DRAGON FROM THE WEST

西辺来龍 DRAGON FROM THE WEST
Album by Tak Matsumoto
Released	February 27, 2002
Genre	Instrumental
Length	22:13
Label	Rooms Records
Producer	Tak Matsumoto

西辺来龍 DRAGON FROM THE WEST is the fourth studio album by Tak Matsumoto, released on February 27, 2002. The album was released on the same day as Hana and favored hard rock-oriented compositions as opposed to its companion album's more traditionally-flavored roots. The releases came ten years after the last original instrumental album Wanna Go Home in 1992 but was more immediately preceded by vocal album KNOCKIN' "T" AROUND in 1999. The titular "Dragon from the West" refers to Tak and the work itself, with Tak hailing from Osaka where the album was also recorded.

The album is one of the few among Tak's solo work from 2002 onward to not have been released internationally. However, the closing track from the album, "Trinity", was included on the international edition of Hana as a bonus track. Later, tracks from the album would be included elsewhere in his catalogue, including on 2005's orchestral album House Of Strings and 2012's remasters and re-recordings album Strings Of My Soul.

The album was well-received at launch and sold enough copies to premiere at the number five spot on the Weekly Oricon Albums chart, premiering one spot beneath its sister album, Hana, that would go on to be considered by critics, fans, and Tak himself as the magnum opus of his solo career.

Production and information

The album is a unique product in Tak's solo catalogue and exists in stark contrast to its companion album released the same day. The thematic dichotomy between the two simultaneously released albums is clear in that DRAGON FROM THE WEST was released as "Tak Matsumoto" in English while Hana was credited to "Takahiro Matsumoto" (松本孝弘) in Japanese kanji. The driving force behind the album was wanting to create a self-satisfying work that had a sound that would also work well if played live.

The support members involved in the production of the release included several musicians with which Tak had worked with previously, both with B'z and in earlier solo works. Akihito Tokunaga provided bass on most of the tracks and added to the arrangement. Hideo Yamaki joined on drums for "Trinity" after having worked with Tak on various projects beginning in 1995, while bassist Vagabond Suzuki played on the same track after playing on most of KNOCKIN' "T" AROUND. Longtime collaborator Akira Onozuka also offered keyboards on both "Trinity" and "Riverside Blues".

Track listing

All music composed by and all guitar performed by Tak Matsumoto.

1. SACRED FIELD

   The lead song from the album and also the first recorded for what it would eventually become. Prior to inclusion here, the song was performed on most dates of B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" in a medley with Tak's most well-recognized solo composition #1090 ~Thousand Dreams~ before transitioning into B'z song "JAP THE RIPPER". The song also served as the opening to the Fuji TV program Kando Factory Sport, on which Tak also performed the song on its March 2, 2002 broadcast.

2. FIGHTING BULL

3. DRAGON FROM THE WEST

4. NOTTEKE

5. Riverside Blues

6. Trinity

Personnel

• Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
• Akihito Tokunaga: Bass (Tracks 2-4), Arrangement (Tracks 2-5)
• Atsuo Okamoto: Drums (Track 5)
• Hideo Yamaki: Drums (Track 6)
• Naoki Watanabe: Bass (Track 5)
• Vagabond Suzuki: Bass (Track 6)
• Akira Onozuka from DIMENSION: Acoustic Piano (Tracks 5 & 6)
• Shinozaki Strings: Strings (Track 6)
• Daisuke Ikeda: Arrangement (Tracks 1 & 6)
• t2o: Arrangement (Track 3)