Thoughts on COUNTDOWN LIVE 2007-2008 Anniversary

[truehappiness]

Since I'm watching it right now, I'm gonna be reviewing the songs as I go along. So far, it's very good. :O Feel free to post your own thoughts too when you get it.

starting over - An interlude from Duty that I've never heard too much of before [maybe ONCE] and it's very CDL06-07esque with the lightshow. I liked it, as the dancers were also kinda pumping to the music and everyone was excited!

talkin' 2 myself - Very nice outfit for this! Looks like it was D&Ginspired with the belt and stuff with loose sleeves. One of her better outfits. It's black pants with a jeweled belt that covers her entire waist below her chest and a black top. The vocal performance is okay, better than most TV lives for t2m and I think that she tried really hard since she had to dance as well. I think this'll sound better on the DVD cause the mic seems really... light this time around. Same choreo as always, performed just like you would expect.

BAND introduction - very fun! I love when they do these. The video in the background is fun as there's like, a world map then a compass pointing in like a few directions [one for every band member, keyboard, drums, guitar, etc..] when it gets to the member~

STEP you - Her outfit for this is a white sleeveless button up shirt-dress thing with a top that looks kinda like the one she wore for 130 million choose best artist, but white with a black tie and a plaid skirt. Oh, she also has white knee high boots on. The dancers are wearing Japanese school uniforms with the A logo on them. Ayu looks cute here and her vocal performance is spot on! I don't think I'll be able to say the same for Ladies Night though..

DANCE BREAK - guys doing improvised dancing to a Ladies Night "mixtape" of "ladiiesss niiigggghhtt" "danger!" and stuff.

Ladies Night - The girls have now appeared on "stage B" at the back of the Yoyogi gym, or something like that. The dancers are in female versions of the guys' outfits and Ayu now has a handkerchief. Ladies Night's vocals are average for Ayu, and will probably sound better on the DVD. The "vocoder" parts where she sings are... not even hearable. D: I like the song, but it can't be done live. The boys and girls midway through the song have a danceoff with their handkerchiefs and "skillz." :O By the way, I never noticed airplanes in Ladies Night's studio track.. HOLY CRAP AFTER LADIES NIGHT THERE'S A DANCER WEARING A BLACK BODYSUIT WITH HUUUUGE BOOBS WOOING THE GUYS

fated - OMG SO PRETTY. The pre-fated part with piano only and a string ensemble is breathtaking. They show clips of AT07's M/appears performance of Ayu and Shuya parting with one another.. it's very ... sad. :< It ends with Ayu dashing off from him and then fated begins. She's wearing the Kouhaku dress with a modified skirt so she can walk. She looks BEAUTIFUL with large diamond [like as big as your ear] earrings.. her vocals leave much to be desired, but I'm sure it's just because of the TV version sucking in sound-quality. :< And of course, Shuya walks out semishirtless in his a-nation outfit dancing around like Naoto in the AT06 rainy dat performance. :|

Together When - Ayu starts walking down the runway at this point, and starts to sing. A lot better than the Kouhaku performance it seems, although you can't really hear it due to the mic again. Wow, Ayu rocks the end of the chorus before the bridge! O_O Female dancer is on a ribbon doing a sort of interpretive dance. Think of it like walking proud from AT05 or the end of Dearest in A MUSEUM. This time it's much more dramatic looking since the ribbon is manipulated as she dances. It's so pretty O_O

decision - OMG. HER OUTFIT. Shiny red leather biker-jacketish onepiece cut with shortshorts and thighboots. First decision live, and it's average. Vocally, it sounds like she's not as powerful as in the track. It's okay, but not as memorable as the previous ballads.

SURREAL - It's a classic! This one seems to sound a lot better than decision did [since it's mostly loud singing].. OMG. She sounds sick in some parts of it. Maybe that's why? D: Some of the notes are being sung wrong, so I think... it's not because she "sucks" but it's because she's exhausted. O_O Now it's time for the spinning crane! WOO! Same style as A MUSEUM! It seems like the higher notes are giving Ayu some trouble. She seems to notice that she's off pitch, but smiles regardless. I admire that about Ayu. Sorry, but this is one of her more.. interesting vocal performances of SURREAL. I think it could be because she's trying to deepen some parts, and it's not working..

Bold&Delicious - BE BOLD! YAYAYAYAYGAGAGDDADADWOWOWOW. Her voice is definitely not as soulful as AT06 era... maybe she needs to go back to NY? NO. The guys and girls [dancers] are wearing black and girls have their stockings from (don't) Leave me alone and the guys have shirtless jackets with dress pants and hats. She's really rocking out the BOOOLLDLDLDLDLDL DECICLSISOSOSISUS!

COUNTDOWN MESSAGE - Video of people buying A BEST 2s, then her trip to Asia. I will put her message here:

2007, a year has passed. We walked strongly.
And shared the pain, sorrow, and tears.
And I want to share the joy, and I wish you happiness.
I was never alone.
You were never alone.
Yes. We always stick together.
2008, a new starting point. Let's work hand in hand and with pride, heads up.
I still believe in love. Ayu.

Now some audience members are crying, and AT07 footage is showing. Now making of footage from GUILTY.

RAINBOW - OH MY GOD, PERFECT SONG. She's wearing a sleeveless sparkle vest and such. Dancers do interpretive dancing to go along with her lyrics behind her with candles in hand. It seems that this song was done in commemoration of her friend... I mean why else candles? This song is done pretty well, and will probably sound a lot better on DVD. So emotional! I want to cry ;_;. Looks like she cried a bit while singing. Midway through the song, the countdown starts. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 HAPPY NEW YEAARR! [This was JUST before the upbeat section of RAINBOW..] It's kinda weird hearing it in her deeper voice.

evolution - You all know the drill.. oh, she put a hat on. Like the talkin' 2 myself LUMIX CM one. Covered in gemstones.

Boys&Girls - See above. Vocals for both songs are okay. Same as usual for CDLs.

glitter - OMG YES MY FAVORIITTTE. She sings it well, better than most of her TV performances.

untitled ~for her~ - Just the title makes me want to cry. It sounds like Ayu was hesitant... when she said she was gonna do the song.. strings ensemble is back and she's in her tour outfit. The performance is very HEAVENesque at AT06. Her eyes are closed... is she seeing Natsuki? She's starting to cry. OMG SHE'S CRYING A TON. D: She almost stopped singing because of it. Some of the notes are kinda weird cause they're high, but OMG. She's so SAD. ;_;. I want to hug her. I can tell she's singing her heart out to Natsuki. I hope she heard Ayu's loving voice. Wow, she just finished and she looked up into the sky and kissed upward. What a touching gesture.

Sotsugyou Shashin - I don't know how the song is supposed to sound really.. as I've heard it like five times. Ayu singing it sounds very nice, but she has the high loud notes to struggle with. I like that she's singing with a ton of emotion..

MY ALL CHOREOGRAPHY LESSON - apparently, Zin choreographed this too. :| I'm skipping it for later watching.

+ - the song is very high energy and LOUD. I like that they're doing it for like the first time. Seems like the instrumental is overpowering Ayu though. I want this song separate from independent.

Humming 7/4 - .... same as evolution and B&G.

MY ALL - my all time favorite song on GUILTY 2nd to untitled ~for her~. I think she did it justice. It is the end of the concert. She's starting to tear up. You can hear it in her voice. I think she's channeling Natsuki again. :< The choreography looks really fun. I'm gonna learn it and do it every time I listen to the song. It's THAT simple and cute.

END - Lots of thankyous and mataozes.. "chao ne"s... Seeing Ayu run across the runway makes me feel her happiness. Everyone's now cheering for her as she stands in the darkness alone. And most sincerely, she says "Thank you all very much."

I LOVED IT.


Makeupless Ayu appears again!

[alternarist]

u realise that nobody have watched it other than the audience LIVE and you?

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by alternarist

u realise that nobody have watched it other than the audience LIVE and you?

You will see some of it when I rip it though, and people will eventually download it, so might as well.

[Draggi]

I'm currently downloading..
i hope to hear her live in some good mood~
but i think there will be soem songs she really isn't into now..
but i'll wait..

[criminal]

Is the band introduction the thingy Ayumi did during Boys & Girls during BEST of CDL?

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by criminal

Is the band introduction the thingy Ayumi did during Boys & Girls during BEST of CDL?

No, it's the thing with the band members' heads and they play their instrument.

It was before Fly high in BEST of CDL. It was like "laaa laaa laaaa laa woo wowo wowowo ooooooooooooooooooo!!"

[freedreamer]

cant wait to see yur review...makes it very promising...

[AyuGAME]

OMG..i want to watch it..but i still need to wait about 2 days...(48 hours!!!) OMG!!!

[~*Mabushii*~]

I'm only 29% done downloading.. @_@ taking too long

[Coelacanth]

Ew, is that Metallica playing before 'starting over'?

BEST T2M LIVE EVER!

[FeNgZhEnG]

WOWOW... i feel envious again..

[Chiharo]

I really can't wait my download to finish!
17.6 % -- ugh...lol

[erin1m]

Awesome review I still can't believe she sang untitled ~for her~. She had to know she would cry really hard, but she decided to sing it anyway. It takes a lot of guts to ball your eyes out in front of millions of people.

[ayumisrael]

Well I need to wait 16 hours (from after the file was uploaded) that it will start download T_T

[Bad Wolf]

2007, a year has passed. We worked strongly[?].
And shared the pain, sorrow, and tears.
And I want to share the joy, and I wish you happiness.
I was never alone.
You were never alone.
Yes. We always stick together.
2008, a new starting point. Let's work hand in hand and with pride, heads up.
With love. Ayu.

I'm sorry but this made me tear up! ;( Ayu has no idea how much this means to li'l ol' insignificant me, who had a horrible year and felt so alone so many times. Just hearing something like this reminds me of how much I love her music and WHY I love it so much, despite what my friends and naysayers say.

Thank you so much for this very detailed report! I'm really looking forward to watching it now.

[Namie]

Im dl it now. I know Im bad but I will buy the DVD later hey!! can someone tell what Ayu did to her hair? in talking to myself PV, her hair was very short, evan on the side. Now on Dont leave me alone Pv her hair on the side are longer... its that extensions again

[Chibi_Venus]

Aside from RAINBOW and a few songs from GUILTY, I think I really want to see +, as it was only performed one other time, and that performance I haven't even seen before.

Okay, besides 2004-2005, this is one CDL I'd really like to buy once it is released.

[Bad Wolf]

^ Yeah I'm definitely going to look into buying this when it comes out, haha. I don't care how much it costs.

[se7entheaven]

I'm sorry but I think that this CDL opening 'voice' ...I mean ayu's voice...sounds bad... maybe she's tired after screaming to promote Together When... LOL
but from 2004-2006 it's not this bad...maybe just the TV quality or what
or maybe just the 1st song
coz I've seen only talkin' 2 myself

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by se7entheaven

I'm sorry but I think that this CDL opening 'voice' ...I mean ayu's voice...sounds bad... maybe she's tired after screaming to promote Together When... LOL
but from 2004-2006 it's not this bad...maybe just the TV quality or what
or maybe just the 1st song
coz I've seen only talkin' 2 myself

Nah, it's always like this. ESPECIALLY for talkin' 2 myself because of the way the song is.

TW... is really good in the CDL though.