Comments on: Ultra Blue http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/ Your most informative JPop blog contributed by Channel-Ai members. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:23:30 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Michy http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-5951 Michy Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:18:05 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-5951 i thought this whole album was perfect...=D .all the songs was awesome..i thought she did an AMAZING job..= ).no album can be perfect but id say this was close to perfect..i loved almost ALL the songs..: ) keep it up UTADA UR AWESOME..and my inspiration everyday for mee ^______^ MICHY i thought this whole album was perfect…=D .all the songs was awesome..i thought she did an AMAZING job..= ).no album can be perfect but id say this was close to perfect..i loved almost ALL the songs..: ) keep it up UTADA UR AWESOME..and my inspiration everyday for mee ^______^

MICHY

]]> By: Haruka Tenou http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-5585 Haruka Tenou Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:55:37 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-5585 I think that you gave "One night magic" a harsh review. I think thats the best song there (Other than blue of course ;) ) but, you didnt write much about every individual song.....i was a bit surprised about that, but yea, i think that One night magic deserved a lil more credit, cuz its an awesome song that just makes you DANCE....your right that it sucks it was a duo, but guess wat, i LEARNED about it being a duet by reading this review!!! so, obviously not many people notice it...so yea, no need to complain aobout it, it was a great song, just get over it man... I think that you gave “One night magic” a harsh review. I think thats the best song there (Other than blue of course ;) ) but, you didnt write much about every individual song…..i was a bit surprised about that, but yea, i think that One night magic deserved a lil more credit, cuz its an awesome song that just makes you DANCE….your right that it sucks it was a duo, but guess wat, i LEARNED about it being a duet by reading this review!!! so, obviously not many people notice it…so yea, no need to complain aobout it, it was a great song, just get over it man…

]]> By: daisuke woojin http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-4473 daisuke woojin Sat, 28 Jul 2007 03:02:13 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-4473 all song in this album was great! I think this is are the best hikki chan album ever, 2nd is deep river, 3rd first love, 4th distance, 5th exodus. ok good luck and I hope the next album wiil more best than ultra blue all song in this album was great! I think this is are the best hikki chan album ever, 2nd is deep river, 3rd first love, 4th distance, 5th exodus. ok good luck and I hope the next album wiil more best than ultra blue

]]> By: toothpick http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-2554 toothpick Sat, 07 Apr 2007 06:53:46 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-2554 i like all of hikkis albums her music is so different... i think its great i like all of hikkis albums her music is so different… i think its great

]]> By: Cordai http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-2372 Cordai Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:38:31 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-2372 And I disagree with you FLARE. Her voice is anything but HUSKY. Maybe you're referring to the very LOW NOTES that she can hit. Believe me, if her voice was HUSKY, she wouldn't be able to sing more than half of her songs if any at all but her vocal range extends beyond LOW NOTES (Or HUSKY as you put it) and she wouldn't be able to hit those HIGH NOTES. So yeah. Maybe you need to think about REPHRASING how you put things. And I disagree with you FLARE.

Her voice is anything but HUSKY.

Maybe you’re referring to the very LOW NOTES that she can hit.

Believe me, if her voice was HUSKY, she wouldn’t be able to sing more than half of her songs if any at all but her vocal range extends beyond LOW NOTES (Or HUSKY as you put it) and she wouldn’t be able to hit those HIGH NOTES.

So yeah. Maybe you need to think about REPHRASING how you put things.

]]> By: flare http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-2367 flare Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:00:34 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-2367 I disagree with some of your opinions. Kairo is such a mysterious deep song. The sound effects create images of mysterious, melodramatic things. Her vocal range in all her songa are extravagant and beautiful. It's very acertive and strong. I love her husky voice. Her song writing abilitity improved and it is can be queer sometime because you're trying to understand what she's saying. NO TO HIKKI SONGS ARE THE SAME! And that's another thing I love about her.Originality! I love this album. I disagree with some of your opinions. Kairo is such a mysterious deep song. The sound effects create images of mysterious, melodramatic things.

Her vocal range in all her songa are extravagant and beautiful. It’s very acertive and strong. I love her husky voice. Her song writing abilitity improved and it is can be queer sometime because you’re trying to understand what she’s saying. NO TO HIKKI SONGS ARE THE SAME! And that’s another thing I love about her.Originality!

I love this album.

]]> By: Loaniss http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-2354 Loaniss Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:41:49 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-2354 I like this album. This album is perhaps my 2nd favourite after the beloved master piece Deep River. The song list was pretty cool, but there was more mediocre songs that great ones, like Kairo and Making Love. Though, a good thing about Hikki's songs is that if you don't listen to them for a while they come up it kinda adds life to them, so that why I still like it and is at number 2 in my list. Oh, I think the Exodus was an OK album, there were just some off songs that made it less than amazing, like You make me want to be a man and Animato. Some of the lyrics are pretty cool and some had really nice beats like the Workout and Devil Inside. I like this album.
This album is perhaps my 2nd favourite after the beloved master piece Deep River.
The song list was pretty cool, but there was more mediocre songs that great ones, like Kairo and Making Love.
Though, a good thing about Hikki’s songs is that if you don’t listen to them for a while they come up it kinda adds life to them, so that why I still like it and is at number 2 in my list.

Oh, I think the Exodus was an OK album, there were just some off songs that made it less than amazing, like You make me want to be a man and Animato.
Some of the lyrics are pretty cool and some had really nice beats like the Workout and Devil Inside.

]]> By: Anjana http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-2058 Anjana Sun, 11 Mar 2007 14:29:59 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-2058 This album rocks! even though Colours, and Dareka No Negai..was inluded they still sounded great on the album. This album was a certain change from her previous albums, & I think...this is one her best albums. This album rocks! even though Colours, and Dareka No Negai..was inluded they still sounded great on the album. This album was a certain change from her previous albums, & I think…this is one her best albums.

]]> By: Addy http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1933 Addy Mon, 05 Mar 2007 21:17:32 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1933 I love the song passion and simple and clean, I have played the game kingdom hearts at least 20 times at the beginning just to hear the theme songs! I'm a huge, gigantic, enormous, large, big fan of Utada Hikaru! I love the song passion and simple and clean, I have played the game kingdom hearts at least 20 times at the beginning just to hear the theme songs! I’m a huge, gigantic, enormous, large, big fan of Utada Hikaru!

]]> By: christina http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1686 christina Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:53:13 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1686 i disagree with kairo i think its a pretty good song its seems short but its nice AND OH YEA EXODUS WAS A REALLY GOOD ALBUM TOO!! i dont understand you people i guess everybody have thier opinons but i think this was her best album i like all the songs i disagree with kairo i think its a pretty good song its seems short but its nice

AND OH YEA EXODUS WAS A REALLY GOOD ALBUM TOO!! i dont understand you people i guess everybody have thier opinons but i think this was her best album i like all the songs

]]> By: Maxis http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1649 Maxis Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:41:54 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1649 It is really a good review. I had listen all her songs of Ultra Blue. Very nice songs!! I encourage Utada Hikaru to continue her effort to produce very nice music. All the best!!! It is really a good review. I had listen all her songs of Ultra Blue. Very nice songs!! I encourage Utada Hikaru to continue her effort to produce very nice music.

All the best!!!

]]> By: Deena http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1594 Deena Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:28:19 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1594 Good review, although I also agree with others- the rating should be higher. That and I loved Exodus. It's my favourite album out of all her albums. I agree with Dunlap and Yukino! Good review, although I also agree with others- the rating should be higher. That and I loved Exodus. It’s my favourite album out of all her albums.

I agree with Dunlap and Yukino!

]]> By: Matthew Ramsden http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1478 Matthew Ramsden Sat, 27 Jan 2007 17:46:23 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1478 Great review!! Great review!!

]]> By: yukino http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1317 yukino Fri, 29 Dec 2006 04:03:42 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1317 ^Dunlap, I am your new biggest fan. You have expressed my feelings for Exodus in a frank, cold-hard-fact way that I could never have managed. Yeah, all you Exodus haters, consider all the stuff in the above post to be a lethal dart aimed at you from my blowgun! BOOYAH! Bwahaha. All right, enough theatrics. Thanks for getting your opinions out in the open and, in the process, exposing mine as well. *salutes dunlap* ^Dunlap, I am your new biggest fan. You have expressed my feelings for Exodus in a frank, cold-hard-fact way that I could never have managed. Yeah, all you Exodus haters, consider all the stuff in the above post to be a lethal dart aimed at you from my blowgun! BOOYAH! Bwahaha.

All right, enough theatrics. Thanks for getting your opinions out in the open and, in the process, exposing mine as well. *salutes dunlap*

]]> By: dunlap http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 dunlap Fri, 29 Dec 2006 03:11:07 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1315 OK I'm going to be upfront about this, and no one's going to read my reply after I say it, but I loved Exodus. It was looping in my car for a month without skipping any songs (well, except for the occasional Easy Breezy ;p). Despite this, I recognize the CD's weaknesses. The lyrics were silly enough at times to make me not want to play the CD for others, but maybe because I'm a big Hikki fan I was able to look past that and enjoy it in a guilty pleasure kind of way. The canned electronic instruments really turned me off, too. It would be forgivable for a low-end artist, but Utada's the number one artist in Japan! She should be able to afford compiling some real mixes. To further beat on the album, a lot of the music was very repetitive, consisting of a basic catchy riff that repeated ad naseum without enough buildup and variety. The result was very catchy, yes, but it was easy to burn out on the music when there didn't feel like there was much substance to it. Devil Inside's constant guitar squeel almost grated on me as much as Sakura Drops' bells. Perhaps due to these factors and others, the songs each felt much less polished than her Japanese stuff. It was, however, still incredibly catchy stuff and all of the songs actually felt like they fit together. I could listen to the whole album and like every song on it, and that went a long way for my respect for it. If I pop it in today I still find myself magically losing 54 minutes when I realize it's over. The fact that it was a personal album in a language I could understand also gave it big points for me as a fan. It might not have lived up in polished execution to her older bests, but it showed a side of Utada that hasn't been revealed in her Japanese releases and I fell in love with it. Moving on to the actual album for this post, heh, I have to judge Ultra Blue from what her past albums have shown me, Japanese and English. The first thing that hit me as disapppointing was that this is (and feels like) basically a singles collection. From stuff up to 4 years old! While songs like Colors and Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro aren't bad songs, they have no place among the rest of the tracks and become cheap filler here. Why was Passion the last track on this CD? It would have made a much better intro than the forgettable This is Love. The strongest part of Exodus for me was how everything fit together, and going from that to this really made it hard for me to take in this CD. At least the new stuff on this CD all had a similar airy flavor that brought them together (although that just increased the gap between them and the singles). So how does the new stuff stack up to her old stuff? I wouldn't call any of it bad. In fact, I think Blue is the strongest song on here and I really like it. But like the article's auther tomba calls it a better Be My Last, I find myself thinking about Utada's past work when I hear these new songs. This Is Love invokes images of Travelling, while Keep Trying's video feels like a sequal to Travelling's. One Night Magic takes me back to Deep River's Letters. The music isn't exactly alike, but I find myself thinking of older stuff when I listen to this album. And I liked the older stuff better. With Exodus, I was treated to a whole new, fresh experience. With Ultra Blue, I feel like I've been there done that. In an improvement over Exodus, it seems like Utada's got an audio staff back and has polished up these tracks a lot more, adding subtle atmospheric sounds and basically filling out the backing tracks. It's not just the same one instrument hook looped over and over. But, hey, surprise, these songs also fail to have a strong hook to keep you in the song. I can't say any of it's bad, I really like the cold blue atmosphere that I get from these songs, but I have to try really hard to get into them. I find myself skipping a lot of songs halfway through because I'm bored of them. Despite all this hate, I don't hate the CD. When it's on, it's totally on. Keep Tryin' and it's coupling WINGS show Utada in top form. Passion is epic, as is Blue (and I melt at her kooing "darling"). Colors and Be My Last are totally solid tracks, they just don't belong on this CD. Overall, Ultra Blue has enough on it to enjoy, but as a whole I can't hold it in as high regard as her previous work. When the CD's at it's best it's really good, but there's too much else dragging it down to ever warrant a full listen to the whole thing as a work in itself. For those unfamiliar to Hikki, you'd be best off getting Deep River to hear her at her most engaging. Non-fans would do better to go on iTunes and download the singles without the filler there. Hey Jas, is that you? \:D/ OK I’m going to be upfront about this, and no one’s going to read my reply after I say it, but I loved Exodus. It was looping in my car for a month without skipping any songs (well, except for the occasional Easy Breezy ;p). Despite this, I recognize the CD’s weaknesses. The lyrics were silly enough at times to make me not want to play the CD for others, but maybe because I’m a big Hikki fan I was able to look past that and enjoy it in a guilty pleasure kind of way. The canned electronic instruments really turned me off, too. It would be forgivable for a low-end artist, but Utada’s the number one artist in Japan! She should be able to afford compiling some real mixes. To further beat on the album, a lot of the music was very repetitive, consisting of a basic catchy riff that repeated ad naseum without enough buildup and variety. The result was very catchy, yes, but it was easy to burn out on the music when there didn’t feel like there was much substance to it. Devil Inside’s constant guitar squeel almost grated on me as much as Sakura Drops’ bells. Perhaps due to these factors and others, the songs each felt much less polished than her Japanese stuff. It was, however, still incredibly catchy stuff and all of the songs actually felt like they fit together. I could listen to the whole album and like every song on it, and that went a long way for my respect for it. If I pop it in today I still find myself magically losing 54 minutes when I realize it’s over. The fact that it was a personal album in a language I could understand also gave it big points for me as a fan. It might not have lived up in polished execution to her older bests, but it showed a side of Utada that hasn’t been revealed in her Japanese releases and I fell in love with it.

Moving on to the actual album for this post, heh, I have to judge Ultra Blue from what her past albums have shown me, Japanese and English. The first thing that hit me as disapppointing was that this is (and feels like) basically a singles collection. From stuff up to 4 years old! While songs like Colors and Dareka no Negai ga Kanau Koro aren’t bad songs, they have no place among the rest of the tracks and become cheap filler here. Why was Passion the last track on this CD? It would have made a much better intro than the forgettable This is Love. The strongest part of Exodus for me was how everything fit together, and going from that to this really made it hard for me to take in this CD. At least the new stuff on this CD all had a similar airy flavor that brought them together (although that just increased the gap between them and the singles).

So how does the new stuff stack up to her old stuff? I wouldn’t call any of it bad. In fact, I think Blue is the strongest song on here and I really like it. But like the article’s auther tomba calls it a better Be My Last, I find myself thinking about Utada’s past work when I hear these new songs. This Is Love invokes images of Travelling, while Keep Trying’s video feels like a sequal to Travelling’s. One Night Magic takes me back to Deep River’s Letters. The music isn’t exactly alike, but I find myself thinking of older stuff when I listen to this album. And I liked the older stuff better. With Exodus, I was treated to a whole new, fresh experience. With Ultra Blue, I feel like I’ve been there done that.

In an improvement over Exodus, it seems like Utada’s got an audio staff back and has polished up these tracks a lot more, adding subtle atmospheric sounds and basically filling out the backing tracks. It’s not just the same one instrument hook looped over and over. But, hey, surprise, these songs also fail to have a strong hook to keep you in the song. I can’t say any of it’s bad, I really like the cold blue atmosphere that I get from these songs, but I have to try really hard to get into them. I find myself skipping a lot of songs halfway through because I’m bored of them.

Despite all this hate, I don’t hate the CD. When it’s on, it’s totally on. Keep Tryin’ and it’s coupling WINGS show Utada in top form. Passion is epic, as is Blue (and I melt at her kooing “darling”). Colors and Be My Last are totally solid tracks, they just don’t belong on this CD.

Overall, Ultra Blue has enough on it to enjoy, but as a whole I can’t hold it in as high regard as her previous work. When the CD’s at it’s best it’s really good, but there’s too much else dragging it down to ever warrant a full listen to the whole thing as a work in itself. For those unfamiliar to Hikki, you’d be best off getting Deep River to hear her at her most engaging. Non-fans would do better to go on iTunes and download the singles without the filler there.

Hey Jas, is that you? \:D/

]]> By: Chibi http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1245 Chibi Mon, 18 Dec 2006 05:23:35 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1245 I love Utada but I do think the rating is accurate, I dont know many of the other songs besides BLUE, COLORS, Be my last and Keep trying but I still like older Utada better. Thanks a lot for the mp3's. I love Utada but I do think the rating is accurate, I dont know many of the other songs besides BLUE, COLORS, Be my last and Keep trying but I still like older Utada better.

Thanks a lot for the mp3’s.

]]> By: Matthew Ramsden http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1020 Matthew Ramsden Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:47:16 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1020 Hello Tomba! How are things? I like this album and I like the artist - even though I'm a H!P fan, I do listen to other groups outside H!P like Zone and others.. Anyway - this album sounds like a really good album and I like the second song on the album.. the album cover looks good and eye catching it makes me think about the girl I used to like but.. I don't wanna talk about it! :) This album is good keep up the good work Channel-Ai! Hello Tomba!

How are things? I like this album and I like the artist – even though I’m a H!P fan, I do listen to other groups outside H!P like Zone and others..

Anyway – this album sounds like a really good album and I like the second song on the album.. the album cover looks good and eye catching it makes me think about the girl I used to like but.. I don’t wanna talk about it! :)

This album is good keep up the good work Channel-Ai!

]]> By: Cordai http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 Cordai Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:40:29 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-1000 I just got this Album and I love it. It's one of those rare Albums where you can go through the whole thing without skipping any songs because they are all good. I can do the same with Deep River as well. I liked this review and I disliked it. Some stuff that were said were acceptable enough and others I disapproved of. But that's just the differentiation of opinions. Good Album Overall and very informative review. I enjoyed reading it. I just got this Album and I love it. It’s one of those rare Albums where you can go through the whole thing without skipping any songs because they are all good.

I can do the same with Deep River as well.

I liked this review and I disliked it. Some stuff that were said were acceptable enough and others I disapproved of. But that’s just the differentiation of opinions.

Good Album Overall and very informative review. I enjoyed reading it.

]]> By: Fariz Pradipta http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-963 Fariz Pradipta Sun, 08 Oct 2006 04:08:31 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-963 This is very very great album, I think this is Utada Hikaru best album. all song in this album was great specialy BLUE, and I think BLUE is the best song from all Utada song This is very very great album, I think this is Utada Hikaru best album. all song in this album was great specialy BLUE, and I think BLUE is the best song from all Utada song

]]> By: dirty old man… « Gold Star For Robot Boy http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/comment-page-1/#comment-861 dirty old man… « Gold Star For Robot Boy Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:57:43 +0000 http://www.channel-ai.com/blog/2006/08/27/ultra-blue/#comment-861 [...] p.s. also on the site, is an entry for utada hikaru’s new album, and you can stream each song. i didn’t know that she had undergone cancer treatment! the song from casshearn is pretty rad, honestly. Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized [...] [...] p.s. also on the site, is an entry for utada hikaru’s new album, and you can stream each song. i didn’t know that she had undergone cancer treatment! the song from casshearn is pretty rad, honestly. Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized [...]

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