B'z The Best "Pleasure II": Difference between revisions

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

Revision as of 22:17, 8 November 2017

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.

★ First time collected in a compilation in original form

☆ New recording prepared for release

※ Alternative version from source song

Track	Song	Album Appearances	Sample
1.	OCEAN ★	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" ★ MONSTER ※ B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 01.ogg
2.	Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni ★ 今夜月の見える丘に On the Hilltop Where We Can See the Moon Tonight	ELEVEN ※ The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ ※ B'z The Best "Pleasure II" ★ B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 02.ogg
3.	Ai no Bakudan 愛のバクダン Love Bomb	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 03.ogg
4.	ultra soul	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 04.ogg
5.	HOME	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 05.ogg
6.	Itsuka no Merry Christmas ~"Koisuru Hanikami!" Version~ ☆ いつかのメリークリスマス〜「恋するハニカミ!」バージョン〜 A Merry Christmas Once Upon A Time ~"Koisuru Hanikami!" Version~	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" ☆	File:b05 06.ogg
7.	Atsuki Kodou no Hate 熱き鼓動の果て The Result of this Hot Heartbeat	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 07.ogg
8.	Yasei no ENERGY 野性のENERGY に Wild ENERGY	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 08.ogg
9.	IT'S SHOWTIME!!	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 09.ogg
10.	juice	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 10.ogg
11.	May	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 11.ogg
12.	girigiri chop ★ ギリギリchop on the edge chop	Brotherhood ※ B'z The Best "Pleasure II" ★ B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 12.ogg
13.	RING	ELEVEN ★ B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 13.ogg
14.	BANZAI ★	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" ★ B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 14.ogg
15.	ARIGATO ★	B'z The Best "Pleasure II" ★ B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	File:b05 15.ogg
16.	GOLD	The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ ★ B'z The Best "Pleasure II" B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" B'z The Best XXV 1999-2012 B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX	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.