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Ayumi Hamasaki: The Rate - Part I [Greatful days]


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Posted

ATRL Thread that gets 3 replies: Better VOGUE? Madonna vs Ayumi Hamasaki vs Sheena Ringo

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Posted

62.png

 

Track #8 on MY STORY

 

HIGH SCORE: 10 x 2 (Kyle-x, UrMom)

LOW SCORE: 4.5 x 1 (Suilen)

HOST SCORE: 6.5

 

Ending? We're only halfway through the album!

 

Yes, the runt of the first half of MY STORY, HAPPY ENDING falls out of the rate at a decent but unspectacular #62. I think it suffers from a really unfortunate placing on the tracklist: coming after two incredibly similar songs and then being followed by the album's best track and total centerpiece. It's hard to make a name for yourself when dwarfed in the corner like that. Does this track deserve better? I dunno, you guys tell me?

 

Personally, HAPPY ENDING is my least favourite of the first half of the album. Not that it's anything awful, but equally its not anything great either. I find that it lacks the challenging soundscape of Liar or the brutal lyricism of HOPE or PAIN, and thus sort of sits as an awkward middle ground. On the other hand, I could totally see somebody else finding it the other way around and I wouldn't say they're wrong to feel that way! If I were to give HAPPY ENDING some kudos, I find the last few lines are truly heartwrenching. Just hearing Ayu concede that she no longer believes happy endings suit her? Girl, no...

 

 

Suilen: I prefer bittersweet endings myself.

Kyle-x: The production on this one is so strange, I love it so much. The lyrics are quite sad.

Bad Decisions: the live version at AT05 really sold me on this song. It's hauntingly beautiful and the last line? "I know better than anyone else that a happy ending doesn't suit me". Heartbreaking.

AMIT: cute sing but lacking a bit in character I fear.

 

 

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9/17

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Posted

The fact that I clowned the Liar - HOPE or PAIN - HAPPY ENDING run for sounding too alike and they ended up finishing side by side and all with a 7.5 average. Vindicated by history I fear.

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Posted

I like HAPPY ENDING better than the other two, at least sonically. I think the melody is more memorable/likeable. Devastating lyrics though, wtf :dancehall2:

Posted

Y'all are determined to return this STORY back to the library skdkd. These two album massacres back to back… ironically the first and last album bookends of this rate dd

Posted

This is another one that became a favorite over time. Really quite a lovely song :'(

Posted

Sidenote, I'm listening to the NEXT LEVEL bonus disc now and ugh those PCDL live arrangements really HIT. That guitar in Naturally alone whew and this:
 

 

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Posted
1 minute ago, Kyle-x said:

Y'all are determined to return this STORY back to the library skdkd. These two album massacres back to back… ironically the first and last album bookends of this rate dd

You're right, let's spread out the lashings.

 

 

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Track #11 on RAINBOW

 

HIGH SCORE: 10 x 3 (SA*KURA, blueberries, Maresia)

LOW SCORE: 4 x 1 (Invisibility)

HOST SCORE: 7.5

 

File this under songs that have interesting parts yet don't quite go all the way with them. It fizzles out somewhat quickly. Or should I say slowly? It is quite a long track...

 

Dolls is often heralded as one of Ayu's strangest songs, and it kind of is. The way it opens with... what would you say to describe that noise? Alien animal cries? A deflating balloon put through a vocoder?  It's moments like that, and the random ethereal silence in the middle of the song, that make it worth a re-listen. The other 5 minutes and 20 seconds? I dunno. It's for somebody but I wouldn't say its for me...

 

 

Suilen: a weird song, can't say if I like it or not.

Kyle-x: I really love the production here but it goes on a bit too long.

Invisibility: Whoever let her lay those vocals and put them on the record really had a grudge against here because like... and the fact it goes on for SIX MINUTES.

Curaga: I love how icy this one sounds, very crystalline...

Bad Decisions: incredible. That's it. That's all I have to say.

AMIT: love how haunting this one sounds.

 

 

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9/16

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Posted

That's going to be it, I fear but thank you to my lovely assistants and the other 1.5 people who checked in.

 

10 more on Friday, where we will be moving back to a later update time. :skull:

 

 

TOP 60

 

A Song for ××
Trust
Depend on you

 

Fly high
Trauma
And Then
immature
Boys & Girls
TO BE
End roll
WHATEVER
too late
appears
monochrome
LOVE~destiny~
Who...
kanariya

 

Duty
vogue
End of the World
SCAR
Far away
SURREAL
SEASONS
ever free

 

I am...
Connected
evolution
Naturally
NEVER EVER
still alone
Daybreak
M
Dearest
Endless sorrow

 

WE WISH
Real me
Free & Easy
Heartplace
Over
HANABI
July 1st
Voyage

 

ANGEL'S SONG
Greatful days
Because of You
ourselves
HANABI ~episode II~
No way to say
Memorial address

 

About You
GAME
my name's WOMEN
Moments
walking proud
CAROLS
INSPIRE
HONEY

 

卒業写真
RAINBOW

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Posted (edited)
13 minutes ago, Graves said:

A deflating balloon put through a vocoder?

:ahh:

 

Listening to it again and feeling like I always figured it was an elephant, but now idk wtf that is 

 

edit: ok finished it and ummm yeah, that's a brilliant song tbh; I should have been in the 10s :katie:

Edited by Curaga
Posted

Three 10s :clap3: It was one of my few non 10s but I still love it so nice to see some RAINBOW loving

Posted

Thank you for doing all these reveals, Curaga and I tried to bring the consistent ratings skskksk

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Posted

Yes, thank you for all the extra reveals!

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We appreciate it :heart:

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Posted
5 minutes ago, Kyle-x said:

Thank you for doing all these reveals, Curaga and I tried to bring the consistent ratings skskksk

 

2 minutes ago, Curaga said:

Yes, thank you for all the extra reveals!

6e7ca76cdaba2f7a03a74c1d69eb2794226ddd96

 

We appreciate it :heart:

It's all good. Doing reveals for only two people will be good practice for Part 3 of the rate.

 

6e7ca76cdaba2f7a03a74c1d69eb2794226ddd96

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Posted

Not me being late :chick2:

The three songs left from ASFX being the ones that made it to A BEST, her mind...

 

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Posted

And Grammypears having the most songs left! :hippo:

Posted

Only really sad about Hana. Never got the hype around Two of Us, sorry. And it's by the same person who later produced Namie's Sexy Girl and BLACK DIAMOND, where was that energy?

 

AUDIENCE, yeah... But people can clock me later when I inflate glitter and MY ALL on GUILTY that are even more uplifting and out of place.

 

gretchen.gif

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Posted
3 minutes ago, Suilen said:

Only really sad about Hana. Never got the hype around Two of Us, sorry. And it's by the same person who later produced Namie's Sexy Girl and BLACK DIAMOND, where was that energy?

 

AUDIENCE, yeah... But people can clock me later when I inflate glitter and MY ALL on GUILTY that are even more uplifting and out of place.

 

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Well, I love to see another glitter apologist :ryan3:

 

 

Posted
1 hour ago, Curaga said:

I listened to A COMPLETE all singles some years ago and AUDIENCE was the #1 song that stood out to me. It's just so likeable and fun imo :biblionana: but I guess it was another song that was a bit too LGBT for some! 

 

not @Suilen stanning Duty, but hating my favorite song on it :rofl: watch their 11 be my 0 except I think their 11 is immature :eli:

immature is in my top 3 songs by her but I decided to give my 11 to something underrated, and yes, you're very likely to be in the lowest scores, so beware.

 

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Posted

two of us at 70? the lack of taste some of y'all have :biblio:

Posted

It's just hitting me how absolutely wild it is that A Song or XX and LOVEppears were literally released in the same year. To go from a cute standard jpop debut to a masterpiece in a few months is simply iconic. I wish I could've been a fly on the wall in Avex HQ because that was a pretty big shift in sound and image now that I'm thinking about it :jonny5:

  • Like 3
Posted

okay POWDER SNOW was done so wrong :biblionny:wtf how can y'all listen to that song and not FEEL IT 

 

the way LOVEppears didn't lose anything in the last update :zsgaymuscat:

 

I'm surprised the cover is still in though(, and yes I'll keep saying it until it's out). :suburban:

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Posted

Love pears could lose a ballad or two.

 

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Posted
4 hours ago, Curaga said:

but I guess it was another song that was a bit too LGBT for some! 

I hope to see your 11 for Gold & Cuntlicious in part 2 then hun (I love that song) 

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Posted

(miss)understood the title track could be a contender for my 11 in pt. 2...

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