ayumi hamasaki Countdown Live 2005-2006 A Customer Reviews

this was Ayu's worst CD Live...the performances were great of course except "Startin'" which made the audience and me feel uneasy about the sexuality. In the end, she didn't even shed a tear or stall to say a long goodbye. T____T it's because since Koda Kumi came along, people are forgetting beautiful Ayu and how amazing she really is. She's losing connection with the audience. At first glance, it'd look like her best...but when you really and truly watch it, it drops towards the end. =( I don't blame Ayu...never do I blame her. I blame the fans who let her down alot these days.

This is another one that is for the hardcore Ayumi followers. They've definately cut back less on the Stage and Costumes, this is more about the songs and her voice. I found the listing quite strange, she did quite a few older songs rather than all of the latest ones. I think that another issue is its easy to compare it to the last CDL which was out of this world and deserves the ratings its been given. I wouldn't advise people against this, but I would recommend the last one instead.

Ayu's concerts have always left an impression on me. This one however, has not. Its practically dull, the performances are amazing but the stage is boring and there really isnt anything special to it. It might be that Im used to seeing extravagant Ayu shows, but this unfortunately was not one of them.

I was a little disappointed with this Countdown, but basically, because of the tracklist. I think Ayumi should go back to her roots in her music. It was cooler, and so her concerts looked cooler. However, the present live is still a good concert and all the scenario is definitely awesome.

It is evident right from the start that the budget for this was quite low, even compared to her previous CDL's. Despite this, it still had it's good moments, and then there were some bad moments. I paticularly liked the start, in which I thought it was nearly fitting for an Arena Tour. However, after Fairyland, the tracklist took a turn for the worse. Endless Sorrow, Because of You, and especially Theme of A-Nation '03 aren't exactly my favourite songs, and the costumes for these songs were very tacky in my opinion. Even the Boys & Girls and Evolution performances were brought down somewhat by an abysmal red costume. However, Bold and Delicious was definitely the highlight. Her vocals could have been better, but I personally can't get enough of this song, and seeing her sing it with a gospel troupe makes it all the more better. She looks like she is having a great time, which is all that matters to her now it seems. The encore was not bad, quite long, which is good! The acoustic renditions of the ballads accentuated the sorrow and melancholy of the songs even further. Quite a good buy if you fancy the tracklist!