New live DVD/BD 'ARENA TOUR 2012 ~HLS~' March 8, last of five 15th anni. releases

[RylanJames0]

What is the point of an A Best 3? We have SO MANY complilation albums.


unless they were new vocals

[marekcarey]

Originally Posted by RylanJames0

What is the point of an A Best 3? We have SO MANY complilation albums.


unless they were new vocals

You are too new, you can hardly have correct connotations.

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by marekcarey

You are too new, you can hardly have correct connotations.

How about... I've been a fan since 2000 and I completely agree with Rylan? Just sayin'...

I think if they release A BEST 3 it'll be a bad, stupid move since A SUMMER BEST was just released, but releasing A BEST 3 wouldn't be the dumbest thing her marketing people have done lately so I'm not writing it off as a possibility.

A self-cover album would be, in my opinion, the best idea. She hasn't done a self-cover album, and she hasn't done any self-covers at all since her 10th anniversary singles. Her voice and style have changed alot in 15 years and I think revisiting older tracks is something every fan would appreciate. I wouldn't mind a complete re-recording of the "A Song for XX" album since many of those melodies & lyrics are just amazing but her voice & production were so very, very weak at the time. It would remind the world of Ayu's legacy, remind them why Ayu was so amazing when she first showed up, and it would breathe new life into some great tracks - bringing old fans back, while possibly attracting new ones. If not a redo of "A Song for XX", they could use the TA vote to see what older songs Ayu fans like best and use that as suggestions for the album. I mean you did the vote, why not use that information for more than just 7 songs??

But that's too reasonable and the fans would like it too much so it'll never happen.

[freedreamer]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

How about... I've been a fan since 2000 and I completely agree with Rylan? Just sayin'...

I think if they release A BEST 3 it'll be a bad, stupid move since A SUMMER BEST was just released, but releasing A BEST 3 wouldn't be the dumbest thing her marketing people have done lately so I'm not writing it off as a possibility.

A self-cover album would be, in my opinion, the best idea. She hasn't done a self-cover album, and she hasn't done any self-covers at all since her 10th anniversary singles. Her voice and style have changed alot in 15 years and I think revisiting older tracks is something every fan would appreciate. I wouldn't mind a complete re-recording of the "A Song for XX" album since many of those melodies & lyrics are just amazing but her voice & production were so very, very weak at the time. It would remind the world of Ayu's legacy, remind them why Ayu was so amazing when she first showed up, and it would breathe new life into some great tracks - bringing old fans back, while possibly attracting new ones. If not a redo of "A Song for XX", they could use the TA vote to see what older songs Ayu fans like best and use that as suggestions for the album. I mean you did the vote, why not use that information for more than just 7 songs??

But that's too reasonable and the fans would like it too much so it'll never happen.

this is say yes

[Andrenekoi]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

How about... I've been a fan since 2000 and I completely agree with Rylan? Just sayin'...

I think if they release A BEST 3 it'll be a bad, stupid move since A SUMMER BEST was just released, but releasing A BEST 3 wouldn't be the dumbest thing her marketing people have done lately so I'm not writing it off as a possibility.

A self-cover album would be, in my opinion, the best idea. She hasn't done a self-cover album, and she hasn't done any self-covers at all since her 10th anniversary singles. Her voice and style have changed alot in 15 years and I think revisiting older tracks is something every fan would appreciate. I wouldn't mind a complete re-recording of the "A Song for XX" album since many of those melodies & lyrics are just amazing but her voice & production were so very, very weak at the time. It would remind the world of Ayu's legacy, remind them why Ayu was so amazing when she first showed up, and it would breathe new life into some great tracks - bringing old fans back, while possibly attracting new ones. If not a redo of "A Song for XX", they could use the TA vote to see what older songs Ayu fans like best and use that as suggestions for the album. I mean you did the vote, why not use that information for more than just 7 songs??

But that's too reasonable and the fans would like it too much so it'll never happen.

I don't really get the point of a self cover album... I don't get the point for her on living from her past glory. I can't think of any artist that actually released a self-cover album and IMO it would feel way too decadent.

And it would most likely sell like any of her recent remixes album too.

A Best 3 will be released sooner or later and she has more than enough material to put into it.

[Ayu-me]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I don't really get the point of a self cover album... I don't get the point for her on living from her past glory. I can't think of any artist that actually released a self-cover album and IMO it would feel way too decadent.

And it would most likely sell like any of her recent remixes album too.

A Best 3 will be released sooner or later and she has more than enough material to put into it.

I personally see a lot of possible goodness with a self-cover/re-recorded album. Of course I can understand if people feel "meh" about self-covers, because of the previous ones and/or out of worry about what future ones could sound like, but just as with remixes, the self-covers aren't made to replace the old songs. Ayu usually doesn't use the self-covers in her tours/CDLs either (unless it's something completely new with the tour/CDL), as far as I know (someone correct me if I'm wrong about this).
Like others have mentioned, Ayu's vocals and the general music production were both bad on "A Song for xx" (and to some extent "LOVEppears" too, in my opinion). I loved the 10th Anniversary versions (except for the "Who.." one but my favorite version of that song is the re-recorded version "Across the Universe" on A BALLADS), and I prefer all of them over the originals because I feel that with her added years, Ayu has only managed to unfold the already existing potential in the songs rather than make the songs "anew". Better vocals, better music, but the feelings and messages with the songs are the same, at least in my opinion. Whenever I listen to songs from her earliest albums, I always get the feeling something's missing, that these songs aren't at their full potential. Even an epic classic like "evolution" gives me such a feeling (screech-y vocals, mostly), when that song still is in my top 10-list of favorite Ayu-songs. It's not just a matter of "remixing" songs in my opinion, it's a matter of giving their colors more nuances, if you get what I mean.
At least, that's my opinion on the matter.

[Delirium-Zer0]

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I don't really get the point of a self cover album... I don't get the point for her on living from her past glory.

The point would be that her past SONGS were good, but the executions were amateurish. A Song for XX has some great songs that are just very, very frustrating to listen to because the arrangements do little to put the great melodies on display, and her vocals were very, very flat. Songs like "POWDER SNOW" and "For My Dear..." really need to be revisited now that Ayu's vocals are better controlled and pushed out properly, and now that Ayu's mixers & producers are better at thicker, more epic songs. ...well okay maybe that last point's ship has sailed, to be honest. Ayu's musical team from 2001-2003 would do those two songs a world of good, though.

But Ayu's self-cover versions have all been interesting juxtapositions if not improvements. A Song for XX "030213 Session #2" is one of the best tracks she's ever done. TO BE (10th Anniversary Version) breathed new life into the first ayu track I'd ever heard, and it was like hearing it for the first time all over again. If ayu did a full self-cover album there would be, I can guarantee, some real gems of performances in there that nobody would expect.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

I can't think of any artist that actually released a self-cover album and IMO it would feel way too decadent.

1. Chara, CHAGE and ASKA, T.M.Revolution, Nomiya Maki from Pizzicato Five, Ann Lewis, and Ayu's idol Yumi Matsutoya all come to mind just off the top of my head. They've all done self-cover albums, and they've all ranged from interesting to awesome.

2. Displaying your improvement over time as a musician is, by definition, the opposite of decadent.

Originally Posted by Andrenekoi

And it would most likely sell like any of her recent remixes album too.

And those remix albums have still been profitable which makes it worth it.

[polka-dot-jewel]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

The point would be that her past SONGS were good, but the executions were amateurish. A Song for XX has some great songs that are just very, very frustrating to listen to because the arrangements do little to put the great melodies on display, and her vocals were very, very flat. Songs like "POWDER SNOW" and "For My Dear..." really need to be revisited now that Ayu's vocals are better controlled and pushed out properly, and now that Ayu's mixers & producers are better at thicker, more epic songs. ...well okay maybe that last point's ship has sailed, to be honest. Ayu's musical team from 2001-2003 would do those two songs a world of good, though.

But Ayu's self-cover versions have all been interesting juxtapositions if not improvements. A Song for XX "030213 Session #2" is one of the best tracks she's ever done. TO BE (10th Anniversary Version) breathed new life into the first ayu track I'd ever heard, and it was like hearing it for the first time all over again. If ayu did a full self-cover album there would be, I can guarantee, some real gems of performances in there that nobody would expect.

I'm blown away by her recent vocal performances of "For My Dear..." (PCDL) and "A Song For XX", and I'd love to hear studio versions of those. Really, most of the older songs she performed at PCDL were really good.

Now that I think about it, I kinda wish she had thrown in older songs with new vocals into these recent releases, like she did with her singles in 2008. We still have the rest of the year, and her new-vocal tracks from '08 were well-received, so I'm hoping she'll remember that and throw some out there this year.

Originally Posted by TeamAyu2004

^ are they self covers... wouldnt it just be remixes?
or is it considered the same thing?

I say the term "remix" can be described differently from person to person. When I heard the word "remix" I think of like...trance mixes, dance mixes, something like "title (whatever remix)". With Ayu's previous self-covers, they may have been mixed slightly differently, but they had the overall same melody and composition as before, just with new vocals, so I personally wouldn't consider those remixes. But to each their own, really.

[YuriChan]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

1. Chara, CHAGE and ASKA, T.M.Revolution, Nomiya Maki from Pizzicato Five, Ann Lewis, and Ayu's idol Yumi Matsutoya all come to mind just off the top of my head. They've all done self-cover albums, and they've all ranged from interesting to awesome.

You forgot B'z.

[INSPIREme]

Ironically this is the first of the anniversary releases that I've gotten remotely excited about (though again and A Classical turned out to be really great) because it was the first ayu show I was able to attend, it was the most incredible, life-changing, surreal experience of my life and I can't wait to relive it with this Blu-ray.

Though I will second krtman's comment that a rerecorded A song for xx would be amazing, especially for POWDER SNOW.

Originally Posted by RylanJames0

What is the point of an A Best 3? We have SO MANY complilation albums.


unless they were new vocals

Originally Posted by marekcarey

You are too new, you can hardly have correct connotations.

How rude. Just because RylanJames is a new user doesn't necessarily mean he's a "novice fan" and even if he were, he has just as much authority as anyone else on here to have an opinion and make a comment. Plus, he's absolutely right in my view.

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by INSPIREme

Ironically this is the first of the anniversary releases that I've gotten remotely excited about (though again and A Classical turned out to be really great) because it was the first ayu show I was able to attend, it was the most incredible, life-changing, surreal experience of my life and I can't wait to relive it with this Blu-ray.

The tour I attened was AT08 and I felt the same way. And I couldn't wait for the concert to be released! But, I don't enjoy watching it as much. I almost somewhat resent the DVD because most of my memories and footage in my head from actually being at the concert have been replaced by what I've seen on film...

[INSPIREme]

Originally Posted by Zeke.

The tour I attened was AT08 and I felt the same way. And I couldn't wait for the concert to be released! But, I don't enjoy watching it as much. I almost somewhat resent the DVD because most of my memories and footage in my head from actually being at the concert have been replaced by what I've seen on film...

That is a major concern of mine admittedly, especially as the final setlist doesn't strike me as an improvement on the one I saw, even though it's very similar. I would've loved to have seen Return Road again and other songs I missed out on like Letter and Last angel. Fingers crossed for their inclusion as bonus features or at least clips in the making of similar to the Tour of Secret DVD.

[Chris85]

Originally Posted by INSPIREme

Ironically this is the first of the anniversary releases that I've gotten remotely excited about (though again and A Classical turned out to be really great) because it was the first ayu show I was able to attend, it was the most incredible, life-changing, surreal experience of my life and I can't wait to relive it with this Blu-ray.

It was my first Ayu show as well, so I can totally understand your feelings :-)