Translation of Ayu's "RAINBOW" Director's Notes?
 

Does anyone know where I can find translations of Ayu's director's notes from the Vol. 1 of the Special page of Ayu's official website? Here is the link:

http://www.avexnet.or.jp/ayu/special/rainbow/index.html

I'll post them here too just incase you can't open that page for some reason. These are all the "From Ayu" notes.

Track 00 - RAINBOW:
まだ詞は付けてないんだけど、スゴク綺麗な曲だよ。

Track 01 - Everlasting Dream:
色んなインストがある中で、“1番歌メロっぽい”と思った作品。聴いてすぐに歌を入れたいと思った。詞が自 然と浮かんできたんだよね。

Track 02 - WE WISH:
「WE WISH」はスゴク強い曲。詞やメロディーだけじゃなくて、ヴォーカルもいつもより強めにちょっと荒い感じ で歌ってる。丁寧に言葉を置く感じじゃなくてね。それが特徴かな。

Track 03 - Real Me:
私はあまりコーラスを厚くしたりするタイプではないんだけど、「Real me」はその特有の世界からコーラスがバンバン入ってる感じになってる。だから、その作業にいつもより時間 がかかったんだけど、出来上がった時は感動したね。

Track 04 - Free & Easy:
“自由についてくる責任も抱えて生きていける人間になりたい”“そういう言葉が似合う自分になりたい”って 、今ayuが感じているコトを描いた「Free & Easy」。でも、その“書きたいコト”のイメージが既に完成型に近い状態だったから、その後、詞の世界観 に合わせたメロディーをつくる時はいつもより苦労したな。

Track 05 - Heartplace:
レコーディングの状況は、いつもならヴォーカルブースに入って、一気に歌って出る！んだけど、この曲の時だ けは、ちょっと歌って、出て、考えて、で、またちょっと歌って、出て、聴いてって感じで・・・。いつもとは 違う流れで作業をしてたよ。そういう意味でスゴク印象的な曲だね。

Track 06 - Over:
詞はホテルにこもって書いたんだけど、Bメロの英語がなかなか決められなくて、そこだけずっと手こずってた 。あとはサビのメロが今までにはないタイプでいきなり上がる感じだから、いろんな歌い方を試して、今の形に おさまったんだよね。

Track 07 - HANABI:
「http://www.avexnet.or.jp/ayu/special/rainbow/h_logo.gif」の3曲をつくっている時に、“もの悲しく終わってしまう夏”を表現した曲を最後にもってきたいと思って制 作したのがこの「HANABI」なんだよね。

Track 08 - taskinillusion:
ある意味このアルバムって、すごく統一感があるようでいて実は定まってない感じがあったから、真ん中あたり にその定まってない感じをあらわすモノが欲しいなと思ってた。そしたら本当にちょうどいいものが上がってき た。これはマジックだ！と思って、だからイリュージョンなんだよね（笑）。

Track 09 - everywhere nowhere:
この曲は私の後ろでキーボード弾いてるpopがつくってくれた曲で、初めて聴いた時から“アルバムに入れよ う”って決めてた。イメージがよかったっていうか、シュールなんだけど、スゴク爽やかって感じがして、いい なって思ったんだよね。詞は最後だけ“いた”ってなってるんだけど、これは過去形にすることで前を向くコト が出来るというか、そういう感じにしたかったんだよね。

Track 10 - July 1st:
詞は明るいけど、メロディーはどこかマイナーな所もあって、でも突き抜けている所もある「Ju ly 1st」。この詞の世界観ははじめてで、私自身びっくりしたね（笑）。

Track 11 - Dolls:
詞は、出来上がった曲を聴いてる時、“どんどん花が咲いて、その花がいっぱい広がる絵”が浮かんきて、それ で、“綺麗な花を咲かせましょう”になって、で、そこからどんどん膨らませていった。何度も繰り返す言い回 し“ましょう”は、綺麗な曲に仕上げたかったのと、日本語が持っている繊細なイメージを強調したかったから 。

Track 12 - neverending dream:
詞は、出来上がった曲を聴いてる時、“どんどん花が咲いて、その花がいっぱい広がる絵”が浮かんきて、それ で、“綺麗な花を咲かせましょう”になって、で、そこからどんどん膨らませていった。何度も繰り返す言い回 し“ましょう”は、綺麗な曲に仕上げたかったのと、日本語が持っている繊細なイメージを強調したかったから 。

Track 13 - Voyage:
私とD･A･Iくんのメロがあって、私の詞とヴォーカルがあって、その先あともうちょっとプラス・アルファ がないかなぁと思っているところに、島健さんのアレンジがきて。ああ、私が広げきれなかったところがものす ごく広がった曲になったなぁと思った。

Track 14 - Close to You:
私なりのクリスマスソング。いや、私なりにクリスマスの感じを出したらこうなった（笑）って感じの曲がこの 「Close to you」。もっと“ズバッ！”とクリスマスでもいいのかな？と思ったりもしたんだけど、私は言葉でストレー トに伝えるよりも、全体の中で感じてもらうことを大事にしてきたから、その辺は変わらずにいきたいなと思っ てね。

Track 15 - independent+:
何て言ったらいいのかな？「independent」をベースにしてさらに長くなった作品。“＋”は聴いて のお楽しみ（謎）みたいな（笑）。『ayu ready?』のエンディングにテーマソングとして流れてるって言えば分かるかな？“＋”ではHamo Hamo Boys & Girlsとしてtasuku、マネージャー2人と番長、夏来といったいつも私の側にいる人や友達にコーラ スで参加してもらってます。どれが誰か分かるかな？


Please help! I really want to know what Ayu said about all these songs. Thanks alot!

* Did my best to make this sound fluid. It's mostly Ayumi's train of thought and some terms that don't really have an English equivalent. *

Track 00 - RAINBOW:
Though the lyrics haven't been included, it's still a beautiful song.

Track 01 - Everlasting Dream:
Amongst the instrumentals that we had, I thought "This is the most melodious." Right when I heard it, I wanted to add this (to the album). The lyrics came very naturally.

Track 02 - WE WISH:
「WE WISH」 is a powerful song. It isn't just because of the lyrics and melody, the vocals are also strong and wild sounding. I didn't want to deliver the words politely.

Track 03 - Real Me:
I'm not really the type to have a heavy chorus but for 「Real me」 it was characteristic for it to be dramatic. So since we spent more time than usual on this song, when we finished it felt really great.

Track 04 - Free & Easy:
"I want to become a person who can live with freedom as well as responsibility." "I want those words to be fitting to me." That's what ayu felt as she wrote 「Free & Easy」. But since the "things I wanted to write" were already pretty much done, afterwards, it was very difficult creating a melody that would match the lyrics.

Track 05 - Heartplace:
During recording, I normally go in a vocal booth and record a song in one go! But it was just during this song that as I sang it, I would leave, think about it, then sing a little more, leave, and listen to it a bit... The flow was different than usual. Because of this, I think it's an impressive song.

Track 06 - Over:
I wrote the lyrics while secluded in a hotel but the B melody's English lyrics didn't come so smoothly. This is where I had a lot of trouble. Later, since I'm not the type to have a sad melody at hand, it just came to me. I tried different ways of singing it. It settled calmly.

Track 07 - HANABI:
When I wrote the 3 songs for "H", I wanted a song that represented the "bittersweet end of summer" and that was 「HANABI」.

Track 08 - taskinillusion:
For the meaning of this album, I hadn't quite settled on anything yet. Midway, I wanted to show that there was no decisiveness. Then, a really good product was produced. "This is magic!" I thought, so I went with illusion (laugh).

Track 09 - everywhere nowhere:
This song was made for me behind my back by pop the keyboardist. When I first heard it, I said, "Let's put it on the album." The image is good, although surreal, and quite refreshing. That's what I thought. The lyrics didn't come until the end. They are in the past tense but I wanted it to come off as looking towards the future.

Track 10 - July 1st:
The lyrics are cheerful but there are places in the melody which are in minor key. But there are also parts which break through in「July 1st」. This was the first time I had lyrics like these so even I myself was surprised (laugh).

Track 11 - Dolls:
When I heard the song, the lyrics came like "a flower gradually blossoming, the flower would stretch out to it's fullest." It became "I will grow a beautiful flower" and it grew from there. I repeated "mashou" many times over but a beautiful song was created. The Japanese emphasized the subtle image.

Track 12 - neverending dream:
[site posted same comment for Dolls]

Track 13 - Voyage:
With my and D･A･I-kun's melody, my lyrics and vocals, I thought "There's no plus alpha" then Shima Ken-san arranged it. Ah, the places where I couldn't expand upon were then unfolded (by him).

Track 14 - Close to You:
This is my Christmas song. Rather, if I were to have something with a Christmas-y feel, it would be like this. I wondered if this type of song would be ok for Christmas. Rather than convey straight through the lyrics, I think that feeling it through the body is more important. I hope that doesn't change.

Track 15 - independent+:
What should I say? 「independent」 was mostly bass. I think when you hear "+" you will enjoy it (laugh). If I said it is the ending theme for 『ayu ready?』 will you know what I'm talking about? For "+", Hamo Hamo Boys & Girls, tasuku, my two managers, Bancho, everyone who is by my side, and my friends made up the chorus. Can you tell who is who?

OMG YAY! THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!!! I'm so happy : D... someone should put this in the Ayu Library

Really nice, thanks for the translations :).

This really should go in the Databank, you know, for future reference ;D

I wonder why they didn't do this for RAINBOW-onward.. A mystery, that is.. :[

^ I think a lot of her thoughts on the songs are printed in magazine articles during the promo of the albums.

Ah. Like the CD DATA-ish interview..

Thanks :] For future reference:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/...a0106159sm.jpg

^^ OMG. Someone please translate that if you get the chance!
And all of this should go in the Databank so we'll have it forever and ever! :D

They have it for M.A as well in the 2003 CD Data :o

thanks for the translation...i want to know it too

oh!!! thankzzz for translation
let's see what's written here...

Thanks devilayu! Finally understood it :D

It's be really awesome if someone could translate the (miss)understood/memorial address self liners!

I would like to see the A BALLADS notes translated.

Can u also translate A BALLADS?

thatnks for the translation! it tells us a bit about the song and the lyrics adn what Ayu is trying to to implement to us

Here are the Memorial address 'track notes'~ :]

http://i7.tinypic.com/24ywifd.jpg
http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/940...0428529ya8.jpg

From angel-ayu.de :3

Translation of other magazine-things by hanabiwings[?]
First off, taking a look back on the year, can you let us hear some of your thoughts and impressions? From March to the very end of May was your very first fanclub members-only live house tour [T/\ LIVE]. In July, four new songs were included on your new maxi-single [&]. Then, in August was your 30th single [forgiveness]. From October on, there was [/\ MUSEUM], commemorating the sale of 30 singles. In November, [No way to say] went on sale and now in December, you released your mini album [Memorial Address] and so on...

Hamasaki Ayumi (from here, abbreviated as a): Uh-huh. But really, I think that 2003 was a fantastically good year. I was able to challenge many things, I believe. Among those things, the [A MUSEUM] live tour that I did was a very big thing for me... It was because I experienced this that [No way to say] came to life and the mini-album [Memorial Album] was born, I think.

With [A MUSEUM] being held completely in concert halls, using multiple stages with instantaneous transitions from one to another, you wearing a 50 meter vail and pure white wedding dress, it was an AMAZING event. 22 songs in all! The public performance time was a full 2 and a half hours!! All in all it was really surprising...

a: It may be so, eh? I wanted to try to do [A MUSEUM] and once again, I was given support by the band members and dancers and saw their magificence in a new light. It is difficult to skillfully communicate it, but I gained so much by the end, I think. It's had an immeasurable influence on me, I think. That's the way I think of this live that's been such a big thing for me.

This time, with [Memorial Address], there are a CD-only (¥2100) and CD+DVD (¥3465), two types; excluding the bonus track [Memorial Address], all seven songs and [A MUSEUM]'s digest-view are included, right?

a: Uh-huh. By giving people the chance to view the DVD, it is possible to communicate the atmosphere of [A MUSEUM], I think.

Even while doing that, CD+DVD combination is a really extravagent unit, isn't it. Can you give us some details about how the images from the PVs and lives recorded onto the DVD went about?

a: From the beginning of this year, I began to gather some imagery that interested me. I examined the products of many video directors for the purpose of inspecting their style. From there, with the release of [&], I released 3 works, [ourselves], [Greatful Days], [HANABI~episode II~], with these directors that showed individuality. The producers viewed these 3 works and talk such as, "Let's release a CD+DVD mini-album" began. Taking into account that talk, this DVD was influenced by the splendor and idea of limitless possibilities I felt this year. I felt that we should collect the PVs of 2003 and the [A MUSEUM] digest-view.

It became a creation that expresses a part of your personality that was deeply into the splendor of imagery, huh?

a: This is my attempt to show people something exposed about myself! The feelings of ayu as changes occur. I feel that these feelings of one person can be shown to many people. I think having peoples' ear and communicating a message and having the chance to communicate to both eyes and ears are different things, so...

Continuing, what are your thoughts regarding the theme of the jacket?

a: The jacket's theme is "The strength I hid inside" and "The emotions I hid inside." I wanted to express that, so the jacket and inside pictures were, "Not laughing and at the same time, not crying--a totally expressionless me" and also, we did things in a gold that didn't emphasize reality, though the photography was in color.

Inside, there is one picture of a doll-like figure in a green outfit and that, too, supported the feeling. Inside of a doll, there is a heart that is able to appeal to people...

a: Sure. There's surely that feeling.

Concerning the mini-album's contents, do you have recollections? There were five singles and three new compositions. Was that song count meant to be eight from the very first?

a: Err, well... This was the first time for me to use the mini-album format, so my thoughts were more toward, "How many songs would be good?" In the end, we decided on eight, but when adding three songs to the five singles, I think it was a matter of communication.

The pop-melody characteristic of [ANGEL'S SONG], the painful awakening of one's love sung about in [Because of you], and in addition, [Memorial Address], recorded by a live band, those three songs. All of them are good songs, huh? By the way, the bonus track [Memorial Address], for which the album is named, is different from the other seven songs: the lyrics were not included. There was a thought behind it, wasn't there?

a: When I decided, "The mini-album=This year's self," the thing that became my base was this [Memorial Address.] So for a title, I thought, this would be a good one. However, in regard to this song, I hadn't planned to explain much but first let people listen. By listening completely, I think that what I was thinking when I wrote this will be understood. Even without publishing the lyrics, more than writing them down (and more than seeing them), without being told anything, I want people to listen. And to feel.

Beginning of selfliner by hanabiwings:
Hamasaki Ayumi Self Linear Notes

[Memorial Album] Track by Track

[ANGEL'S SONG]

Composition: Tetsuya Yukumi Arrangement: H/\L
PV Director: Sunaga Hideaki

[ANGEL'S SONG] has a melody that pierces through. The work that came from the composer, Yukumi, had more of a rock taste with a very sad feeling to it. But H/\L, who we asked to do the arrangement, took it one step farther and created a great arrangement! So, it became a song that I was able to bring firmly from within me. For the PV, we asked Sunaga-kantoku (Director Sunaga), who filmed [Greatful Days]. I transform into a wolf and battle with a gang, but when I first heard that was the premise, the gap between the image I invisioned and the final was really... Honestly, I was a little astonished. (Smile)

[Greatful Days]

Composition: BOUNCEBACK Arrangement: H/\L
PV Director: Sunaga Hideaki

[Will Continue Later ^^;;]

The A Ballads notes on the "Special" site only included two comments by Ayumi, so here they are. Pardon the odd wording, I will try to make it sound smoother later.

001.「RAINBOW」
Up till now, I had not yet written lyrics based on the hearing everyone’s voice personally, so I took the chance to do that with ‘Rainbow’. I was so happy to have received over 100,000 letters! At first, I was like, “How do I go about this?”… (bitter laugh). I had wanted to hear (or read) everyone’s voice (through lyric and theme); amongst them there were some really sad themes but contrarily there were also happy ones. If the colors I’d write became images, there would be 100,000 feelings for 100,000 people… So, to tie together bits and pieces of the words, I thought those who are writers would do it much more skillfully than ayu. It wasn’t that the subject would be 1/100,000, as I had looked through them all, so ayu had written about the feelings and image I got from reading them in their entirety.

002.appears "HΛL'S Progress"
Prior to singing this song, the lyrics were not quite finished as I had just gotten the idea. In ayu’s songs up to now, “me” and “you (anata)”and“you (kimi)”were used for the protagonists, and I had my own ideas of how boys felt [about love]. I’ve sung a lot about “what’s in the heart” but in 「appears」 was the first time that I had used “lovers.” Passing by a happy couple is an everyday occurrence. It has the feeling of seeing this from the third person POV. Also, it was the first time I used the word “like.” When I was filming the PV, I got really embarrassed! (laugh). （from beat freak #142　Nov 2000, a VERY old comment!)

Thanks for the translations! ^___^