Are Compilation Albums Worth Owning?
 

Hello! Are Ayumi's Compilation albums worth owning if you have all of her albums? Do they have anything special worth buying that aren't on her regular albums?

A Best has some re-recorded songs
A Best 2 Black has Part of me
A Ballads has a cover and alternative versions
A Complete has Mirrorcle World

Thank you so much for posting what each album has. Based on that information, I don't think I'll be buying her compilation albums since they don't offer that much more than what's on her albums. I'm not too concerned about re-recorded songs, I'll probably just download Part of Me, I'm not interested in buying the albums just for the covers and I'm buying the Mirrorcle World single. You just saved me a lot of money! :)

i think the most worth compilation album that an ayu fans must have is A complete,especially the DVD and the photobook

You are wrong - he/she doesn't mean "cover" as picture but song.

A BALLADS is the only album where you can find "RAINBOW" song.

Also CD+2DVD version of A BEST 2 contains unreleased concert tour, the same A COMPLETE.

I have all of her compilation albums . I must admit that I didn't want to get A COMPLETE initally cos I was annoyed only the 1st A-side of her double/triple/4 A-side singles were not included but now I'm glad I did so cos of the boxset packaging & the photobooklet which both comes as 1st press items

Even though I have all of her studio albums , I do not listen to her 1st 2 so that's where A BEST comes in handy & songs like A Song for XX , Depend on you & Trust been resung/re-recorded by ayumi

A BALLADS is nice especially since almost 1/2 the album , the tracks have been rearranged & of course RAINBOW's there & I like the re-arranged version of A Song for XX on there

A BEST 2 -BLACK- & -WHITE - get them only if you feel it's necessary cos most of the tracks (be it whether released as singles or album songs) in both A BEST 2 comes from her albums . So if you don't have them , then you might consider getting them but however if you already have her studio albums , then it's a no go

but there's always part of Me dangling in front of you like a carrot in A BEST 2 -BLACK- >_<

Oops... I forgot about Rainbow on A Ballads

The cover on the album is Sotsugyō Shashin, originally by Matsutoya Yumi

i do buy them. they are out for commemorative purpose. So i definitely will buy them!

Well yeah of course, and A Complete was like, one of the most important Ayu CD, for me at least..
The photobook *__*

So A Complete and A Best 2: Black and White all contain exclusive concert footage that aren't available on any other DVDs? If that's the case, I'll need to buy them. Sorry if I'm asking so many questions but I'm currently compiling a list of all of the Ayumi Hamasaki albums I want to buy so I can keep myself organized.

Personally I would just get A Complete but there are good reasons to get the other ones.

what's found in the DVD footages of

A BEST 2

-BLACK- - BEST of COUNTDOWN LIVE 2006-2007 A (Documentary)

I must admit this's something that I have not watch even up to now xD

-WHITE- - ~BEST of COUNTDOWN LIVE 2006-2007 A~

A COMPLETE ~ALL SINGLES~

1. Limited TA Live Tour (ZEPP TOKYO - 2003.5.27)
2. a-nation '02 (2002.09.01)
3. a-nation '03 (2003.08.31)
4. a-nation '05 (2005.08.28)
5. a-nation '06 (2006.08.27)
6. a-nation '06 (2007.08.26)

Thank you so much for posting this. So from what I've read, it looks like this footage is only available if you buy these albums with the DVDs. Am I correct in saying that this footage is not on any standalone concert DVDs? If so, they'll be added to my long list of Ayu albums to buy, lol.

Well, there's also the first press bonuses, and DVDs (for A BEST 2 and A COMPLETE). I think that especially A COMPLETE 2CD+DVD is worth buying, because the DVD is SO AWESOME :D

yes that's right & you only can find the PV of part of Me in A BEST 2 -BLACK- & nowhere else

Great! This is perfect. So I'm going to buy A Complete: All Singles, A Best 2: Black and White all with their DVDs and download the songs that aren't on any other albums from the other two compilation albums. I'm so happy that I found this forum because everyone here is so knowledgeable.

^ Haha yeah, once you become an Ayu fan for some time, all this will become general knowledge! :P

I have all three A BESTs and A COMPLETE, and I feel like it's totally worth it. I don't think I will ever be able to get all her singles, so having A COMPLETE is somewhat a compensation. I'm still looking for A BALLADS and one day I'll get it! =O

aha yeah that's true

I was a noob initally when I started listening to JPop some 4 years back . I don't know this , I don't know that

now it's all so 2nd nature to me

Also they're really great for the car when you want to listen to Ayu classics and don't want to dig through multiple albums. All the really greatest songs are on one CD for you to just pop in and listen, thats why I like them so much.

I think if you're an Ayu collector, you're new to Ayu's music, you only like her singles and want to listen to those solely without digging through the albums, or you want the exclusive track that comes with it, then yeah. Personally, I think if you already own all of Ayu's albums, then it's sort of a waste of money :shrug. I have one compilation album, A Complete, that I received as a gift. I really like it and all (especially because it has Mirrocle World and the DVD with different lives), and I would never sell it, but I would've never bought it otherwise. But of course, as I said, I adore it :heart.