10781 replies to this topic

[Mattthecat]

Great great summary once again matt. Sadly, a lot of the pic links didn't work (maybe too many people used up your bandwidth for images... I guess that's a good thing!)

Actually the pics aren't linked at all (have to put that on the main page...) They are simply resized layoutwise, but if you open them with a right click (or download them) they will appear original size. I just wanted to spare myself the time making thumbs. Lol

[(T)anaka (L)over]

Some dreamy/thoughtful Ayas

and a playful one

One word: Sexy :c16:

[Mattthecat]

Utawara will be laid to rest at the end of January it seems. But Ayaya seems to be in the remaining episodes after all. Well, at least she was in this Sunday's one. And with a performance in a duet with Yuko Kon (already on the tracker) Anyone know the song's name?

For reasons unkown sasshi has made the Fall Concert Tour torrent invisible, but hasn't pulled it as it's still downloading. I have noticed though that the two completed files (VTS_01_1 and _2) are missing one piece at the beginning, are only 99.6% complete. Can anyone else confirm this?

[RobinHead]

Utawara will be laid to rest at the end of January it seems.

And right after her radio show, too. How's a guy supposed to get his Aya fix now?

And with a performance in a duet with Yuko Kon (already on the tracker) Anyone know the song's name?

By the screenshot, that's Pinky and the Killers' (where Kon was the Pinky) debut (and I dare almost say most famous) song Koi no Kisetsu.

[Mattthecat]

And right after her radio show, too. How's a guy supposed to get his Aya fix now?

Well maybe they have new exciting things planned for our amusement and addiction

By the screenshot, that's Pinky and the Killers' (where Kon was the Pinky) debut (and I dare almost say most famous) song Koi no Kisetsu.

Ah thank you

[tern]

[quote name='Mattthecat' date='Jan 21 2007, 02:37 PM' post='185364']
[quote name='RobinHead' post='185320' date='Jan 21 2007, 10:54 PM']
And right after her radio show, too. How's a guy supposed to get his Aya fix now?[/quote]
Well maybe they have new exciting things planned for our amusement and addiction

Yep, Aya's not going anywhere! She's just so good at... talking (?) that she'll have to show up somewhere else.

[Mattthecat]

Yep, Aya's not going anywhere! She's just so good at... talking (?) that she'll have to show up somewhere else.

Lol. Yeah, quite true. In the podcasts she could take a topic like "batteries" and talk without pausing about it for five minutes. Women....

[Alienpyon]

Here are two Ayaya songs sung by the MoMusuMaster himself: Tsunku-sama!

1. Sougen no hito

2. YOUR SONG ~Seishun Sensei~

The links for the entire albums are in the Tsunku thread (here), but for those who are too bored to download the entire pack, this is a fair deal!

Any comments on his versions?

Personally I think that the guy is a GREAT songwriter, only he cannot exactly pull this off when he performs his own songs. Had I listened to both the above versions (sung by Tsunku), I wouldn't really care much about the songs.

BUT: Tsunku know his "weakness", so he has his own army of young girls who perform his songs better than he does! Ayaya has a better voice and is more good looking, so he looks good through her!

Smart move.

[Mattthecat]

Any comments on his versions?

Thanks for the links
I kinda like his style. He certainly isn't a great singer technically and no match at all in comparison with Ayaya, but he has a rough edge that is very interesting (very apparent in his Aruiteru version).
As much as I like Aya's singing, she almost always (and that goes for most of the H!P singers if not all) is 1:1. There is no "soul" in their singing, maybe intentionally so. Granted most of the HP songs don't lend themselves to soulful performances, but if Ayaya continues on her way started with Naked Songs I hope that she could lose some of that perfectness in favor of emotion.

For the record Aya has appeared on another episode with Atsuko Inaba today


Furthermore the download of the DVD is completed, so expect an extract with the acoustic version soon :c16:

[Alienpyon]

As much as I like Aya's singing, she almost always (and that goes for most of the H!P singers if not all) is 1:1. There is no "soul" in their singing, maybe intentionally so. Granted most of the HP songs don't lend themselves to soulful performances, but if Ayaya continues on her way started with Naked Songs I hope that she could lose some of that perfectness in favor of emotion.

Never thought about this till now (actually, "never wanted to think about this out loud till now"!). Maybe this is correct. Gosh,it scares me to admit that all those songs are actually "fast food songs" (i.e. composed, recorded and sold quickly), so, there is no time for "sentimental" singing. You are right, I think. But I'd really like to live in my H!P bubblegum dream, in which Ayaya feels every word in "The Last Night" or in all of her "passionate" songs, even if this is not happening at all in reality.

After "Naked Songs", again, I think that her singing will become more emotional; not only due to her becoming more and more mature, thus, sounding more soulful and less "1:1" (well said!), but, also, because the new songs will be substantially different (no more Tsunku-machine behind them). The new songwriters will demand more emotional performances in order to fit in with the new song style. Just a guess...

[Mattthecat]

Gosh,it scares me to admit that all those songs are actually "fast food songs" (i.e. composed, recorded and sold quickly), so, there is no time for "sentimental" singing. You are right, I think. But I'd really like to live in my H!P bubblegum dream, in which Ayaya feels every word in "The Last Night" or in all of her "passionate" songs, even if this is not happening at all in reality.

Yes, that's what I was referring to when I said "intentionally". It is the perfect style for the HP target group and it of course goes along with the squeaky clean idol image. Any imperfection (see Aibon) will be mercilessly punished, any deviation from an emotionless appearance would be unwelcome. Let's face it: HP first and foremost is a money-making machine (as of course most popmusic is). And that is okay, I can enjoy this tremenduously. But a bit more courage to travel away from the paved roads might do HP some good (and maybe it wouldn't. Lol)

After "Naked Songs", again, I think that her singing will become more emotional; not only due to her becoming more and more mature, thus, sounding more soulful and less "1:1" (well said!), but, also, because the new songs will be substantially different (no more Tsunku-machine behind them). The new songwriters will demand more emotional performances in order to fit in with the new song style. Just a guess...

I hope so but I somewhat doubt it. Plus I think Ayaya with her technical brilliance is more suited to jazz than "soul". Plus they would have to allow her to present her real self more often (I don't think we have seen much of her real self at all so far). But you are absolutely correct when you are referring to her maturing. This has been evident in the last year and it is a trend that will hopefully continue.

I just listened to Lone Justice's "Wait 'Til We Get Home". Maria McKee was hardly able to hit ONE correct note, but boy, her performance is powerful. Somewhere in the middle I'd love to find Aya some day

[Alienpyon]

I just listened to Lone Justice's "Wait 'Til We Get Home". Maria McKee was hardly able to hit ONE correct note, but boy, her performance is powerful. Somewhere in the middle I'd love to find Aya some day

Any links to that song?

[Mattthecat]

I just listened to Lone Justice's "Wait 'Til We Get Home". Maria McKee was hardly able to hit ONE correct note, but boy, her performance is powerful. Somewhere in the middle I'd love to find Aya some day

Any links to that song?

Will put it up tomorrow :-)

[FumikoH]

My opinion for Matt and Alien: Matsuura was always singing with true emotion! but of course she becomes older and more mature, woman from little girl, emotions are more complex and expression is more complex, I know this personally. All Matsuura songs from past, I can hear proper emotions in these songs! but begin with X3 album and Folk Songs album her emotions are more intense and difficult, her voice is still perfect for content of songs. Do you know "Nagori yuki" or "Nagai aida?" such are examples, songs written by much older women and sung by teenage Matsuura with emotional truth.

I believe Matsuura will always be one of Four Great Voices Of Japan.

[(T)anaka (L)over]

@FumikoH: Who's the other 3 "great voices" of japan?

[Za Hitokiri~Gunshin]

Has to be Ayu (The empress herself)
Utada Hikaru
and....
I don't have a clue :c33:
for me I'd be Lovely-chan :c16: or Yuu :cool

[FumikoH]

@FumikoH: Who's the other 3 "great voices" of japan?

#1 = Namie Amuro, pop and R&B
#2 = Hikaru Utada, pop and R&B
#3 = Tomiko Ban, rock and jazz

My opinion is based on voice, okay? not popularity or entertainment or other characteristic. Amuro's voice is the smoothest and clearest and most controlled, amazing! and even showing any emotion, she is smooth and wonderful! also great entertainer, if you can watch her dancing you will be very happy to see! Utada's voice is so much emotional variation and expression, like musical instrument! and especially Utada writes her own songs so personal emotion is filling her songs! Ban was greatest rock singer with Do As Infinity, same clear type of voice like the other three, and power! now she is moving to jazz singer, same feeling as American singer Norah Jones, listen them back to back! and Matsuura is best clearest smoothest most range voice for new pop singer but I hope she will also be jazz, she has Amuro control of voice but very different sound.

Of course my opinion is like my bellybutton etc.

[Mattthecat]

I must say I also like the Ukulele girl, Ayano Tsuji, not only coz she's kinda (nicely) weird, but also she doggedly refuses to be molded into a marketable image :-)

Anyways here's the Lone Justice link. Seeing Maria McKee live onstage is a treat by itself, storming across the stage in a rage. And you know that she's gonna throw that porcellan at your head when you get home
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3xoto3

[Alienpyon]

http://www.sendspace.com/file/3xoto3

Thanks
Hadn't listened to that tune and it was a good one! Maria McKee doesn't seem to be off-key or whatever, but she IS passionate!

In reply to FumikoH's comment, after giving it a second thought, I think that maybe it's not Ayaya (or any other H!P artist) that might occasionally sound flat; it's rather the songs themselves that are recorded in the blink of an eye and released in a snap. I think the girls don't have the time to actually "feel" the songs before recording them, you know, get under the songs' skin (this opinion is based on some recording footage that I have seen, but it might not be 100% correct). Of course this improves at live performances, where Ayaya seems to have every second of the song under total control (quite true, especially in her latest live DVDs).

Either way, I have convinced myself that there is feeling and passion in H!P songs, even if there isn't!

[Mattthecat]

Hehehe. Good decision :-)

Btw I'm converting the Fall Concert Tour DVD to avi right now for those who don't want/can't to download 8GB (probably going to be appx. 1GB). Or should I extract just certain highlights? Or post the audio rip first?