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Post by dutchjoyce on Oct 2, 2009 14:53:06 GMT
Heey Mark,
Yes, mine were from cd Japan and i think the ones from Grant too !!!
There are, a JapaneseLimited editon and a Japanese regular edition, both with 15 tracks, but different covers. The limited edition is a SHM-cd and has a free calendar 2010.
The cd's i've ordered were send on the 30th of September, and needed only 2 days to arrive here.BTW i've choosen normal airmal delivery !!!
Greetz JOYCE
BTW........the cd sounds........
WOW- weeeeeeeeeeeee !!!!!
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Post by grant on Oct 2, 2009 14:57:48 GMT
Hi Mark did you both get the japanese one from CD Japan ? Well I did!  Best wishes Grant |
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Martin
Global Moderator
HWI Management Team
Posts: 3,339
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Post by Martin on Oct 2, 2009 15:48:50 GMT
Hi Mark Like you I decided to wait for the UK version next month and ordered from HMV (didn't want Christmas to start too early!  ). However, these other members are driving me mad with anticipation and jealously. I don't think I can last out much longer!  Martin |
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Post by Dean McCarten on Oct 2, 2009 18:44:56 GMT
Mine are in the UK, but I forgot to get them send separately so they are currently sat in customs and have been since yesterday night (personally I think they are have having a listen) but heres hoping for monday  Dean |
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Post by grant on Oct 2, 2009 19:04:59 GMT
WARNING! If you haven't yet heard this album and don't want to read about it DON'T read the following! Hello everyone As I’ve said before, I’m not going to attempt a ‘technical’ review of this album, as there are many more people on the forum qualified to do that. This will be purely my own thoughts and feelings. The first surprise for me was realising that the first two tracks were completely new to me and both provide a splendid, bright and cheery opening to this album. This is followed by one of the all time classic Christmas carols which to me has and always will be “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”. Now, perhaps the biggest surprise for me is track four. OK, perhaps I should have paid more attention and yes, I realise the album quotes the Latin title, but did I expect to hear Hayley singing in Latin? No!! This is a fantastic track and, in my opinion, one of the best on the album. Fiona’s arrangement is brilliant and gives this piece a far greater depth than I’ve ever heard before. All that couple with Hayley’s captivating vocals makes this one of those tracks that I defy anyone to try to do anything but listen whilst it plays. I guess many people hearing this album will think of Silent Night (for which Raven provide the strings), Sleigh Ride and Coventry Carol as ‘fillers’ but they’re carols that everyone knows and Hayley has made them her own on this album. There are four tracks that Hayley has co-written and the first of these is “Christmas Morning” in which Hayley sings about the house waking up on Christmas morning – had me reaching for my Christmas Stocking by the end! Joni Mitchell’s “River” is next and I deliberately didn’t listen to the sample track so it would be a surprise on hearing the complete album – good decision. Not sure I understand the lyrics but it doesn’t matter, Hayley’s love of anything ‘Joni’ is clear from this moving song. Another favourite on this album “Winter’s Dream” – another new one for me “The song you hold in your heart shines as the darkness fades ….” Just beautiful. And so we come to “Little Drummer Boy” This has been a firm favourite of mine for ever! I remember Harry Belafonte singing it when I was very small but I shall have Hayley’s version with me from now on. How is it that she can make everything she sings so special?! So, just when you think this album cannot get any better …. It does! “All With You” is another one co-written by Hayley “I am far but I am always with you” seems to be talking about a love gone for ever or at least far away. Another of those songs where Hayley’s ability to instil the mood of the song through her own voice shines through. The final two tracks are both co-written by Hayley and it is clear that whoever put this track list together, knew what they were doing because they have, without a doubt, left the best to last. “Peace Shall Come” is inspirational and I’m extremely proud of Hayley if they are her lyrics. It’s also one of the vocally most powerful tracks on the album and I just love it! Now I’m sorry guys if you’re only intending to buy the UK release. WHY this last track is not included is a great shame because it is, without a shadow of a doubt, the very best track on the album. The one downside of it though, is it’s 3.05 minute length and the fact that it just ends quietly. It takes one several seconds to realise that you have just listened to one of the finest Christmas albums ever recorded and well, you just have to play it again ……… Only listened to it twice so far but there is no way this album is going to be relegated to the Christmas CD box. Typical of Hayley’s latest Japanese albums it is Hayley at her stunning best 99.999% perfect! Best wishes Grant |
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Post by grant on Oct 2, 2009 19:10:09 GMT
Hi Dean Mine are in the UK, but I forgot to get them send separately so they are currently sat in customs and have been since yesterday night (personally I think they are have having a listen) but heres hoping for monday
Dean I hope you're right! Mine sat in customs for 7 weeks!!  Incidentally, mine came together by airmail, boxed and in a "plain brown envelope" Best wishes Grant P.S. You're in for a treat but I guess you know that!  |
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Post by grant on Oct 2, 2009 19:31:15 GMT
Hello everyone
Looks like Drew, Martindn and myself were the lucky ones in the UK today and Joyce in Netherlands.
Anyone else?
Best wishes
Grant
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Post by drew on Oct 2, 2009 19:42:38 GMT
Hi Mark Like you I decided to wait for the UK version next month and ordered from HMV (didn't want Christmas to start too early! ). However, these other members are driving me mad with anticipation and jealously. I don't think I can last out much longer! Martin If the sun had been shining and it was HOT outside I might have been tempted not to open my early "Winter" ( pc correct) present to myself. However, since it was quite chilly today I might be tempted to roast some chestnuts on the open fire and listen to you know who (again). PS. There are already lots of berries on the holly tree outside, all that I need is some reindeer. Sorry rain dear, it has been remarkably dry. PPS. Grant, I am brushing up on my Latin for St. Albans, sorry I mean Barbican. |
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Post by pjrcorreia on Oct 2, 2009 22:06:22 GMT
Hello everyone Looks like Drew, Martindn and myself were the lucky ones in the UK today and Joyce in Netherlands. Anyone else? Best wishes Grant Hi Grant and everyone, No luck here.  This time I chose registered mail, so, I know it already arrived in Lisbon (local time 17.47 / 5.47 pm). GREAT!  Now the worst part is that here in Portugal we don't have mail delivery on Saturday, and this Monday is a National Holiday, so, no mail either!  I hope it arrives on Tuesday. Until then I enjoy reading your comments about the tracks and listen to the samples! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBest wishes,  Paulo Correia |
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Post by martindn on Oct 2, 2009 22:43:16 GMT
Well, I've got it, but I don't know what time it arrived. So I don;t know if I won or not, and never will. It was certainly before midday, but Sue was in bed after working her night shift, and I was 20 miles away at work. So we will never know.
But it is here, and I haven't played it yet. Why not? Because want to have time to do it justice. I don't want to listen to it when I have to do something else, or when I can't devote myself completely to listening to it. Any less would be an insult to Hayley. And Sue will certainly not let me play it whilst we are driving to Cornwall tomorrow. She knows how Hayley affects my driving.
So it will have to wait until I get there. But I can still report my first impressions.
Receiving it from Japan 2 days after release is amazing. I am still smarting from my ROD experience, when I was able to buy the album in a local supermarket five days before my pre-ordered (UK) copy arrived. It is unlikely that I will ever again pre-order a UK release.
The album (from CD Japan) arrived in a substantial cardboard box, and inside was wrapped in paper and bubble wrap. Designed to protect something precious, which I am sure it is.
Unusually for Hayley's Japanese albums, the track listing is in English. This means we can avoid the usual challenge of trying to decide what the songs should be called.
Inside the album (it is the Special Edition) is a calendar for 2010! Yes really, illustrated with pictures of Hayley. There is a booklet, but this does not include the song lyrics, so you will have to work them out for yourselves there they are not well known. And since there are a number of Hayley's own compositions, you won't know them all for sure.
I have avoided listening to the samples in the Internet. I want to hear the actual album without any expectations. Except that I have seen that beautiful Japanese video about "On the Wings of Time" and know that that song at least it is absolutely gorgeous. It is probably worth the price of the album on its own.
So I will listen to it tomorrow evening. In our motorhome, in beautiful Cornwall, with Sue and our dog Sally. And it will be special I am sure. But I'm afraid that you will have to wait until I get back in a weeks time to read my opinions of it.
But from what |I have read above, I fully expect it to be wonderful. Let's hope that for once, it gets promoted properly when it is released in the UK. There are a lot of Christmas albums about this year, it is a very competitive market. But I doubt that any will be more enjoyable than this one, and I haven't even played it yet.
I will certainly post a more comprehensive review when I have spent a week playing it incessantly, which I am sure I will. And Christmas is almost indecently far away, I'm still on my summer holidays!
Martin
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Post by BenCMitchell on Oct 2, 2009 22:49:50 GMT
Sue will certainly not let me play it whilst we are driving to Cornwall tomorrow. She knows how Hayley affects my driving. Hi Martin Thats interesting! What part of Cornwall are you driving to? Although you have been banned from playing it whilst driving, how about playing the CD in the car whilst parked at Harlyn, looking out over the beach, on a perfect evening, with the sun setting... (although you will be unlikely to see the sun set in Cornwall! ) Cheers Ben |
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Post by martindn on Oct 2, 2009 22:51:30 GMT
Hi Ben,
We will be about 3 miles south of Truro (towards Falmouth). Is that anywhere near where you come from?
Martin
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Post by Libby on Oct 2, 2009 22:52:44 GMT
Grant, not everyone knows Coventry Carol! This is the first time I've ever even heard of the title! How were Corpus Christi Carol, The Little Road to Bethlehem, and Carol of the Bells? So, you mentioned 2 that she co-wrote, All With You and Peace Shall Come, and we know she did On the Wings of Time. So, what's the 4th one? I would guess Winter's Dream. I'm hoping for mine to arrive tomorrow. I'll be working all day, though. It would be nice to come home to a Hayley package! |
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Post by BenCMitchell on Oct 2, 2009 22:54:56 GMT
Hi Ben, We will be about 3 miles south of Truro (towards Falmouth). Is that anywhere near where you come from? Martin I live North of Truro, towards Padstow and Wadebridge. Sorry, In the time it took for you to write your post I updated my previous one! Cheers Ben |
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Post by spiderman on Oct 2, 2009 23:04:48 GMT
happy noon, everyone..... i listened to half of it yesterday at lunch, having told everyone not to disturb me for half an hour . as of now, its one of the prettiest sounding albums ever, and my favorite song is "carol of the bells" which is completely new to me.
the rest of the album will follow this weekend, but if my head is any indication, i'll probably have to listen to it more than once cos dsl hayley usually puts me to sleep {ironically, dreamlessly and i usually wake up when she stops singing}.
martin, i can barely walk straight after listening to hayley... how does one drive???
the spiderman
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