ELEVEN
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| ELEVEN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by B'z | ||||
| Released | December 6th, 2000 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 54:45 | |||
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
| B'z chronology | ||||
| ||||
ELEVEN is the eleventh studio album by B'z, released on December 6th, 2000.
Upon release, ELEVEN debuted at the top of the Weekly Oricon Album chart with 756,910 physical copies sold. The album would go on to rank at number 19 on the year end chart. To date, the album has sold in excess of 1,132,180 physical copies, qualifying it for a Million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
Production information
All but two of the album's songs—"Thinking of you" and "Tobira"—were performed live and subsequently released on the album's home video release in 2013 as part of their twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations. Select performances had been excerpted for previous occasions, such as with those found on B'z LIVE-GYM Hidden Pleasure ~Typhoon No.20~ released for their twentieth anniversary.
Additional songs from the sessions would also find their way onto GREEN after being deemed unfit for the album here.
Track listing
All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto. All lyrics and lead vocals by Koshi Inaba.
- I
- File:a11 01.ogg Technically a brief instrumental, I does feature Koshi saying "B'z ELEVEN" in its short runtime. The end of the song transitions into the next track though it was not recorded during the initial sessions. It was only when the band were deciding the track order that the idea to open with an instrumental arose. The title's notation of utilizing an "I" within a box is, according to Tak, a mark the band often uses to denote introductions during tour rehearsals and thus was used here to open the album. The music itself was used as Opening SE during portions of the album tour.
- Seventh Heaven
- File:a11 02.ogg Originally created with a much different arrangement without horns, "Seventh Heaven" is a funk-infused rock number about a place of bliss. It is also the first time Tak played bass on a track since doing so on the "FIREBALL" single in 1997. When asked by music critic Masanori Ito in 2014 to choose a song by B'z to represent their sound, this song was cited by Tak. It was performed on Music Station in 2000 alongside "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni" and appeared on all dates of B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" but has not been performed since. It did, however, find on its way onto the tour's dedicated home video.
- Shinjiru Kurai Ii Darou — I Can Believe in You, 信じるくらいいいだろう
- File:a11 03.ogg Contrary to their usual production method at the time, "Shinjiru Kurai Ii Darou" began with implementation of the riff. Tak's process at the time involved working primarily on the melody and filling in the rest from there. Indeed, the riff begins the song outright and continues through the chorus and outro without ceasing. Additionally, the song contains no guitar solo, becoming one of the select few B'z songs to share that distinction. The song was performed very briefly on early dates of B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" but was removed from the setlist thereafter. It has not been released on home video.
- RING
- File:a11 04.ogg A ballad in the chromatic scale, "RING" is considered by the band to be quite avant-garde compared to their other singles. The "RING" in the title does not refer to the fashion accessory worn on the finger but instead the sound made through ringing, such as with a bell. The song itself was written in the dressing room during B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood". It has not been performed live since being premiered live for B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" and was included in excerpt form on the home video titled B'z LIVE-GYM Hidden Pleasure ~Typhoon No.20~.
- Ai no prisoner — Love's prisoner, 愛のprisoner
- File:a11 05.ogg An unforgiving hard rock number, "Ai no prisoner" was initially the lead song on the album upon its announcement. It was only with the last return to the studio that the order was shuffled and it ended here. However, the song did open the album tour B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" and was later found on its dedicated home video. It has not been performed in the years since.
- Kirameku Hito — Shining One, 煌めく人
- File:a11 06.ogg As one of the few B'z songs in the modern era to incorporate rap-style vocal delivery, "Kirameku Hito" was proposed by Tak as an effort to create something different than what fans would expect. Specifically, he stated later, "I wanted to try a song that was like Rage Against the Machine". While the song is hard rock in nature and the lyrics are aggressively overlayed, its theme is nonetheless rooted in romance. The song has not been performed live since B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" but was found on its dedicated home video.
- May
- File:a11 07.ogg For its release, B'z set out to make "May" a single that emphasized "the basics" as its theme while also being one that emitted a typical B'z atmosphere. However, upon release, fans expressed surprise, feeling that the song was a type that hadn't been on a single before, which was a reaction that Tak and Koshi did not expect. The title came from it being released in the month of May, with Tak being the one to make the suggestion. An additional reason given was the muted feeling of the lyrics being similar to "May disease"—a phenomenon in Japan used to describe the malaise and dread of returning to work and school following the April Golden Week holidays. Koshi mentioned that it was difficult to get the tone right while recording the vocals, as he did not want to stress too much emotion. One-time support member and B'z LIVE-GYM '98 "SURVIVE" keyboardist Kousuke Ooshima participated in producing the track and is credited with aiding in arrangement. The song was performed only during B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" and was not released on home video until a single performance made its way into the premium video boxset B'z COMPLETE SINGLE BOX in 2017.
- juice (PM Mix)
- File:a11 08.ogg One of the truly hard rock singles by the band, "juice" has enjoyed wide acclaim amongst fans old and new alike. When performed live, the breakdown in the song between the guitar solo and the final chorus is often utilized for fan interaction, with Koshi calling upon the crowd in a call-and-response routine with varying exclamations and phrases, eventually culminating in the final riff. This, along with its inherent high energy, has made it a favorite of many fans and has garnered it a place on many of their live setlists since its release. As of 2020, it is currently their eighth most performed song. An entirely re-recorded English version was released as "Juice" on the band's debut English album in 2012. The original song was also used as the ending theme to the TV Asahi series "Onepu!". For its first album collection on studio work ELEVEN, a remix titled "juice (PM Mix)" saw a slightly heavier version with raised vocals and more emphasized guitar being released. The "PM" stands for "Poquito Mas" which was a small-time Mexican outlet at which the band commonly ate during production.
- Raging River
- File:a11 09.ogg Spanning 7 minutes and 32 seconds, "Raging River" is the longest original song in the B'z catalogue. Its chief rival in terms of length is "OUT OF THE RAIN -OFF THE LOCK STYLE-" from the BAD COMMUNICATION mini album released in 1989. Though the song opens with a brief piano and strings intro, this transitions into acoustic guitar backing Koshi's vocals for the first portion of the song. With the first chorus, the song adds electric guitar and becomes more of a full rock song. An English demo of the song premiered ten months prior via enhanced CD functions for B'z The "Mixture". The initial version was entirely in English and recorded with an acoustic arrangement that ended during the first guitar interlude. Some of the English lyrics remain as part of the chorus here. The domain hosting the demo is no longer functional and thus the song is no longer accessible. Notably, fans initially wondered if the song had any connection to The 7th Blues album song "Akai Kawa" (Red River), though this was rendered moot when Tak said he did not specifically recall the song when asked given the dozens they'd produced in the interim. The song has not been performed live since B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" but was found on its dedicated home video.
- TOKYO DEVIL
- File:a11 10.ogg The song ends with a Chinese gong which was cued by Tak's longtime tone guru and guitar technician Katsunori Hatakeyama. A fully English reversion became their first English song in some time when it was re-recorded as "DEVIL" two years later. It would be premiered live as part of B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~" and performed as part of 2002 FIFA World Cup International Day Concert, a joint headline event with American rock legends Aerosmith. The song would first find its way onto album form in the Korean-exclusive mini album DEVIL in 2002 and later be voted by fans onto B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure" in 2008. The original Japanese version has not been performed live since B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" but was found on its eventual home video.
- Kobushi wo Nigire — Clench That Fist, コブシヲニギレ
- File:a11 11.ogg A relentless hard rock number, "TOKYO DEVIL" is amongst the hardest songs produced by B'z. As with the album's third track, it was composed with a riff in mind as opposed to working from the melody which was at odds with their process at the time. Overlapped riffs were looped in a manner that is unusual for the B'z production method. According to both members, the resulting song was emblematic of the exact sound they were attempting to capture during that era. Koshi also performed the harmonica on the track. So impressed were they with the result that Tak wanted to make it a single. The song served as the subtitle to a SHOWCASE concert that led into the album tour, with the resulting title being B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire". The song has not been performed live since B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" but was found on its dedicated home video.
- Thinking of you
- File:a11 12.ogg Originally created as a demo by Tak in between Los Angeles recording sessions, "Thinking of you" was actually produced in Japan. Unusually for their work, the song has no intro and starts with Koshi's vocals immediately after the previous track ends. Most notably, the song was used as an Ending SE as part of B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" and began the tradition of using unreleased songs for the purpose. The song is one of two on the album to have never been performed live.
- Tobira — Door, 扉
- File:a11 13.ogg The last song produced for the album, "Tobira" was recorded with the tour support members instead of their usual stable of studio musicians. The tempo swings depending on the part of the song and by the end, the guitar waves from the left to right channels via panning processing. The song is the second of those never performed live from the album, with the preceding track being the other.
- Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni (Alternative Guitar solo ver.) — On the Hilltop Where We Can See the Moon Tonight, 今夜月の見える丘に
- File:a11 14.ogg One of the band's staple songs, "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni" has become synonymous with the image of B'z music. The song was written specifically for the drama series Beautiful Life for which it served as the theme. Tak and Koshi read the script to the drama prior to writing and composing the song, and carried out production between stops for B'z LIVE-GYM '99 "Brotherhood" with the single being completed in mid-November. On the lyrics, Koshi aimed to write something that was about figuratively taking whatever steps to overcome barriers and break free. The song is one of the few B'z works in which the title does not appear in the lyrics, with Koshi explaining the title was to set the atmosphere and not necessarily required to be cited in the lyrics directly. While the version here features an alternative guitar solo take compared to the one used on the year's earlier single, there exists another version of the song as well: for the 2002 compilation The Ballads ~Love & B'z~, an additional alternate guitar solo take was used without a subtitle indicating the track as different from the single itself.
Reversion history
Main article: B'z Reversioned Songs
| Original Song | Reversion History |
|---|---|
| Raging River ALBUM SONG (2000)
|
ENGLISH: Raging River [English Acoustic Version] (2000) |
| TOKYO DEVIL ALBUM SONG (2001)
|
ENGLISH: DEVIL (2002) |
| Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni SINGLE & ALBUM SONG* (2000)
|
RE-RECORDING: Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni (Alternative Guitar solo ver.) (2000) |
Live appearances
Live Performances
- Seventh Heaven [48 SHOWS]
B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
- Shinjiru Kurai ii Darou [5 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [4/46 SHOWS]
- RING [13 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" [13/21 SHOWS]
- Ai no prisoner [47 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- Kirameku Hito [47 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- May [22 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" [21/21 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
- juice [306 SHOWS]
- B'z juice guerilla live [1/1 SHOWS, PLAYED TWICE]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" [21/21 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM in Taipei & Hong Kong 2001 [4/4 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "SAPPORO DEVIL" [1/1 SHOWS]
- 2002 FIFA World Cup International Day Concert [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~" [18/18 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2002 "Rock n' California Roll" [3/3 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "IT'S SHOWCASE!!" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM The Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" [23/23 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA" [7/7 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "BIG MACHINE" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE" [12/12 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2005 "Abashiri Extra Edition" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK" [41/41 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2006 "Yokosuka MONSTER" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2006 "MONSTER'S GARAGE" [9/17 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE in Namba 2006 [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -19- [1/6 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -B'z In Your Town- [4/7 SHOWS]
- SUMMER SONIC 07 [2/2 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS- [6/6 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2009 -B'z In Your Town- [8/8 SHOWS]
- SUMMER SONIC 09 [2/2 SHOWS]
- TV Asahi Dream Festival 2011 [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER- [11/30 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2017 -Hissatsu Hiokinin- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2017 -B'z In Your Town- [11/11 SHOWS]
- ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2017 [1/1 SHOWS]
- RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2017 in EZO [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2018 -The Wall Of Rock- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI- [23/23 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2019 -Makaitenshow- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2019 -Whole Lotta NEW LOVE- [36/36 SHOWS]
- SUMMER SONIC 2019 [2/2 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
- Raging River [46 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- TOKYO DEVIL [41 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [40/46 SHOWS]
- Kobushi wo Nigire [47 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- Thinking of you [1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
- Tobira
- Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni [213 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" [20/21 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE "Kobushi wo Nigire" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" [46/46 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM in Taipei & Hong Kong 2001 [4/4 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2003 "IT'S SHOWCASE!!" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM The Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!" [23/23 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA" [7/7 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2005 "Abashiri Extra Edition" [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK" [41/41 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS- [6/6 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2009 -B'z In Your Town- [8/8 SHOWS]
- SUMMER SONIC 09 [2/2 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -long time no see- [3/3 SHOWS]
- AEROSONIC [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER- [6/30 SHOWS]
- B'z Special LIVE at EX THEATER ROPPONGI [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2015 -Shinagawa Uchouten NIGHT- [1/1 SHOWS]
- TV Asahi Dream Festival 2015 [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2019 -Makaitenshow- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2019 -Whole Lotta NEW LOVE- [19/36 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
Home Videos
- Seventh Heaven
- Shinjiru Kurai Ii Darou
- RING
- Ai no prisoner
- Kirameku Hito
- May
- juice
- LIVE-GYM 2002 "GREEN ~GO★FIGHT★WIN~"
- LIVE-GYM 2002 "Rock n' California Roll"
- LIVE-GYM Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!"
- LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA"
- LIVE-GYM 2006 "MONSTER'S GARAGE"
- LIVE in Namba 2006
- Hidden Pleasure: LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK"
- Hidden Pleasure: LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice"
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS-
- LIVE-GYM 2005 -CIRCLE OF ROCK-
- LIVE-GYM 2001 -ELEVEN-
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER-
- DINOSAUR Limited Edition: ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2017
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI-
- LIVE-GYM 2019 -Whole Lotta NEW LOVE-
- SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820-
- Raging River
- TOKYO DEVIL
- Kobushi wo Nigire
- Thinking of you
- Tobira
- Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni
- LIVE-GYM Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!"
- LIVE-GYM 2003 "BANZAI IN NORTH AMERICA"
- Pleasure II Limited Edition: LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice"
- Hidden Pleasure: LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN"
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2008 -GLORY DAYS-
- LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic"
- LIVE-GYM 2011 -long time no see-
- LIVE-GYM 2005 -CIRCLE OF ROCK-
- Uchouten Limited Edition DVD: EX THEATER ROPPONGI Special LIVE
- LIVE-GYM 2001 -ELEVEN-
- LIVE-GYM 2019 -Whole Lotta NEW LOVE-
- SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820-
Sales data
Main article: B'z Sales Records
| No. | Cover | Album | Physical Copies Sold | Chart Positions | Certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST WEEK | LIFETIME | WEEK | MONTH | YEAR | ||||
| 11 | 
|
ELEVEN |
756,910+ |
1,132,180+ |
1 |
— |
19 |
Million |
Personnel
B'z
- Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement, Bass (Track 2)
- Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement, Harmonica (Track 11)
Support Members
- Brian Tichy: Drums (Tracks 2, 5, 8)
- Kaichi Kurose: Drums (Tracks 3, 6, 10, 11, 13)
- Hideo Yamaki: Drums (Tracks 4, 9, 12, 14)
- Masao Akashi: Bass (Tracks 3, 6, 10, 11)
- Vagabond Suzuki: Bass (Tracks 7 & 9)
- Showtaro Mitsuzono: Bass (Track 13)
- Koji "Kitaroh" Nakamura: Bass (Tracks 4, 12, 14)
- Fingers: Bass (Tracks 5 & 8)
- Akira Onozuka: Piano (Tracks 4, 7, 9, 14)
- Shinozaki Strings: Strings (Tracks 4 & 9)
- TAMA MUSIC: Chorus (Track 9)
- Katsunori "hakkai" Hatakeyama: Chinese Gong (Track 10)
- Akihito Tokunaga: Clavinet (Track 2)
- Shiro Sasaki: Trumpet (Track 2)
- Fussy Kobayashi: Trumpet (Track 2)
- Wakaba Kawai: Trombone (Track 2)
- Kazuki Katsuta: Sax (Track 2)
Production
- Daisuke Ikeda: Strings Arrangement (Track 4), Strings & Chorus Arrangement (Track 9)
- Kousuke Ohshima: Arrangement (Track 7)