Thursday, August 25, 2005
"The Pleasure Principle," Janet Jackson (8/8/87)
And here's the fifth of those five Jam & Lewis R&B #1s of '87 - and the best. The single greatest single that either they, or Janet, have ever had a hand in, this takes their hard, dry dance music to its natural apotheosis: musically "The Pleasure Principle" has much more in common with the techno coming out of Detroit in '87 (such as Rythim Is Rythim) than it does with most of the songs it shared space with on the R&B chart (such as our next entry, say). This is, in its fashion, true metal machine music - but with a great, aerobics-instructor vocal from Miss Jackson that manages to be sexy because, frankly, she's not trying. She's more concerned with you moving, ultimately (and foreshadowing her Joni-sampling on "Got Til It's Gone" over a decade later by quoting "Big Yellow Taxi"). If this doesn't get you to rock your body, you may in fact be dead inside. One of the greatest singles the '80s had to offer. A+
And here's the fifth of those five Jam & Lewis R&B #1s of '87 - and the best. The single greatest single that either they, or Janet, have ever had a hand in, this takes their hard, dry dance music to its natural apotheosis: musically "The Pleasure Principle" has much more in common with the techno coming out of Detroit in '87 (such as Rythim Is Rythim) than it does with most of the songs it shared space with on the R&B chart (such as our next entry, say). This is, in its fashion, true metal machine music - but with a great, aerobics-instructor vocal from Miss Jackson that manages to be sexy because, frankly, she's not trying. She's more concerned with you moving, ultimately (and foreshadowing her Joni-sampling on "Got Til It's Gone" over a decade later by quoting "Big Yellow Taxi"). If this doesn't get you to rock your body, you may in fact be dead inside. One of the greatest singles the '80s had to offer. A+
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