View source for OFF THE LOCK

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{{Infobox Album |
| Name        = B'z
| Type        = Studio
| Artist      = [[B'z]]
| Cover       = 02a.jpg
| Released    = May 21, 1989
| Genre       = Rock
| Recorded    = Fall 1988 - Spring 1989
| Length      = 41:57
| Label       = [[BMG Victor]]
| Producer    = [[Masao Nakajima]]
| Reviews     = 
| Last album  = '''1st Album'''<br>[[File:01a.jpg|link=|border|65px|right]]<br>'''''B'z'''''<br/>(1988)
| This album  = '''2nd Album'''<br>[[File:02a.jpg|link=OFF THE LOCK|border|65px|right]]<br>''[[OFF THE LOCK]]''<br/>(1989)
| Next album  = '''3rd Album'''<br>[[File:03a.jpg|link=BREAK THROUGH|border|65px|right]]<br>''[[BREAK THROUGH]]''<br/>(1990)
| Misc        = {{Singles
| Name         = B'z
| Type         = studio
| single 1     = [[File:02s.jpg|link=Kimi no Naka de Odoritai|border|28px|right]][[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai]]
| single 1 date = May 21, 1989
}}
}}

'''''OFF THE LOCK''''' is the second [[B'z Albums#Studio Albums|studio album]] by [[B'z]], released on May 21, 1989. The release of the album was timed simultaneously with their second single "[[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai]]", with both of its tracks also found here. Immediately after the release of their first album, the self-titled ''[[B'z (Album)|B'z]]'', the band returned to the studio with the goal of crafting an album in which every song would be single-worthy. The production lasted roughly 1,000 hours, which was unusual for such new artists. This was seen as a necessity by the band as there was still a great deal of growing for them to do as a unit, both in the studio and as musicians. Emerging from the sessions was the perennial live hit "OH! GIRL" which would see more performances than any other song on the album and would later be reversioned in hard rock form for ''[[B'z The "Mixture"]]'' in 2000.

The album saw the band make their first live appearances and the birth of the [[LIVE-GYM]]. The band made no live appearances prior to or following their debut, as [[Tak Matsumoto]] felt strongly that they should not hold live events until they had enough material to fill a setlist on their own. After the album was completed, the band [[SF Rock Station Final Event "Thank You TM Network"|premiered live in a special event]] as support for affiliated act TM Network for which Tak was a session guitarist previously. This was followed by a spate of gigs under numerous banners, including  [[B'z LIVE-GYM 00 "OFF THE LOCK"|B'z LIVE-GYM #00 "OFF THE LOCK"]]
[[B'z BAD-CLUB GYM|BAD-CLUB GYM]], [[B'z CAMPUS-GYM "OFF THE LOCK"|CAMPUS-GYM "OFF THE LOCK"]], and [[B'z LIVE-GYM 001 "OFF THE LOCK"|LIVE-GYM #001 "OFF THE LOCK"]].

Almost no tracks on the album have been collected on [[B'z Albums#Compilation Albums|future compilations]] due to a legal entanglement stemming from the band leaving their original record label BMG, who retained the master recording rights to the band's first three albums and first [[BAD COMMUNICATION|mini album]]. However, every track but the title track was collected on the unofficial 1997 compilation ''[[Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles-]]'' without the band's express consent. Additionally, "[[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai]]" would finally be collected within the official catalogue with the 2013 release ''[[B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998]]'' after a deal between B'z and BMG was reached.

Although the lead and [[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai|only single]] from the album did not chart, ''OFF THE LOCK'' debuted at 33 on the Weekly Oricon Albums chart upon its release with 4,590 physical copies sold. This would be an improvement on their [[B'z (Album)|preceding album]] in terms of both sales and chart placement. With the band's later successes in 1990 with ''[[RISKY]]'' and 1991's ''[[IN THE LIFE]]'', the album re-entered the charts and outsold numerous new releases after being the 65th highest selling of 1991 and 90th for 1992. ''OFF THE LOCK'' has since been certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan with physical sales in excess of 600,000 copies.

== Production information ==

With the release of [[B'z (Album)|their first album]], B'z had their first taste of building their own sound and developing their vision of what they wanted to accomplish in music. The band were not especially concerned with the sales, however, as they had already decided they would not tour in support of the album and had a very different plan to most other new artists of the era. For their second outing, the aim was to create an album with songs that would be [[B'z Singles|single]]-worthy.

However, this was also the most trying time for Koshi as a lyricist. In subsequent interviews, Koshi mentioned feeling like giving up at several points, but was encouraged by Tak who said his lyrics were getting better and better. Though a stressful recording process, one of which consumed nearly 1,000 total hours in and around the studio by some accounts, Koshi's resilience with the follow-up's lyrics paid off. Through the album, he was able to explore lyrical themes dealing with daily life, as well as romantic relationships and endeavors as well as its place in friendships. From the sessions, the unexpected live hit "[[OH! GIRL (Lyrics)|OH! GIRL]]" emerged: an upbeat and optimistic pop-rock number that still frequents their live setlists to this day and is arguably their most successful of their older album tracks.

Tak drew on his previous work to create the power ballad "ROSY" that appears as the ninth track. Its melody was sourced from one of his more notable compositions from solo album ''[[Thousand Wave]]'' released the previous year. The original song, "[[Thousand Wave|99]]", was revisited and revised yet again for his sequel solo effort ''[[Wanna Go Home]]'' in 1992 after B'z had become a household name. In fact, many of the albums tracks have been reversioned within the B'z catalogue as well, including when "GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY" was retouched as a B-side for "[[Itoshii Hito yo Good Night...]]". Two songs were recorded over entirely in [[B'z English Songs|English]] with "Kimi no Naka de Odoritai" on ''[[WICKED BEAT]]'' and "[[MARS|LOVING ALL NIGHT]]" on ''[[MARS]]''.
[[Image:badclubgymlive.jpg|thumb|right|140px|The band as seen during [[B'z BAD-CLUB GYM]], their only tour of the type in which they toured clubs for three dates.]]
The ten-track resulting album entitled ''OFF THE LOCK'' was released only nine months after the first on May 21, 1989. The band's second single "[[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai]]" was, as was the case with their original releases, released simultaneously. The album's title came from the idea that the work would be "removing the lock" for the band, to allow them to explore their potential as a full rock band on the live stage with nothing left holding them back. Upon release, the album debuted at number 33 on the Weekly Oricon Albums chart, ranking fifteen slots ahead of their earlier debut album. While the releases did not lead to especially great mainstream success, it did lay the foundation for their forthcoming live shows that would bring B'z to the attention of the music industry and music fans alike. It would only be a matter of months before B'z had their first major hit.

Notably, no song from the album would later be collected on a B'z [[B'z Albums#Compilation Albums|compilation]] other than the [[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai|second single]] due to [[Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles-|rights issues with the band's previous label BMG]]. However, standouts "OH! GIRL" and "NEVER LET YOU GO" were re-recorded for ''[[B'z The "Mixture"]]'' in 2000.

===Birth of the [[LIVE-GYM]]===

Once recording had been completed, B'z made their debut on the live stage when they appeared at the [[Nemu no Sato|Nemu no Sato Resort]] for the SF Rock Station finale event entitled "[[SF Rock Station Final Event "Thank You TM Network"|Thank You TM Network]]". Tak had previously served as the guitarist for TM Network prior to departing for his solo career and thus he and Koshi made their first live appearance in support. Their brief setlist of five songs included their debut single "[[Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite]]" and its B-side "Heart mo Nureru Number ~stay tonight~" as well as [[B'z (Album)|debut album]] songs "It's not a dream" and "Half Tone Lady". Most notably, their next single was debuted as their final performance of the evening and would later become known as "[[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai]]". The song was a high-energy rock-dance song that showed the versatility they had been honing in the studio over their original efforts.

With two complete albums in the bag, the band finally felt they would be able to confidently hit the live stage and play a full show of their own material. As such, their first live tour was scheduled: [[B'z LIVE-GYM 00 "OFF THE LOCK"]], a three-date engagement at three well-known music venues from June 1 to June 5, 1988. The brief tour was to serve to test the waters but came up with very unexpectedly positive results. The three shows, in Nagoya, Osaka, and lastly Tokyo, sold out completely on the very first day tickets were made available, despite them being for a relatively new band that had not played on tour before. The regional tour was a massive success for the newly-established band, and established many of the core components that would remain intact for B'z shows decades later, including Tak playing a solo midway through the setlist. The setlist remained the same for all three shows, with "[[Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite]]" being reserved for the one and only song played during the encore.

When its late October 1989 release arrived, "[[BAD COMMUNICATION]]" took the Japanese music world by storm. Debuting at number 12 on the Weekly Oricon Albums chart, the ranking was a twenty-one spot improvement over ''OFF THE LOCK''. Heavy radio play brought much attention to the band, and from there their success was cemented. At the time of release, a second tour, [[B'z BAD-CLUB GYM]], was organized as a tour of club venues that lasted three dates from mid-to-late October. The setlist was unusual in that it began with three English songs: "[[WICKED BEAT|Bad Communication E.Style]]", "[[BAD COMMUNICATION|DA・KA・RA・SO・NO・TE・O・HA・NA・SHI・TE -OFF THE LOCK STYLE-]]", and "[[BAD COMMUNICATION|OUT OF THE RAIN -OFF THE LOCK STYLE-]]". Afterward, the setlist was a mix of songs from their first two albums prior to culminating in a one-song encore of the original Japanese version of "[[BAD COMMUNICATION]]".

Afterward, B'z immediately embarked on their first nationwide tour, due to increasing public demand. The tour, [[B'z LIVE-GYM 001 "OFF THE LOCK"|B'z LIVE-GYM #001 "OFF THE LOCK"]], saw the band performing their biggest shows to date, with a full 17-song setlist. Concurrently, a short tour entitled [[B'z CAMPUS-GYM "OFF THE LOCK"]] took place—a two-date run of college campuses and the only one of its kind in the band's history. The unexpected explosion in attention led the band to a great many more promotional opportunities than they had planned, including their first [[B'z Television Appearances|television appearance]] performing "[[BAD COMMUNICATION]]" on November 24, 1989 for ''Hit Studio Night R&N''. This would be the first of several early television appearances by B'z on the program, including an encore appearance just one month later on December 15 again performing the same song.

Their work in 1989 propelled B'z to the national spotlight, with hits on all fronts, from albums to television to the live stage. While impressive on its own merits, it would not be until the following year that the band truly found their break through, when they began an unprecedented record, released their first home video, and undoubtedly changed the way that music in Japan was seen by the general public.

== Track listing ==
All music and guitar by [[Tak Matsumoto]]. All lyrics and lead vocals by [[Koshi Inaba]].

#'''[[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai (Lyrics)|Kimi no Naka de Odoritai]]''' — ''I Wanna Dance Inside You'', 君の中で踊りたい
#: [[File:a02_01.ogg]] {{Kimi no Naka de Odoritai Song}}
#'''[[HURRY UP! (Lyrics)|HURRY UP!]]'''
#: [[File:a02_02.ogg]] <font color="white">.</font>
#'''[[NEVER LET YOU GO (Lyrics)|NEVER LET YOU GO]]'''
#: [[File:a02_03.ogg]] As one of the band's first proper ballads, "NEVER LET YOU GO" earned a special place in the B'z catalogue. Tak described it much later as "the ultimate B'z love song" while Koshi sourced the lyrics from personal relationships he had endured. This led to him noting he was "about to cry while singing" it in the studio. A hard rock reversion was prepared as a complete overhaul of the track for ''[[B'z The "Mixture"]]'' eleven years later in 2000. This version has a great deal of changes, with numerous guitar parts added and a differing arrangement. The song proved an early live staple and was heard on every date of [[B'z LIVE-GYM "BREAK THROUGH"]], [[B'z LIVE-GYM '90~'91 "RISKY"]], and [[B'z LIVE_GYM '91~'92 "IN THE LIFE"]]. In later years, it has been supplanted by numerous other ballads but its influence was felt for a long while to come in shaping songs that followed.
#'''[[SAFETY LOVE (Lyrics)|SAFETY LOVE]]'''
#: [[File:a02_04.ogg]] Collected at the time of release as a B-side to the album's [[Kimi no Naka de Odoritai|associated single]], "SAFETY LOVE" was a major step forward for the band's digital sound. It offers a better blend of guitar music with the digital arrangements the band were attempting at the time and is one of the better-remembered songs from the work. The song went unplayed for two and a half decades after being included for all 41 shows of [[B'z LIVE-GYM "Pleasure'91"]]. It was with the band's [[SHOWCASE]] shows of [[B'z SHOWCASE 2017 -B'z In Your Town-]] that the song was finally revived.
#'''[[GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY (Lyrics)|GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY]]'''
#: [[File:a02_05.ogg]] One of the band's earliest rock grooves, "GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY" is an ode to titular young people that take up guitar. Legend Jimmy Hendrix is mentioned by name in the lyrics alongside his song "Purple Haze", as is a Fender Stratocaster guitar. Later, as a B-side to single "[[Itoshii Hito yo Good Night...]]" in 1990, "GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY CAMDEN LOCK STYLE" was featured as an extended update that was also found in music video form on ''[[FILM RISKY]]''. In the film, the song is performed on a rooftop in London and features segments with locals performing the English backing vocals. The "CAMDEN LOCK" referred to in the title is a market area in London that the band visited in the course of filming. With a runtime of 5 minutes and 25 seconds, it became the longest B-side in their catalogue.
#'''[[Yoru ni Furaretemo (Lyrics)|Yoru ni Furaretemo]]''' — ''Even If You Break Up With Me Tonight'', 夜にふられても
#: [[File:a02_06.ogg]] With its relentless uptempo, "Yoru ni Furaretemo" seemed a natural fit for the live stage. The lyrics of the song are centered around a night drive and the potential looming end of a relationship. The song was performed on the three dates of their first [[LIVE-GYM]] titled [[B'z LIVE-GYM 00 "OFF THE LOCK"]] but never again, and has never been released on [[B'z Home Videos|home video]] as a result.
#'''[[LOVING ALL NIGHT (Lyrics)|LOVING ALL NIGHT]]'''
#: [[File:a02_07.ogg]] <font color="white">.</font>
#'''[[OH! GIRL (Lyrics)|OH! GIRL]]'''
#: [[File:a02_08.ogg]] <font color="white">.</font>
#'''[[ROSY (Lyrics)|ROSY]]'''
#: [[File:a02_09.ogg]] An early attempt at a digital rhythmic groove blended with a power ballad, the melody to "ROSY" was sourced from one of Tak's earlier solo efforts. One year earlier, on his debut solo album ''[[Thousand Wave]]'', he had released a song titled "99" that served as the basis for the track found here. The song was performed numerous times after its original release but has not been performed since being included on all 41 dates of [[B'z LIVE-GYM "Pleasure'91"]].
#'''[[OFF THE LOCK (Lyrics)|OFF THE LOCK]]'''
#: [[File:a02_10.ogg]] Running nearly a minute and a half, "OFF THE LOCK" at first appears an instrumental but it also has lyrics wrapping up the theme of the album. As only their second album, this would also be the first occasion in which a song was named after the album itself and is the only time such a song was used to close a B'z album. It has never been collected elsewhere, though it was performed as the opening number for the three shows that comprised "[[B'z LIVE-GYM 00 "OFF THE LOCK"|B'z LIVE-GYM #00 "OFF THE LOCK"]]. It was then used as an [[Ending SE]] for [[B'z LIVE-GYM 001 "OFF THE LOCK"]].

== Reversion history ==
{{Main|B'z Reversioned Songs}}
{|class=wikitable width="90%"
|-
! width="30%"| Original Song
! width="70%"| Reversion History
|-
{{Kimi no Naka de Odoritai Versions}}
{{NEVER LET YOU GO Versions}}
{{GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY Versions}}
{{LOVING ALL NIGHT Versions}}
{{OH! GIRL Versions}}
{{ROSY Versions}}
|}

== Live appearances ==
===Live Performances===
{{Kimi no Naka de Odoritai Live}}
{{HURRY UP! Live}}
{{NEVER LET YOU GO Live}}
{{SAFETY LOVE Live}}
{{GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY Live}}
{{Yoru ni Furaretemo Live}}
{{LOVING ALL NIGHT Live}}
{{OH! GIRL Live}}
{{ROSY Live}}
{{OFF THE LOCK Live}}

===Home Videos===
{{Kimi no Naka de Odoritai Video}}
{{HURRY UP! Video}}
{{NEVER LET YOU GO Video}}
{{SAFETY LOVE Video}}
{{GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY Video}}
{{Yoru ni Furaretemo Video}}
{{LOVING ALL NIGHT Video}}
{{OH! GIRL Video}}
{{ROSY Video}}
{{OFF THE LOCK Video}}

== Sales data ==
{{Main|B'z Sales Records}}

{|class=wikitable width="85%"
|-
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:50px;" rowspan="2" | No.
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:45px;" rowspan="2" | Cover
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:370px;" rowspan="2" | Album
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:150px;" colspan="2" | Physical Copies Sold
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:150px;" colspan="3" | Chart Positions
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff; width:110px;" rowspan="2" | Certification

|-
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>FIRST WEEK</small>
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>LIFETIME</small>

!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>WEEK</small>
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>MONTH</small>
!style="color:black; background-color:#e6f2ff;" | <small>YEAR</small>

{{OFF THE LOCK Sales}} 

|}

== Personnel ==
'''B'z'''
*[[Tak Matsumoto]]: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
*[[Koshi Inaba]]: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement

'''Support Members'''
*[[Masao Akashi]]: Manipulator, Chorus, Arrangement
*[[Jun Aoyama]]: Drums <small>(Tracks 2, 5, 6, 8)</small>
*[[Nobuo Eguchi]]: Drums <small>(Tracks 1, 3, 9)</small>
*[[Ryoichi Terashima]]: Chorus
*[[Nobumitsu Asai|Nobumitsu "Kyoso" Asai]]: Chorus
*[[Norihiko Tsuruta|Norihiko "Thunder Bird" Tsuruta]]: Chorus
*[[B.B. Ikkies]]: Chorus