Rock'n'Roll Circus - COVERS

[baby_blue]

I like both but she have to including the Circus theme, to make it more real. ^_^

[ll moments ll]

both are cute, imo! i think they're pretty good for today's Ayu cover standards, lol.

[bluegie]

Probly ayu should bring back Leslie Kee and see if he's the most powerful person to suppress the AHS drama...

But don't we love drama...?

[njanjayrp]

She had both better and worse covers and even people who only recently became fans know what to expect when it comes to Ayu covers as the age where she experimented with stuff is long gone ^^ I like the CD+DVD one a lot, even though it's design is pretty messy.

[bluegie]

Oh yeah... even Leslie's shots can't satisfy everyone (e.g., Secret). But you do bring me back into memory.. the time when RAINBOW cover came out, everyone was so excited.. I would say her experimental stage ended after Ma... or maybe MY STORY. Personally I felt that after Moments' cover was released. I remember that I was kinda disappointed that she used flower on her head again since she used that concept in 2000 (around SEASONS - Duty).

[njanjayrp]

Originally Posted by bluegie

Oh yeah... even Leslie's shots can't satisfy everyone (e.g., Secret). But you do bring me back into memory.. the time when RAINBOW cover came out, everyone was so excited.. I would say her experimental stage ended after Ma... or maybe MY STORY. Personally I felt that after Moments' cover was released. I remember that I was kinda disappointed that she used flower on her head again since she used that concept in 2000 (around SEASONS - Duty).

Yup, CAROLS was the last cover that wasn't just a close up of her standing/sitting in a dress/costume, so I pretty much agree.

I've been hanging around AHS from early 2006 even though it took a while before I actually started posting, so it's been almost 4+ years now, 5 years since I've got into Ayu and I still can't say I've been disappointed with her music, sure there may have been a PV or two I didn't like a lot, sure there's been covers that were meeh, but I can't say that I've ever truly felt disappointed.

[Jwiz]

^ I think through these years, from the her blog posts, Ayu is beginning to shift from a balanced emphasis on both songs and image to just her songs alone? But of course, maybe i'm being pessimistic here, putting hard work on something doesn't guarantee success.

[aura~]

join date doesn't mean old or new... I'm an ayu fan since the end of 2003, I'm an old ayufan? LOL Maybe not everyone stop coming here because they stop loving ayu... a forum is not like your house or school so it may be a moment when you get tired of writing or of the users... There's a lot of ayu fans that will never log into a forum ^^

and back to topic, I'm happy to see that maybe 70% likes the covers or at least one of them ^^ This is positive and a change from R/S, NL, S/S covers ^^ Yw/B also were more appreciated and after S/S covers it was like "OH, thanks GOD!!" LOL

[Yumsushi]

Originally Posted by walking.proud

join date doesn't mean old or new... I'm an ayu fan since the end of 2003, I'm an old ayufan? LOL Maybe not everyone stop coming here because they stop loving ayu... a forum is not like your house or school so it may be a moment when you get tired of writing or of the users... There's a lot of ayu fans that will never log into a forum ^^

and back to topic, I'm happy to see that maybe 70% likes the covers or at least one of them ^^ This is positive and a change from R/S, NL, S/S covers ^^ Yw/B also were more appreciated and after S/S covers it was like "OH, thanks GOD!!" LOL

Right on. Just because I finally joined in 07 doesnt negate that Ive listened to Ayu since around 2001-2002 (whenever she sang M on the MTV Asia/World music awards). Decision dethroned Surreal as my favourite Ayu song and I dont think that everything old is Gold or vice versa. Dont turn this into a new fan old fan thing because that has nothing to do with people liking/not liking the covers, rather it sseems a reinforcement of the clique mentality that governs most forums and turns users away.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

Right on. Just because I finally joined in 07 doesnt negate that Ive listened to Ayu since around 2001-2002 (whenever she sang M on the MTV Asia/World music awards). Decision dethroned Surreal as my favourite Ayu song and I dont think that everything old is Gold or vice versa. Dont turn this into a new fan old fan thing because that has nothing to do with people liking/not liking the covers, rather it sseems a reinforcement of the clique mentality that governs most forums and turns users away.

I don't think that's necessarily what anyone meant exactly. The point was that the users from 08-now seem to far outnumber those from earlier times. Of course there are going to be exceptions that the time someone became a fan is years earlier when they joined, but generally speaking that is not the case. So the point is like Bluegie said, the newer users were drawn to newer Ayu and thus are indeed more likely to like her newer material, while a lot of the older users seem to have faded away maybe because they lost interest in the direction Ayu has taken.

[bluegie]

Originally Posted by Yumsushi

Right on. Just because I finally joined in 07 doesnt negate that Ive listened to Ayu since around 2001-2002 (whenever she sang M on the MTV Asia/World music awards). Decision dethroned Surreal as my favourite Ayu song and I dont think that everything old is Gold or vice versa. Dont turn this into a new fan old fan thing because that has nothing to do with people liking/not liking the covers, rather it sseems a reinforcement of the clique mentality that governs most forums and turns users away.

There's no way 100% that the older fans are fading away because they're getting tired of ayu. True, the atmosphere of the forum may turn users away (that's one of the reasons I didn't join AHS or any other ayu forums between 2000 - 2002... rather I joined newsgroup lol). However, you have to account for a fact that there are hardcore posters in different eras. The reason they dun post anymore could due to the atmosphere, but also it could be ayu's fading away in their hearts. I have encountered this once, the time when she released I am. I didn't even bother to buy the album. I was sick to Free & Easy because it just sounded similar to M. I wasn't really interested in H, and I just bought RAINBOW because the cover is pretty. I wasn't deeply into ayu again until & came out. So you can see that I don't always praise ayu old stuff. For me the "recycling problem" wasn't started recently, rather it has been already occurred in ayu's music since 2001. I gotta admit tho that her covers were still very creative back in the old days, so even in that withdrawn period I still found her cd covers pretty attractive.

That's just my personal experience.. I dun even know if that is an answer to your quote . I quoted your post because I do agree with you the possibilities of why the older members are gone. But there are other old members like me, who still stick around even ayu isn't attract us as deep as she used to be. No matter what we still wanna support her and there must be some songs/images we love from time to time .

Ok... a bit OT but I'm a bit curious... for those of you who has been ayu fans since her early career and not joining the forum until recent years (let's say... after 2007?). I just wanna know why you didn't join a long time before..? Was it because you didn't discover this place until recently? Or were you anonymous before and finally decide to join the community? Or was it that ayu wasn't in your most beloved artists before? Yeah I'm just curious .

Originally Posted by freedreamer

Coming from one who has been listening to MandoPop BEFORE stepping into the Jpop realm, I was never exposed to things like MEANINGFUL covers back in those days. Usually, Mandopop artiste pose nicely and thats it. it really didnt matter. Then when i came over, I realized how much photography and WORK was put into just a cover. So my point is, do covers really matter that much? Well, those that are more exposed to such probably would say yes because you've been exposed to greater forms of work and artistic covers. But, in the beginning, they havent reall mattered much. If a cover is beautiful, then it's all that matters.

and i think there's a general consensus of S/S's covers lol

I think in most parts of the world, covers don't have to be meaningful at all. Just look at EPop. How often do you find a meaningful cover? Of course there must be a few artists who wanna make meaningful covers. On the other hand, there are several Japanese artists make meaningless covers.

Back to your point. In a certain extend, yes. A "meaningful" cover can convey the music theme/direction. It can even tell the artist's current state of mind. Again that's just my personal preference. Some people focus on the music part. For them a cover is just merely a picture on a sheet of paper . Nothing wrong with both sides.

[LizBrazil]

Originally Posted by identity

I think the photo book will be great, and I think it will document ayu's stay in London. ND CHOW did the on my way and off my day photo books for her and I thought they were amazing and natural and captured ayu just being herself, hope this photo book is the same

He also did this for her:
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayuwe.htm
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20girlpop.htm
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20bluebird.html
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayubold.html
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayucd.htm

[love in music]

Originally Posted by YUIAyuNamieUtada

He also did this for her:
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayuwe.htm
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20girlpop.htm
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20bluebird.html
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayubold.html
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayucd.htm

I know! Some of her most beautiful shoots I have a feeling we're going to be getting some awesome magazine shoots like those first ones too.

[AngelSenshi]

Originally Posted by YUIAyuNamieUtada

He also did this for her:
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayuwe.htm
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20girlpop.htm
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20bluebird.html
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayubold.html
http://www.ndchow.com/album%20ayucd.htm

I was always happy and very impressed with his work; this is no different. His work is impressive =]

[freedreamer]

Coming from one who has been listening to MandoPop BEFORE stepping into the Jpop realm, I was never exposed to things like MEANINGFUL covers back in those days. Usually, Mandopop artiste pose nicely and thats it. it really didnt matter. Then when i came over, I realized how much photography and WORK was put into just a cover. So my point is, do covers really matter that much? Well, those that are more exposed to such probably would say yes because you've been exposed to greater forms of work and artistic covers. But, in the beginning, they havent reall mattered much. If a cover is beautiful, then it's all that matters.

and i think there's a general consensus of S/S's covers lol

[Kanariya.]

Nice covers. I like the style, but something looks strange. O.ò

[Suteisi]

When I saw that outfit and the pictures from Vivi Diary, I was hoping she would use them for the cover!! I'm glad~~~

I'm REALLY like the CD+DVD, the close-up is a change for me, and a nice one. Her face looks SO CUTE!!! I love it! I would really like to have that shot without text and spot lights on it.

CD only is ok. It doesn't strike me as much as the other one, I was hoping a full body shot for this one. Kinda like that one in Vivi where she's just standing with both hands on each side of the photo booth and looking away... Maybe that'll be for the limited box...

Still really like them though!! Personally, I like them better than NEXT LEVEL even though I LOVED NL as an album all together.

It's different from other covers, and I like that~

[Deneb]

quite like the cover especially when comparing the next level's.

[Mai82Go]

^But...but, but it was shot in London.

I have to agree with yumsushi and walking.proud. Loads of people were not members here before but are long time Ayu Fans. I joined AHS in 2007 (different user name) but lurked here and on Ayunite years before. I also joined a German Ayu Forum in 2004. So it doesn't really mean anything. It also depends on what is going on in your real life, I never posted much but because I have a lot of free time atm I'm posting more. Me and others that look like new fans because we only recently joined...that doesn't mean anything. I actually think the join date should be removed so that you can only see it when you look at the members profile. Because I sometimes feel like older members are acting like they are better informed just because they've been on AHS since 200X. But that's probably a problem in all forums. Newbies are always suspicious.

[Suteisi]

Actually, I think there are a lot more fans that have been Ayu fans for a long time and joined later, than some people seem to think.

I've been a fan since early 2003. I didn't join this forum until 2007-2008! That's a LONG time not being "counted" if I could say... My love for Ayu grew faster and stronger around 2007, like, following her news and every release, etc. Before that, I was a fan, I listened to her music a lot, but I wasn't following her as specifically as I have been since 2007.