B'z The Best "Pleasure II"

B'z The Best "Pleasure II"
Compilation album by B'z
Released	November 30, 2005
Genre	Hard rock
Length	1:11:11
Label	Vermillion Records
Producer	Tak Matsumoto
B'z chronology
4th Best-of The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ (2002) 5th Best-of B'z The Best "Pleasure II" (2005) 6th Best-of B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" (2008)

B'z The Best "Pleasure II" is the fifth compilation album by B'z, released on November 30, 2005. The album is one of many that compile past works by the band and is a direct sequel to the second best-selling album in Japanese history: 1998's tenth anniversary collection B'z The Best "Pleasure". As with the previous release, B'z The Best "Pleasure II" primarily compiles the band's singles, and here the singles are ones released between 1999 and 2005. The most recent song collected was "OCEAN" which was released nearly three months prior in August of 2005, while the oldest was 1998's "HOME" released months after the original "Pleasure" album. Ten of the album's tracks were collected here for the first time, with others previously appearing on studio album ELEVEN from 2000 and 2002's ballads compilation The Ballads ~Love & B'z~.

Of special note is that the album represented one of the band's first foray into digital downloads. Limited first pressings at the time came packed with a color-coded download card that allowed a one-time redemption of a previously unreleased live performance via iTunes. It bears nothing that months earlier, B'z began their initial partnership with Apple's service with the exclusive launch of The Complete B'z—a full collection of the band's works to that date that included exclusive tracks as well.

The packaging for the album is dressed in the color Ferrari Red, after Tak Matsumoto's favored car manufacturer—an entity from which he obtained permission to use the color for the cover. Both members were very satisfied with the move, with Koshi Inaba recalling, "I thought it was really beautiful" upon seeing the first proofs. The rear and inside cover arts that came packaged with the album also featured the band dressing in outfits they had previously worn at live shows. In the images, a mock-up of a crowd is populated just by the two members of the band in the various costumes. It was noted later that Koshi had developed more muscle over the years and had difficulty fitting into some of the older outfits.

Promotions for the album were substantial given its status as a compilation. An award-winning newspaper campaign in which the album was publicized with substitute advertisements parodying non-existent businesses themed after Tak and Koshi appeared in the Yomiuri Shimbun morning edition on October 28, 2005. Later, the band appeared on Music Station SUPER LIVE 2005 to perform "OCEAN" and "Itsuka no Merry Christmas", with the latter being played in its original incarnation instead of the dance version found here.

Apart from "Itsuka no Merry Christmas ~"Koisuru Hanikami!" Version~"—an upbeat, dance-oriented rendition of the lead song from 1992's mini album FRIENDS—all of the songs have since been compiled on other compilations such as 2008's B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" and 2013's B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012. All of the songs apart from the aforementioned reversion of "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" were also reprinted as singles for 2017's B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX.

Upon release, B'z The Best "Pleasure II" debuted at the top of the Weekly Oricon Album chart with 762,000 physical copies sold in the first week. Ultimately, the compilation would be the fifth highest-selling album of the year 2005. In total, it has sold 1,183,424 copies and has been certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.

Track listing

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

1. OCEAN

   File:b05 01.ogg Collected for first time here, with a remix bearing a "~2006 MiX~" suffix appearing as the closing track on the band's next studio album MONSTER. Original version found here later also collected on B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" in 2008, B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 in 2013, and reprinted for B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX in 2017.

2. Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni — On the Hilltop Where We Can See the Moon Tonight, 今夜月の見える丘に

   File:b05 02.ogg Collected here for the first time in its original form. Previously appeared on studio album ELEVEN as an "(Alternative Guitar solo ver.)" in 2000 and again on compilation The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ in 2002 with an additional, though unmarked, alternative guitar solo version. Original version also later appeared on B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" in 2008, B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 in 2013, and reprinted for B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX in 2017.

3. Ai no Bakudan — Love Bomb, 愛のバクダン

   File:b05 03.ogg Previously appeared on the year's studio album THE CIRCLE with a revised edition appearing on the 2007 self-titled international EP in re-recorded form and an English version found on the band's self-titled English album in 2012. Original version also later appeared on B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" in 2008, B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 in 2013, and reprinted for B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX in 2017.

4. ultra soul

   File:b05 04.ogg .

5. HOME

   File:b05 05.ogg .

6. Itsuka no Merry Christmas ~"Koisuru Hanikami!" Version~ — A Merry Christmas Once Upon A Time, いつかのメリークリスマス

   File:b05 06.ogg .

7. Atsuki Kodou no Hate — The Result of this Hot Heartbeat, 熱き鼓動の果て

   File:b05 07.ogg .

8. Yasei no ENERGY — Wild ENERGY, 野性のENERGY

   File:b05 08.ogg .

9. IT'S SHOWTIME!!

   File:b05 09.ogg .

10. juice

    File:b05 10.ogg .

11. May

    File:b05 11.ogg .

12. girigiri chop — on the edge chop, ギリギリchop

    File:b05 12.ogg .

13. RING

    File:b05 13.ogg .

14. BANZAI

    File:b05 14.ogg .

15. ARIGATO — THANK YOU

    File:b05 15.ogg .

16. GOLD

    File:b05 16.ogg .

iTunes Video Download

Copies of the limited edition version of the album came bundled with a special "B'z/iTunes Custom Card" that allowed purchasers to redeem the included code for one of four different LIVE-GYM performances that had previously gone unreleased, depending on the color of the card received. The videos could only be downloaded once, with codes no longer being redeemable after May 31, 2006.

• HOME (GREEN)

B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood" -EXTRA-

• Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni (YELLOW)

B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice"

• ultra soul (PINK)

B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE"

• OCEAN (BLUE)

B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK"

NOTE: Video was later released in 2013 as part of B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 -CIRCLE OF ROCK-

Sales data

Main article: B'z Sales Records

No.	Cover	Compilation	Physical Copies Sold		Chart Positions			Certification
			FIRST WEEK	LIFETIME	WEEK	MONTH	YEAR
5		B'z The Best "Pleasure II" 2005.11.30	762,000+	1,183,424+	1	—	5	Million