So you may be wondering why I’m bothering to what is basically an identical album to a preview review (click here to read it). Well it’s because for the US release, the track listings had a bit of change. And that change throws the album. Track 1 (On & On) from the Japanese release has swapped positions with tracks 9 (Come Back To Me) & 10 (Me Muero).
So while the grand piano entrance of the albums first single may well suit the beginning on the album, the inclusion of Me Muero near the start doesn’t sound right. And On & On at the end makes you wonder where the rest of the album is. And thus the flow of the other tracks (who’s order still follows that of the Japanese release) just doesn’t sound right. It starts calm, climaxes around the middle, begins to calm again and then climaxes again. Not the best ending for an album.
But for this release it isn’t the end. No, the American market have been given three additional bonus tracks in the forum of the themes from the Kingdom Hearts series of games (both of which Utada sang in their English and Japanese forms respectively). For fans of the games, this marks the first time that the closing version of Sanctuary has been made available (as many fans had a game rip of the opening version). Having these songs included may well be enough to entice people to buy it by using this tactic.
Sadly for me though, it’s not enough to make me think that. If the track listing had remained the same then there might not have been a problem, but with changing it, everything seems thrown.
Rating: 3.5/5
NB Downloads DO NOT have bonus tracks. Amazon is normal 10 tracks whilst iTunes release has bonus video and digital booklet
Track Listing:
1. Come Back To Me
2. Me Muero
3. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
4. Apple And Cinnamon
5. Taking My Money Back
6. This One (Crying Like A Child)
7. Automatic Part II
8. Dirty Desire
9. Poppin'
10. On And on
CD ONLY
11. Simple and Clean (Bonus Track)
12. Sanctuary (Opening) (Bonus Track)
13. Sanctuary (Closing) (Bonus Track)
1. Come Back To Me
2. Me Muero
3. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
4. Apple And Cinnamon
5. Taking My Money Back
6. This One (Crying Like A Child)
7. Automatic Part II
8. Dirty Desire
9. Poppin'
10. On And on
CD ONLY
11. Simple and Clean (Bonus Track)
12. Sanctuary (Opening) (Bonus Track)
13. Sanctuary (Closing) (Bonus Track)
I love Utada and think she's the sweetest, most gorgeous wee thing... but this album was a disaster! Who would release this thinking the mainstream U.S. market was ever really going to like it?
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