1. THE introduction
--I like it. Reminds me of an old school Final Fantasy theme.
N/A
2. Microphone
--Quite simply the best rock song Ayu has come out with in a while (since Mirrorcle World and talkin' 2 myself). It's fierce, melodic and doesn't leave your head for a long time. Reminds me of the MY STORY days
9/10
3. count down
--One of my favorite tracks on the album. It's got that raw production I love to hear from Ayu with great lyrics to match. The chorus isn't as strong as Microphone but I do find it more effective because of the instrument work.
10/10
4. Sunset ～LOVE is ALL～
--This is where I feel the album hits a bump. It's not that Sunset is a bad song, it's not, I love it, it's a beautiful ballad. But honestly, after Microphone and count down, Sunset just doesn't fit in with them... It's such a dramatic change of tone and feel. I felt I was just starting to get into the album and then... BANG! Sunset comes along and pokes its head out like a social misfit. It's still a great track, though.
7.5/10 (only because of it's placement on the album, the song itself I give a 9)
5. BALLAD
--BALLAD has itself in a safe position after Sunset. Although I felt it was the weaker of the single (You were.../BALLAD), I still love the track. It's production, instruments, powerful chorus and relaxing versus... Brilliant song, but again, I feel Sunset and BALLAD just let the album down somewhat.
8/10
6. Last Links
--The acoustic opening made my heart stop when I first heard this one, then the violins kicked in and I knew this song would blow me away. Definitely another favorite for me on this album. The composition and the way the song flows is just perfection.
10/10
7. montage
--This interlude surprised me. Epic...
N/A
8. Don't look back
--By far my favorite track on the album. Everything about it is so different from your typical Ayu song. The lyrics, the Arabian instrument work, the arrangement and the amazing PV that follows. There's not much more I can say about it, it's a must listen!
10/10
[b]9. Jump![b]
--The minute I heard this interlude I knew it was gonna get a mixed reaction. I think it's a perfect transition between Don't look back and the songs that follow. Plus it's nice to hear a mess of loud noise every now and then
N/A
10. Lady Dynamite
--This one has grown on me. It's a great pop song and it is catchy but it's not all that memorable. I just can't see myself going out of my way to listen to it that often...
8/10
11. Sexy little things
--I actually love this song. I just think it suffers abit from the production. It's just petty little complaints from me so I won't get into it
Overall, I love it
9/10
12. Sunset ～LOVE is ALL～
--My opinion hasn't changed about this song at all, it's a solid but flawed pop song. Although (it's not as big of a problem as earlier in the album), I just feel, again, that this one doesn't fit in much with the album.
7/10
13. meaning of Love
--Very typical Ayu ballad. It's got a beautiful melody and great composition. But it does kinda fade out of your memory very quickly.
8/10
14. You were...
--The only single track I don't have a complaint against! You were... was always my favorite single track leading into Rock 'n' Roll Circus. Very powerful ballad and is perfectly fine where it is on the album.
9/10
RED LINE ～for TA～ [album version]
--Nothing really different from the original, which disappointed me. But the ending is just perfect, though. Great way to end the album
8.5
Overall:
The album tracks really blow the singles out of the water. Rock 'n' Roll Circus's only flaw is just that, the singles. It's obvious they were released without ever thinking of a musical direction for the album. Still, the Rock 'n' Roll Circus is great and it does have it's fair share of absolute gems (count down, Last Links and Don't look back are standouts in particular). It's far from Ayu's best, but it's also far, far from her worst.
8/10