I mentioned in my articles on getting into Japanese rock music that B'z is the biggest band in all of Asia, and that they have outsold most of your favorite artists by a margin so wide it isn't even close. Though when I bring them up to my fellow western people I find so many woefully uncultured people in disbelief. So I am here to tell you all about B'z and explain why you should listen to them, with this little retrospective article. Also of note I will be including English translated names to all the songs with Japanese names next to the song's original name for clarification
B'z was formed in 1988 by a renown young Japanese session guitarist: Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto. He held auditions for members of the new band he was forming, He settled on young up and coming vocalist named "Koshi Inaba" and later decided to not go ahead with finding new members, instead deciding to use sequencer and drum machine to emulate those elements. Tak and Koshi would release the self titled debut album of B'z in 1988 and would keep writing and recording new music in between Tak's session work. They were able to use Tak's status as a renown session musician to leverage a deal with a major label. The album was a modest seller bolstered by the single yet to be big "Dakara Sonotewo Hanashite (So Let Go of the Hand)". Their follow up album "Off the Lock" would be their first real success, with the single "Kimino Nakade Odoritai (I Wanna Dance)" getting notoriety for being used as the theme to a drama series. The album went platinum and proved a solid basis for their career going forward. These first couple B'z albums are full on new wave with elements of pop rock. Early into 1990 Tak would put his session work on hold to put all his effort on B'z and release the appropriately titled "Break Through". The album sold even better and sold more than 700000 units in its initial run, bolstered by their first minor hit single "Lady Go Round". The songwriting on breakthrough was more diverse and showed more sides to the band. Some songs experiment with hip hop, others are full on dance pop and many tracks are synth heavy pop rock in the same vein as the first two albums, but with better production. Some choice cuts like the title track "Stardust Train" and "Imadeha... Imanara... Imamo..." are great.
Then they got Lucky with Bad Communication. Around the release of "Break Through" they released their first EP "Bad Communication". The dance rock title track and two songs from their debut rerecorded in English in the same musical style as "Off the Lock". Bad Communication unexpectedly blew up and became a huge success for the band. Due to a mix up an alternate English recording with a bit more guitar and rock elements made it as the promo single version. This prompted them to release "Wicked Beat", their second EP, which was an English version of Bad Communication, as well as English versions of 3 of their then recent singles, including their first number 1 hit single "Komachi Angel". After "Komachi Angel" they released their fourth album "Risky", only eight months after their third album. "Risky" was the moment they fully became the huge band they were, and the first album to prominently feature Tak's guitar. Bolstered by the number 1 hit singles "Easy Come Easy Go" and "Itoshii Hitoyo Goodnight (Lovely One, Goodnight". These two songs helped establish the streak of number one hit singles that remains unbroken to this day. Some real great stuff like "Vampire Woman", "Hot Fashion" and "Easy Come Easy Go" make this worthwhile and prove why this was the first album to reach the million seller mark. This album sold so well that it retroactively helped push "Off the Lock" and "Break Through" to reach million seller certifications.
The band would move to more of a rock direction and they would fully ditch their songwriting team and production staff, seeking to gain more independence. "In the Life" Songs range from stylish and cool low key pop rock songs, to fun upbeat pop rock that is just infectious. Bolstered heavily by the hit single "Alone", "In the Life" became one of the biggest selling albums in Japan's history at the time of release, and while it has since fallen from that position, the album is still seen as a classic. Some incredible songs worth attention are "Sora Demo Kimi ni wa Modorenai (Still I Can't Get Back to You)", "Wild Life", "Tonight (is the Night)" and "Crazy Rendezvous". Following "Mars", another EP of more rock oriented English rerecordings of hit singles, one of which featuring Japanese disco legend Yuki Koyonagi, the band would later take their rock influences to another level with "Run". The synths were toned down in favor of a horn section and an electric organ. Run was the first full on rock album from B'z, and Koshi and Tak were very proud of it. "Zero" was a big hit for the band and a total earworm, but the title track would become among the most legendary songs they ever made. It was rerecorded later in the band's later style of music as a show of how far they've progressed, and it always saved as the closing song for setlists or used in encores. "Native Dance" is a stunning tribute to Native American folk now reworked in the B'z style to be something new. I don't know how else to say it, but every song on Run is a banger and almost everyone of these songs is of significance to the band. One of their essential albums for sure.
The new found success doing blues rock on "Seventh Blues" fired them up and they soon after released "Loose", the biggest selling studio album of their entire career. Loose is full on blues rock, but with much more punchy and polished production than they had "Seventh Blues". The album isn't afraid to experiment either, an acoustic blues version of "Bad Communication" is here, they make a song with a house beat and spoken word in the form of "Love Phantom" Some songs have a rough and southern feel like "Drive to My World", the synths are back and used to enhance many songs with little flourishes and fills, and we have multiple acoustic based songs. "Negai (Wish)", one of their biggest hits of the era is here, in an upgraded style, and it is great. The album has so much diversity how could you not love it? I love everything on "Loose", even the three hit singles, another essential B'z album. They then ended the blues era with "Survive". "Survive" aimed to take the band in a heavier direction while keeping a lot of the blues sound. The rhythm section on a lot of songs from these blues era albums are great. "Swimmer!!" and "Liar Liar" are proof enough. The album has many great songs and shows the more energetic heavier rock sound they would go to. Also "Cat" is my favorite song from this album, if nothing else just for Koshi singing the words "Meow Meow" with such a strong conviction.
"Brotherhood" was a turning point because it was When B'z moved to their signature hard rock sound. Tak said the band's then recently released compilation albums did so well it created this incredible tension for him and Koshi, leading to a heavier sound. For this reason "Brotherhood" is considered among their best. The album is synonymous with the band to the point. The songs from this album keep getting revived in setlists and fans love the title track for it's themes of companionship and unity. The album has some serious moments, but it is mostly fun upbeat hard rock. "Gir Giri Chop" was a huge success by being the first of many soundtrack singles the band would do for the long running anime franchise Detective Conan Case Closed. "Gin no Tsubasa de Tobe (Fly on Silver Wings)" is another example of the upbeat hard rock here. I love the use of strings on some of these songs, and the musicianship here is great. One of the all time great bass players Billy Sheehan plays most of the bass on this album and he delivers. The album was made with a more raw production sound and a full band of musicians rather than relying on keyboards, digital recreations and production to help make the album come to life. They also wrote songs in the studio as they recorded the album, figuring it would lead to a more spontaneous and energetic sound. This would influence every B'z album going forward and lead them to even greater success. Brotherhood isn't a favorite of mine by the band, not by a long shot, but it is great.
My favorite B'z album is the follow up: "Eleven". This era of the band saw them absolutely dominating. They had 12 songs in the top 13 on the pop charts at one point in this era, a song at number 1 and songs occupying spots 3 through 13, as well as other songs even lower on the charts. Your favorite band will never be as domestically important to or popular in their home country as B'z unless they are The Beatles or something. The album had one of the longest production periods of any B'z album, with the band working with multiple American engineers who have worked with various western rock and metal groups, hoping to truly nail the harder sound they were looking for. This would also feature some contributions from drummer Brian Tichy as a session musician, which will become significant later. The album is some peak B'z. Not only have they found a mix hard rock and this more mature sound they also sought, but they evolved from Brotherhood and improved upon in almost every way. No where is this exemplified more than on "Raging River". It's the longest song in their discography at seven and a half minutes, but it is great. It starts acoustic, but builds and builds to a powerful chorus. After an epic orchestral bridge it transitions to an incredible guitar solo. Then an acoustic verse building to yet another powerful chorus. The last minute of the song is incredible. In my mind it is their best song. On top of this the singles "Juice" and "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka Ni (At The Hilltop Where We Can Watch the Moon Tonight" are two of their most iconic songs. Other songs I feel are worth a mention here are "Ai no Prisoner (Love's Prisoner)", "Shinjiru Kurai li Darou (I Believe In You)", "May" and "Tokyo Devil". In my mind this is peak B'z and their best album, truly essential.
The band rebounded from this heavier sound with "Green", something made for the purpose of filling spare time while Tak and Koshi were busy doing solo projects. You might think this less focused approach would hinder the band, but surprisingly no. They move to a less heavy sound on this album, hoping to be a bit different, but capture a lot of that same energy. Opening track "Stay Green" emphasizes this perfectly. A sound like the hard rock of the last two B'z albums, but it is undeniably more bouncy and melodic. It's also my favorite B'z song. The album is still hard rock, but it's not as heavy, and there is a lot more production stuff going on here to make the album as it is, like some of the sounds on these songs like the effect on Koshi's vocals in "Surfin' 3000 GTR", as well as the beat in some of these songs. While I love a lot of these songs like "Go Fight Win", "Blue Sunshine" and "Forever Mine", the real thing this album is known for is "Ultra Soul". The song was written as a big inspirational anthem for athletes and aspiring people. It is a song about human determination. Not only was it a success, it is the most famous and remembered song of their entire career. While made mostly with a digital instrumental, it is a total earworm and is consistently remembered as their best song in Japan, so much so to the point that the people of Japan voted it the number 1 song to relieve stress to. The version included on the album differs from the single version, for having a different guitar solo, which I would say is better than the original.
"Big Machine" would keep the momentum going, even if the album itself didn't attain the same blockbuster success as the last three. A small amount of session musicians played on "Big Machine", their usual support bassist, as well as Brain Tichy and new support drummer Shane Gaalaas, who would become their longest serving drummer. The album seeks go back to a more band oriented sound, and opening track "Arakure (Panic)" symbolizes this well. I love the single "It's Showtime!!" but the better single is"Yasei no Energy (Wild Energy)". It starts with an acoustic guitar before going into this awesome heavy metal guitar riff with awesome distortion, and then it stays as a fun pop rock song with some cool guitar playing. I love that. I love "Nightbird", "Ai to Nikushimi no Hajimaru (The Start of Love and Hate)", "Change the Future" and the title track. All great stuff. The band would maintain this direction, but with a more commercial and rock oriented sound, leading to "The Circle." The album benefits from having a permanent support drummer and bassist, and no need for session musicians. The album's lone single "Ai no Bakudan (Love Bomb)" is a catchy earworm, and so is "Aqua Blue". Though the album doesn't forget to rock, as "X", "Shiroi Habana (White Spark)" and "Black and White" prove. it does nothing special, but the album is really good and shows a band in their prime. However shortly into the lifespan of the album on the charts, the band released the lead single from their next album.
You know what "Monster" is from the moment you hear opening song "All Out Attack". The album once again benefits from Shane Gaalaas and longtime support bassist Akihito Tokunaga playing all the drums and bass respectively. Aside from opening with a banger opening track, "Monster" gives us "Splash", one of the most beloved singles from this era of the band and their attempt at making a hard rock song you could dance too. The other singles "Ocean", "Shoudou (Impulse)" and "Yurugi Mono Hitotsu (One Sure Thing)" are all amazing songs. The album once again moves away from the hard rock sound in some songs, but gives us so many amazingly well written you can't get mad, but that also makes the heavier moments like the outstanding title track stand out that much more as awesome. I also want to draw attention to "Pierrot" as a total banger.
While working on an album for their 25th anniversary, the band went back to the drawing board multiple times. They wanted to do new things and grow for this album, but they were unsure how, until deciding on a kitchen sink approach, leading to "Action". "Action" isn't a double album but it comes close. The album tries so many new things. "Kuroi Seishin (Dark Youth)" is a hard rock song, but it mixes jazz scales and other jazz music elements such as a wooden bass, making a great B'z song with lots of unique flare. "Isshinfuran (Intently)" is a great song that tries to merge the sound of a hard rock song with the aesthetics and feel of a power ballad, and it was worked on heavily until near the end of the recording sessions when they nailed the arrangements and additions. "Boku ni wa Kimi ga Iru (For Me There Was You)" is a song with almost no guitar at all, something very rare for the band. "Nanto Iu Shiawase (Such Happiness)" is a wonderful attempt at combining the now standard B'z sound with the sounds of the swing of the 1950s. "Warui Yume (Bad Dream)" is another heavily Jazz inspired song and was the first song of theirs to utilize finger picking, giving it a unique sound compared to most of their other songs. "Hometown Boys' March" aside from being a banger, is a neat song utilizing shuffle rhythms. "Travelling Men's Theme" is a wonderful homage to the Beatles with a song trying to mimic their style, and it totally works. "Ore to Omae no Atarashii Kisetsu (You and I's New Season)" is neat attempt at making a song with latin instrumentation. Not to mention that the rerecorded Burnout theme "Friction Lap 2", "Super Love Song" "Buddy" and "Koubou (Ray of Light)" are all great. While they still sound just like the B'z you know at this point, the album is anything but stale and repeating past glories It is one of their best.
Following a short break B'z would record "Magic". Magic is just coasting along the success offered by "Action" and carrying on a more normal sound after the minor experimentation of that album. However lead single and opening track "Dive" is just awesome and lets you know that you are in for something good. The album is notable for having a support lineup change. Their longtime support bassist left, leading to bass duties split between Mars Volta's Juan Alderete and new support bassist Barry Sparks. Barry was recommended to the band as a temporary fill in for their 2003 US tour and Big Machine tour by mutual friend Shane Gaalaas. If you ask me Tak, Koshi, Shane and Barry is the quintessential B'z lineup and hearing them here is just wonderful. "Mayday" features a neat shuffle rhythm, and "Yume no Naka de Aimashou (See You In My Drams)" is a great tribute to the music of Japan's Showa era. I also wish to draw attention to "Mayday!", "Magic", "Freedom Train" and "Long Time No See" as awesome songs.
The band decided to sit on "C'mon" and would take a break for awhile before making "Epic Day". Aside from being their most Japanese sounding album it was also an album with fruitful writing sessions. Many songs were written but they sought something concise, leading to a shorter ten song album. While a weaker offering than their previous album, "Epic Day" proved a strong release when it came out in 2015. Lead single "Uchouten (Ecstasy)" is proof enough. The album supplies The album gives us plenty of rockers like "Las Vegas" and the title track, while supplying catchy pop rock in equal measure like "Man of the Match", "No Excuse" and a ballad written during the "C'mon" sessions. The album itself is pretty good overall though.
Next is one of my favorite B'z albums: "Dinosaur" recorded in preparation for their 30th anniversary. "Dinosaur" opens with a title track that showcases Tak's playing in top form before getting to the song itself. The title track is the song that got me into the band, it is just purely awesome hard rock with a cool message about embracing being called dinosaurs and being around for nearly 30 years. Awesome title tracks aren't all the album has to offer. The excellent pop rock song and double a side single "Seimi (Declaration)" was a big part of this album's success, having gold and gaining notoriety for it's use in Detective Conan. The song is a total earworm and alongside the other double a side single "Still Alive" help make this album great. I don't understand how you couldn't love the epically confident "Champ" or the bouncy hard rocker "Skyrocket" I also want to give attention to "Queen of the Night", "Purple Pink Orange", "King of the Street" and "Haruka". Not essential, but probably my favorite.
Following the 30th anniversary tour in 2018 the band fired their drummer of 15 years Shane Gaalaas, their bassist of 11 years Barry Sparks and their keyboardist of 24 years Takanobu Masuda. The reason given being that they were 30 and wanted to refresh things with a new backing band and achieve a new sound. The fans were sad, but excited too. However this lineup recorded one song "Tsuwamono, Hashiru (Soldier, Run)", the best song on their next album "New Love". The album features new support drummer Brian Tichy who had previously worked with the band as a session musician, and new support bassist Mohini Dey. While initially I didn't take to the album, it has grown on me. The aforementioned song featuring Sparks and Gaalaas is great. I think the albums is really well produced, and while there was no single, the album has plenty of standouts I haven't mentioned. "My New Love", "Mr Armour", "Ore yo Karma wo Ikiro (Living My Karma)" and "Deus". While not as awesome as Dinosaur I appreciate them trying to move to another sound. This new sound would be better realized on next album "Highway X". The horns are utilized much better here, and the songwriting for the most part is stronger, even if they have strayed further from their defining hard rock sound. They sound modern and cool here, with many great songs here showcasing this new kind of sounds. Some of my favorites include "Comeback Itoshiki Hanen", "Live", "Unite", "Hard Rain Love" and the title track. Truly the better of the two by this new line up
The band has released new singles since then, and have released their 50th consecutive number 1 hit single "Stars". (Oricon doesn't count digital singles for some reason) and is still on a warpath of success, doing their 35th anniversary tour and they still have more plans for the future. Whether you knew of B'z or not, I hope this will inspire you to go and check out the most successful artist in all of Asia.
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