A BEST -15th Anniversary Edition- on 28th March 2016
 

http://i.imgur.com/wEEDVibl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/JwdUfBHl.jpg

＜Product Information＞
"http://avex.jp/upload/emoji/2.gif BEST -15th Anniversary Edition-"
ayumi hamasaki
2016.3.28 in stores

http://i.imgur.com/ZD0bd2F.jpg
＜＜Deluxe Edition Package＞＞
First Print Limited Edition
CD＋Blu-ray＋DVD＋Anniversary BOOK＋Sumapura App＋Original T-shirt(Random selection)
￥9,000＋TAX

[CD]
01 A Song for XX
02 Trust
03 Depend on you
04 LOVE ～Destiny～
05 TO BE
06 Boys & Girls
07 Trauma
08 End roll
09 appears
10 Fly high
11 vogue
12 Far away
13 SEASONS
14 SURREAL
15 M
16 Who...

[videoclip：Blu-ray (High-resolution)]
01 Trust
02 Depend on you
03 LOVE ～Destiny～
04 TO BE
05 Boys & Girls
06 appears
07 Fly high
08 vogue Far away SEASONS
09 SURREAL
10 M

[videoclip: DVD]
The same content on the Blu-ray.
[Anniversary Book with premium photos, documents and interviews.]
[An Original T-shirt randomly selected from 7 designs]
[Luxury Box Design]



http://i.imgur.com/IrFW8rh.jpg
＜＜Regular Package＞＞
CD＋Sumapula app
￥2,800＋TAX
[CD]
The same content in Deluxe Edition Package.



TeamAyu/mu-mo shop goods

Limited Edition
http://i.imgur.com/WwIvUNN.jpg
TeamAyu, mu-mo shop: A BEST Clear Poster (A3 size)
※ reprint design

Regular Edition
http://i.imgur.com/wGT63r4.jpg
TeamAyu, mu-mo shop: Sleeve Case

T-Shirt Design


<Pre-Order Links>
Regular Edition @ CDJapan
Limited Box @ CDJapan
Regular Edition @ YesAsia
Limited Box @ YesAsia
Regular Edition @ HMV
Limited Box @ HMV
Regular Edition @ Amazon
Limited Box @ Amazon


http://avex.jp/ayu/news/detail.php?id=1031568

And yes Official site writes ＜Delax Edition＞ *facepalm*

Well in a way i am happy it's not a best 3, and we will get a bonus track, right? Rather poor extra but still something. I wonder if anything else will be different. And delax? I will start to think that those spelling mistakes are on purpose.

15th anniversary edition? Is she going to resung all the songs or what? o.O

ok.-,,. :headache

I doubt it. Avex surely re-releases it because it sell well digitally.

ayu will record new vocal, right?

15年の月日を経て、新たなayuの歌声に出会える...。

Not that it has any relevance when it comes to physical sales :P I suppose that is not the only reason. A BEST was a very big release for Ayu (and jpop), performed with personal struggles but still quite significant. It's also a way of bringing back to public (although i'm not expecting much promo) her classic sound.

アイコニックな“涙”と共に記憶に残るジャケット撮影時の未公開オフショットなど
貴重なコンテンツを収めたアニヴァーサリー・ブックを封入。

unpublished shot from the shooting

ayumi hamasaki announces the 15th Anniversary Edition of the album "A BEST", which sold over 5 million copies worldwide!!

To commemorate the released album "A BEST" 15 years ago, ayu announced the release date of the premium album "A BEST -15th Anniversary Edition-" will be on the same date of its release, March 28th, 2016. "A BEST" was sold over 5 million copies worldwide and placed 6th of Oricon Album Ranking in its history.

Stephen Marcussen, the owner of Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California has worked for artists such as The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, and he mastered all 16 songs recorded in the album.
Deluxe Edition Package includes High resolution video clip on Blu-ray.
Anniversary book has hand written lyric notes, "A BEST" liner notes from people related and behind the scene photos when the famous "Tears" jacket picture was taken.
Also the package includes an original T-shirt randomly selected from 7 different designs.

＜Product Information＞
"A BEST -15th Anniversary Edition-"
ayumi hamasaki
2016.3.28 in stores

＜＜Deluxe Edition Package＞＞
First Print Limited Edition
CD＋Blu-ray＋DVD＋Anniversary BOOK＋Sumapura App＋Original T-shirt(Random selection)
￥9,000＋TAX

[CD]
01 A Song for XX
02 Trust
03 Depend on you
04 LOVE ～Destiny～
05 TO BE
06 Boys & Girls
07 Trauma
08 End roll
09 appears
10 Fly high
11 vogue
12 Far away
13 SEASONS
14 SURREAL
15 M
16 Who...

[videoclip：Blu-ray (High-resolution)]
01 Trust
02 Depend on you
03 LOVE ～Destiny～
04 TO BE
05 Boys & Girls
06 appears
07 Fly high
08 vogue Far away SEASONS
09 SURREAL
10 M

[videoclip: DVD]
The same content on the Blu-ray.
[Anniversary Book with premium photos, documents and interviews.]
[An Original T-shirt randomly selected from 7 designs]
[Luxury Box Design]


＜＜Regular Package＞＞
CD＋Sumapula app
￥2,800＋TAX
[CD]
The same content in Deluxe Edition Package.

I want to see all the unreleased contents so bad now! I wonder why they have to include both DVD and Blu-ray in one version?? ://

I guess it's better if this release like that A BEST 2, when on one version she add a CDL DVD. Add one new song and a PV is just too stingy.

edit: Okay... the deluxe version surely kinda awesome.

This was very likely after yesterday.

Btw. all the songs are remastered by Stephen Marcussen in LA.
Deluxe edition comes with an anniversary book with photos and documents (e.g. her written lyric sheets) and a shirt. The shirt comes in 7 designs, but they're randomly packed in the box.

Just one stupid question as it isn't said on her website..
Why the hell does the box contain a DVD and a Blu-Ray with the same content? 0.o

So there is either the deluxe version with DVD, BluRay and other stuff or just the CD?
That's a bummer :/ I would have liked to have the DVD + anniversary book but I don't think I can afford around 90€ for stuff that I don't need/can't use such as the BluRay which also makes the whole thing a bit more expensive...
I really have to think about that :/

aaaand my thoughts came true lol I'd be excited for the bonus content but since I'll probably never see it since i won't buy it.. meh

So the song is just re-mastered, but not re-arranged or re-sung, right?

I was confused about this too.



Anyway, I'm looking forward to this! It's an iconic Jpop release. I'd love if they went full throttle in terms of promotion.

if it's only remastering without new vocal, then I don't care

but I see why avex release it. On a wave of huge popularity of digital A BEST everywhere

I want that too. I will be in Japan for the release and I want to see a lot of promo. Maybe they will put Ayu on Shibuya 109. :D

I loved A BEST, I love my own a best copy and this release is ridiculous, I'm sorry.
This is nothing new except for these bonus things. And this is really, really expensive.
It's great to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this Best who marked the Jpop - That I agree with - but it's too much. I just have the impression that it's just to make more money, money, money.
This release is just for hardcore fans I think. A collector: nothing more, nothing less.

CD＋Blu-ray＋DVD?? WTF?

Tbh, this is boring. A new best I woud be up to, but the same best? It's nice and all to have the songs remastered, but I don't really care about this release... might order it only for the photobook though... or not, seeing the price and why would I ever need a DVD if there's a blu-ray with the same content already?

The songs were fine the way they were before and almost all of them were remastered for A COMPLETE anyway...why can't she put this much focus on remastering (or indeed, just doing it correctly the first time around) 90% of her discography from the last six(xxxxx) years? :grumpy

Ah, so the news do refer to a release of A BEST, but not in the way that I expected. My heart actually leapt when I saw "A BEST" on the news thread. I thought it would be A BEST 3.

This might be interesting. The contents of the Blu-ray and DVD are totally meh (don't we already have that in A CLIP BOX?), but the photoshoots may have some rare materials.

(Damn now I have a hankering for A BEST 3)

This so much.

i honestly hope that this is not the "New Album" she was talking about. although a picture on her face book did say "5 more days" so maybe in another few days we will get some more news as to a new album? she really is loaded January up with new info. this and AT16 and maybe a new album? this is a lot lol.

^ well she can't really work on A BEST remastering that was done in LA lol so I think that post referred to smth else

Hmm I'm one of those people who hardly hears the difference between "original" and "remastered" quality, so I don't really care for this stuff. Although it's nice to see some unreleased cover photos, I guess. Oh well, I'll just wait patiently for new material.

^you are right

I will wait till the new album release :)


I don't have A BEST but I already have the "hamasaki ayumi" DVD so I don't need a new DVD with the same content and I don't care about a T-shirt and a Photobook and with that price ... So bye bye darling

What picture? I can't find it o_o
I sure hope there's still an album coming. The tour only starts in May, maybe she's planing an album to be released before it? Or during, if it follows Colours release pattern.

What a dissapoiment...

I find this more interesting than getting A BEST 3, but it's still something that I don't see me buying... Too expensive and not that much worth it imo. I think it's more impactful/meaningful for her Japanese audience, but to me it's not that much :/

Well this is slightly underwhelming, fantastic for collectors, but I can't help but feel as if this wouldn't have happened if A BEST hadn't of been doing so well digitally. I wish she had released this on her 20th anniversary, and I think I would be more interested if she had re-recorded vocals or changed arrangements, although I will admit the photobook sounds cool.

next week have a big news again, may be new original album????

http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kw=oricon&ie=utf-8&pn=0

Is there any chance of TA version?

I think it's so pointless if she doesnt resing the album. I would die for a resung A SONG FOR XX in the glory of its old arrangement.

(and im secretly hoping for some TRIBUTE album for her 20th anniversary and Utada will be singing one of her songs hehehe)

So they might still be keeping A BEST 3 for the 20th anniversary :laugh

At least there should be a new album coming.

I really love the deluxe package but 9000 yen (and I don't need the DVD). I wonder what to do.

I also hope it's going to have the same promo, 40+ magazines, a lot of tv promo, billboards all over town and cool countdown CMs. LOL

I'm happy about this release but honestly how good do you think this could sell? The entire population already owns a best and bought it digitally these past two years lol.

I'll be completely honest with you; I did have a hunch that A BEST is re-released so I wasn't that surprised. When you think about it, it was pretty obvious that it will get a re-release at some point since it was so successful on digital charts. I really wanna see that Anniversary Book now. Ayu's photobooks are always so great♥

Y'know, I rarely call things "lazy", but this time this is how I feel about the DVD and BD thing... like, they didn't want to do two separate versions THAT much? Just throw it all together and people choose which one they wanna use?

CDJapan's description... Comes with both DVD and Bluray?!

THIS. TOTALLY AGREE.

i went on my facebook and took a second look, it looks like i read it wrong so it may have been the A BEST announcement. i doubt she will release the new album before A BEST remaster. since the album comes out in march, that just doesn't seem like enough time. I agree with the other speculations that the album will release around april or may. I don't really notice the re-master either, i did on the original a best with like Boys & Girls. I will probably still buy it just because but i'm not really excited for it. And putting a DVD and BLU RAY in the same package is just weird to me. I don't understand that decision.

oh well lol

I have so little faith in the "deluxe box design" after what happened with the A ONE deluxe box.

It's really no surprise that a white male rock paradigm persists in popular music when a fanbase still manages to be critical of a harmless re-release of one of the biggest selling Japanese albums of all time. The woman has a legendary back catalog, God forbid she make money off of it. No one says anything when The Beatles/Zeppelin/Springsteen re-release their old albums several times a year.

THEY'RE PULLING A FIRST LOVE.

Preorder links for CDJAPAN:

REGULAR VERSION
LIMITED EDITION

I agree with you on that. Don't know if the digital success has anything to do with this re-release. And even so, pretty much everybody, who wanted a physical copy, probably already owns one (as it isn't one of the highest selling releases overall for nothing).
And throwing everything together in one deluxe edition with that price, it seriously is something for collectors and hardcore fans only.
Idk how the normal edition will do.

^I doubt they are specting big sales... Those kind of "legacy" re-releases are more to reinforce the importance of the artist on the market over the years... Something the has been doing slowly and constantly since 2013...

High resolution of videoclip. My question is does it has the same resolution like in A Clip Box? That release also in BR version, right?

To be honest i hope she left the best news for the last. The tour was a given and the re-release is just an other easy way of getting some cash without putting much effort into it. I'm underwhelmed lol

And AGAIN is all about the money darling... I don´t have A Best in my collection so I´m looking forward to it. I think japanese people will love this, they usually likes this kind of thing.

A BEST was one of the very few albums I never got to buy back then. I could STILL buy it if I wanted, but if they are re-releasing it, I'm a little excited. Its completely odd to me that they would lump DVD and Blu Ray together though. Like someone said, it is kind of a lazy move.

I just can't believe she is actually releasing a 15th Anniversary version of A BEST when I still remember she told everyone how much she hated A BEST in 2004.

Are some people really up in arms about this? It's JUST an anniversary release celebrating A BEST :\ I'm sure we're getting a new album soon after this anyways. I highly doubt she's going on a tour without any new material.

I'm kinda excited but oh boy, I really was looking forward to A BEST 3 :(
I'd love to get the limited edition but the price tag $.$

Wow jumping to conclusions much? So by criticizing this release we are automatically supporting these white male acts you mentioned? lol!

I think many posters here have made a valid point that a DVD AND Bluray release is unnecessary and expensive and as many people here are collectors who want to support Ayumi, its upsetting not be be able to afford a release. Personally, I wouldnt care to own another A Best copy but that tshirt does intrigue me....

^ No, but having been in multiple fandoms, I'm always floored when fans of pop/r&b music always find some reason to be unsupportive and dissect a harmless commemorative release, questioning the motives behind its release, when fans of rock artists seldom do that.

Exactly, that's all it is.

i think it's amazing that they honour A BEST's legacy when they are doing this :yes maybe it makes someone fall in love with ayu again

i wanna have those t-shirts! i wonder are they going to be like the one she wore on RnRC Tour

why y'all complaining? we are getting bts pictures and MAYBE something amazing comes out of those re-arrangements

i wanna see is she going to re-shoot the covers :D

There won't be re-arrangements, only re-mastering. Probably no new photoshoot as well.

For this reason, I personally won't be buying it. I own A BEST already.

oh right, my mistake! :tired

re-mastering and some meh bonuses that's all. lol there won't be anything amazing out of that.

I am not eating the whole month but I am buying the deluxe!

its A best for the newer generations.

It's still a cheap cash grab, no matter how much you want to make it about gender roles... lol.

Missed the point of the post entirely, but alright.

I feel like they could have tacked on a 2nd CD to make it more value for money with the Acoustic Versions from the single re-releases around A BEST and some alternative versions.

I also don't think they expect big sales.
But if this kind of release reinforces the artists importance depends on how they're marketing it and especially if and how they're promoting it. Otherwise it could go unnoticed apart from her own core fandom.

avex coulda taken some notes from the First Love 15th anniversary release but whatever lol I have no interest so I can't complain.

That's a really interesting point! Re-releases and repackaged albums by pop artists are viewed differently.


Despite owning A Best (and only buying it in the last couple of years mainly for the rearranged songs and as an Ayu fan I felt I should own it!), I am considering the deluxe version. I may preorder (once YA have their preorder links up!) and cancel if I decide it's not worth it. But I am happy about this news whether I buy it or not!

I'm listening to A Best right now. Gotta admit it's not my favourite compilation of hers (that would be A Ballads) and I think that is down to some of the song choices. I love how it wasn't a straight up single collection, but would have been happy to swap out Love ~Destiny~ and Fly High for Whatever and Monochrome...or maybe Love ~Since 1999~.

I feel this is a waste of a release unless the songs are re-done

Well the release is aimed for collectors and people who never had the album (at least physically). If you already have the album then what's the point of complaining about it online if you're not gonna buy it anyways? Like chill and smoke cigarette or something, she's gonna release a new album or single anyways so why stress so much over this?

I, for one, am excited for this since I never had the album. It would be nice if she re-recorded new vocals but i liked the A BEST version of A SONG FOR XX so nvm... lol

i thought there would be a cd+dvd and cd+blu-ray version available..avex is really thirsty for that money.

Also no demo versions of the tracks from A Song for XX to Duty? or are they keeping that for some ultimate deluxe golden box in the future along with return road from AT12?

Anyone think there will be a TA version?

I don't mind...it's a nice release/tribute/whatever. I'll be getting the special edition!

I just realised that this release also mark my 15th anniversary of being her follower.

I get why some people are mad (this would be like a million times more exciting with new vocals) but the collector in me want to have this very badly. I will wait to see if we get a TA ver and if not i will buy from cdjapan. I have like 20 dollars in cdjapan points and I was waiting for an excuse to use them up. This is perfect.

I hope we get a real nice photobook tho...not something with like 8 pages only.

^ I too waiting if any TA version, if not I'll go for CDJ

This should be fun!

Wouldn't something be more expensive make it MORE attractive for collectors considering it will sell less and become more rare, being a more difficult collector iten to archieve on the years to come? :P

I bet they aren't making much more than 5k, 10k copies for this.

I know there is a tracklist, but is it confirmed that there are no re-recordings? I'm happy with just remasters though, to be honest...

To me it wouldn't really make sense to tack on a new song to a 15 year-old compilation album... it's not like it's a studio album that had actual recording sessions for songs intended to be on it. I think of A BEST as a time capsule, these are all songs that represented not only an era of Ayu's career but an era of J-Pop in general. The inclusion of new songs would be unnecessary, they have no place amongst songs that have all had a certain level of cultural impact. If anything they should've included more big songs from that time that were left off. That's just my opinion tho.

I wonder if she still dislikes this album as much as she used to. At first, (15 years ago) this release was against her decision, right?

She doesn't dislike the album but the idea of releasing the album too early. After so many years and being her best selling album, I think she loves it. 😂

I wonder how Ayu personally feels about this since, well, she never wanted to release A Best in the first place, and the album cover was a sign of rebellion of that, and now Avex is milking it for even more money.

It doesn't really sit right with me, to be honest.

You DO know why she's crying on the album cover, right? The fact it's her best selling album is just an ironic fact.

Ironic fact. Yes. That's why it seems weird, in the end she promotes it 15 years later.

I remember back then that the purpose of releasing A BEST so early is because they want to compete with Utada Hikaru's Distance, right?

What if Hikki's comeback comes with a remastered version of Distance to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the album featuring her morning drama theme song as new content :laugh

^^It's not that simple. She wanted to release a best later, with proper time to execute it (like she did with A Best II and A Complete) and this is what she hated. It has to be taken into consideration that it's not rare in the jpop market for a compilation at the end of a streak of (usually) 3 succesful albums to be the last breath on someone's relevance in the market. It was pretty common for someone decline from a million seller to someone selling 300k, 200k overnight after the first compilation album was released, and in a way it was how the labels ended the shelf life of an idol on a high note while she was still profitable.

But A Best didn't end Ayu's relevance, it actually turned her into a cultural icon.

She is still the loser :D

^Ayu or Hikki? Because Hikki actually got #1 on the first week and Distance outsold A Best.

lmao the feud between the two was nothing more than stuff done by the media. Both of them won regardless. No need to say one is a "loser."

Ayu wrote No more words in regards to the way they were pitted against each other, according to my roommate. Does anyone have any more info about this?

Because it's the first I heard that.

That's her way of rebelling AT that time cos she felt that it's way too early for a compilation. It doesnt mean that she doesnt want to release a compilation album. It's just not the correct time. Now that it's already been released and it's her best selling album, you think she's still not proud of the album?

You know, I don't actually own A BEST so maybe I will buy the 15th anniversary version!

A BEST re-release??? I'm disappointed at this...

But hey, at least there's DVD/Blu-ray this time. Initial A BEST release back in 2001 (before 9-11 days, remember? Don't even know Ayu at that time, I was only in elementary school) did not have DVD bundle (in fact, were DVDs that common at that time? Probably not...; Blu-ray wasn't a thing at that time either!), so that's interesting...but a DVD AND a Blu-ray in one Limited Edition package?

WHOA.

I don't think I've heard that very much, if I had before. Although I'm not sure why they would do this - and charge nearly 10,000 yen for it...

But where's our A BEST 3 or new album??? I did not expect the 2001 A BEST to re-release. (Although her profile picture on Facebook and Twitter kinda gave a hint...)

Albums came with VCD. I have a copy of Namie's 181920 with a VCD.

Let's just want and see...the remastering of the tracks may really surprise us. And really, we still did get A ONE and sixxxxxx and CDM AND TA LIMITED LIVE TOUR. We will be alright. lol

to tell the truth, I never heard any big difference in remastered tracks

Well this re-release is actually No.1 on CD JAPAN real time ranking and No.5 on CD JAPAN top sellers list. And now I have the urge to buy the limited edition :-)

As long as M is 're-mastered' with the guitar solo this time.

The deluxe does seem like a collectors only item. It's a shame that it is lacking bonus content. Hikki's team raided the archives for some low quality demo recordings on that First Love re-issue, surely some such demo's exist from Ayu's first 3 albums that could be tacked onto a bonus disc as is, no effort involved, to justify the 9000Yen price tag for the deluxe edition.

I actually think this release is a good idea. I don't think they're hoping to sell a lot of copies, but it's indeed a nice way to celebrate A BEST's 15th anniversary, even though more extra material would be nice.. I have no intent in buying it, but it's good for those who are interested. :yes

I think this is actually a good release to replace to the old A BEST, especially for digital sales. Anything released prior to 2010 is very poorly mastered for popular audio formats. While I agree there should be remixes or alternate mixes, maybe an extra disc of A BEST B-SIDES, I think people will appreciate this album better optimized for current sound systems and digital formats.