Janet Jackson - Design of a Decade: 1986-1996 [Bonus Tracks] (CD)

All Music Guide

Design of a Decade: 19861996 is a misleading title. The bulk of Janet Jackson's greatesthits collection concentrates on Control and Rhythm Nation 1814, simply by contractual necessity. That is far from a fatal flaw. The hits from those two albums were stateoftheart dancepop productions at the time of their release, filled with bottomless beats and memorable, catchy hooks. None of the songs has lost any of its impact, from the funk of "Miss You Much" and "What Have You Done for Me Lately," to the ballads "Let's Wait Awhile" and "Come Back to Me." In addition to all 13 Top 40 hits from Control and Rhythm Nation all but one went into the Top Five Design of a Decade includes the biggest and best hit from janet., the sultry "That's the Way Love Goes," and two new songs, "Runaway" and "Twenty Foreplay." It's a credit to Janet that the two new numbers feel like genuine hits, not tackedon filler, and help make the album a compulsively listenable greatesthits collection. [This edition of the ...album, released in Australia, adds a pair of bonus tracks: "Whoops Now" and "The Best Things in Life Are Free."] - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less