Ha Ha, Hoo Hoo, Thought You'd Get the Money Too

(Singles are italicized. Recommendations are in red.)

When this album was released in 2001, I was just turning 9 years old, so it's understandable that "All For You" was one of the VERY few Janet Jackson songs I was familiar with (actually, aside from "Doesn't Really Matter", I think it was the only Janet song I was familiar with). I was curious, and decided I would give this album a go. Despite all of its many releases and re-releases, the original edition that first came out is probably still my favorite one.

1. "Intro" - A typical album intro, in which Janet and her friend are talking, and ends with the friend telling Janet she sounds like Fran Drescher. This results in Janet mimicking Drescher's nasally laugh, segueing into the second track.

2. "You Ain't Right" - An angry song where Janet sings about an ex-BFF that turns out to be a backstabber.

3. "All for You" - The album's first (technically second) single. We all know it, we all love it, the end.

4. "2wayforyou" (Interlude) - A weird interlude that I still don't really fully understand to this day.

5. "Come On Get Up" - I loved this song upon first listen. It's just something about the beat, the chorus, and all its energy that just really gets me everytime.

6. "When We Oooo" - This song's pretty weird and hypnotic at the same time. You're thinking 'whoa, this song's weird!', yet at the same time you just can't turn it off.

7. "China Love" - Another song I don't understand at all. I don't like it, and could definitely do without it. It's so strange to the point that it's eery.

8. "Love Scene (Ooh Baby)" - I'm not sure if when I listen to this I'm still shaken by the strangeness of the previous track, but this one is still kinda weird. It's sexual, but still just...weird.

9. "Would You Mind" - This steamy, overtly sexual song got the album banned in Singapore! It's so sexual that on the clean version of the album, it's omitted completely. Janet goes into explicit detail about what she's gonna do to her lover when she sees him, and leaves NOTHING to the imagination. It's dirty, but it's a guilty pleasure.

10. "Lame" (Interlude) - Janet proclaims "You men - and you might wanna get this on tape - you men are just lame at times! I'm tellin' you! *Sigh* See..."

11. "Trust a Try" - This is a new direction for Miss Jackson. And I like it. It's got a hard rock feel and Janet tells her lover that they need to trust each other. The title's a bit weird, as it's just a segment of the main line of the chorus, and not the whole line. I would have simply called it "Trust" or even "Give Trust a Try". To each his own, I suppose.

12. "Clouds" (Interlude) (featuring Carly Simon) - I suppose this is a prequel, intro - or whatever you wanna call it - to the next song.

13. "Son of a Gun [I Betcha Think This Song Is About You]" (featuring Carly Simon) - Janet cleverly (and angrily) incorporates Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" into one of the angriest songs on the album.

14. "Truth" - This is another strange song. It's just not typical Janet.

15. "Theory" (Interlude) - Hey! How about a break from recording? No? Okay, onto the next song!

16. "Someone to Call My Lover" - Hey everybody! Janet's desperate! Or horny! Yeah, it's probably a combination of both. Janet fantasizes about her dream guy on one of the stronger songs on the album. Great choice for a single.

17. "Feels So Right" - A sweet song about fate and love. It's nice, peaceful and relaxing.

18. "Doesn't Really Matter (Album Version)" - Technically the first single off the album. For the album version, it's slightly different in the beginning and incorporates dance breaks in the middle.

19. "Better Days" - An optimistic Janet explains her turn in attitude, most notably reflected in her previous album, "The Velvet Rope". She tells the audience that she's "About to change my vibe / Today the sun's gon' shine / 'Cuz I made up my mind / That today will be the start of better days".

20. "Outro" - Janet asks the producer what he thinks of the album. He likes it, and Janet says that she hopes everyone else will.

BONUS TRACKS:

1. "Who" - I'm not too familiar with this one (heard it a few times, not too many though), it's good. (Available on Japanese pressings.)

2. "Son of a Gun (The Original Flyte Tyme Remix featuring Missy Elliott)" - The version of the song that was released as the single. (Appears as track 20 on the Limited Edition, which uses the clean version of the original album, but omits the P. Diddy remix with Missy AND Diddy.)

3. "Son of a Gun (P. Diddy Remix featuring P. Diddy and Missy Elliott)" - This time, P. Diddy AND Missy lend their vocals. Missy's verses are the same. (Appears as track 20 on the clean version of the album.)

4. "Son of a Gun (P. Diddy Remix featuring Missy Elliott)" - Same as above, but removes Diddy's vocals. Oddly enough, this one runs longer. (Appears as track 21 on the Limited Edition.)

There's No Way You Can Stop Me This Time, Or Break This Spirit of Mine!

(Tracks released as singles are italicized. My recommendations are in red.)

Okay, so you could say that I'm feeling a bit nostalgic tonight. I was recently weeding out my CD and DVD collections (both a workout!), and I came across this album. I was reminded of how much I loved it when I first bought it, and after rigorously cleaning, polishing and resurfacing it so it would actually play after almost 10 years (lots of scratches), I restored it to working condition and decided that it would be foolish of me to not review it.

Interestingly enough, an all-Spanish version of the album was released (apparently on May 7, 1999, a month before the regular version was released, but that doesn't really make sense...). It includes the standard 14 tracks -- all in Spanish. Maybe I'll have to hunt down a copy for myself. It's extremely hard to find.

1. "If You Had My Love" - Admit it, you've liked this song at some point in your life. I'll admit to it. It's a simple, yet addictive album opener that lets you know that Jennifer Lopez is here to stay, and she means business.

2. "Should've Never" - Whew! This one's sure a workout! At 6:14, this ballad is the longest song on the album. Six minutes of J.Lo singing about a love she deeply regrets, because she is now in love with two men. Oh my! Now, now Jennifer, don't you know you shouldn't have regrets?

3. "Too Late" - This one is just alright. An angry Lopez tells her (now) ex-lover that it's too late for their relationship.

4. "Feelin' So Good" (featuring Big Pun & Fat Joe) - I'm telling you, even almost 10 years after I bought the album, this song still stands out and is easily the best track on the album. Everything about it is just great - the lyrics, the beat, and the feel-good nature of it all. It's a great party anthem, and no party playlist should be without this song.

5. "Let's Get Loud" - The latin influence is definitely here! This one's another great song, this time about throwing all your troubles away. "Life's a party / Make it hot! / Dance / Don't ever stop / Whatever rhythm" J.Lo declares on this dancefloor anthem.

6. "Could This Be Love" - This is one of those tracks I tend to skip over when listening to, but it's a nice ballad that's a nice way to unwind after the last two energetic songs.

7. "No Me Ames (Tropical Remix)" (featuring Marc Anthony) - Not a huge fan of the Spanish language tracks on this album, but it's an okay song, and this remix is much better than the original 'Ballad Version', which appears later on the album. Not much else to say here.

8. "Waiting for Tonight" - It's back to party mode for Jenny in her signature song that everybody's heard (unless you've been living under a rock for the past 10 years).

9. "Open off My Love" - In the naughtiest song on the album, J.Lo tells her lover just how much she wants him. This is my second favorite track off the album.

10. "Promise Me You'll Try" - This is a cover of the song originally recorded by Diana Ross. A sweet song about how Jennifer doesn't want her lover to make all sorts of crazy (and sometimes unrealistic) promises - she just wants him to try. My favorite ballad from the album by far.

11. "It's Not That Serious" - This song finds us at the exact opposite end of the spectrum in comparison to the previous song. The message is clear here - J.Lo is always one step ahead!

12. "Talk About Us" - Here we have J.Lo at a crossroads. She wants her and her lover to talk about their relationship and what the next step for them is. It's an alright song, but somewhat bland.

13. "No Me Ames (Original Ballad Version)" (featuring Marc Anthony)" - I repeat - not a fan of the Spanish songs here. It's just not that great of a song, sorry to say.

14. "Una Noche Mas (Waiting for Tonight)" - The Spanish version of the worldwide smash, "Waiting for Tonight".

BONUS TRACKS:

15. "Baila" - This one is freakishly similar to "Let's Get Loud", which is probably why it wasn't included on worldwide releases of the album. It's a great song either way. (Only available on European and Philippine pressings of the album as track 15.)

16. "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)" - Another Diana Ross cover, this was performed many times during J.Lo's concerts during the On the 6 / J.Lo album eras. It's a great ballad. Interestingly enough - both J.Lo and Mariah Carey recorded a cover of this song for each of their 1999 albums (J.Lo for this album, and Mariah for her album Rainbow). Both cover versions of the song were released as a Non-U.S. bonus track for each of their albums. Mariah's version went on to be released as a single, and was included on Non-U.S. editions of her compilation album #1's, as well as on a Limited Edition EP released only at Wal*Mart, called Valentines, which is the only instance in which the song appeared on an official U.S. release of a Mariah Carey album. J.Lo's version has never been included on an official U.S. release of any of her albums. (J.Lo's cover of Theme from Mahogany: Do You Know Where You're Going To? is only available on European and Philippine pressings of On The 6 as track 16.)

Let's Get Lost, You Can Take Me Home...

(Italicized titles are singles. Songs in red are the ones I recommend.)

In the fall of 2008, Lady Gaga was still relatively unknown. Her first single, "Just Dance" had been released, but wasn't getting much airplay. Of course, I'm a sucker for artists who are still fresh or relatively unknown, because their music is always fresh! By January of 2009, I decided it was time to buy her full debut album, "The Fame". At that time, the MSRP for the album was just $9.99, so I was delighted to pick up my copy at FYE.

Fast forward a year and a half later, and here we are. We have Lady Gaga, the superstar, pop culture icon, and dance phenomenon. Her music's still as rich as ever, and with the release of "The Fame Mons†er" EP, we see a whole new side of Gaga...well... Not really.

DISC ONE - The Fame Mons†er:

1. "Bad Romance" - Upon first listen, the song seems strange, but after a while, it grows on you. We've all heard it, so it' s nothing new.

2. "Alejandro" - The brand new single from the EP is a personal favorite. It's clear that this song is an homage to ABBA and Ace of Base, from the beat of the song, to the lyrics and delivery.

3. "Mons†er" - Well, it wouldn't be a Gaga record without a completely eccentric, out-of-this-world song like this one. It's great, fresh, and definitely worth the listen.

4. "Speechless" - A nice, emotional ballad that was planned to be a single.

5. "Dance in the Dark" - Very funky, and a very great song! It just makes you want to go to the club and dance. Excellent!

6. "Telephone" (featuring Beyonce) - The EP's second single that has Gaga and B telling their lovers to stop bugging them while they're having a good time. I tell ya, no matter how many times I hear this, it never gets old.

7. "So Happy I Could Die" - I'm not gonna sugar coat this at all. This song is obviously about touching oneself, and it's one of the best songs that appears on here. It's another great song that makes you want to get up and dance. Very catchy.

8. "Teeth" - Gaga leaves us with another sex song, with a very interesting beat and concept. This song received generally negative reviews by fans and critics, but I honestly like it a lot.

DISC TWO - The Fame

1. "Just Dance" - Who hasn't heard this one?! This song is about letting all your troubles go, being carefree and just dancing. It's gonna be okay. The song introduced me to Gaga, and I fell in love after first listen.

2. "LoveGame" - Catchy at first, but starts to get old after a while. It's still good nonetheless. After all, all she wants to do is take a ride on your disco stick.

3. "Paparazzi" - Not quite sure how I should approach this one. It could either be received as extremely creepy and stalkerish, or sweet and ballsy. After all, it is Gaga, so nothing surprises me. Another winner.

4. "Poker Face" - I went from loving this one (before it was a single), to hating it (while it was hot on the charts when it was first release), and came full circle to loving it again (now that it's no longer played every 2 seconds). Very catchy, very good.

5. "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" - This ballad feels so out of place here, sandwiched between two feel good dance songs. It's a great, welcomed addition, but maybe they should've found another spot for it on the record.

6. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" - 'Beautiful, Dirty, Rich' is probably one of my least favorites on the album. Don't get me wrong, it's catchy and good, but it's just not a favorite of mine for some reason.

7. "The Fame" - If it wasn't so repetitive, I'd like it a lot more. That's not to say that I don't like it, it's a good song. Just cut out a chorus or two.

8. "Money Honey" - This one's a take it or leave it track. You just have to be in the mood for it.

9. "Starstruck" (featuring Space Cowboy and Flo Rida) - I just can't get enough of this one! It's so addictive and VERY fun to dance to. Don't let this one pass you by.

10. "Boys, Boys, Boys" - Don't judge me, but I think this is my favorite off the entire album. It's just such a fun, catchy, feelgood song with a great beat and an addictive chorus.

11. "Paper Gangsta" - Catchy, but I'd say that Gaga should do less rap-style songs.

12. "Brown Eyes" - A sad ballad that is full of emotion, anger and sadness from Gaga.

13. "I Like It Rough" - Very kinky, disco-esque track that will have you putting this song on repeat and dancing forever.

14. "Summerboy" - Yet another addicting song about a summer love. Gaga really ends the U.S. version of the album on a high note. Bravo.

NON-US BONUS TRACKS:

15. "Disco Heaven" - I'm indifferent towards this one. It's another one of those songs that you just have to be in the mood for.

16. "Again Again" - This was originally included in the main tracklist on U.S. pressings, but they revised it and rereleased the album without this song, and it's a shame, because it's really good.

17. "Retro, Dance, Freak" - I don't know what's up with this song, it's very weird. It doesn't even sound like Gaga. I'm glad this wasn't included on U.S. pressings.

You're tellin' all your friends, "She's a bad, bad b***h!"

(Italicized titles are the album's singles. Titles in red are the ones I recommend.)

By the end of the year 2000, you could say that I was still stuck in the '90s. I was 7 years old, and all of the albums I bought I was still buying on cassette tape. For Christmas 2000, I got my first two CDs - Now 4 and Now 5. The following month, Jennifer Lopez's sophomore album, J.Lo was released, and her first single "Love Don't Cost a Thing" was playing on radio stations everywhere for months after. May 2001 came, and around my birthday I was brought to the mall, and for some odd reason was brought into the record store there, Tower Records. My grandmother had come with us, and she told me I could pick out two CDs. The first CD I chose was Aaron Carter's Aaron's Party...Come Get It, and I walked up and down the aisles looking for another one. I came across this one, as I recognized "Love Don't Cost a Thing". I picked it, and we were outta there. Interestingly enough, the first two pressings of the album came with a Limited Edition bonus disc, both of which were different from the other. I'm not sure which one came first, but one of the bonus discs had two tracks - "Pleasure is Mine" and "Amor Se Paga Con Amor (Spanish Version of Love Don't Cost a Thing)". The other bonus disc came with only one track, called "Can't Believe This". The version I originally got came with the two-track Limited Edition bonus disc (I recently found out about the second LE bonus disc, hunted down a used copy and purchased it - $3!). Soon, this became one of my favorite albums for the next few years. For the sake of the good ol' days, here's my album review for this oldie but goodie:

1. "Love Don't Cost a Thing" - Everyone's heard this one. This pop-ish song about not having to impress Jenny with money or fancy things sends out a good message to those hopeful guys out there. I wouldn't count your chickens before they hatch, though. This song's almost 10 years old and there's a good chance that this song is no longer applicable to J.Lo's life anymore. I mean, come on. Look at her now.

2. "I'm Real" (featuring P. Diddy) - Lopez's then-lover reminds listeners on multiple occasions throughout the song, that Jenny is indeed, "a bad, bad bitch". It's a catchy song that finds Lopez telling listeners that "what you get is what you see". No strings attached.

3. "Play" (featuring Christina Milian) - This track finds Jennifer aggressively demanding that the DJ at the party she's at "play [her] motherf*****g song!". It's an excellent, feel-good party song in which Christina Milian lends her vocals to the chorus. She also wrote the song!

4. "Walking on Sunshine" - Eh. Not the best track off the album, but not the worst. It's fun to dance to, but the beat gets somewhat boring after a while, and the lyrics sort of bland, though there's worse on the album.

5. "Ain't It Funny" - The fifth track on the album is definitely different from anything else I've heard before. It's a song about fate and finding an unexpected love. You can definitely hear the latin influence on the track. I love it.

6. "Cariño" - ...And Jenny Lo brings it back down to mediocre again. This song is just average at best. I'm not sure if it's the repetitiveness of it that bugs me, or if it's the Spanglish aspect of the track. In case you were wondering, the title translates to "Affection", which is what the song's about.

7. "Come Over" - Jennifer gets a bit naughty here! On one of the more slower songs on the album, we hear Lopez begging her man to "Please come over", and "Don't keep me waiting / Anticipating" because it's "Love I am saving / for you", plus a few sexual innuendos.

8. "We Gotta Talk" - "Ooh / Baby come and talk to me / Together we can work this out / We got a love thing we're talkin' about". Simple, yet catchy. Another highlight of the album, about trying to save a romance.

9. "That's Not Me" - When listening to tracks 8 and 9 back-to-back, one could argue that this could serve as the sequel to the previous track. By this point, Lopez is fed up with her man's cheating, lying and overall laziness, and she's done trying and done giving it her all. Another great song.

10. "Dance With Me" - This is what I'm talking about! Jennfer tells the listener to basically leave all their cares behind and get on the dance floor. It's an interesting song with unique lyrics and a catchy beat, yet another one of the album's higher points.

11. "Secretly" - I'm not a huge fan of ballads, so in my eyes, this one's pretty forgettable. Lopez sings to a guy about how much she wants him, and her strong attraction to him.

12. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" - An empowering track about mustering up the strength to leave your lover, although you don't want to, but you know he's no good for you. I know that the Trackmasters Remix (from her J to tha L-O! The Remixes album) was released as a single, but it's essentially the same song, with a different beat.

13. "That's The Way" - This is a song unlike any other I have heard before. And I like it. In this one, J.Lo tells a guy that she can give him anything and make him happy as long as he stays faithful to her. One of my favorites off the album.

14. "Dame" (featuring Chayanne) - Strange. Very strange track if I do say so myself. The title translates to "Touch Me", so if you don't speak Spanish it's pretty obvious what the song's about. If you do, then more power to ya.

15. "Si Ya Se Acabo" - Very latin-inspired. I punched the song's title into Google translator and it came up with "If Already I Am Finished". Hmm. I like the track, but I find it strange that J.Lo chose to end the standard edition of the album with TWO Spanish tracks. One would have been fine.

BONUS TRACKS:

1. "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" (featuring Ja Rule) - Though both the original version of the song and this remix were released as singles, this was probably the more successful of the two. This sounds like a totally different song -- different beats, different lyrics, and different chorus. Not complaining, though. Still a good song. (This track is available on current U.S. pressings of the album, with the Parental Advisory sticker on it as track 16, but it's also available on the clean versions of the album. Also appears as track 18 on UK, Portuguese, and Australian pressings of the album, after "Pleasure is Mine" and "I'm Waiting".)

2. "I'm Waiting" - A nice song where J.Lo lays down the law. She tells her lover that he needs to man up and confess his love for her, because the feelings are mutual. (Available on Japanese pressings of the album as track 16, and as track 17 on UK, Australian, and Portuguese pressings, after "Pleasure is Mine".)

3. "Amor Se Paga Con Amor" - The Spanish version of "Love Don't Cost a Thing". (Available on Latin American pressings of the album as track 16. For a short time, this was available on U.S. pressings of the album, on a second disc as track 2, along with "Pleasure is Mine".)

4. "Carino (Spanish Version)" - Self explanatory. This is a little better than the Spanglish album version. Having the song in just one language made it more powerful for some reason. (Available on Latin American pressings of the album as track 17.)

5. "Que Ironia" - The Spanish version of "Ain't It Funny". The Spanish version of the song still proves to be just as good as the English version. (Track 18 on Latin American pressings.)

6. "Pleasure is Mine" - J.Lo tells her lover to "Stop playin' / Delayin' the divine"...if you catch my drift. (Track 16 on UK, Australian, and Portuguese pressings of the album. Also track 1 on the out-of-print, two-track Limited Edition U.S. bonus disc that includes "Amor Se Paga Con Amor".)

7. "Can't Believe This" - On this ultra rare, hard to find track, Jennifer tells her lover that she is appalled by his cheating and that she's fed up with it. This is not to be confused with her 2005 song "(Can't Believe) This is Me". Ironically enough, they also have the same exact running time. (Appears as the ONLY track on an extremely rare, out of print U.S. bonus disc - not the same one that has "Amor Se Paga Con Amor" and "Pleasure is Mine".)

Hey Everybody!

Hey all, welcome to my site, Amateur Album Reviews.

I'm 17 (going on 18 next month), and I've been listening to music for as long as I can remember. The idea came to me to start a blog like this because I'm constantly bored, and when I'm bored there's a good chance I'm listening to music, so I figured why not review some of my favorite albums out there, new and old. I have a very diverse taste in music, so you'll find a pretty wide variety of album reviews on here, the majority of them being Pop/Rock and R&B.

I'm figuring out the blogger, so be patient with me!