Ayumi Hamasaki Sekai - Preliminary Secret Album REVIEWS [by SunshineSlayer]

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

- Ayu Chat-Room (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=20)

- - Preliminary Secret Album REVIEWS [by SunshineSlayer] (http://www.ahsforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51956)

Preliminary Secret Album REVIEWS [by SunshineSlayer]

Secret has already been released as cellphone(?) downloads via Mu-Mo... yeah, read on, thank you SunshineSlayer, we love you :).

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer@AYUNITE!

Hey. :) I'm a regular over at AHS, but thought this news was too important to wait to post! The full album is already available for people via the mu-mo.net site (I'm not sure how you download stuff from there but I'm sure you have to be in Japan to be able to do so.)

People over at the Ayuloveayu bbs are already chiming in with their opinions about the album and I thought I'd translate a bit of what I've been reading. :)

As I suspected based on the cover and track list, most of the non single tracks seem to be very rock oriented. (yay! cause I love that.) One user compared the stuff to B'z even. Ok, some quick comments on each song:

Not yet - Reminds them of RAINBOW(not sure whether they mean the song or the album),

until that Day... - "this is very ayu. Reminds me of Evolution and has a rock feel."

1love - "SO COOL! THE BEST!"

It was - "Reminds me of Monochrome and leaves the impression of the past Ayu."

LABRYNTH - An instrumental track that feels like the RAINBOW instrumentals.

Momentum - is a "medium up tempo song and has a winter feel."

kiss o' kill - "VERY ROCK and SUPER COOL!"

Secret - The only other ballad besides Jewel.

These are just very simplistic translations, but they get the point across of what people are saying. :) I'll add more once I finish reading the thread.

Overall though, it looks like this maybe one of my favorite albums from her.

EDIT - Some more detailed info from another poster, man this album sounds cool:

Not Yet: Starts out feeling like "Everlasting Dream" on the RAINBOW album - very gentle and affectionate, but then turns more like Catcher in the Light from My Story and becomes rockish.

until that day: "This is fast isn't it?? Extremely cool and very strong rock music."

It Was - a rock ballad with a nostalgic kind of feel looking back on the olden days. The melody reminds him a bit of Winding Road.

Labrynith - Reminds him of Kaleidoscope

momentum - a Winter song, but not a ballad. Has an uptempo rock feel.

taskinst - A rock instrumental!

kiss o' kill - A very powerful and cool rock song.

Secret - a gentle moving ballad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I'm reading more of the reviews and so far it seems everyone is loving Ayu's rock style on this album. :D

"やっぱあゆのロックはかっこいいですよね！"

"Ayu doing rock is so cool isn't it?!"

I have a feeling this album will be great. A lot of rock oriented songs, pure Ayu style. Ayu doing rock is so cool isn't it?! Indeed.

Three interlude tracks, that's fine by me as they seem to be placed very well, hopefully they'll help get the album flow in a good way.

Quote:

つい先、VIVI 一月号を読みました。見る見るうちに、感想が溢れるぐらい、早速書かせてもらいます。

インタービューの内容はすべてアルバムの曲についていっぱい語ってくれました。
まず、何で急遽ミニ→フルアルバムに変更したのを解釈した。そのわけは、「ある日に伝えたいことが溢れてきて、詞は一日に2、3曲ハイスピードで書き上げた。」あ～なるほど

次はアルバムのタイトル曲「Secret」について、「人間って必ず誰にも自分でしか分からない部分があるでしょ。それがあってこそ魅力的だったり、その人に気になったりするじゃない。このアルバムでは、そういう私しか分からない私、を順序よく打ち明けて行ってる感じにしたの」と語りました。

「Jewel」については、「気付かないうちに誰かを傷つけてしまう、そんな時、周りの人が”NO”と言ってくれることで、自分では気付かないことを気付かせてくれる、そういう”愛”を伝えたかった。」

力強い曲の「1 Love」は「アウトローな女の子の話。人ってみんな孤独、みんな分かってることだと思う。戦わなきゃ生きていけないところもあるのがって人生って事。あゆも戦ってます。自分のためじゃないから、それだけ戦い続けられるかも」

「Until That Day...」については「この曲はまさに私の生き方そのものを描いた曲」

今回のデジデジ日記はＰＶ３本の撮影風景まとめて、紹介してくれました。
「Jewel」はスクロいっぱい頭に貼り付けられるそうで、あゆ本人もキラキラなＰＶと言ってました。

「1 Love」にはロックでワイルドなＰＶが出来上がるそうで、ポールダンス初挑戦！怪我しまくりって可哀想↓ ↓写真から見ると、カッコイイＰＶ
だと思います。

「Momentum」には雪が降ってるシーンがいっぱいで、一人ぼっちで立ち尽し、切ないストーリーだそうです。No way to sayと似てるかも
キャンドルたくさん囲まれたあゆも気になります。

久々のインタービューはかなりいい感じじゃないですか。少しだけでアルバム曲の歌詞に含まれた意味も解き明かしました。やっぱあゆから直接のメッセージは何よりもイイと思います。

あと10日間、もうすぐですよな！！

Japanese 'summary' of the ViVi interview, stuck here because it involves Secret. :P

I'm soo excited for this album^^ Rock ayu is the best!! really interested in hearing until that Day... though

ohhhhhhhh Secret is coming... I'm getting more excited!!!!

Sounds intensely awesome. Now every single track is one I'm anticipating, not just 9/10 of them.

Really interested in seeing how it flows between songs - especially with comparisons such as those made above.

Should leak in a day or two, then, shouldn't it?

Isn't is just amazingly awesome that all album tracks except Secret is rock?

Secret and JEWEL will be the only two ballads on there.

The 3 interludes look well placed, too.

Quote:

One user compared the stuff to B'z even.

This album is gonna be hot, then. :luv2
Judging by the TeamAyu interview, I think this album will have excellent lyrics.

I'm still having a hard time imagining 'momentum', the PV really looks like it'll be a ballad. uptempo rock feel? as in... flower garden? or HOPE or PAIN? :conhuh

yea... it really looks like No way to say to me to a certain extend, yet it's a rock..

I think you could imagine M or maybe even Heartplace.. :P

Or maybe a heavier No way to say.. Like how the chorus was all rock-y...

I'm still a little dissapointed that LABYRINTH is an interlude. it was such a beautiful title for a beautiful song, but you can't have everything.

yeah I'm shocked about LABYRINTH as a interlude (and man it's hard to spell it). I always thought there would be 2 instru in this album..

Quote:

Originally Posted by truehappiness (Post 950281)

I think you could imagine M or maybe even Heartplace.. :P

Heartplace... yes... oh yes, those guitars... oh... I could melt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by realize_! (Post 950282)

I'm still a little dissapointed that LABYRINTH is an interlude. it was such a beautiful title for a beautiful song, but you can't have everything.

It really is a good song name, but I think another interlude fits the album, it'll make it flow better I believe.

so we're really just getting 6 new songs plus an interlude with vocals making it 7 I guess, not including JEWEL. I hope we get another Heartplace as well. That song is just amazing :luv2

I'd like to count the interludes as new songs as well, they're always so awesome. She never actually had a bad interlude, I think.

Having three interludes would probably enhance her next tour anyway. LABYRINTH = HAL, I bet.

Woohoo... Hopefully, it's gunna leak really soon. :D

Readin' those review make me really lookin' forward to it now! Roll it on, baby!

@Phantoma - Doesn't it say the directors in the thread where Ayu Secret interview thread?

Quote:

Originally Posted by immel (Post 950319)

@Phantoma - Doesn't it say the directors in the thread where Ayu Secret interview thread?

Oh you mean the composers? I think they only have the interviews until Track 5, which really sucks.

Ah, shouldn't they have made the rest during the downtime? Maybe not. Yeah, I meant composers, sorry about that.

They originated at the ayuchina BBS and the rest haven't been posted there, or anywhere I guess. It's really a shame if they never get posted, they'd be really interesting to have since we hardly ever get album interviews of this nature. TeamAyu is really no fair.. I guess we'll know the composers soon though, hoping for some CREA and/or DAI.