RUN
| RUN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by B'z | ||||
| Released | October 28, 1992 | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 46:35 | |||
| Label | BMG ROOMS | |||
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
| B'z chronology | ||||
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| Singles from RUN | ||||
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RUN is the sixth studio album by B'z, released on October 28, 1992. The album is one of many for the band to not just launch at number one, but to also sell in excess of 1,000,000 copies in only its first week on shelves. When it made its way to the public, RUN served to showcase even more that B'z was a rock band above all else. Continuing on from the hard rock sound sampled well in the previous album IN THE LIFE, much of the sound here would shape the image of B'z for years to come. The album was supported by B'z LIVE-GYM '93 "RUN" and is one of the few B'z albums from which every song has been played live. Several of the songs found on the album, including the sole single, "ZERO", have become staples of B'z live shows over the years and remain beloved by fans.
The titular track "RUN" has been performed live at almost every Pleasure LIVE-GYM since its release, including Typhoon No.15 in 2003 and GLORY DAYS in 2008, and has typically been used to close out shows with a positive and inspirational message. The song was also voted onto the fan-selected best-of collections B'z The Best "Treasure" in 1998, where it was re-recorded in contemporary rock form to showcase the band's growth and labeled "1998 style", as well as B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure" in 2008.
Many of the album songs went on to become beloved fan-favorites, including the up-tempo rock number "Out Of Control", which was revived after fourteen years of not being performed live for SHOWCASE 2007 -19-. "NATIVE DANCE" has been included in three Pleasure setlists since its release, including GLORY DAYS. "Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai" (Don't Say the Word "Goodbye") was used to close out the album's LIVE-GYM as well as that of Pleasure'93. It, along with fellow album track "Gekkou" and the aforementioned "RUN", was voted onto the band's second 20th anniversary album B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure". In addition, "Gekkou" was also previously included on The Ballads ~Love & B'z~ in 2002.
Uniquely, almost all of the songs from the album became the subject of English demos. None of these versions were ever officially released and remain accessible to fans only in leaked form. Judging by the demos available, the only songs to not receive English renditions were "THE GAMBLER", "Akai Kagerou", and "Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai".
Production and information
B'zとして初めてライブツアーのメンバーとのセッションから制作されたアルバムであり、この制作方式は後にリリースされる『Brotherhood』『THE CIRCLE』などに繋がることになるただし、厳密には今作は途中で制作方針を変えたらしく、すべての曲がセッションから生まれたわけではない。本作で現在までのB'zの作風の王道である「ハードロック」に初めて挑戦した。「『ALONE』のようなメジャー系のバラードをやる気がなかった（松本孝弘談）」という意図から、明るい調子のバラードは収録されていない。このこともあり、「BLOWIN'」は未収録。アレンジはオーケストラ・ヒットを多くの曲で使用している。
初回盤はCDケースの成形色が黒色で、B'zの5枚綴りのフォトカード、フォトカードとCDケースを入れる紙製のスリーブケースが付属しており、レーベル面はメッキゴールド塗装となっているが、裏ジャケットが入っていない。通常盤は普通の透明のCDケースでレーベル面はメッキシルバー仕様である。通常盤はレーベル違いでディスクトレイの成形色が2色存在し、BMGビクターおよびBMGルームス盤がライトブラックで、ルームスレコーズ盤がホワイトである。「B'z」のロゴマークは前作『IN THE LIFE』同様「ALONE」から使用されたもの。オリジナルアルバムでこのロゴが仕様されたのは本作と『IN THE LIFE』のみ。
アルバムタイトルは発売直前までシングル曲の「ZERO」だったが、後に「RUN」という楽曲が製作され、そちらの方がタイトルに相応しいとして変更された。
Track listing
All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto. All lyrics and lead vocals by Koshi Inaba.
- THE GAMBLER
- 1分ほどのオルガンの旋律から始まる。歌詞に登場する主人公は豪快な人物に描かれている。稲葉浩志曰く「自分が憧れている理想を詰め込んだ」とのこと。「B'z SHOWCASE 2009 "B'z In Your Town」で久々に演奏された。
- ZERO
- Akai Kagerou (紅い陽炎, Red Heat Haze)
- The subject of the lyrics is that of infidelity. During the album LIVE-GYM, it was frequently alternated with fellow album track "Gekkou".
- RUN
- The titular song of the album, "RUN" has become among the most well-known and well-regarded songs the band has produced. The inspirational and supportive message of the song was written with the fans and staff members in mind. As a result, it is often reserved to be played as a final and encore song. The song has remained popular over the years, being voted onto both of the fan-selected best-of albums, and being remade into "RUN -1998 style-" on the first of which. The more rock-oriented version was intended to showcase the band's growth since the original's release.
- Out Of Control
- The lyrics to the song contain a strong element of social commentary. The song was performed for the first time in fourteen years during B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -19-.
- NATIVE DANCE
- The styling of the song, particularly the chorus, is reminiscent of Native American folk music. The song, when performed live, has special choreography associated with it that Koshi and the audience participate in together. In 1998, the song placed highly in the voting B'z The Best "Treasure", ultimately ranking in at #23.
- MR. ROLLING THUNDER
- The song begins like the album version of "ALONE", with English lyrics ringing out prior to the instrumentation beginning. The lyrics of the song were inspired by the landscapes Koshi witnessed as he was traveling in the United States.
- Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai (さよならなんかは言わせない, Don't Say the Word "Goodbye")
- Koshi has said the backdrop to the song is that of school graduation. A popular B'z song, it was used to close out the album's titular tour as well as the 1993 Pleasure shows, the latter of which was released on home video as LIVE RIPPER. It ranked in the top 20 in the voting for B'z The Best "Treasure", and ranked as #8 overall for B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure", leading to its inclusion. The song was also played on the tours for ELEVEN in 2001 and ACTION in 2008.
- Gekkou (月光, Moonlight)
- Koshi had difficulty while penning the song, and was inspired to name it "Moonlight" after hearing the guitar solo Tak had written for it. Every performance of the song has been done in acoustic form. It had not been played live for ten years prior to being included in the setlist to the fifteenth anniversary concert, where its inclusion resulted in much surprise and delight of fans in attendance. The song has remained popular over the years, being voted highly for B'z The Best "Treasure" and being voted high enough to be included on B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure", fifteen years after its original release. In addition, it was also included on The Ballads ~Love & B'z~. また、稲葉の父親が一番好きなB'zの曲とのことMBSテレビ『?マジっすか!』2003年1月28日放送回。
- Baby, you're my home
- The only acoustic number on the album. The combination of a clapping accompaniment, acoustic guitar, harmonica, and group chorus give the song quite a unique atmosphere. The song was at first conceived with more of a rock arrangement, but Tak felt something different was meant to come of the song, and as such decided to take a 180° turn to make it acoustic. An English demo of the rock version has since made its way online. In addition, a demo of the English version utilizing the acoustic arrangement has also been leaked.
B'z LIVE-GYM '93 "RUN"
The tour in support of the album ran from January 30, 1993 to June 30, 1993, with both a hall tour and an arena tour. Every song from the album was ultimately played on the tour, though some were alternated with each other, such as the case with "Akai Kagerou" and "Gekkou" filling a ballad spot early in the setlist. When the tour moved to the large-scale arena venues, a group acoustic version of "Easy Come, Easy Go!" was added to the setlist.
While filmed, the entirety of the show has never been officially released. However, on Hidden Pleasure ~Typhoon No.20~, a collection of previously unavailable live performances and similar materials released to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary in 2008, a number of performances from the show were made available, ranging from "Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni Boku wa Kimidake wo Kizutsukenai" and "ZERO" to "Hadashi no Megami".
Touring Band
- B'z: Tak Matsumoto (GUITAR), Koshi Inaba (VOCALS)
- Support Members: Ikkoh Tanaka (DRUMS), Masao Akashi (BASS), Takanobu Masuda (KEYBOARDS)
Hall Tour
Opening Music: RUN (Instrumental)
- MR. ROLLING THUNDER
- THE GAMBLER
- Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO)
- TONIGHT(Is The Night)
- Akai Kagerou / Gekkou
- Wanna Go Home~TIME
- Love is...~Koi Jyanakunaru Hi
- Love Ya / Strings of My Soul (Tak Solo)
- Doushite mo Kimi wo Ushinaitakunai / Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni
- Aikawarazu na Bokura
- Baby, you're my home
- NATIVE DANCE
- Speed (Tak Solo)
- Out Of Control
- BLOWIN'
- BAD COMMUNICATION
- ZERO
- RUN
ENCORE
- Wonderful Opportunity
- Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni / Hadashi no Megami
- Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai
Ending Music: Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai (Instrumental)
Arena Tour
- MR. ROLLING THUNDER
- THE GAMBLER
- Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) / Wonderful Opportunity
- TONIGHT(Is The Night)
- Akai Kagerou / Gekkou
- Wanna Go Home~TIME
- NEVER LET YOU GO
- ALONE / Mou Ichido Kiss Shitakatta
- Love Ya / Strings of My Soul (Tak Solo)
- Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni
- Aikawarazu na Bokura
- Easy Come, Easy Go!
- NATIVE DANCE
- Speed (Tak Solo)
- Out Of Control
- BLOWIN'
- BAD COMMUNICATION
- ZERO
- RUN
ENCORE
- Hadashi no Megami
- Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai
Ending Music: Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai (Instrumental)
Production staff
B'z
- Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
- Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition
Drums
- Ikkoh Tanaka: Drums
Bass
- Masao Akashi: Bass, Manipulator, Arrangement
Keyboards
- Takanobu Masuda: Keyboards (#1,3,5,6,9)
Orchestration
- Kazuki Katsuta: Saxophone (#1,2,4,6,7)
- Hiroshi Sawano： Trumpet (#1,2,6,7)
- Tatsuya Shimogami： Trumpet (#1,6,7)
- Hiroyuki Nomura: Trombone (#1,2,6,7)
- Tomohiko Katoh: Blues Harp (#10)
Production Staff
- Masayuki Nomura: Mixing
- Yoshiki Aoki: Assistant Engineer
- Yuka Koizumi: Mastering