Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles-

Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles-
Compilation album
Released	April 24, 1997
Genre	Rock
Length	115:34
Label	BMG Japan

Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles- is an unofficial compilation album released on April 26, 1997 by BMG Japan after B'z had left their label. While B'z retained ownership of the compositions and songs, they did not retain distribution rights to the master recordings, and thus BMG were legally allowed to publish a collection of material they owned without the band's permission. The legal entanglement with BMG would continue three years later with the release of B'z The "Mixture" in 2000, which was a new compilation by B'z that featured remixes and re-recordings of older B'z songs. An agreement would later be met in time for the first of the band's 2013 singles collections B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998, on which the first three singles were collected on an official compilation for the first time.

This two-disc compilation pooled B'z tracks still under BMG control, all of which were sourced from their self-titled debut album B'z, their second album OFF THE LOCK, their third album BREAK THROUGH, and their first mini-album, BAD COMMUNICATION. One year later, B'z released their own official compilations under the titles of B'z The Best "Pleasure" and B'z The Best "Treasure" for their tenth anniversary. The pair of official albums would go on to become the second and fifth highest selling albums in Japanese history, respectively, with over ten million copies sold between them in their release year alone.

Neither Tak nor Koshi supported this release. Because BMG were legally prohibited from using either of the band members' images on the packaging or even in promoting the release, Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles- contains no images or insignias common to the band and instead features generic art in its place. With its unofficial status and controversial nature, the album only debuted at the second spot on the Weekly Oricon Album charts, but would go on to become the twenty-second highest selling album of the year on the B'z brand alone. The release benefited from the fact that demand for B'z items of all kinds was high, and the albums that it contained were ones that had become rarities on their own right. In time, the compilation sold enough to be certified as a "Million" seller by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

While unofficial, the compilation has become a rarity and collector's item amongst fans since its original turbulent release due to the increasing unavailability of the older works. To this day, used copies of the collection still routinely appear on auction sites both in Japan and abroad.

Track listing

All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto. All lyrics and vocals by Koshi Inaba.

Disc 1

1. It's not a dream

   From the album B'z (1988)

2. LOVE & CHAIN

   From the third single and BREAK THROUGH (1990)

3. SAFETY LOVE

   From the second single and OFF THE LOCK (1989)

4. Tonari de Nemurasete

   From BREAK THROUGH (1990)

5. Kimi no Naka de Odoritai

   From the second single and OFF THE LOCK (1989)

6. LADY-GO-ROUND

   From the third single and BREAK THROUGH (1990)

7. HURRY UP!

   From OFF THE LOCK (1989)

8. Half Tone Lady

   From B'z (1988)

9. GUITAR wa Naiteiru

   From BREAK THROUGH (1990)

10. OUT OF THE RAIN -OFF THE LOCK STYLE-

    From BAD COMMUNICATION (1989)

11. GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY

    From the album OFF THE LOCK (1989)

12. Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite

    From the first single and B'z (1988)

Disc 2

1. OH! GIRL

   From OFF THE LOCK (1989)

2. Yoru ni Furarete mo

   From OFF THE LOCK (1989)

3. LOVING ALL NIGHT

   From OFF THE LOCK (1989)

4. Nothing To Change

   From B'z (1988)

5. BREAK THROUGH

   From BREAK THROUGH (1990)

6. NEVER LET YOU GO

   From OFF THE LOCK (1989)

7. Kimi wo Ima Dakitai

   From B'z (1988)

8. STARDUST TRAIN

   From BREAK THROUGH (1990). Notably, the keyboard intro from the original track is omitted here.

9. SAVE ME!?

   From BREAK THROUGH (1990)

10. BAD COMMUNICATION

    From BAD COMMUNICATION (1989)

11. ROSY

    From the album OFF THE LOCK (1989)

12. DA.KA.RA.SO.NO.TE.O.HA.NA.SHI.TE -OFF THE LOCK STYLE-

    From BAD COMMUNICATION (1989)