I like what I see. Simple, beautiful and looks of a higher budget. The snapshot they had wasn’t that great but she looks good in the video. Hope that we will get to see all the PVs someday (including those that she filmed for 歌姫ベスト) …
VAMP
中森明菜 ❤ akinanakamori.com
Posted in March 2007 …
Ballad Best DVD Face
Jerry is the first amongst us overseas fans to receive his copy of Ballad Best and he sent in a scan of the DVD face which sees a bit of creativity and humour reminescent of her works in the 80s. thanks Jerry!
あの夏の日
The Hamu is alive!! thanks for the wonderful translation!! beautiful new song and words. the song reminds me of those from "I Hope So", and sounds much like an Ayumi ballad. her weather-beatened vocals suit songs like these to a T. i think she should just focus on new releases and not resing old songs. having said that, i haven’t heard the full remade songs and will reserve commentaries till i do so!
| 見上げる空にふわりと | Looking up at the sky |
| 流れる風の香りは | a light aroma fills the air |
| 夏の日の残り香たち | Those lingering fragrants of the summer |
| かすかにただよわせるの | faintly being drifted |
| はるかに遠く遠く 季節はうつろい | Season fades further and further away |
| 遠い遠い 過去になる | becomes distant past |
| あなたが居た あの夏の日 | That summer day with you |
| 空に咲く花火 | Fireworks in the sky |
| 散っていく 想い出とも | together with the scattered memories |
| あなたと観た 夏の星座 | Summer stars that (I) watched with you |
| 夜空を彩る | lights up the night sky |
| 忘れない 隣にいた | (I’ll) never forget your voice |
| あなたの声 | by my side |
| 変わりゆく季節 | Ever changing seasons |
| 変われない想い | Unchanged thoughts |
| ずっと ずっと 永遠に | Forever and ever till eternity |
| 色あせるモノクローム | The mid summer night confined in |
| 閉じ込めた真夏の空 | faded monochrome |
| 赤焼けた思い出たち | The scorching red memories |
| も一度胸を焦がすの | burnt my heart once again |
| しずかにそっとそっと 月日は満たされ | quietly silently days are filled |
| 深く深く 刻まれる | deeply deeply carved |
| あなたが居た あの夏の日 | That summer day with you |
| 校舎のらくがき | Doodle at the school hall |
| 消えてゆく 想い出とも | together with the fading memories |
| あなたと観た 海のあおさ | The blue ocean enjoyed with you |
| 胸をやきつくす | My chest burnt |
| 忘れない 波打ち際 | (I’ll) never forget the waves |
| 手のぬくもり | the warmth of (your) hand |
| 過ぎてゆく出会い | missed encounters |
| 変われない想い | Unchanged thoughts |
| ずっと ずっと 今も | Forever and ever even now |
| あなたが居た あの夏の日 | That summer day with you |
| 空に咲く花火 | Fireworks in the sky |
| 舞い上がれ 想い出たち | Memories rising up to the air |
| あなたと観た 夏の星座 | Summer stars that (I) watched with you |
| 夜空を彩る | lights up the night sky |
| 忘れない 隣でみた | (I’ll) never forget the dreams of yesterday |
| あの日の夢 | that we shared |
| 変わりゆく季節 | Ever changing seasons |
| 変われない想い | Unchanged thoughts |
| ずっと ずっと 永遠に | Forever and ever till eternity |
| あの夏の軌跡 | Traces of that summer |
| 変わらない想い | Unchanged thoughts |
| ずっと ずっと 今へ | Forever and ever till now |
What’d ya think?
I have been reading this Japanese Music blog for some time and I don’t think the blogger likes Akina very much. He seems to have a bias towards her and today made some semi nasty comment about Akina’s good chart position with her new best, along the lines of "Another useless Best. How many Bests can one have?" That is my interpretation but I could be wrong:
個人的には中森明菜ベストが気になって仕方ないです。一体何作目のベストなんですか？
http://k-marine-music.seesaa.net/
Maybe someone can interpret it better. I don’t like to stir up trouble but for someone who seems to enjoy crap music, I don’t think he is qualified to make such idiotic and ignorant comments. If my Japanese was more powerful, I think I would have given him/her a piece of my mind. What’d ya think?
Lucky No. 7
That is the debut position for バラード・ベスト －２５ｔｈ ＡＮＮＩＶＥＲＳＡＲＹ ＳＥＬＥＣＴＩＯＮ－on its first day of sales on the Daily Oricon Chart:
http://www.oricon.co.jp/rank/ja/d/
The race begins once again …
Counting down….to BALLAD BEST!
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会報21+Ballad Best ポスター
Highlights of 会報21:
1.Msg from Akina : There’s more to come in 2007!!
2.Ballad Best promo + Akina calendar 2007
3.Interview with Akina : Utahime Best (no plans for concert this year, at this point of time)
4.A page on DS 2006 ( BLONDE was mispelt!!! –> BLONED)
5. HMV event in orange overcoat
6. The Last Destination DVD
7. 食べわず嫌い (TV show)
8. Fun-club goods –> Bathrobe (20000yen), Keychain (2000yen). Set of 5 folders (2000yen)
Ballad Best poster from Yahoo auctions:
私は風
私は風
作詞：Maki Annette Lovelace
作曲：春日 博文
あまりに悲しいことばかりで It is just a very sad matter
どこか遠くへ旅にでようと Going to travel far, to wherever
ポケットに思い出つめこみ Pocket is filled with memories
ひとり汽車にのったの I took the train ride alone
汽車の窓の外を走りぬける Outside the window of the train was flashing
昨日までの私のにがい人生 my bitter life story until yesterday
もう二度と戻ることのない Not to return for a second time
この町ともさよならね Together, ‘goodbye’ to this town
あぁ もう涙なんか枯れてしまった Ah….Tears are all dried up
明日から身軽な私 From tomorrow, a relieved me
風のように自由に生きるわ Living freely, like the wind
ひとりぼっちも気楽なものさ There is still comfort, even all by myself
あぁ 目をとじて心もとじて Ah….Closed my eyes and also, my heart
開いた本もとじてしまえ The opened book is also closed, and kept aside
あぁ 私は風 私は風 Ah….I am Wind….I am Wind
終わりのない旅を続けるの The endless journey continues
あぁ 私を抱いて気のすむように Ah…Embrace me like ending all your emotions for me
抱いたあとであなたとはお別れよ After embracing me, I am going to bid farewell to you
どうせ私は気ままな女 Anyway, I am carefree woman
気ままな風よ the carefree wind!
胸の奥深くうす紫色の 霧が流れゆく Deep behind the back of my chest, a light purple fog is going to flow
誰か教えてよ 私の行く先を Who’s going to tell me my destination
見知らぬ町の 街角にたち Standing at a street corner of an unknown town
人波の中漂う私 明日はどこへ Floating around in the midst of masses, Where is tomorrow going to be?
終わりのない旅 an endless journey
Ballade Best – HMV PreOrder Charts
Rising from its surprising 4th position on the daily preorder chart yesterday, Akina’s upcoming release "Ballade Best" hits the 2nd spot today. Maybe Danny Bunny can give us some nice visuals again. 
I guess the various promotions that have been going on in the various sports papers have helped the album to gain some spotlight. HMV even rehashed their Akina story under the heading "Japanese Pop", so it does look good for Akina. There is nothing new in the report, so there is not much to tell, except that the print run for the limited edition with DVD is 5 万枚, which is actually quite a good sign. It is due to be released in slightly over a week and let’s hope that it will be another Top 10 release for Akina.
On another note, has anyone read Akina’s English Wikipaedia site. I remember that there was an invite once on this site to write it, but no one volunteered, so it died an easy death. Curiosity killed my cat and I had so much fun reading it, and will highlight a couple of passages which will bring delight to many Akina fans.
"Her live performances continue to be of very high standard, showcasing her amazing vocals, where few pop singers can match. Her 2000, 2002 and 2003 concerts were huge successes. 2006 marks her 25th anniversary in showbusiness. According to the Oricon Charts, she is one of a handful of singers who manage to have albums in the Top 10 in the 80′s, 90′s and 2000′s; proving her resilience to the taste changing music industry.
Akina has ventured into acting in the last decade, with varying success. One might say that Akina the singer is mesmerizing, while Akina the actress is competent.
Regardless of her lack of prolific songs in recent years, Akina was honoured by the Japanese Music critics as the ’5th’ best voice in the country’s recording history, even ahead of her rival, Matsuda Seiko, at ’7th’ place."
Lastly, does anyone know which "Japanese Music Critics" site this is? It is definitely not HMV because they gave Seiko 7th place amongst the 30 singers they listed. I am a little disappointed that Akina didn’t make the list but placing Seiko above singers like Miyuki Nakajima, Mariya Takeuchi, Sawada Kenji, Miwa Yoshida (Dreams Come True) amongst many other more accomplished singers. I don’t think so!
