Agreed, it'll really clash, but luckily it's at the end.

Same here.
So many of her orchestra versions are better than the originals.. I'm grateful she releases them. Last Minute sounds fucking amazing :luv2

Wow last minute really sleighed me!
It's so interesting that good mixing can really improve a song. Oh and a good arrangement, which the song has. Now praying for sorrows to be saved, it needs it most.

The rearrangements are really good. Step by step is actually tolerable as a song with this new arrangement.

I really, REALLY wish she had just re-recorded the vocals though. It really throws me off listening to Last minute, because while the arrangement is epic, it's so obvious that the vocal track was from a totally different recording so it sounds disjoined and I can't un-hear it. This was such a wasted opportunity.

Might actually buy this release if they suddenly decide to delete Winter diary from the tracklist.

:yes It makes me not really like these remixes

^ It's always been the same case with any other classical/acoustic re-arrangement. MY STORY Classical also suffers from this as well.

^ yea you're right. I really loved it when it came out, but now I find it hard to listen to it now, or any of her acoustic orchestra mixes in general. They just sound so.......lazy.

Electronic (or trance, house) remixes I can get behind because it's more about the beats and the vocals are usually given some sort of distorted treatment anyway.

For those who can't listen on YouTube due to copyright issues

Last minute (Winter diary ~A7 Classical~) preview

https://www.sendspace.com/file/lz16wg

last minute classical version sounds so epic...sounds a lot much stronger than the original!

ahaha forget. I'm sure on next album we'll see Winter diary (album mix), (whatever else mix) or at least (TeamAyu 2016)

*dies and is dead* Last minute is so EPIC!!! Just amazing! :thud:thud

OMG Thank you soooooooooo much! :love

I wasn't really impressed to be honest lol but the song definitely sounds better without the loud backing vocals.

imo it's very likely that Winter diary will be in the next album, and tbh I don't mind it, I like the song.

^This is what they're going to do but why make a different mix when you an just use the already relesed one? :P


I'm not going to listen to any other ongs than Winter Diary before it actually gets out. I want to have something to look foward to ~~~

I know, that's most easy way. But "Original mix" in title makes me think that on next release mixing will be different...

^ All her single songs come with "original mix" on the title...

Only in the single releases, not when they are released in album

I wish they didn't include it on the next album. I'd like the next album to follow another direction.
But of course it could follow another direction and still have winter diary on it, her releases are not know for its cohesion...

I can also see a new mix of Winter diary making it to an album, mostly as a bonus track. If the song is a medium-hit already it'll probably be there, like they put MOWY on A ONE. I just hope they don't include THE SAME song :P

If they do decide to include it it will most likely be a Bonus track. Still keep in mind that even though You & Me was on A SUMMER best, the very same version was on LOVE again. So it might not mean a thing.

This is a remix album, if they didn't indicate it's the original mix people would expect Winter diary to be classical as well.

Yeah, but this is remix album and all songs supposed to have classical arrangements.
anyway, we will know the truth only after few months =) lets wait and see

You know, when Last minute first came out I wasn't that into it like most fans. It was enjoyable enough and classic ayu, but it was missing something. I think it found it with this classical version. I had no idea this song had this kind of potential to be epic. And her voice is so clear! It packs a much greater punch than the original. The build up is fantastic and the arrangement is nothing less than musical magic. Depending on how the rest of the songs on this album turn out, I might have to switch a few of the originals out of A ONE ;) I'm just praying NO FUTURE is spectacular.

This release was just a way to get Winter diary out there with some added bonuses, and charge more for it because it's technically an album. Winter diary really has nothing to do with any other track on A7. It's obvious.

Last minute isn't bad but as it was said some parts of the melody singing by Ayu don't match with the new arrangement. It seems that the arranger didn't pay attention to the main melody of the song.

Yeah, I agree. As much as I enjoy the classical epic feel, there are parts where her vocals are disjointed with the new arrangement. She should have re-recorded some tracks like she did with You were (Music box remake ver.). That version is beautiful. In my opinion, Step by step's new take compliments more her vocals than Last minute's.
Hopefully, No Future doesn't get the same treatment.

^um i don't recall her re-recording any vocals for that.....?

And yeah i do get the drill of the vocals being not exactly for that arrangement. But I don't think she would sound any different if she re-recorded it. *Shrugs* I mean the emotion would be the same. i usually only have an issue with her much older songs like SEASONS, thata was done in LOVE CLASSICS. I absolutelly love the arrangement, but her voice it's like doing the whole other thing.....lol

Replaying the preview of Winter diary, I feel I'd enjoy it more if it didn't have the intro or if it were instrumental.
Oh and I like the backvocals in the chorus a lot, it's the catchiest part of the song for me haha.

I love the backvocals the most too! :yes

now i listened to the preview of Last minute again... They DID tone down the backing vocals, actually they are almost non-hear-able in the second chorus, where in the original they were clearly there. o_O and i was thinking that she sounds way too clear in it lol it also seems to have a slight echo effect added too.

main reason why I don't like her classical albums. I keep trying every now and then; but there just isn't any cohesion... :(

Winter Diary PV in the new album with Winter Diary original mix song is what I imagine.

I would like she make the new album with a really cool concept and left apart all the A ONE+SIX+A7 thing.

I remember t´when a classical version of Last Links was released, anyone remember that? Epic feel and everything but the vocals ruined it.

^ classical version of Last Links...?

It was an Orchestra version of Last Links wasn't it?

^ OMG, right... I didn't even remember that version existed :laugh

Third one here.

The vocals for the music box version of You were... are from a different take than the original studio version.

^ I love that music box version and didn't know that the vocals were different/new.
I always learn new things :D

I just hope Winter diary doesn't become a parasite like You & Me. That song was on literally everything after A SUMMER BEST lol

I really like You & Me and the way she made it her "theme song" for a while...

I confess...I really like Winter Diary, probably because I had no expectations. If it ended up on an album, I wouldn't mind terribly, even though it would seem kind of like a scam what with it being the only technically new material on this winter release.

I do wish they had another version of it to where it matched the rest of the CD.

Except that You & Me was actually a great song. Winter Diary is literally her worst song of the last 10 years.

I hate it more than Eyes, Smoke, Magic, Like a doll, November, everything on sixxxxx, AND Anything For You, which -- trust me -- is an incredible feat.

^ We have very contrasting tastes in music, I think Anything for You, Shape of Love, and Like a doll are all excellent songs, with the former being the best ballad she's released in a looooong time. xD

Back to Winter Diary though, do we even know how long the track is yet? Who knows what it'll sound like as a whole. Also, if it is put on her next album, I imagine it'll be an album version with the omission of the 'holy night' part at the beginning, and perhaps a different arrangement overall.

All songs which I see as great works in her discography. XD

It just cracks me up how I must be the ONLY person who loves Eyes, Smoke, Magic and the next love.

I really love Eyes, Smoke, Magic :luv2 I feel so related to the lyrics

I'm 1 of the rare few that actually likes Party Queen material wise even though visual wise it's my outright least favourite for obvious reasons

And considering that Ayu has put out so many great Winter inspired songs in her discography , Winter diary sounds very pale in comparison :x

I don't know if the full version will make me change my opinion on it but regardless I will still buy this new remix classical album since I bought the previous 3

^ Party Queen is actually a solid top 3~5 all time original albums of Ayu's for me, personally. I love the album but I think it would be 50x better without Eyes, Smoke, Magic on it.

I really don't understand why she's putting out Winter Diary. I refuse to believe that this is THE BEST demo that she was presented with for the purposes of this release. ANYTHING ELSE could have been better. She could have just re-recorded Powder Snow and even that would have been better than this ball of dust of a song.

Party Queen had a lot of big time dislike when it was released and the covers didn't helped matters either

Let alone , Timmy was literally everything on the album but I don't really have that much of a problem on that

In fact my 2 least favourite Ayu albums is actually LOVE again and Colours . A ONE was slightly better but still not good enough for me

I normally like Ayu's Winter ballads but surprisingly not the Winter diary preview . I didn't liked Zutto... (but the PV wasn't 1/2 bad) but come to think about , now Zutto... is somewhat better :x

Party Queen is a great album music wise. I totally love it and always did. Sadly the concept was once again executed poorly.

I'm second, who loves the next LOVE & Eyes, Smoke, Magic :D

She's going to Taiwan to shoot the PV for Winter diary!!

Album comes out next week and she's going to record a PV now? Stakes of WD being included on her next release now are at 78.2% it seems.

http://www.wownews.tw/article.php?sn=33352
Ayu will be on Taiwan from 18 to 20 December for shooting PV. Dates, time and № of flight in the article^

Taiwan version of CD on sale from 31 December

I known I'm very bitter but this better don't be another video of her "holiday-ing" with shuya in Taiwan and he died in the end

the song sounds WAYYY too happy for a death PV LOL

I think Winter diary is so gonna be on the next album. Hopefully with a remixed version minus all the x-masy sounds LOL

May be "Winter Diary ~ after Christmas ver.~"

The GIFT (Winter diary Ver.) on KKBOX from 18th

(we'll get full song 18th december)

^ Digital released?

http://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/1540334

Summary from the article , translated by me

- Ayu will be in Taiwan from 18th Dec - 20th Dec to shoot the Winter diary PV for 3 days 2 nights

- Ayu will arrive in Taiwan this Friday at 3.50pm local time via ANA's NH853 . The plane will touch down at Taipei Songshan Airport

- Ayu will depart Taiwan on Sunday at 4.50pm local time via ANA's NH854

- Location where exactly in Taiwan Ayu will shoot the Winter diary , it's not disclosed by avex

- Hotel accommodation wise , Ayu might be staying at Regent Taipei . When she went back Taiwan in February (when she was a surprise guest at JJ Lin's concert) , she stayed at Mandarin Oriental

- Taiwan press of Winter diary ~A7 Classical~ will be released on the last day of 2015

^ Thank you, Karen!

So I guess Winter diary on the next album is a given.

thank you, KarenPang!

yes, just like original The Gift

Interesting, they are taking a long time to shoot Winter diary! That's promising, but I'll try to keep my hopes at a safe level :laugh

Ah, wish there had been a BluRay release then. Though it would've been wasted on just one video lol. Maybe she's already recording her new CD?

I wouldn't put it past her. :P

The Gift Classical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KekKCmq3UBI

The GIFT sounds beautiful, I like it much more than the original :)
But is it just me or are the vocals too low compared to the background music in some parts?

It sounds okay... I don't think I'll listen to it a lot because I really like the original version.

I'm 1 of the rare few that actually likes THE GIFT in A ONE & I'm partially biased since it was composed by fellow Singaporean JJ Lin

Anyway , the Winter diary ~A7 Classical~ take on the song is lovely , I like it a lot

Is it official? I am not a fan of the original version, but I like it more than this one tbh. It sounds like half of her ballads, just with a bit more depth. But I should expect this, ballads in classical version are not as WOW-y as her rockish songs...

The GIFT is still horrendous. That vocal melody is just bizarre to me. It's difficult to latch onto.

I don't like this version of The GIFT too much--her voice is so low in the mix. :o

Some parts from the new arrangement are gorgeous, but overall its ok.

It's good. But the new arrangement is less rich than the ones for Last minute and Step by Step. I prefer the original.

I actually totally enjoyed the original too. I always thought it was a very sweet ballad.

This classical version is lovelly too, what i really like it that harp. Although to me it sounds like the background music is somewhat overwhelming the vocals in terms of volume..

The Gift isn't a bad song, but it feels more along the lines of what some F list jpop girl like Yuna I to would sing. I do love the piano in the intro though ♡

I just really hate how that chorus trails off with

"E-I-E-N-Niiiiiiiiii~"

the GIFT is weird. I wish the rest of song had maintained the gentleness of the verses. When she starts belting... ugh.

The GIFT is the only song on A ONE that I always skip. Starts off nicely, but turns into something very boring quickly.

I don't wanna spoil myself, so I keep waiting until next week to listen to the whole album.

Can anyone tell me if this will also be released on iTunes?

The GIFT was my least favorite song on A ONE, so this was the song I was looking forward to the least on A7 Classical, but it's...nice. I like it better than the original and probably won't skip it. Last Minute is still my favorite of what we've gotten so far.

original song is more soft, classical a little plain

I'm nervous for the show must go on's classical version. Yeeeeee yeeee ieee iee~

Haha, true. I think I only like it because of its video

The instrumental is a bit... loud and I don't really like that echo in her voice, other than that it sounds a bit more emotional somehow. Never got the hate for this song

The classical version of the GIFT is fine. I wish her voice was a bit louder, or that they did tone down the instrumental, but it is not really distracting. Unfortunately, this was my first and last time listening to this version, because I believe she has more interesting work than this.

the GIFT is very pretty. It helps that I absolutely love her voice in that particular song. I think the "classical" version is very nice, I even like how the volume of the background music is almost just as loud as the vocals. That would usually bother me, but in this case, she really sounds like part of the orchestra.

It's very cool, I love the original, but this is also pretty good. Now...it honestly could sound more wintery, since it honestly sounds almost like a spring song to me. XD

the GIFT is seriously and awesome song. I love the slowness and that it isn't booming with sound.

I don't like the original version of "The GIFT" but I really like this orchestra version. I guess I never listened to the original enough (so boring) to realize how good she sounds in that song. This version is a huge upgrade.

The Gift is boring, just like the album version.

Kinda thought this would be leaking by now...

There's no album leak yet? :/

CDJapan: My order status is "In Shipping Process" yay! (Thou I'm not in MY for it until January but I'm exciting) :love


UPDATE: In UK time 10:38am got the email from CDJapan, they've shipped my copy *feeling exciting*

Oh come on, leak, please! :P

I need WARNING! and the full version of Winter Diary...sigh. I stayed up late in hopes that it would leak, but I guess it won't be happening tonight.

And to think that Crystal Kay's album leaked one entire week early. Guess I should be thankful that that didn't happen. :/

how many copies they made? 1000?


http://i.imgur.com/iD9kTdd.png

http://i.imgur.com/LPyBH5P.png

http://i.imgur.com/LHbKWer.png http://i.imgur.com/LHbKWer.png http://i.imgur.com/LHbKWer.png

Wow, sold out already?! I'm really curious about the whole album.

Omg!! Go ayu!!

Sold out?? I wonder how many copies they had...

heh? seriously...