IMO, it's a bad idea to go into an album with preconceived notions of how the songs will play out, haha. It usually ends up resulting in something bad imo especially if expectations are through the roof.

Yeah I really tried to hold down my expectations. I really did! That's why I think my idea of holding out on pictures/PV screen caps/song descriptions/previews/leaks/releases for the next year would be a good idea because I'd have no expectations and just love the songs for what they are! :yes

I dunno, you might still have weird expectations deep down that you aren't consciously making, haha. You know, like "Oh, this will probably be amazing since I'm holding out! You know?!" and then you listen to it and you're like "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AGAIN?!"

It's probably better to just take things as they come and not do the "I'm going to ignore everything!" game if it didn't work for Rock'n'Roll Circus. Then again, I have a friend who hasn't heard any of the full versions of the songs and has only watched CMs for NEXT LEVEL and this album, and he LOVED NEXT LEVEL. (Not sure about how he'll feel about Rock'n'Roll Circus, but he said the CM was promising to him...)

Yeah I'm kind of setting myself up for disappointment either way. Like shooting myself in the foot. Ha ha.

But I think it might help if I was just completely surprised by everything. Like GUILTY I avoided everything and it didn't disappoint me at all! I was so in love with it. But I think that might have less to do with me holding out on everything and more to do with the fact that most of them were just my type of songs. I even fell in love with the singles that I wasn't too keen on as they were released throughout the year.

But yeah I don't wanna set myself up again for an anti-climatic ending, but I'm really curious to try out this mission. Ha ha ha.

Just prepare for the possible consequences of holding out for so long is all I'm saying.

The highly likely "What? That was it?" that usually happens when people do this sort of thing is dangerous, haha. It's kind of like when people overhype movies/games a la FFXIII or something and they end up despising whatever they were waiting for because of it. -sigh-

Definately what happened with me and R'n'R Circus.
1) Like it
2) Feel a sense of disappointmet
3) Tell myself I like it and force myself to listen to it more
4) Admit I'm disappointed and least favorite album
5) Listen to it a little more
6) Slowly start to like more but still my least favorite album

Lol. But for sure, one day I really despised the album. The day I admitted it wasn't what I thought it was gonna be.

I think the reason why I wanted to hold out for albums was ever since (miss)understood, which I listened to all the clips beforehand and when the album came it was like "hmm... well that went by fast" and didn't give me longevity. I thought it was the worst thing and I despised it for a while (even though I loved a lot of the songs). Now I just freakin' love (miss)understood but I think that's because over time I came to remember/view the album as a whole and including the singles. At first listen it's always about the new tracks and that's what I base my judgement for the album off of.

I see. For me, I just listen to everything as soon as it comes out because I'm going to listen to it all when I get the entire thing anyway, so might as well enjoy it in pieces while I still can and revel in the excitement, haha.

I think I'm on my 150th or 200th listen of the album as a whole.

Trying to loop meaning of Love and Last Links because those are muh FEHEVES, but I don't want other tracks from the album to get left out so I'm listening to those as well, just backing up on LL or moL when I feel like it.

Omg, that's a lot of playthroughs! I have begun to stop singling out certain songs (Microphone and Last Links) and listening to the album as a whole as well.

Another reason I hold out is because with LOVEppears (received the year before MY STORY release) and MY STORY and (miss)understood and Secret and GUILTY - they were all ordered for me for a Christmas present from my Mom. So I never wanted to spoil Christmas before it came because that was always my number one gift I looked forward to!

Ah, I see.

The DVDs are the treat for me since I usually don't touch my CDs. -hides in a corner-

I don't think my CDs in the CD+DVDs have been touched more than 4 times at the most, hahahaha.

Whenever I get the CD I always make my own rip, since the rips that float around always sound a bit questionable. Then I never touch it, haha. Unless I'm going in a car that isn't mine that only has a CD player.

^
Me too! When I got my CD+DVD I ripped the music and videos into my iTunes library, and then put the discs back in the case and even put the plastic wrap back over it. :D

Hmm.. reading all.night.ravers posts.. I feel kinda bad for people that have to lower their expectations for her music. Mine are usually pretty high and I still hardly ever feel disappointed ^_^ Well, it's not like I expect each song to be "THE BEST SONG EVER" but I just expect it to be of high quality as usual, and for me, 99% of the time it is. I guess I'm just one of those lucky fans where she satisfies my tastes perfectly.

Why can't people just acept that sometimes, they are not going to enjoy an album?
It's not the end of the world ~~'

still havnt got mine yet... :(

I did yesterday but I was unsure I thought my netbook translated badly .-. oh **** >.< I can order it with tenso ? .-.

The most I've ever heard any song according to my iTunes is about 90 times and that song is HANABI~episode II~ :dead2.

Can't get my name in katakana -_- I found it but unable to copy past ... great ! And I have to leave now -_-

Agree. Ayumi Sekai members need to lighten up a little more. Where is the humor people?

Well then, you haven't seen my 600-700 play count of Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~. (I don't remember the exact number. It's on iTunes.)

That song is just... amazing. That's kind of why I'm so defensive when people get all up in its grill.

There's funny and then there's "funny to two or three people, and unfunny to everyone else."

The second category is where most "jokes" fall into imo.

It wasn't very funny. Sorry.

So, I'm supposed to laugh when someone calls one of my favourite artists a prostitute. Otherwise, I'm a prick who has no sense of humour.

That's nice to know.

You're not going to believe the hundreds I skipped over in the ChatRoom before all this got to me.

So tell me what was wrong with me voicing out my opinions when others says degratory things about Gaga?

The only thing I agree with you on, I'm sick of all this artist bashing. I think I should just take a break from this place and come back 1-2 months later when this all blows over.

I can't agree more. Flamewars only begin when people think it's funny to flame other artists. sigh...