The official thread for your thoughts for "Rock'n'Roll Circus" (Anything!)

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Larisa-chan

Man, are you people serious when you say the interludes suck?

I loveeee The introduction and montage. SO refreshing to hear ... no longer Labyrinth ver. 3.0

THE introduction is amazing, reminds me of something out of A Clockwork Orange (very late 60s, early 70s synth)

lol. Did you read my post or do we just have the exact same opinion? Clockwork Orange was the first thing that sprung to mind for me as well. I agree that THE introduction and montage are both great. I also think that they don't necessarily help the flow of the album like interludes should, but by themselves I love them.

[prussian blue]

wooh i just listened to count down, and the atmosphere is similiar to memorial address @_@ very nice. i'm going to LOVE this album

[hightea_xx]

umm, ok i just finished listening to red line album version and i didn't really notice too much different until the end... totally caught me off guard! ayu's a cappella at the end is amazing.

the interludes really suck this time around tho, i'm sorry. every album usually has one really great amazing interlude that draws me in (i am = opening run, m(u) = are you wake up; secret = not yet, guilty = mirror, etc etc) but this time around they were all forgettable...

that being said, i think this album will be really good!

[ll moments ll]

THE introduction: oh lord...i think this is her weakest intro to date. it's just so flat...i think it would've worked later in the album, maybe?, but definitely not as an introduction.

Microphone: ahhhh, it sounds great in HQ!! it's just so powerful and filled with high energy. and the video is great! definitely one of the standout tracks in this album, for sure.

count down: it reminds me of a modernized GUILTY (the song, obvs), but i think this is heaps better than that song. while this is slower than Microphone, i really think it can match the "power" factor. i like it a lot! (...i thought this would be an interlude, lol)

Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~: hmmm...i'm not sure if this song fits in this spot (or if the song fits in the album at all?) but i guess if it needed be somewhere it would be in this section. but i think BALLAD would've been better here? i'm not sure, maybe after a couple listens to the album, aha. but i always thought this song was the weakest of the single tracks. (weakest track in the album, even...imo)

BALLAD: i love BALLAD and i always will. it's so gorgeous! it's my favorite single track of this era.

Last Links: oh i love the beginning! it's great. the arrangement of the song is very strong, imo. there's something very Ayu about it, but there's something new about it as well. i can't pick it out.

montage: i think it's tons better than THE introduction, but it's still very odd to me. thus far, all the interludes/instrumentals in this album are very weak. probably her weakest in an album to date. but at least the actual songs are awesome. XD

Don't look back: I. LOVE. THIS. SONG. along with Microphone, i think this is one of the strongest album tracks. it's just so...GREAT. i love the music. it's the modern INSPIRE/vogue (music-wise) of this album.

Jump!: hmmm....i kinda like it, ahahaha. why? because this interlude actually makes sense to me from the transition from Don't look back to Lady Dynamite.

Lady Dynamite: yay! while i'm enjoying the seriousness of the music in the first half, it's great to have some fun too. the song is so much fun in HQ! & the PV running in my mind makes me enjoy it more, LOL. HAY AYU, HAY~

Sexy little things: probably the most innovative & unique track of the album. (the Sparkle of the album for me!) it's something new for Ayu and i LOVE it. it's cute, but not....at the same time. i just love the little details you listen to throughout the song. i love the video too. FIERCE AYU~

Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~: i like this song. but that's it. aha. i do think the two songs (Sunset/Sunrise) are an odd bunch compared with the rest of the album.

meaning of Love: i think this is the weakest out of the album tracks, but i don't think it's bad, you know. i think i even prefer it to Sunset...

You were...: i like this song too. it's got a powerful chorus. it's the Hamasaki winter ballad of the album. every album needs one, LOL.

RED LINE ~for TA~ [album version]: while i never really got into this song when it was released, i do have to say it's a really nice ending song. definitely better than Curtain Call, for sure. i love the ending. it's so sweet! it definitely reminds me why i stan for Ayu. haha.

OVERALL: while it's probably too early to say...i do think Rock'n'Roll Circus is much better than GUILTY & NEXT LEVEL on a initial listen (...i even think the flow is stronger than that of Secret, even though i adore that album, lol). it's not the most perfect album (nothing can really top Duty IMHO), but a solid effort. the arrangements are stronger than her previous recent efforts. i love that there's that always distinctive Ayu sound, but it still has a modern edge in it (and it is executed better than the "modern sound" that was supposed to come out of NEXT LEVEL). the only real disappointment to me are the interludes/instrumental songs. i usually LAHV LAHV LAHV one, if not all, of them, but at least the songs are top notch. while i did enjoy NEXT LEVEL & GUILTY, the album tracks were weak...but in this album, i thought the singles were (some of) the weakest!

[TeddyGrahams]

I love this album! It's already my favorite album. o_0

Anyone love the guitars in last link as much as I do!?!?

This album seems very complete. Almost all of the album songs are very catchy. It's so hard to choose a favorite song!

[inspire_rmx]

watched all the new 4 PVs.
my favourite PV definitely has to be microphone. slt came in close. but the best PV scene imo of this album is the lollipop scene. LOVE it. hot, sexy and cute. i love her hair, eyes and the outfit. totally rock.

song wise. definitely a step up from next level. haven't listen to coundown, last link and meaning of love. but i'm loving the rest of the songs already. esp Red Line -ablum version- the ending is stunning. fresh idea. very sincere and touching. her vocals isn't prefect there. but the emotions are great. classy way to end the album.

can't wait for my copy of the album to arrive =)

[Maemi]

The interludes are listenable, but the worst in her discography.
Microphone, Don't look back are amazing, Sexy little things is very catchy, but I think she'll have issues later with perfoming - she'll probably sing it bad.
The singles are good.
RED LINE is terrible.

count down, last links and meaning of love - I haven't heard them yet, I'm waiting for HQs^^

[alternarist]

the interludes made me go HUH?!?!?! after listening to them. so much emphasis was put into the title THE introduction and i dont feel any impact at all. nonetheless, i feel that having it before Microphone is suitable..

Jump! was "sensible". but i duno how this is gonna link any songs. montage was great!!! but perhaps it's out of the way for any songs..

i just wanna see how ayu uses these interludes for her AT2010!!

[NintendoHTF1242]

Sexy little things is so sexy in HQ! I'm gonna play this song over and over and ignore everything else on the album for a while kthx

[PoetGirl]

Its too early to rank this album with other Ayu albums, but I can say I love this album! THE introduction is epic and goes so well with Microphone. Everything flows quite well and Im amazed by that fact lol. I usually find one or two songs or interludes kinda weird and out of place on Ayu albums. Microphone is fierce and then it goes count down which is midtempo and then a ballad! I love it. Cound down is so beautiful, I cant wait for HQ of it. Sunset and BALLAD I love since long ago. Last links is also beautiful, I love the intro for the song. montage sounds like a classic piece, Im amazed by it, and dont know how people can say her interludes are weakest on this album. Jump! is strange a bit, I admit, but montage and epic THE introduction are so awsome I forget Jump! exists lol. Don't look back is PERFECTION. Lady Dynamite is awsome, fierce and catchy! Sexy little things is like a left over from NEXT LEVEL but still so interesting and different for Ayu cause of cute+swing feel. Sunrise I love from the moment it was born. meaning of Love is adorable also and it goes so well with You were... RED LINE is amazing and acapella at the end made it even better!! So overall I love this album!

[Picaflor 7/4]

just heard the interludes

THE introduction: don't like it. the beginning sounds like an extended version of Don't Look Back, and it then fades into some weird 80s song.

montage: very boring. violins are a bit harsh. I kind of wish it was smoother and softer like the introduction to mirrorcle world. It just seems wrong to me.

JUMP!: best interlude of them. Although it sounds like an amateur fanmix made on Reason or Acid Pro, I do like it. How she sings "yeah" and it reverses and stuff. and the Jump Jump Jump chanting is cool. I feel if you made it a tad faster and added heavy synths you could have a cool rave song to open up a dance party.

[Not~Yet]

One thing I have to say.... I love the melodies on this album. I won't be giving grades this time because I know my opinion would change daily anyway. XD

THE introduction: At first I was waiting for a climax a la Load of the Shugyo or something and was left confused when there wasn't any. But when I too realized the similiarity to Clockwork Orange it became interesting.
Microphone: Needless to say, I love it. Clearly the most powerful track on the album, plus it's awesome.
count down: Omfg just when I thought no other song on this album could be on the level of DLB and SLT. I get a really strong GUILTY-vibe from it. I don't know if it's just me though, but while the feel is really dark and sad I also get a bittersweet/relieved feel from it. O__o Loving it. <3 This one's probably also gonna be one of my all time favourites.
Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~: Grew on me. <3 Now I really like the laid-back and soft sound it has.
BALLAD: Been obsessed with this song lately, the arrangement is simply gorgeous and her vocals haunting.
Last Links: I love the summery feel, haha. The verses are pretty boring but the chorus definitely makes up for them. The little violin solo is so beautiful!
montage: First minute -> pretty boring. Last 30 seconds -> LOVE.<3 It really makes me think of those antiqued tent-like circuses with creepy vibes.
Don't Look Back: This song is just near perfection. I can't express how much I love it. XD
Jump!: I felt dizzy after hearing it LOL. I was afraid it was going to be something cutesy and was positively surprised when it wasn't. Can't wait to hear this in HQ, I like the guitars and electro-ish effects.
Lady Dynamite: Sounds so much better in HQ. I don't really care for the verses of this one either, but the arrangement and chorus are good.
Sexy Little Things: It's . The electro-swing-pop = genius idea. Also one of my faves.
Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~: Like Sunset, Sunrise also grew on me. It just clicked one day, and now I find it really groovy and entertaining. ^^
meaning of Love: It's simple and pretty. Also kinda forgettable, but I really like the melody of the chorus.
You were...: The guitars in the chorus are great and the song is overall good too, but right now I can't really feel it. I guess it's because it lives in the winter time and I'm already changing to summer mode. XD
RED LINE ~for TA~ (album version): Like I said before, I wanted more changes for the arrangement but it's good like this too, and the ending is just perfect.

It's amazing how Rock 'N' Roll Circus impressed me right away. I love almost everything, from arrangements to melodies to lyrics to vocals. I'm so happy

[GRACE]

Iunno, I can't tell why but I have such a mixed feeling about this album. I feel very fufilled and very disappointed at the same time. It's great but I can't help but feel like it's... missing something. I also sorta feel like she put more effort into some songs over others, and it was very easy to hear...

[aloopy]

Just listened to the new tracks.

count down - Don't really care for it, but some parts are really nice. I don't like the chorus for some reason, but the rest is good.
Last Links - I really like it! Love the instrumentals!
meaning of Love - I didn't think I would like it because people said it reminded them of Days (And I hate that song) But I LOVE it! I love how simple it sounds. My favorite ballad on the album.

This albums is so much better than NEXT LEVEL. Good job Ayu!

[amorphose]

Here's my ranking of the songs, starting with the best:

1. Microphone ~ Don't look back
3. Sexy little things
4. Last Links
5. Lady Dynamite
6. count down
7. BALLAD
8. RED LINE ~for TA~ [album version]
9. meaning of Love
10. Sunset
11. You were...
12. Sunrise

13. montage ~ Jump!
15. THE introduction

The album tracks are so, so good this time around.

[freedreamer]

Though I havent heard the album...but to GRACE, do you think that the album lacks the vibrancy like in (miss)understood and NEXT LEVEL? Yet the mood, though dark, is still less depressing than GUILTY?

I was just looking at the tracklist...and song styles...and I was thinking, maybe that's what some people feel missing? I dont know. I dont even feel fair that Im judging the album WITHOUT listening oh dear...but it was because I was in the midst of writing my review for the album..leaving gaps for the album tracks.. And i usually have this part for Recommended tracks...for NEXT LEVEL (at that time), i put down everything..but yet now, only 3 songs stayed with me till now. Yet individually, the tracks on that album were good, just weak when they were together.

So...for R'n'RC...of course I dont know yet..but hmm...it's gotten me thinking already. Its a vibe though..with m-u and NEXT LEVEL, when I think of them, I think of a rainbow..but with R'n'RC, I think of black, red, brown LOl...

(i really need to listen to the album dont I?..tsk)

[Tom Punks]

^ I, like GRACE, also feel like this album is somehow incomplete. But the thing is, it's got all of the usual song types on it. There's the epic rock track, mid-tempo rock ballad, winter ballad, oriental ballad, MY ALL-type uplifting song, upbeat summer track... I feel like she usually pulls off the mixture of styles better than she did here though. This album is just not cohesive at all, yet her earlier albums that had the same mixture of tracks felt much more cohesive somehow. So I have no idea what's really missing, if not the fact that even though this album has a lot of strong songs, it just doesn't really all tie together nice and neatly.

[freedreamer]

Hmm im starting to envision what you mean. (which is bad coz I havent heard it yet lol) but right when the tracklist was out, I got a vibe that this album doesnt have that spectrum that m-u and NEXT LEVEL offers. It's more off an edgy, fierce album..kinda like GUILTY, just stronger and more lively. haha yes, I think i understand what you all mean now. R'n'RC is giving me GUILTY and MY STORY vibes more despite the variety it offers...i think many of us here have mentioned this before

(but dont u love the album itself? lol)

[maikaru]

I think I am one of the only people who really really loves meaning of Love, and I will rank it above Sexy Little Things and Lady Dynamite. ahahaha. I really love this album, I'm not a big fan of her vocals this time, but it's getting better. My favourite song has to be Microphone, I love how powerful this song is. My ranking of songs will go like this (and even though a song is 8 or 9, doesn't mean I think it sucks, just I like the other songs better. ahaha)

1. Microphone
2. Don't Look Back
3. meaning of Love
4. count down
5. Sunrise
6. Lady Dynamite
7. Sexy Little Things
8. You were...
9. Ballad
10. Last Links (I absolutely hate her vocals in this song, it sounds too much like Gackt)
11. Sunset

I can't rank Red Line because sometimes I really love this song, and sometimes I don't wanna listen... but I would put it high.

But yeah, the only track I hate is Last Links. Everyone says it's so great, but I hate her vocals, it makes me unable to listen to that song...

[terra]

I find the three interludes very weak compared to her previous ones like most of people here. The problem for me is that THE introduction and montage unable to do their job as an interlude of the two most strong tracks in the album.

I thought THE introduction would be like full Church Piano or Vampire Gothic like, but it's so far from it can't help to 'introduce' us to Microphone.

The same case goes for montage, even though it's cool having violins like that. I thought it would be more darker, but it sounded like a part of an Opera or Classical Musical performance with HAPPY ENDING costumes.

Jump! is not as strong but it's the opposite of the two previous ones, it served as an 'interlude' correctly.