DATE: Friday, November 28, 1997             TAG: 9711270050

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E15  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BREHON HARRISON, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   34 lines

JACKSON'S NEW ALBUM IS SPECIAL

``THE VELVET ROPE,'' a long-awaited album by Janet Jackson, took six months to complete. But judging from the 22 tracks, it was time well spent. Jackson worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, her long-time friends and co-producers, her boyfriend Rene' Elizondo Jr., rapper Q-Tip and more to produce the album. It begins with an interlude about our ``need to feel special.''

The words and the music will put you in a special mood. They'll make you want to dance. They'll make you think and some may make you sad.

The album starts off soft, then moves to Jackson's uptempo songs, ``You,'' and the title song. Then it becomes laid back with ``Got 'Til It's Gone'' featuring Q-Tip. Following that is `My Need,'' which contains samples from ``You're All I Need to Get By.''

She did more sampling on the album. She uses Rod Stewart's ``Tonight's the Night'' and parts of Joni Mitchell's ``Big Yellow Taxi.'' But the producers' style is what makes the album shine. Take ``Empty'' and ``What About,'' for example, the beats are so original.

Jackson gets you thinking with ``Together Again.'' It's a nice, smooth dancing song, but it talks about a friend of hers who died of AIDS. ``I Get Lonely'' is a sad song. Check out these lyrics:

But there's no reason why I

fell asleep late last night 'cryin' like a newborn child

holdin' myself close

pretendin' my arms are yours''

Overall, the album is about the need to feel special and it works. MEMO: Brehon Harrison is a sophomore at Churchland High School in

Portsmouth

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