As the nation continues its seemingly single-minded focus on one second of revealed skin on television, this seems like an appropriate time to talk about another of Janet Jackson's notable features: The music she has created.

So, let us now go back in time to the year 1989, when the album Rhythm Nation 1814 was released. In my very humble opinion, this album was her greatest achievement. Nothing else she has done, before or since, has manage to top it, artistically speaking.

Rhythm Nation 1814 is a concept album which masterfully blends the seemingly unlikely combination of social justice advocacy and lighthearted hedonism into an enticing musical creation.

A personal note: When I first purchased it roughly 14 years ago (discount cd clubs that offered big piles of free discs upon signup... those were the days), it immediately became one of my most frequently played cds, and remained so for a couple of years. As time passed, it gradually met the same fate that eventually tends to happen with most albums. Relegated to the storage case, it would remain there for years at a time completely untouched.

Then, sometime around a year and a half ago, I stumbled into it while rifling through my collection, took a listen down memory lane, and was amazed at how well the music held up after the passage of time. It didn't sound corny, silly, or dated (at least not to my ears) the way a lot that era's music sounds now. It was fresh and beautiful again, but heard through a new perspective as an adult, rather than an adolescent.

It is from that frame of mind that I describe and analyze each of the tracks therein.

Track 1. Interlude: Pledge.

A gong sounds, ushering the listener into a world apart from this one. Possibly a dream state. Echos and soft reverberations permeate the atmosphere as the gong sounds repeatedly. A group of voices, in a monotone, utter the pledge.

"We are a nation with no geographic boundries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like minded individuals sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color lines."

The atmospheric effects intensify, the chime of rhythmless choral syth tones leads into what might be an even dreamier, more relaxed realm. But then the pitch is suddenly lowered, and everything quickly comes into focus, laying the groundwork for the coming explosion. An audible, "5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."

Track 2. Rhythm Nation.

A loud hip hop beat kicks into gear, accompanied by sampled vocals to accentuate the beats. The music quickly builds in intensity, and the lyrics head straight to the punchline.

It's the stuff propaganda is made of. And it works. "Strength in numbers, we can get it right. One time." A compelling charge. Read the whole thing

Track 3. Interlude: T.V.

A quick barrage of snippets, interspersed with static, obviously taken from tv broadcasts. A 21 second snapshot of the culture through the eyes of mass media. Homelessness, Tiananmen Square, pain relievers, crime, greed, and the voice of a frustrated child. It ends with a test tone.

Track 4. State of the World.

Each verse is an anecdotal piece of life about a less fortunate member of society. Poignant and stirring. Lyrics. The bridge is a call to keep going, despite the hardship.

Perhaps hope lies in keeping communal ties.

Track 5. Interlude: Race.

Spoken aloud. "We are in a race between education and catastrophy."

Track 6. The Knowledge.

It might be summed up as: Stay in school kids. Although actually, that particular word is not used. Most importantly, learn, keep informed, and never stop the quest to know more. Delivered through in funky hip hop spoken word. Lyrics.

Aesthetically, this is probably my least favorite track on the album, but the message is right.

Track 7. Interlude: Let's Dance.

This brief bit simple serves as an conscious transition from a serious subject to the more lighthearted tone that follows. "Get the point? Good. Let's dance."

(An underlying message might be inferred that one does not have to spend all their time and energy "fighting for the cause" in order to be effective. Having fun does not mean that you don't care. There is room for joy and carefree pleasure as well.)

Track 8. Miss You Much.

Unabashed pop, in every way. When listening to the album as a whole, as it was meant to be, it comes as a breath of fresh air after the preceeding dose of heavy stuff. Plus, it's really well produced. Simply put, a song of longing for a lover who is away. Lyrics.

Track 9. Interlude: Come Back Interlude.

Very short, pure instrumental. The sound of strings. It "feels" like longing to me.

Track 10. Love Will Never Do (Without You)

This one is also just... fun. It starts on a somber note, trailing right out of the interlude and launches into song. Unlike Miss You Much, this one strikes a chord of deeper devotion, as opposed to pure sentimentalism. Lyrics.

If there is a "deeper meaning" to be derived from these tracks in the context, it is that love is very important, and should not be forgotten amidst the world's turmoils. Besides, a pop album wouldn't be a pop album without a few love songs.

Track 11. Livin in a World (they didn't make).

As might be guessed from the title, we're heading back into serious social issues territory. This time, the focus is exclusively children. It begins with the sound of a playground. A soft paino begins to play. It is a ballad.

...

Simplified, but true. In moments of mental laziness, it is sometimes easy to fall into the trap of believing that kids who form gangs are somehow inherently evil. The song goes straight to the motivation behind society's ills, and makes an attempt to explain the "why" behind it. It beseeches the listener to put yourself in their shoes.

The ending of the song is something I found downright disturbing in my younger years. As the music builds to a crescendo, and the words "How much can they take?" are repeated, the sounds of little screams and gunfire erupt out of the din. It's so sudden that the emotion goes right to the heart every time, and then the noise is over just as quickly.

As the quiet piano trails off, the voice of a newscaster (from a real incident that happened back in the 80s) describes a gunman opening fire on an elementary school playground before committing suicide.

Put within the context of the music, the emotional manipulation going on is obvious, yet it does not dull the effect. Maybe that's the point.

Track 12. Alright.

The emotional roller coaster that is Rhythm Nation goes up, and down. Up, down. Having been brought down, it is now time to come back up. The song is about friendship and love. In terms of mood, it acts as a healing salve after the violence of the previous song. Lyrics.

"It's alright."

Track 13. Interlude: Hey Baby.

A running theme through several of Janet's albums is the producers recording her off-guard in a candid moment before she catches what they're up to. A couple of playful snippets are featured here.

Track 14. Escapade.

I love the instrumentation in this song. The vocals too. And the lyrics. What's not to love in this anthem of forgetting the burdens of work to just go and enjoy life?

Track 15. Interlude: No Acid.

The sound of breaking glass. "Ain't no acid in this house."

Renouncing drug abuse.

Track 16. Black Cat.

I love the strong rock guitar, backed by the hard pounding rhythm (only in the 80s), and Janet's singing in the fiercest voice she could muster. It's the only song on the album that could be described as out-and-out angry.

The fear that a loved one will bring about his own demise through pride, or a life of foolish bravado. This belies a deeper caring, unstated, for his well-being. Otherwise, there would be no reason to get so worked up about it. Lyrics.

This song is among my favorates on the album.

Track 17. Lonely.

The first in a series of 3 ballads.

Though the song works and is certainly beautiful in a standalone context, it is really the beginning of a progression. Simply put, it's an offer of companionship. Lyrics.

Track 18. Come Back To Me.

It's about longing -- the complement of the previous song, which was an unselfish offer. This one is an earnest request.

Lyrics.

Track 19. Someday Is Tonight.

This song, about the consumation of a relationship, is pure seduction. The sexual metaphor is... Well, there is no metaphor here. It is sex. Pure and simple. Though it is a ballad, the soft, throbbing rhythm drives the sound, as the sensual melody flows like honey.

All the worries, wishes, hopes, and convictions of the past are dissolved, but not forgotten. The climax is here.

Track 20. Interlude: Livin.. In Complete Darkness

The denouement brings back echos of "Livin In a World", this time with a more reflective tone.

Janet speaks aloud for the last time. "In complete darkness we are all the same. It is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us. Don't let your eyes deceive you."

The gong which opened the album rings several times and fades out.

...

Aside from being a nonstop hit machine for the radio waves when it came out, this is an album that draws you in, takes you on a mental journey, and brings you back to reality in the span of just over an hour. It is clear from the product that Ms. Jackson and the team of producers with whom she collaborated threw their mind, heart, and soul into its creation.

For that, I, for one, am thankful.