Wow, I never noticed Sakuranbo was on the tracklist xD

Ack Sakuranbo feels out of place all of a sudden... seems like this is not a "LOVE BALLADS" best, but a "LOVE SONGS" best... or rather happy/bittersweet love songs. I suppose Planetarium and the rest were too depressing to be in this "best"...

^ agreed.. Sakuranbo should be kicked out and Kingyo Hanabi or Planetarium instead

well she probably might not re-recording the 4 tunes that are singled out in LOVE is BEST

maybe it's just the case of rearrangement ?

it's quite misleading if you ask me

Where's Planetarium. And Kingyo Hanabi. And Kurage, Nagareboshi. AND WHY THE HELL IS FLIPPIN' Sakuranbo ON THERE. Whoever thought that that was a balld is blind or deaf

^It was not stated to be a ballads best. Though I would have liked to see "Sakuranbo" being turned into something ballad-ish. Like a jazz ballad with brass arrangement.

Thanks for the numbers. I also don't think it will do well, but we'll see. Someone pointed out in one thread that concept bests don't do as well as "normal" ones. I guess it's because concept bests are more attractive for fans than the casual listener. Let's hope the new song will be popular, so that it would become a download hit and make the best have decent sales.
And as I already posted, new vocals aren't really needed, so it will likely be a change in arrangement. Her vocals haven't changed that much to justify new vocals.

the links to preorder LOVE is BEST are already up on CDJapan

AVCD-23920
Ai Otsuka/Love is Best[CD+DVD] CDA
3619 yen US$38/95.02 Release Date:2009/11/11
Description:Greatest hits album release from Ai Otsuka featuring her love songs, which include a new song, re-recorded songs, and more for 15 tracks (subject to change). This edition includes bonus DVD with six music videos (subject to change). *Unless otherwise indicated, DVDs are region-2 encoded (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and carry no subtitles.
First Press Details:special feature/bonus available
URL - http://cdjapan.jp/d.html?KEY=AVCD-23920

*********************************************

AVCD-23921
Ai Otsuka/Love is Best CDA
2913 yen US$31/95.02 Release Date:2009/11/11
Description:Greatest hits album release from Ai Otsuka featuring her love songs, which include a new song, re-recorded songs, and more for 15 tracks (subject to change).
First Press Details:special feature/bonus available
URL - http://cdjapan.jp/d.html?KEY=AVCD-23921

seems that for both editions , there will be 1st press editions in which it's a special feature/bonus

& LOL for a spilt second , I thought those were the covers for LOVE is BEST @_@

@ Aga - if LOVE is BEST is not a love ballad album compilation , then any idea what kinda concept it's trying to portray in this context ?

Cos I don't get it really & it doesn't make sense for her to put out a best album outta the air without giving any valid reason(s)

^ It's just supposed to be a love song compilation, not specifically love ballads. :yes

thanks I will correct that piece of info on my music blog now

LOL! And after seeing the tracklist it's confirmed - I am NOT getting it for sure!

Disappointing tracklist + why is she rerecording songs that have just been released like, last year? Weird. I think this is avex's last resort to save her career imo.

haha

your decision not to get LOVE is BEST did surprised me , especially since it's known that you usually tend to get most of her singles & albums from CDJapan

so this time round it's a bit eh

this :yes

maybe she also needed to put out at least one album this year, because of avex's contract, lol. and that album just happens to be a BEST :P

^ Unfortunately sad. I would be interested in a BEST album that has a theme on her crazy songs. :P

Damn, I go away for 2 days and all the news shoots out and the thread jumps 3 pages. LOL. And I've been checking it everyday before that for about 4 weeks to see if there was anything new going on. Go figure. :rolleyes :laugh

I just don't understand this album. I wouldn't be so surprised by another BEST if it had a theme to it (like ballads), but I just don't get this one. I don't understand what's the concept behind it. So it's just all love songs? But most of what Ai-chin talks about is love. And when a bunch of those songs have already been on a past BEST album, I don't see the point of putting it on again. And I also don't see the point in re-recording songs that just came out less than a year ago. :/

Also, I just don't see how half those songs made it on there. Songs like OnexTime weren't received well. Pocket, Ticket, drop....none of those were extremely popular or sold well.

I just don't understand it. I'm not disappointed in Ai necessarily, but I just don't see the point of it. :shrug

well put on what you said Cat

like what Meat Pao / Travis has mentioned , LOVE is BEST is maybe a last ditch effort on avex's part to revive her flagging popularity in which I seriously doubt that can happen at all

if only she included Kingyo Hanabi , Planetarium , Cherish , Kurage Nagareboshi , the tracklist would have been more interesting but :no

& actually , Ticket & drop. are B-sides songs found in Pocket & Planetarium

if you see what I did below , I narrow down as to which song's from where & etc

1) New song title tbc
2) Renai Shashin (Love Photograph) -Haru- (-Spring-) ; B-side of her 15th single PEACE / HEART
3) Amai Kimochi Maru Kajiri (A Bite Full of Sweet Feelings) ; B-side of her 11th single Frienger
4) Sakuranbo (Cherry Blossoms) ; 2nd single
5) Strawberry Jam ; #3 from her 2nd album LOVE JAM
6) Futatsu Boshi Kinenbi (Two Stars Remembrance Day) (New Recording) ; #8 from her 2nd album LOVE JAM
7) Amaenbo (Spoiled Child) (New Recording) ; 3rd single
8) drop. ; B-side of her 10th single Planetarium
9) HEART ; 2nd A-side of her 15th single PEACH / HEART
10) Daisuki da yo. (I Love You) ; 6th single
11) Ticket ; B-side of her 16th single
12) One × Time(New Recording) ; 2nd A-side of her 17th single Rocket Sneaker / One × Time
13) Pocket (New Recording) ; 16th single
14) Kimi ni Kaeru (Returning To You) ; B-side of her 14th single CHU-LIP
15) Kimi Fechi (You Fetish) ; #6 from her 5th album LOVE LETTER

^^Oh, yes, I know they're B-sides, but they still weren't very popular. :shrug

And I'm not sure necessarily if it's Avex's way of trying to save her. If it was, I feel like they would have done something much bigger like a sort of A Complete Singles or used more popular songs with a full Live and every PV included. This just seems like some lazy attempt to get more money during her off time. :shrug

for once , I want to be a fly in the wall lurking around avex's offices during the time when this decision was made

maybe otsuka wasn't around when the top management decided to randomly release LOVE is BEST for the sake of releasing it

she's probably barking at this now LOL

That album would be named "Love is Crazy", or "Ai am Crazy" :dead2

i dun mind Pocket but they must be nuts to not include Planeterium, Kingyo and Kurage