come Back To Me" (the radio remix), "Black Cat" (ditto) and the edit of "Love Will Never Do (Without You)".

The rest of the album (a whopping 3 songs) is filled out by the lone Virgin Records offering "That's The Way Love Goes" and two at-the-time new cuts, "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay".

The US edition of Design Of A Decade is great for what you get. The international edition is even better, boasting two additional tracks ("Whoops Now" and "The Best Things In Life Are Free") and fewer album versions of tracks ("Nasty", "What Have You Done For Me Lately", "Miss You Much", "Control" and "Rhythm Nation" all appear in different versions...improved, concise edits originally found on their respective singles). The cover artwork also differs from country to country.

Coming back to the title for a moment (and I really don't mean to harp), it's a bit unfair for A&M Records to have titled this Design Of A Decade and worse still imply that it spans "1986/1996" when her 1991 to 1995 output is represented only by "That's The Way Love Goes". The omitted Virgin singles eligible for inclusion are among her biggest and most well known tracks, and at that time were what most consumers were anxious to hear alongside her 80s output, and probably what most (myself included) thought they were getting.

Furthermore, no attempt is made at including material from her first two A&M albums (1982s Janet Jackson and 1984s Dream Street). While this isn't technically a loss, with the limited resources A&M had for compiling a retrospective they could have thrown in a track or two to represent the first half of her time with them. At least then this could have been called Design Of A Decade with the subtitle 1982/1992, stopping just before the Virgin Records era.

Then there is the problem of how to follow up this release. With Fall 2005 (the tenth anniversary of Design's release) fast approaching and Janet Jackson's career in decline, it seems logical that Virgin would want to whip up their own 'Decade', which would have to stretch all the way back to the summer of 1993 to pick up what didn't appear on the first release, making then for an over-inflated thirteen year decade.

*ceases fire*

Though I definitely recommend opting for the better international edition, there is no denying that this is a fantastic collection of hit singles worthy of a place on anyones CD shelf.

This is a fantastic CD. I still like Miss J even after Nipplegate, and while the event was outrageous, the American public failed to realize they were hypocrites. Is it possible that while people really don't notice real issues like soldiers being blown to pieces in Iraq or the AIDS epidemic, they're seriously upset about a simple flash of nudity? And it wasn't even real nudity, considering Janet had a large pasty covering her nipple! And who told Justin Timberlake to rip the cover off anyway? His publicist? But, I guess some people aren't willing to forgive. I SUPPORT JANET, no matter what.

This CD is abslutely incredible. The one and only reason that I took one star off is because of the weird concept. It inclues all her hits from A&M records, as well as two new songs and "That's the Way Love Goes". I understand the reasoning, butit is still a bit akward.

Regardless, that doesn't take away from the fantastic music. It starts off with "Runaway" which is a classic Janet 'holiday' song in the vein of 'Escapade". The camera'click sound on each beat is very catchy and unique.

The next few tracks are from Janet's 1986 breakthrough "Control": "What Have you Done for me Lately", "Nasty" and "When I Think Of You". All classic singles that have the most seductive dance beats and attitude that makes Janet who she is.

It continues with four tracks from "Rhythm Nation 1814": "Escapade", "Miss You Much", "Love Will Never Do...", and "Alright" They all have futuristic, yet 80's pop beat to them which is the tone for the RN1814 album. Of course, they'll all extremely catchy. "Alight" appears in it's radio remix form, which is a nice little treat.

The album continues with two more "Control" tracks: The amazing "Control", and "The Pleasure Principle". Jimmy, Terry and Janet did great job on these. They are R&B classics that sound even better today. Next are "Black Cat" and "Rhythm Nation. The former is also in radio remix form which is a nice luxury. "Rhythm Nation" is basically the same as it's album verison, with the excusion of Janet's 'pledge speech' at the beginning.

The last four songs are slow jams, each from a different album. "That's the Way Lvoe Goes" from 'janet.' is J's biggest hit, and with good reason. The beat is so sexy, as are Janet's vocals. The groove is absolutely blissful. Next is "Come Back to Me" (RN1814), a fantastic soothing R&B ballad that sounds ahead of it's time. "Let's Wait A while" is Janet's first hit ballad (from "Control"), and it's a very sweet song about waiting to have sex. Last but not least is anoher new track "Twenty Foreplay" which starts off as a sweet slow ballad, and then changes it's tone to a straight-up funky, love-making jam.

All-in-all,this CD demonstrates what an amazing talent Janet Jackson is, and what pleasure it is to have her as part of he music industry.

Ever since Janet Jackson teamed up with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis they have made the perfect r & b pop force.

With songs like "Nasty", "The Pleasure Principle", "Control", "Lets Wait Awhile", "Love Will Never Do", and the list goes on.....

A great compilation of Jacksons hits....the only thing now is she needs to up date this with her latest hits, "If", "Again", etc.....

Janet Jackson will always have a place in my heart with her beauty, voice, music and most of all her ever presence as a down to earth human being.

Janet! You are truly an artist with many years ahead of you may it be musically or some other venture in the arts.

A definite for the CD collection.