RAINBOW and A BALLADS Director's Notes - thoughts?

[truehappiness]

Now that they are available for us to read in English, I thought people might have something to say about them.. maybe?

I'd say that we get a deeper look into the two albums than we normally would have with small translated blurbs by some members..

http://avexnet.or.jp/ayu/en/special/aballads/index.html

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

I wonder just who was hired to translate these though..

For each year of her career, ayumi hamasaki has created a song that is representative of that year. Voyage is a masterpiece that, by her own account as well as others', is the song for 2002.

I wonder which songs were for the other years..

[evolution7931]

Yeah I thought they were so interesting.. It's nice to know how involved Ayu really is in the production of her albums..

[thinkingoutloud89]

hmm should always be the last song or?

2005 - Bold & Delicious?

[truehappiness]

2004's song was probably winding road.
2005's is hard to say.
2006's.. uhm. no idea. LOL

[evolution7931]

2006 was probably JEWEL or Secret.. or maybe It Was

[truehappiness]

It was was created around the time of (miss)understood, and was supposed to be on the album.. D:

[evolution7931]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

It was was created around the time of (miss)understood, and was supposed to be on the album.. D:

Oh you're right!! I almost forgot that

[waltz#2]

I appriciate Ayu's work even more after reading some of these. I really disliked Ayu during her Rainbow-A Ballads period, so most of this information is very new to me. My favourite notes:

Originally Posted by Ayu on appears

Another word that appears for the first time is "kiss." I was really embarrassed when I sang this song during filming of the promotion video! (Laughs)

Cute~ XD

Originally Posted by On Hanabi

An interesting story from the recording session: The sound of the music box that appears in the introduction was intended to help ayu give a performance that suggested a feeling of longing and fragility. It was emitted from a small headphone, was picked up by a microphone, and became part of the recording.

As I said, I wasn't following Ayu's career during this time, so maybe everyone already knows this? I think it's really interesting.

I also really love the commentary on Sotsugyo Shashin, but I'd end up quoting the whole thing and I already quoted too much and I still need to read the Rainbow notes. XD

[truehappiness]

Most people don't know the info that is contained here..

[waltz#2]

Originally Posted by truehappiness

Most people don't know the info that is contained here..

Oh? I thought if it had previously been available in Japanese some Japanese-savvy Ayu-fan might have translated it a while back. I just didn't want to be like, "Isn't that cool~!" and hear, "Durr, we already know this! :p" ^^

[truehappiness]

Nah.

We rarely get translated articles.

Maybe once every few months? We got that Secret interview partially done [and someone at Ayunite finished it.]

And I don't think anyone touched the majority of the other interviews at the Special page..

[*Petit*]

Reading it makes me realize I want to hear more from Ken Shima!

[s1012h]

I think 2006 was JEWEL
if not, it would definitely be 1 LOVE
it was the only "new" song from Secret (excluding JEWEL) that she sang for promotion
and i think a recent magazine had a small part where she only talked about 1 LOVE and JEWEL... forgot which magazine... i just saw it a day ago haha

[truehappiness]

I don't think it matters if she promoted it or not.. ~

[Zeke.]

Thanks for pointing that out because I would have never gotten the chance to read those if I didn't know they had been translated. I really enjoyed them and they help you to understand the "story" or message that Ayu is expressing through each song and the album as a whole. After reading the A BALLADS comments, I decided to listen to each song while reading the comments to the songs of RAINBOW. This way I could really hear and feel what they were talking about in each track!

[happytoadstool]

2006's representative song would have to be jewel. 2005 would probably heaven, since that song was already pumped up by ayu as early as before the release of fairyland. and it did quite well in sales too. if bold and delicious was her defining song that year. 2004 would be a tie for moments and carols for me, and for 2003, maybe no way to say or rainbow.

i love the new translated pages, made me listen again to rainbow and appreciate dolls quite a bit more.

[slowmoth]

^ RAINBOW

[Zeke.]

Originally Posted by happytoadstool

2005 would probably heaven, since that song was already pumped up by ayu as early as before the release of fairyland.

I beg to differ. A song that sells well doesn't make it the song of the year. I think STEP you fits more with 2005. It was a new style for Ayu and it has a feeling like "YES! Let's start this year off well!" But I think STEP you sold better than HEAVEN anyways, correct?

[*Petit*]

^
Yep it did and I agree, it's definetly the ayu song of 2005.