B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure"
B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" | ||||
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Compilation album by B'z | ||||
Released | June 18th, 2008 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 2:13:18 Disc 1 - 1:10:32 Disc 2 - 1:02:46 | |||
Label | Vermillion Records | |||
Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
B'z chronology | ||||
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B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" is a compilation album released by B'z on June 18, 2008. Released to coincide with their 20th anniversary debut, this is their first official best of album to include 2 discs, if not taking into account the unofficial status of "Flash Back -B'z Early Special Titles-". Rare footage from their previous lives have been included on a Premium Live DVD as part of the "2CD+DVD" edition, in addition to the standard 2CD edition. Two popular non-Single tracks from their catalogue have been re-recorded especially for this release: "BAD COMMUNICATION -ULTRA Pleasure Style-" and "Pleasure 2008 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~". Fan favorite "Itsuka no Merry Christmas" is also included as the only other non-Single track in this compilation. All tracks on this best of album have been remastered.
Unlike other B'z compilations, this best of album includes tracks from their past 20 years and as a result, many tracks available on B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" overlap with songs found on previous compilations such as B'z The Best "Pleasure" and B'z The Best "Pleasure II". Disc 1 (known as The First RUN) collects songs from 1989 to 1998, while Disc 2 (The Second RUN) collects songs from 1998 to 2007. Notably, their 41st single "Yuruginai Mono Hitotsu" and the latest single at the time of release, "BURN -Fumetsu no Face-" were both missing from this compilation, but were later selected by fans to be included on B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure".
Initially, there were plans to include the bonus DVD on limited editions only. However, this plan was scrapped and as a result, both editions could be bought year-round. In commemoration of the album's release, street boards, flags and signboards were displayed for a limited time in Shibuya, Tokyo.
When B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure was released, B'z were still touring nationwide for B'z LIVE-GYM 2008 "ACTION". Similar to the release of the single "BURN -Fumetsu no Face-" earlier in April, other than commercials promoting their new release, B'z were unable to make television appearances due to their busy schedule.
Upon release, B'z The Best "ULTRA Pleasure" premiered in the top spot on the weekly Oricon albums chart, making it the top selling album for the month of June. The Recording Industry Association of Japan has certified the album as a Million seller. It is also currently the last best of album by B'z to top one million in sales. In December 9, 2008, Christmas themed cover editions, limited to 100,000 copies, for both this album and B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure" were re-released. In December 22, 2008, the album reached the 15th position of the Oricon albums chart. In total, the compilation has appeared on the Oricon albums chart 56 times and is ranked as the seventh best selling album of 2008.
Track listing
All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto. All lyrics and lead vocals by Koshi Inaba.
Disc 1 - The First RUN
- BAD COMMUNICATION -ULTRA Pleasure Style-
- Re-recorded version of the titular song found on their first mini album BAD COMMUNICATION. With a length of 6:20, it is approximately one minute shorter than the original. This version is similar to live renditions performed by B'z in recent years.
- BE THERE
- 4th single. The oldest recording on this album.
- Easy Come, Easy Go!
- 6th single.
- LADY NAVIGATION
- 8th single.
- ALONE
- 9th single.
- ZERO
- 11th single.
- Itsuka no Merry Christmas — A Merry Christmas Once Upon A Time, いつかのメリークリスマス
- From mini-album FRIENDS.
- Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni Boku wa Kimi Dake wo Kizutsukenai — Even Though Love is Selfish, You're the Only One I Won't Hurt, 愛のままにわがままに
- 12th single.
- Hadashi no Megami — Barefoot Goddess, 裸足の女神
- 13th single.
- Negai — Wish, ねがい
- 16th single.
- love me, I love you
- 17th single.
- LOVE PHANTOM
- 18th single.
- Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~ — ミエナイチカラ, Invisible Power
- 19th single "Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~/MOVE" 1st beat.
- Calling
- 22nd single.
- Samayoeru Aoi Dangan — Wandering Sapphire Bullet, さまよえる蒼い弾丸
- 24th single.
Disc 2 - The Second RUN
- HOME
- 25th single.
- girigiri chop — on the edge chop, ギリギリchop
- 26th single.
- 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
- 27th single.
- juice
- 29th single.
- ultra soul
- 31st single.
- Atsuki Kodou no Hate — The Result of this Hot Heartbeat, 熱き鼓動の果て
- 33rd single.
- IT'S SHOWTIME!!
- 34th single.
- BANZAI
- 36th single.
- Ai no Bakudan — Love Bomb, 愛のバクダン
- 38th single.
- OCEAN
- 39th single.
- Shoudou — Impulse, 衝動
- 40th single. Single version collected for the first time on an album.
- SPLASH!
- 42nd single.
- Eien no Tsubasa — Eternal Wings, 永遠の翼
- 43rd single.
- SUPER LOVE SONG
- 44th single.
- Pleasure 2008 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~ — The Pleasure of Life, 人生の快楽
- The original version, Pleasure'91 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~, was released as a B-side on the 8th single "LADY NAVIGATION" in 1991. This is the third version of the song recorded on an album (Pleasure'98 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~ is available on B'z The Best "Treasure"). As is custom with the Pleasure series, for this re-recording, parts of the lyrics and composition have been changed.
Premium Live DVD
The DVD compiles select performances of songs from tours that have previously never been available on home video before.
- Itoshii Hito yo Good Night...
- From B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure'92 "TIME" - Yokohama Arena, 1992.8.20
- At the time of release in 2008, it marked the first and only full recording of their 7th single available on DVD. Previously, the only other home video where this song was available was JUST ANOTHER LIFE, which was a recording of B'z LIVE-GYM "Pleasure'91". However, it only included the ending portion of the song, with no lyrics, as part of the home video's introduction. In 2013, B'z The Best XXV 1988-1998 included a bonus DVD recording of this single from its debut tour B'z LIVE-GYM '90~'91 "RISKY".
- From B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure'92 "TIME" - Yokohama Arena, 1992.8.20
- Mou Ichido Kiss Shitakatta
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '93 "RUN" - Yoyogi National Stadium 1st Gymnasium, 1993.6.17
- This fan favorite only appeared on the second half of the tour, alternating with the ballad ALONE during the course of the tour.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '93 "RUN" - Yoyogi National Stadium 1st Gymnasium, 1993.6.17
- Odekake Shimasho
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '94 "THE 9TH BLUES -Part1-" - Yokohama Arena, 1994.7.1
- An energetic song performed throughout the 1994 tour. It made a rare appearance 13 years later in B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -19- and B'z SHOWCASE 2007 -B'z In Your Town- as the last song in all shows, with a home video release available on the former SHOWCASE tour.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '94 "THE 9TH BLUES -Part1-" - Yokohama Arena, 1994.7.1
- love me, I love you
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '96 "Spirit LOOSE" - Yoyogi National Stadium 1st Gymnasium, 1996.5.22
- The single served as the third track on all dates of the tour, after Koshi announces "Welcome to the B'z LIVE-GYM" (B'z no LIVE-GYM ni yokoso).
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '96 "Spirit LOOSE" - Yoyogi National Stadium 1st Gymnasium, 1996.5.22
- BAD COMMUNICATION
- From B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure'97 "FIREBALL" - Tokyo Dome, 1997.3.23
- Unlike other versions of this song, for this tour the first half of BAD COMMUNICATION starts off with an acoustic arrangement similar to BAD COMMUNICATION (000-18), from the album "LOOSE", with the later half evolving into the standard composition that fans are accustomed to.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure'97 "FIREBALL" - Tokyo Dome, 1997.3.23
- Calling
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '98 "SURVIVE" - Osaka-Jō Hall, 1998.6.2
- The single was used as the closing track for all dates of the 1998 tour. B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon- marked the song's return as a closer for the tour.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM '98 "SURVIVE" - Osaka-Jō Hall, 1998.6.2
- LOVE PHANTOM
- From B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" - Chiba Marine Stadium, 2000.8.9
- Footage from the legendary live which took place on August 9, 2000, where heavy rain was falling throughout the stadium. As a result of such severe and dangerous weather conditions, a total of five tracks were cut from the regular setlist which consisted of 20 songs. On this day, LOVE PHANTOM was the thirteenth and last song to be performed before the encore. Unlike other LIVE-GYM concerts, a live orchestra accompanied the performance of LOVE PHANTOM. B'z LIVE-GYM Hidden Pleasure ~Typhoon No.20~ includes a performance of RING from the same date.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2000 "juice" - Chiba Marine Stadium, 2000.8.9
- GOLD
- From B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" - Seibu Dome, 2001.7.15
- Debuted in the Dome portion of the tour as the latest single at the time, this marks the first appearance of the single on DVD. This song would later be included in the 2013 home video release of B'z LIVE GYM 2001 -ELEVEN-. The single would not be played live again until 12 years later in B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER-.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM 2001 "ELEVEN" - Seibu Dome, 2001.7.15
- Don't Leave Me
- From B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE" - Tokyo Dome, 2003.12.27
- Even though this song was voted by fans as the 15th most requested song for B'z LIVE-GYM The Final Pleasure "IT'S SHOWTIME!!", it was not selected for inclusion in the aforementioned live. Nonetheless, it was included as part of the regular setlist for B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE", along with its following single MOTEL and a rare appearance for Himitsu no Futari.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM 2003 "BIG MACHINE" - Tokyo Dome, 2003.12.27
- Samayoeru Aoi Dangan
- From B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK" - Makuhari Messe Event Hall, 2005.7.7
- This song appeared only in the Hall and Arena portions of the tour and was cut from the Dome performances, along with THE CIRCLE album track Sanctuary. The home video release of B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 -CIRCLE OF ROCK- records only the Dome performance, which marked the debut appearance of album track X.
- From B'z LIVE-GYM 2005 "CIRCLE OF ROCK" - Makuhari Messe Event Hall, 2005.7.7