Ongaku Cafe (2010-2019): Amuro Namie – Finally (November 2017)

This is the ultimate Amuro Namie album to own.  It features re-recorded and newly arranged versions of 39 singles plus new tracks and if you purchased the Blu-ray/DVD version, music videos as well.  Highly recommended!

---

ARTIST: Amuro Namie (安室奈美恵)

ALBUM: PLAY

CATALOG #: AVCN-99052 ~4/B

LABEL: Dimension Point

DURATION: 226 Minutes

REL: November 8, 2017

---

Disc 1

1. ミスターU.S.A.
2. 愛してマスカット
3. PARADISE TRAIN
4. TRY ME ~私を信じて~
5. 太陽のSEASON
6. Body Feels EXIT
7. Chase the Chance
8. Don’t wanna cry
9. You’re my sunshine
10. SWEET 19 BLUES
11. a walk in the park
12. CAN YOU CELEBRATE?
13. How to be a Girl
14. I HAVE NEVER SEEN
15. RESPECT the POWER OF LOVE
16. NEVER END

Disc 2
1. Say the word
2. I WILL
3. SO CRAZY
4. GIRL TALK
5. WANT ME, WANT ME
6. CAN’T SLEEP, CAN’T EAT, I’M SICK
7. Baby Don’t Cry
8. FUNKY TOWN
9. NEW LOOK
10. ROCK STEADY
11. WHAT A FEELING
12. Dr.
13. Break It
14. Get Myself Back
15. Fight Together
16. Tempest
17. Sit! Stay! Wait! Down!
18. Love Story

Disc 3
1. arigatou
2. Damage
3. Big Boys Cry
4. Contrail
5. TSUKI
6. Red Carpet
7. Mint
8. Hero
9. Dear Diary
10. Fighter
11. Christmas Wish
12. Just You and I
13. Hope
14. In Two
15. How do you feel now?
16. Showtime
17. Do It For Love
18. Finally

Disc 4 (Blu-ray):
1. Red Carpet
2. Mint
3. Hero
4. Dear Diary
5. Fighter
6. Christmas Wish
7. Just You and I
8. In Two
9. How do you feel now?
10. Showtime
11. Do It For Love
12. Finally

---

Reviewed by Dennis A. Amith

It’s hard to believe that Amuro Namie is retiring on September 16th.

Having reviewed so many Amuro Namie albums, singles, concerts on VHS/DVD, etc.  Here we are with Amuro Namie’s final album.

Titled “Finally”, the album is a hybrid album that in one aspect, it’s her seventh compilation album featuring re-recorded and newly arranged versions of 39 previously released singles but then you have a third disc which are all new tracks marking this her final official album.

The album debuted at #1 on the Oricon Album Charts and Billboard Hot Albums Charts and sold over a million copies.

Because of the significance of this release and how long I have listened and reviewed the releases in Amuro Namie’s oeuvre, for “Finally”, I went to Japan, went to Shibuya (where the Amura craze took place) and take in the Amuro Namie love on the time of its release.

Amuro Namie to me, she is is the “Queen of Pop of Japan”.

She has remained true to herself, she has remained a fashion icon and inspiration to many people but since debuting as a teen to 1992 and seeing her progress musically into her 20’s and then her 30’s and now to her 40’s, she still looks amazing, she can still pull off magnificent performances at concerts and draw a humongous audience but most of all her music continues to move us.

With the release of “Finally”, there are numerous versions to choose from.  From the regular version, the DVD release and the Blu-ray release.

I am reviewing the Blu-ray release which comes with three CD’s and one Blu-ray.  Inside are two booklets, which feature the lyrics for each song and a few photos of Amuro Namie.

It’s important to emphasize that these are re-recorded, so her earlier hits when she was Namie Amuro with SUPER MONKEYS such as “Mister U.S.A.”, “Aishite Muscat” and “Paradise Train”, even you are wanting that sound of young Namie, you will want to purchase her first compilation “Original Tracks Vol. 1”.

As I listen to the other originally previously released tracks on “Finally”, there are a few things you will notice, her consistency on vocals, her overall vocals have improved but also her pronunciation of English words is much better.

Another question some may ask is if she re-recorded every single she made?  The answer is no.

You are not going to find re-recorded versions of “Stop the Music”, “Dreaming I Was Dreaming”, “Toi et Moi”, “Something ’bout the Kiss”, “Love 2000”, “Pleae Smile Again”, “Think of Me”, “No More Tears”, etc.

And no, you will not find any of her Suite Chic music which she collaborated with m-flo.

But that’s the beauty of Amuro Namie’s music, she produced so many songs, took part in many collaborations and as a fan of her music, it’s worth checking all of it out.

The selections of songs that are re-recorded and feature new arrangements are not enormously different from the original versions, but you will notice the differences.  For example, from her ’90s collaboration with Komuro Tetsuya (TK), one of the things I often wrote about back then is how TK’s background vocals were evident.  This time around, TK’s background vocals are no longer evident.

If anything, the singles featured show the different styles of music in Amuro’s career.  It’s a very diverse album with a good balance of pop tracks and ballads.

I have listened to this album so many times and each time I wanted to get to the newer tracks, I couldn’t help but listen to the re-recordings of old tracks and know how much Amuro Namie’s music has meant to me.  How I grew up with her music as a teenager, listened to her music commuting to college every morning, purchasing her music while a student traveling to Japan for the first time, then professionally working with her Japanese label and reviewing her work.  I couldn’t help but think while listening to this album is how much her music has been part of my life in the last 25-years.

But for those who are wondering which song I listen to the most on this album over and over from the first two discs, it would be: “Love Story”, “Can You Celebrate?”, “a walk in the park”, “Baby Don’t Cry”, “NEW LOOK”, “TRY ME ~Watashi o Shinjite~”, “Taiyou no SEASON”, “Body Feels EXIT”, “Chase the Chance” and “SWEET 19 BLUES”.

Once you get to the third album, this is where you start to hear the diversity of her music.

Her song “Red Carpet” is written by Matthew Tishler (who has written music for EXO, Taeyon, BTS) and is an upbeat neo soul pop track that I found captivating and fun.  Tishler also wrote Amuro’s ballad “Dear Diary” which is featured on the album and was used as the theme song for the film, “Death Note: Light Up the New World”. Definitely one of her best ballads.

The coupling track “Fighter”, which was also featured in the album is also featured on the album and was used for the spin-off series, “Death Note: New Generation”.

“Mint” has become a popular song by Amuro Namie as it incorporates R&B, EDM, rock music and I absolutely love the arrangement of this song.  It’s one of the more memorable dance tracks she has made in her career.

“Hero” is a song that served as the official Japanese theme song to the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and I absolutely love the lyrics to this inspirational song.  It’s a moving song that I have listened to constantly since its release back in July 2016, it’s how drawn I am to this song.  One of my favorites from Amuro Namie.

The song also features “Just You and I” which was used as the theme song for “To Be a Mother” and is a mid-tempo song and the album also features her final released upbeat dance track from the album, “Hope”.

With that being said, the song that was not released as a single that I have listened to the most off this third disc is “Christmas Wish”.   With the release of this album in Japan in November, in Japan, Christmas seems to kick off on November 1st, as Japan goes all out in Christmas mode.  And the song was featured in 7-Eleven Christmas commercials and each time you walked into a 7-Eleven or some mall or store, the song was often playing over and over inside and while I was in Shibuya or even in Dotonbori in Osaka, in a big video screen, this song was being played.

I also listened to “How You Feel Now?” which was her reunion with Komuro Tetsuya (TK), which was a blast to hear.  And it was featured on a DoCoMo commercial.

And the title track, “Finally” is another touching ballad featured on the album and a fitting final song on the album.  She ends the song singing the words, “Finally, I can stop dreaming”.

The Blu-ray release features music videos for the 12 of the 13 tracks (with the exception of “Hope”).  You’re going to get most of the videos featured from “Red Carpet” and up, including the music videos for “Christmas Wish” and also the collaboration with TK for “How do you feel now?”.

“Finally” is no doubt a five-star album.  There’s no doubt about it.  What could have made it the super, ultimate release? I’m sure fans can say that certain songs that are not featured on the album, would have been nice?  And some may say, music videos for every track featured on “Finally” would have been awesome.  But seriously, “Finally” is an amazing album that Amuro Namie fans will want to have in their music collection.

Overall, this is the ultimate Amuro Namie album to own.  It features re-recorded and newly arranged versions of 39 singles plus new tracks and if you purchased the Blu-ray/DVD version, music videos as well.  Highly recommended!

---