Yuki Kajiura LIVE TOUR vol.#15 “Soundtrack Special at the Amphitheater 2019.6.15-16

just finished listening! highlights:
  • the uillean pipes, accordion, and percussion
  • any and all HtA content. you don't even know how long i've been waiting for this
  • farewell song
  • I talk to the rain
  • RED ROSE
 
Pretty good live album. So proud of this. red rose is kinda crazy and I didn’t expect the trumpet. Yes, my fave un loop.
About vocals tracks, unexpected, too, this smooth version of petals and butterfly, better than the CD version. But I have to say I don’t like el cazador, hmmm, definitely Eri is not Yuuka and kajiurago sounded weird :(
 
just finished listening! highlights:
  • the uillean pipes, accordion, and percussion
  • any and all HtA content. you don't even know how long i've been waiting for this
  • farewell song
  • I talk to the rain
  • RED ROSE

whenever obawo's around i feel like sato becomes almost obsolete/unnecessary. I know i shouldn't say this because drums is used for maintaining the tempo of the songs but eeehhh he sux
 
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As always Remi delivers. heigen is Kajiura's magnum opus and it continues to be just as mesmerising. Shame about the lack of harmonies since it's a Remi solo, but man is it beautiful. Love that high note at the end. petals and butterfly is also similarly beautiful. Rainbow main theme for a tiny bit lacking, imo the vol. 10 one was superior.

Haven't finished listening to the Kajiura or Eri tracks, but the mixing so far is superb. I just wish the HK live was also released - the bootleg recording is all we have, but man I'd love to listen to a mixed version of the Kimetsu main theme with Keiko.
 
So many tracks, so little desire to write a review... In short, I loved it. All the musicians performed great. I specially enjoyed Naomi and Yoshiaki. They should be permanent FBM for soundtracks.
The only thing I didn't enjoy much was the violin chorus/layer effect in some pieces. In some pieces it sounds fine, but in others it sounds inorganic. I pray in the future there's enough budget for a quartet.
Overall I'm really happy with this album. Hopefully the next release is a blu ray. Would've love to see the musicians perform.
I'll just type muh not-at-all-in-depth opinions.

-Street Corner/Soko ni ikiru hitotachi: very solid solo. The clapping could've been softer/lowered.
-Kibou no hikari: Naomi was perfect <3 The rest of the band did bretty good in replacing the strings and brass from the original. Even the e.guitar sounds fitting.
-Prelude to act 1: Muh Eri is perfect, of course, but I wanted to hear Remi's take on the kajiurago.
-Nunquam vincar: unexpected accordion solo, but oh so good.
-First love: intro is a little longer compared to the other live we have. I prefer this one just because of percussion and cello. Plus I think the violin sounds less harsh.
-Sweet memories: Now with real accordion~
-Blue clouds: Perfect~ Been dying for a proper release since vol 7.
-When the fairytale ends: Would've liked some accordion here. In fact, I would've replaced the e.guitar with accordion.
-Motherland nostalgia: Perfect, nothing much to say hue. Oh the guitar at the end was a nice touch.
-Rest of Hanako medley: all perfect. They're pretty much identical to the recorded versions.
-Shadows and fog: Remi should've sang the upper harmony on her second line instead of the main line to make the transition into the next line smoother. I'm glad they kept the sax and the flute played along with it. It would've sounded pretty weak without it. The flute solo was great though~
-Rainbow main theme: I think she handled the f#5(is it?) better in the previous collection, but other than that I prefer this performance. It's a bit more emotional.
-Petals and butterfly: she sounds super sweet here. I like this different take on the song. Though she should've done a crescendo on her second part. The instruments overpowered her.
-Moon and shadow: Remi should've used a rounder and more operatic sound here. Also, the whole song didn't really need to repeat if it was just going to be the same hue. A new solo would've been nice.
-Heigen: It works well as a solo song, and Remi sounds bretty good. Not fully operatic, but good. Liked her new ending.
-A farewell song: The violin and flute complementing the accordion was bretty sweet, and their duo and Naomi's solo were love. Remi sounds good, BUT I would've preferred if she went full operatic here.

SAD THERE'S NO MEZAME. Disc 1 needed more upbeat tracks.

-Starting the case: it certainly does sound more energetic compared to the album version. Other than that it's pretty much the same
-A fighter: I like this more than the Pripri live. Rie's playing is more fun. Sayaka wasn't bad, but her playing is kinda airy, which is fine since her main instrument is the sax.
-Carnival in blue: deliciously perfect.
-We're gonna groove: I prefer this one just because of Yoshiaki. I don't really like Kanako's solos.
-Hit it and run: Oh god, it's better than I imagined. I was expecting the sax to be replaced by flute, but NOPE, DELICIOUS ACCORDION.
-El cazador: aaah MUH ERI sounds so fierce here.
-Voices silently sing: the vocal part sounds a lot better without Yuriko and Keiko, hue. THey really clashed with Eri in the other release. Still think the flute is too soft. Mebbe Uillean pipies would've been a good choice.
-Moonflower: Eri sounded better in the other release.
-Hepatica: Muh Eri sounds gorgeous. The first note Korenaga played at the beginning of the instrumental part was awkward. It didn't really fit. It was fine after that though.
-I talk to the rain: Muh Eri was perfect. Her voice cracked towards the end, but no biggie. She was great in the rest of the song. The new solos were delicious.
-Credens justitiam: everything is perfect. Although the bridge sounds pretty empty with just the flute. Should've added something there.
-Crush: as good as the other version we have.
-Aerial flight: eh don't really care for this track.
-Red rose: The volume for the e.guitar should've been lower so the pipes stood out more. I don't really like the distortion effect on the violin. Other than that, oh god this song is so much fun. Muh Eri was perfect. All solos were delicious. DAT TRUMPET (please write trumpet pieces for the pripri movies). Dat pipes x flute solo for the outro. Oh god, the outro was so hype.
-Ring your song: the calm after the delicious storm known as Red Rose. As beautiful as ever. The pipes sound very fitting here. Would've liked a little pipes solo, just to add a bit more of a funeral touch.
Wasn't Kajiura credited as chorus? I don't think I heard her at all, hue. Would've been nice in Heigen.

Anyways, for future soundtrack specials after vol 16:
-More trumpet.
-Sax guest plis.
-Yuriko and Hanae solo guests
-Mebbe try a fully acoustic concert. Would've be interesting to hear what she does without e.guitar.
 
didn't realize the strings were overlaid but I tend to ignore them anyway. the cello and solo violin were great tho
 
wow this album is so superb. Kajiura shines in her lives. Makes sense she does them every year. (Excepting corona year) My review:

- street corner : such a nice and humble way to start the live. lovely simple melody, it's like Kajiura saying I'm composing for our emotions people!
- Kibou no hikari : pipes piano strings then a little percussion, lovely.
-prelude to Act1 & Numquam Vincar: great as usual. Accordion in NV is just perfect.
-first love & blue clouds: ah so good. would be lovely to add strings of an ORCHESTRA here.
-sweet memories: ah indeed. one of my first Kajiura tracks too. percussion is sublime. love how it ends with the cello too. kinda adds a sad finish to it. wish it was tiny bit longer.
-when the fairytale ends - nice :)
- Hanako medley : pure joy. and very well done too, especially the pipes. the Percussion in Magarikado no saki is particularly noteworthy. of course one can't ask for Hanako enough, there is so much material in it that it can make a whole live on its own.
-shadows and fog: nice but instrumentals really save it.
-Rainbow - wow very good. cringe at 2:43, nothing too bad, otherwise great.
-petals and butterfly - I can't get the appeal of this song but hey it's good Remi performance. The end sounds like LORDish.
-moon and shadow - Remi sounded better; she mumbles in the second half; possibly because of kajiurago hehe.
-heigen - I like it; could use Tokyo Konsei maybe.
-a farewell song - sweet. Remi is also fine but yeah more operatic would have been better.

-starting the case : nice.
-a fighter- always a fan. percussion is a win.
-carnaval in blue & We're Gonna Groove- simply sublime. Guitar and percussion in WGG is lovely.
-hit it & run: one of my favs. that accordion section takes you by surprise. that arrangement...
-el cazador : hmm.... I LOVE ERI here. She sounds so weird and FOLK-singer type (I liken it to Shakira's voice would you believe) but yes it actually worked for me.
-voices silently sing - yup guitar percussion work. Eri voice fits perfectly.
-moonflower - na na no no no no.... not a fit. skip.
-hepatica - was so hyped for this one. nice but Eri's voice spits on "p"s "t"s, sorta annoying. like at 1:13, maybe she was unsure about the kajiurago pff. That guitar note at 3:14 what the f**k is that. ruined it. yuck. i thought they were gonna do Hawaiian dance or sth. tsk.
-I talk to the rain - nice.
-Credens justitiam/Crush: like.
-aerial fight : I laughed. This doesn't fit the live at all. none. pff..
-red rose: oof. died of exhaustion. I LOVED how the song is a showcase of everyone's instruments. just lovely.
-ring a song - nice way to finish off the live. so relaxing as always.

Would like to see all Kowzy said and :

-again full orchestra.
-endlessly by Eri.

thanks Yuki :p
 
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Thanks @VyseLegendaire

I only grabbed some 6 tracks out of curiosity and uh yea.
petals and butterfly - Remi is infinitely better for me when she's not doing her opera voice. Let's remember this is A SEX BGM (I'm sorry - a love scene BGM) for the movie, so I have no idea why the original was that forced opera other than just for the sake of unbearable cheese. I also liked the less active piano and extra guitar. A win.
el cazador - I like Eri here. If only because I like hearing her in a less controlled performance than the strict harmonies she has in other studio tracks. Other than the novelty of hearing Eri instead of YUUKA though, this is a no from me for a live audio release.
voices silently sing - a very resounding YES from me.
I talk to the rain - for the first half I had a boner, even with the pitchy violin, but with the guitar section it lost my interest.
red rose - sadly - a NO. It's fine for what it is - an encore song with extra solos and with Eri, but those pipes were a fail and the overall sound is just nothing compared to the original. I can't imagine many of us being excited for this track if the original sounded like this. Zero UMPHHH.

Hoping my internet doesn't shit out during the livestream today so I can save it.
 
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lol "mahou shonen" on violin.

Edit: Remi fix your mic or talk directly into it plz.

Anyways, listening to the whole release with them I'll say there's too many strings tracks. Regardless whether they were playbacked or partially live Konno and Nishikata with an effect on them. 20 minutes of just Hanako was also too much. *hides*

shadow and fog was also a fail - maybe don't do tracks when you have to playback the soloist?

moon and shadow drags on forever.

and a 15min break.

Edit-post-break:
I dun goofed with my stream download. :|

Kajiura talking about Mashimo-kantoku ;_;

O, I like new ring your song vocals. (Maybe they were in some other release, I just don't remember.)

Edit:
Luckily I think I managed to snag the whole video. If noone else posts it soon, I'll upload. This was a long stream. I think this is the first time I saw Sato smiling, lol.

Edit2:
They're on bili so guess I don't have to upload. This 182:40 one is the entire thing. Part one starts right before the 3rd minute mark, part two starts around 143rd minute.
https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV185411W7CP
 
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I will admit that they did choose hta tracks that sound the most similar to one another lol
Like seriously. Why not break up all the strings with Scandal? Arranging it shouldn't be difficult for FBM. :/ Even Palpitation... Why no Troublemaker ffs? You could pretty much take any track from OST1 that they didn't already include in this release and it would be A++, lol.
 
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I'll just comment on the vocal tracks and whether I added them to my YK playlist or not:

-Remi-
shadows and fog - As much as I love Remi, I really think Kajiura should permanently replace her with Joelle on future Princess Principal works. She's just such a better match for the jazzy music. This song also suffers from lack of FJ chorus, so not really a fan.
Rainbow ~Main Theme~ - This was superior to the previous live version in all aspects but one - the low operatic note at "amore carpita" that Remi didn't do this time. Am sad. It's my favorite part, so I'll stick to the old version.
petals and butterfly - I don't think this song should be performed with just a single vocalist. I liked Remi's singing, but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing, because clearly it was. The harmonies/layers of vocals really make this song for me, so I'll keep the album version on my playlist.
moon and shadow - It's an ok song but not top tier for me. This was better than the album version though, so replaced that one.
heigen - The last two songs were the highlight of the first album for me. Surprisingly I don't feel like this song needs harmonies. I think Remi did fine on her own and her voice fit the song better than FJ in my opinion. Replaced the album version.
a farewell song - This one was lovely too, personally I really liked Remi's take on this song. Kasahara already went full operatic on this one and I don't think Remi could've topped that so I feel like her semi-classical approach was perfect. I replaced the soundtrack version with this.

-Eri-
el cazador - Fierce parts: Eri > Yuuka. Gentle parts: Yuuka > Eri. Overall it's pretty much a tie. Sticking with Yuuka to 'cause I'm lazy.
voices silently sing - Was fine, but we already have a live version with Eri and FJ chorus, so I think this was just a downgrade.
moonflower - Not a fan. Kasahara was way better in this one.
hepatica - Never really cared for this song, the vocal melody is fine but other than that it just feels like nothing's happening.
I talk to the rain - Brilliant, instantly replaced the soundtrack version.
Credens Justitiam - No FJ chorus, no vocal bridge. Downgrade.
red rose - Eri was fine but what really sold me on this one were the instruments. Replaced the album version.
ring your song - Been done before, this time with no chorus. Meh.

That came across as way more negative than I expected. Overall I think it's an ok release, but personally I'm really disappointed in the setlists. With the solo vocalists they had a chance to do many never before performed songs but we mostly got either instrumentals or songs that have been done before either with the same singers or as FJ covers. Also, what happened with Remi's mezame? Did something go wrong during the performance or why wasn't it included?
 
Listened to the whole thing and while there's a lot to love here, there's also a lot that is very frustrating.

+The percussionist is such an amazing addition and absolutely needs to be a staple. Going back and listening to previous live versions, it's unbelievable how much a difference the percussion makes.

+The solo performances by Eri And Remi were very nice, and I actually prefer them to the full fictionjunction performances. Sometimes less is more.

+The live arrangements are great and are pretty much the main reason why I love Kajiura's lives. It's always a treat to hear her revisit a track and touch it up with some extra instrumentation or just reinterpret it a bit. (I really wish Kajiura would combine Rainbow and Lost home into one track. They pretty much go hand in hand)

-The accordion, as much as I love it, just got lost in some of the tracks. NV and Hit it are the two that come to mind. I appreciate Kajiura playing around with arrangements, but it was just impossible for me to hear the accordion outside of their solos. I guess this could just be mixing.

-The string playback is annoying. It's fine in a regular live, but this is an instrumental showcase and I'd really prefer if Kajiura either rearranged the track so it didn't need the playback, or just chose a song that didn't have strings.

-Setlist could have been better. Where's Zaregoto?

Anyway, it was a good album. I hope Kajiura continues doing them because I actually enjoyed this more than the regular lives.
 
i will admit that they did choose hta tracks that sound the most similar to one another lol
Mebbe she wanted like a slow, cozy section. Tracks from different series would've been nicer though. Mebbe I should send her my "dream" setlist hue.
 
If anyone could summarize what Kajiura said Re:Director Mashimo in the livestream that would be swell. :plz: (during I talk to the rain. 2h26 into that stream.)

(I mean, if you'd be willing to summarize the whole thing, that would be even better but I'm not going to hold my breath for that. :P)
 
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