[2004] The Fall of Ayu....

[RebornLS]

"Ayumi Hamasaki has gone downhill ever since the release of Rainbow" one
American Ayu fan told me. In fact most of the people I have chatted with via
IM share this opinion. I think Rainbow was the turning point of Ayu where she became more vocally better. Also the songwriting she did increased, with that she has become much more skilled with it. Her and HAL collaberations also have gotten better.
Now I know most of you are heartbroken I didn't make this into a poll, but a
simple yes or no answer doesn't satisfy my curiosity.

Which era of Ayu do you love most and why? Which era of Ayu do you like least and why?

P.S.- I love talking about the musical aspects of Ayu (See my MA review i did last december lol ) so please give me an IM via MSN or AOL or Yahoo if you want to chat about the music of ayu.

MSN- John@claireredfield.zzn.com

[Hazard]

Well, personally... I havn't been an Ayu fan for very long(I came in right around the release of I am... ), and it's really hard for me to pick any one era. The A Song for XX and LOVEppears eras are the same to me. Both her voice an lyrics were raw in a beautiful and emotional way. Her voice had a deffinate turning point with Duty , along with her style. I am... seemed to be an experimental stage for styles. Then came RAINBOW , which I personally see as Ayumi's most complete album since A Song for XX . Then Memoerial Address and all other releases to now present Ayu's latest style. She's constantly changing and I honestly can't pick any one era as my favorite because I love them all for different reasons. As for least favorite. There are different things I dislike about each, but none of them are significant enough to make me hate them. I can't say why Ayumi is at a decline, except that maybe people have just gotten bored with her. Very similar to America's Madonna, Ayumi will continue to have an avid fan base, but she probably won't gain a whole lot of new fans anymore. *shrugs* It's a mystery. I don't see how anyone can not love Ayumi. =^.^=

[addicted]

yea, I think that way too, but i think is from Free & easy went down,and i really don't like Rainbow this album I just like the album's cover rainbow this album doesn't has many good songs.

[norain]

I love the new era as it talks about love the whole way...why am I loved...why am I loved....it also talks about who she's not and who she really wants to be...who am i...what am i worth...

in the past it was just mostly of hate...why does this person hate me...why did they leave me...

I like the singing now then the past except for 'M'

[Taishaku]

Yeah... in my opinion, RAINBOW is her worst album. It has some really good artwork, but the songs are not very good. For me, ayu's been falling since when "H" was out, but is not like her new singles are all bad... I'm feeling very impatient to have her new album, because she has released some VERY nice works lately... And her voice is just becoming better and better. I think somebody finally told her that her voice when she goes "aAAaAAaAAaAAaAaa" (like in "everywhere nowhere") is doesn't sounds very nice to hear... x_x!!

:B~

-- I am... = best album ever

[RebornLS]

Originally Posted by norain

I love the new era as it talks about love the whole way...why am I loved...why am I loved....it also talks about who she's not and who she really wants to be...who am i...what am i worth...

in the past it was just mostly of hate...why does this person hate me...why did they leave me...

I like the singing now then the past except for 'M'

Ayu is a rare breed of celeb. She is on track about life in most areas, it impressed me. Her passion has only gotten stronger it seems like. Especially seeing the video or play Heartplace at CDL 02 i think it was.... anyways....

[sxesven]

Although I generally have a hard time choosing a favorite period or album, since every album has both its qualities and its merits, I most often choose the 'Duty' period (and album, of course).

Why? There's a lot of things about Duty that make it better than the general album; for instance, the fact that it doesn't have the almost obligated 16 tracks. It prevents the album from having filler, because frankly, there's no filler here. And, clocking in at just over 50 minutes, it manages to keep my attention. I don't have a short attention span, but 70+ minute albums tend to get boring. Quite often, there's 70+ minutes on an album just because there's enough space to put 70+ minutes on a CD. Some may find it a good use of space, I personally think that this a big reason for all the filler songs out there.

Songwise, I think Duty is excelling as well. Whenever I go around and mention some good songs off of the Duty album, I end up naming them all (with the possible exception of the intro). This is not because I can't choose; I can easily choose the best I am... songs, best Rainbow songs, or whatever. Duty is just all around brilliant.

My only criticism towards Duty, and I have discussed this with others, is the fact that it's not really an album. The Flaming Lips' 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots' is an album, Miles Davis' 'Kinfd Of Blue' is an album, Jewel's '0304' is an album, U2's 'The Unforgettable Fire' is an album, Ryuichi Sakamoto's 'Beauty' is an album. Duty feels more like a collection of good songs, a greatest hits collection, I'd almost say. Or, a more common expression: the sum does not equal the parts.

Apart from that, there's nothing wrong with Duty at all. It's got all the classics, all the brilliant songs that have a special place in my heart (*names all songs*). And, of course, it ends with Girlish. Girlish is most definitely the most a song (or maybe, the most actual music, an actual composition, I don't know, it just is musicianship) of all of Ayu's songs. Brilliant ending to a brilliant album.

My least favorite album/period? Every Ayu album out there has at least a couple of gems, from A Song for XX (Poker face, A Song for XX, As if...) through I am... (No more words, Daybreak, Evolution) all the way to Memorial Address (No way to say, Hanabi ~Episode II~, Memorial Address take 2 version). And of course the albums in between these. However, some of these albums also have some lesser songs, ranging from mediocre to flat-out bad.

A Song for XX is often considered as a pretty mediocre album with mediocre songs and mediocre instrumentation, but I personally find there to be a lot of gems hidden in this one. I'm a sucker for Ayu's voice here as well, so there you go. LOVEppears has some brilliant songs, although at points, it can start to drag a little bit. It's not really a diverse album, and the ballads here aren't the strongest ones out there. I am... has a nice line-up, although it's a pity that songs that sounded alike were mostly grouped together. This somehow causes some strange, fragmentary whole. Yes, a whole, as I do find it more cohesive than, say, Duty, but still, fragmentary. Rainbow often got criticized for its bubblegum pop nature, but I think it doesn't get the respect it deserves. Apart from some mediocre songs, it also has some stand-out ones, which are easily forgotten. On top of that, it feels like an album, and that's great. Lastly, Memorial Address. More of an EP than an album (yeah yeah, mini-album), however, the good songs on this one are so brilliant that they make up for all the bad ones. I'm particularly fond of Hanabi ~Episode II~ and No way to say; the flat-out bad song Greatful Days is easily forgotten once one's treated to these two gems.

In conclusion, I can't choose. However, a decent explanation here, imo.

[T-Z333]

I love all her albums I've heard, and I really love RAINBOW. It's an excellent album.

[Jennie Mae]

All the eras have something about them that I like. I don't think I can pick a favorite, but my least favorite would be A Song for XX, or any songs before Boys & Girls I think. She was great then, but compared to I am...

[natalaxie]

i wish ppl would stop saying how ayu is 'declining' coz it depends which ayu style u like better, its totally subject to opinion, she didnt decline, she just kinda changed styles. to answer ur question, its hard for me to judge by eras coz i was only a big ayu fan since the rainbow era, i've heard songs from her other eras but didnt get any of the mv's, or the hype or the actual feel of the era. i like all her songs in different ways...

[dCxAyumi1]

What constitutes for a "fall" of a certain celebrity? Is it not when that celebrity has begun to actually decline in all aspects, be it sales, popularity amongst the public, etc.? Is it not when that celebrity disappears from the public eye and all the attention that has been directed towards him/her has faded? That's just a thesis of mine. I may be wrong.
It's hard to really pick a favorite out of the many periods and albums. I can't decide.

[BanFan]

She has her ups and downs...

Downs:Free & Easy, Greatful Days, Ourselves (big sorry fans!), INSPIRE...
Ups:theme of a-nation '03, H, Voyage, forgiveness, no way to say, Because of You, ANGEL'S SONG, Moments, GAME, CAROLS...

She has a lot more ups than downs though..

[silentscreamer]

i think its mostly because people are bored , sick&tired of ayu's exact same formula that she throws out at the audience again and again ...

the 'fast' song in the summer .. then the fall/winter ballads ...

in addition to the songs being theme songs for the same brand commercials year after year ...

even though she keeps changing to ADAPT and keep up with the flow ... it's hard when the audience is trying to break away and listen to more alternative forms of music ... maybe.

[Corybobory]

I don't think he quality of music has declined at all, I think it's just changed which is received differently by the fans. There are diverse tastes out there, so she can't please everyone all the time! Maybe most of the time though... My favourite era? I'd have to say Duty. Least favourite? I'd have to think about that one...

[Ibitsu Kokoro]

I already started a thread on this, but yeah. Whatever. I came in in between rainbow and i am... so i am totally in between on my view points!

[ll moments ll]

i like all eras. something different each time.
my ultra faves are 2001 with I am... & 2003 w/ Memorial Address.

i guess that people say RAINBOW was her "fall" since it was produced way too fast and she had quite a busy year in 2002 imo. and i guess people were tired of her and wanted a new fresh face in music.

[gakkun]

Originally Posted by sxesven

My only criticism towards Duty, and I have discussed this with others, is the fact that it's not really an album. The Flaming Lips' 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots' is an album, Miles Davis' 'Kinfd Of Blue' is an album, Jewel's '0304' is an album, U2's 'The Unforgettable Fire' is an album, Ryuichi Sakamoto's 'Beauty' is an album. Duty feels more like a collection of good songs, a greatest hits collection, I'd almost say. Or, a more common expression: the sum does not equal the parts.

Hey I completely agree with you there...Duty would've been my favourite album had it sounded more like an album. There was no flow; the juxtaposition of songs were just awful eg. AUDIENCE after Surreal. Maybe that's where filler tracks come in?? Or at least there could've been instrumentals. But still, I consider it her best album.

Personally though I loved LOVEppears the best...to me there were NO fillers in that album. Every song was a gem; you could sing along to one, relax to another, and dance to some others. The composition was absolutely superb. Although some tracks did shine more than others overall I didn't find a track which I had to skip (eg. Dolls).

Another thing I noticed is how different our tastes are to actual Japanese people's tastes..they love Greatful Days and SEASONS but to us M and evolution are the favourites. I used to hate Greatful days but now it's one of my favourites; I think people listen to Ayu for her melancholy style, which is explains why they can't stand some less intelligent, more bubblegum ones?

[ImpactBreaker]

I think the reason people dislike RAINBOW so much is mostly because it didn't follow people's expectatives even though by the singles it so seemed it would. Being Duty and mostly "I am..." very focused in the rock style, being Free&Easy a "NEVER EVER", M type of song, being independent another rockish track, things seemed like her next album would follow the rock tendencies which didn't really. What you usually see is people saying RAINBOW has a bunch of fillers and their examples mostly fall under songs like "Close to you", "Dolls" & "Over" (being WE WISH the main exception). Plus it is really noticeable that by the way songs were put in RAINBOW, her rockish tracks get extremely dilluted by the ballads, because there are actually moments you get to ask yourself: Geez I liked so much songs like Free&Easy and independent but they seem almost inexistant in this album (not to mention that independent gets cut in the end and is instantly mixed with +, a track not everyone liked a all). If independent had not been placced in the end of he album it would probably get higher grades. I'm saying all that but I honestly really loved the RAINBOW album, specially tracks like Over.

[Aldonia]

RAINBOW is and always will be my favorite Ayumi album. It's so very underrated. There's no 'fall of Ayu', at least not in my opinion. She still puts out great music, as great as say.. four years ago.

Bah. These topics make me grumpy..

[T-Z333]

Originally Posted by ImpactBreaker

I think the reason people dislike RAINBOW so much is mostly because it didn't follow people's expectatives even though by the singles it so seemed it would. Being Duty and mostly "I am..." very focused in the rock style, being Free&Easy a "NEVER EVER", M type of song, being independent another rockish track, things seemed like her next album would follow the rock tendencies which didn't really. What you usually see is people saying RAINBOW has a bunch of fillers and their examples mostly fall under songs like "Close to you", "Dolls" & "Over" (being WE WISH the main exception). Plus it is really noticeable that by the way songs were put in RAINBOW, her rockish tracks get extremely dilluted by the ballads, because there are actually moments you get to ask yourself: Geez I liked so much songs like Free&Easy and independent but they seem almost inexistant in this album (not to mention that independent gets cut in the end and is instantly mixed with +, a track not everyone liked a all). If independent had not been placced in the end of he album it would probably get higher grades. I'm saying all that but I honestly really loved the RAINBOW album, specially tracks like Over.

I actually think both "Dolls" and "Over" are excellent songs. I also love "Ree And Easy", "Hanabi" and any song in the album.