Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - ULTRA BLUE vs HEART STATION!

Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/index.php)

- Asian Music Polls (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=78)

- - ULTRA BLUE vs HEART STATION! (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71257)

HEART STATION for overall quality, but at the moment I don't think it, unlike ULTRA BLUE (a lot of meh, a couple of wows), will have songs I'll still want to listen a year after the initial release. But I voted for HS for being so pleasant (not awesome) to listen to.

Ultra Blue is better!
I didn't like too much Heart Station. I loved the singles on HS, but the other tracks weren't as good as the single tracks

So i pick Ultra Blue, i really love it!

Now that I think about it, Kiss & Cry's beats arrangement is the same as taimu.rimito's beats arrangement XD

HEART STATION because it changed my opinion of hikki! i'm a reborn fan!

Ultra Blue, I made all my arguments against Heart Station in the Hikki thread and really don't feel like re-typing them ^^;;

I'm sorry to say this, but Heart Station sounds so ordinary. Several of the tracks seem to riff off Flavor of Life's composition (which itself riffs off Colors') without really trying to do something interesting, so they comes across as redundant. Hikki's not a great lyricist, so it's business as usual, which I don't mind. Although individually-speaking the songs in Ultra Blue aren't as impressive as in her previous three albums, taken together as an album they work in lovely, mysterious ways. I'm still trying to figure out Ultra Blue, but I think it's worth the effort. Heart Station sounds like a very tired album and not as organic as Ultra Blue. It's sometimes pleasurable, but it has no mysteries under its surface. None of the vocal affectations Hikki pulls off so well, too. But thank God for small miracles like Beautiful World!

Someone said it has been downhill from her Singles Collection onward. I agree. For me, she used to stand toe-to-toe with Ayu (I couldn't make up my mind whom I liked better back then). Now she's slowly fading away. It's sad since she has so much talent.

LOLI actually think she's getting better! I do think she slipped a little on HEART STATION, but still she managed to release AWESOME jewels. I just CAN'T stop liostening to HEART STATION, Beautiful World and Flavor Of Life -Ballad Version-...They are so awesome!

'HEART STATION' for me, although I already knew that 'ULTRA BLUE' was winning. I mean don't get me wrong, 'ULTRA BLUE' is an awesome album, but I like the diversity in 'HEART STATION' a little more (since they are both pretty diverse in their own ways). I still can't get over that so many people think the album is 'bland' and 'plain' because I personally, thought it was really interesting. I really don't know why I prefer this one...possibly because it's new and fun material? I can't decide but I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and am very sad to see it get put down so much, but hey, it's just my opinion I guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker (Post 1378901)

Actually I can see where Luv ~Venus~ is coming with her comparison. This album (HS) has a few songs that date back to her RnB roots: Prisoner of Love has a RnB beat that resembles some of the songs in Distance/First Love. And Nijiro BASU actually mixes elements from her oldest works (the RnBish beat) + elements of her new works (the ethereal/mysterious/calm essence). Kiss & Cry also has a bit of guuitar infused RnB, elementswe saw on Distance songs. Fight the Blues has elements from Deep River in it. stay Gold also has a Deep River feeling. HS has a bit of the "radio song" feel from Hikari imo.

Ah ok, so it wasn't just me! They were indeed, r&b-like. 'Prisoner of Love' and 'Nijiro BASU' are my two new favorite songs, but all of the new songs were good. But, I basically got the same insight as you on the songs.
(redundant lol)

I'm gonna bet that in three months.. we should do the same poll. I'm pretty sure people will have changed their minds because probably 75% of my friends said HS was "SOOO MUCH BETTTTERR THAN UB!!!"... now they're already sick of it and it's been... what... 5 days?

Ultra Blue for sure. Love every song on the album. Heart Station is just OK...only like 2 songs I like on it (not counting the singles) Plus it's the first J-pop album I ever bought..nothing can beat it.

HEART STATION easily. To be blunt, Utada makes very strong singles, and weaker album tracks. But in this new one, the songs flow nicely into each other, and my least favorite are just there, while on ULTRA BLUE, the album tracks are bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madden-X (Post 1381696)

LOL that's exactly why I try to take breaks for a couple of days between my listenings. I don't want to say 'I love it' and then a few days later say 'I hate it.'

HEART STATION was amazing, in my opinion. Yes, the songs all give off the same laid-back vibe, but that's what makes the album work. ULTRA BLUE felt more like a collection of songs; while its singles are stronger than HEART STATION's singles, HEART STATION as a whole is a better album.

(I also prefer HEART STATION's individual tracks to those of ULTRA BLUE, with the exception of Passion.)

HEART STATION, most of my faves from hikki are on here!

ULTRA BLUE. Dareka no Negai Koro Kanau and Making Love are the only two songs I dislike.

ULTRA BLUE is the superior album....just a beautiful style and tone about it...Heart Station is amazing in its own way too...but personally, I think ULTRA BLUE wins.

ULTRA BLUE is better