MAGIC
| MAGIC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by B'z | ||||
| Released | November 18, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2009 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock | |||
| Length | 45:42 | |||
| Label | Vermillion Records | |||
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
| B'z chronology | ||||
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| Singles from MAGIC | ||||
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MAGIC is the seventeenth studio album by B'z that was released on November 18, 2009. Peaking at #1 and achieving Platinum sales status in just three days, the album was released in both a standard and a limited edition. The limited edition featured a bonus DVD with the documentary Magical Backstage Tour 2009 which followed the band during the recording process for the album, the shooting of the three singles' music videos, and performances of all three from SUMMER SONIC 2009. Intermittent footage and interviews with B'z and supporting band members are also included, as well as clips of performances from the 2009 SHOWCASE tour.
B'z continued their tradition of working with well-known western artists on the album. Support mainstays Shane Gaalaas and Barry Sparks, were also present on the subsequent tour, provided drums and bass respectively on the majority of the tracks. Juan Alderete, who had previously worked with B'z on ACTION, returned with new collaborator Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The pair were included on both title tracks "Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE" from the double A-side single as well as album song "long time no see".
The double A-side single "Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE" as well as that of the three-track single "MY LONELY TOWN" were released in promotion of the album. Music videos were shot for all three, with a limited edition of "MY LONELY TOWN" including the music video on a bonus DVD. A 2010 LIVE-GYM tour titled "Ain't No Magic" commenced on January 14th, 2010 at the Aomori Civic Cultural Hall and ran through a March 7th date at Tokyo Dome.
Within three days of release, MAGIC had already sold enough copies to reach Platinum status. It ranked as the top-selling album throughout the week of its release on the daily charts, making it the band's 14th consecutive studio album to do so with 340,630 physical copies sold. It was also ranked at the top of the monthly chart and thirteenth for the year. To date, the album has sold over 500,000 copies and has been certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. In 2018, the album was reissued as a two vinyl set made available to visitors of their thirtieth anniversary public exhibition entitled "SCENES" alongside all other studio albums to that point.
Production information
Following their year-long tour in support of their twentieth anniversary in 2008, B'z went on break before returning to the studio. After vacationing in Hawaii, the duo reunited and began recording what would eventually become known their seventeenth studio album. A color advertisement was printed to announce the album, which was included in the morning editions of Yomiuri, Asashi, Chunichi, Shizuoka, and Hokkaido newspapers, on September 28, 2009. Aside from announcing the album, information regarding the 2010 tour and the release date of the then-upcoming single, "MY LONELY TOWN", were detailed.
The album was recorded in Hakata, Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Tokyo in order to produce as diverse an album as possible. The DVD included in the limited edition contains the documentary "Magical Backstage Tour 2009" that has a runtime of just over one hour. In addition to shadowing and interviewing the band as they work on each track of the release, the video serves as one of the most candid close-ups on B'z to date. Numerous English exchanges are also caught on camera, as well as interviews with Barry Sparks, Shane Gaalaas, Juan Alderete, and Chad Smith on the nature of working with B'z.
Several promotional tie-ins were announced for various songs from the album. "Ichibu to Zenbu" was used as the theme to the Japanese drama and Yamashita Tomohisa-starring vehicle Buzzer Beat. The second A-side from that single, "DIVE", was used as the promotional theme for the new Suzuki Swift. In addition, album track "PRAY" was used as the theme to the Japanese film Tajomaru starring Oguri Shun. Fellow album tune "long time no see" was featured as the theme to the drama Salaryman Kintaro 2, that began airing in January 2010 on Asahi TV.
On September 30, 2009, B'z appeared on Japanese radio station bayfm in order to celebrate the station's twentieth anniversary. The show was referred to as a "B'z Special" that served as an introspective and a platform for which to preview the new album. Several songs from the album were broadcast for the first time with comments interspersed by the band. On November 2, the show was made available via a portal on the bayfm website, and it was later reported that over 10,000 listeners had heard the recorded broadcast within the first day of it being online.
The album contains a number of hard rock songs, which serves as a slight departure from 2007's ACTION. Despite this, the album contains two power ballads, one of which is the previously-heard "PRAY" along with "TINY DROPS", which was first debuted on the bayfm radio show. The double A-side single of "Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE" and "MY LONELY TOWN" are also included in the album, and upon their releases, became the band's record 42nd and 43rd consecutive #1 singles.
Magical Backstage Tour 2009
Available only with the special edition, the Magical Backstage Tour 2009 bonus DVD contains over an hour of behind the scenes footage. From interviews with Tak, Koshi and support members as they travel between studios, to showing how the songs are recorded from start to finish, as well as live performances, the DVD serves to provide an in-depth look at the work surrounding the album and its release.
DVD Contents
- Hakata Recording (January 2009)
- Hawaii Recording (February 2009)
- Los Angeles Recording (April 2009)
- DIVE Music Video Shooting
- Tokyo Recording (May 2009)
- Ichibu to Zenbu Music Video Shooting
- B'z SHOWCASE 2009 -B'z In Your Town-
- MY LONELY TOWN Music Video Shooting
- SUMMER SONIC 09 (August 2009)
- DIVE Tokyo Summer Sonic Live
- MY LONELY TOWN Tokyo Summer Sonic Live
- Ichibu to Zenbu Osaka Summer Sonic Live
As is common with the B'z SHOWCASE shows, more obscure songs that aren't normally included in the larger setlists are played live. One of these selected as an inclusion for the DVD segment, "VAMPIRE WOMAN", had not been performed since the 1990~1991 LIVE-GYM prior to this show. Others played in the SHOWCASE and later previewed on the DVD include "BURN -Fumetsu no Face-", "Wonderful Opportunity", and "ZERO".
Track listing
All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto. All lyrics and lead vocals by Koshi Inaba.
- Introduction
- File:a17 01.ogg Guitar instrumental. The idea to open the album with an instrumental of this sort was conceived by Koshi once the album had been completed, and was followed up on by Tak. After experimenting with a number of instruments, he eventually settled on the guitar-led introduction present on the final album.
- DIVE
- File:a17 02.ogg Previously the second A-side to the 46th single, "Ichibu to Zenbu/DIVE". The slow-tempo opening of the single version was removed to make it cross over more seamlessly from the introduction track. Drums on this track were performed by Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers with bass provided by Juan Alderete of the Mars Volta.
- Time Flies
- File:a17 03.ogg Like the preceding tracks, the end of "DIVE" is seamlessly integrated into the opening with no silence between.
- MY LONELY TOWN
- File:a17 04.ogg Previously the 47th single prior to being included here.
- long time no see
- File:a17 05.ogg Theme song to Salaryman Kintaro 2. Drums on this track were performed by Chad Smith with bass provided by Juan Alderete.
- Ichibu to Zenbu — A Part & All, イチブトゼンブ
- File:a17 06.ogg An instant hit with its infectious melody and rhythm, "Ichibu to Zenbu" has become one of the most popular singles of the latter B'z era. The song was produced as a rock song with a medium tempo. The song served as the theme to the television series "Buzzer Beat", which was the first time in four years that B'z had provided a drama theme, since the release of "OCEAN" in 2005. The music and lyrics were written only after reading the script to the drama to ensure the product of their work would mesh with its tone. Drums on the track were performed by Chad Smith with bass provided by Juan Alderete. A ballad version was also produced for the series, which would later be released as a second B-side on the follow-up single, "MY LONELY TOWN".
- PRAY
- File:a17 07.ogg Used as the theme song to the Oguri Shun-starring period piece, Tajomaru.
- MAGIC
- File:a17 08.ogg Title song and, more importantly, the basis for the album's theme.
- Mayday!
- File:a17 09.ogg Exhibits a Shuffle-infused rhythm.
- TINY DROPS
- File:a17 10.ogg Begins as a traditional piano ballad before introducing more diverse instrumentation. Debuted on the bayfm 20th anniversary radio special.
- Dare ni mo Ienee — Can't Tell Anyone, だれにも言えねぇ
- File:a17 11.ogg Tak is seen on the limited edition DVD performing an acoustic solo to the song.
- Yume no Naka de Aimashou — Meet You In My Dreams, 夢の中で逢いましょう
- File:a17 12.ogg Said by the band to be influenced by music from the Shōwa period. It was the only song from the album not to be performed live.
- Freedom Train
- File:a17 13.ogg First song produced for the album. Barry Sparks and Shane Gaalaas contribute chorus vocals with Koshi on the song.
Reversion history
| Original Song | Reversion History |
|---|---|
| DIVE SINGLE & ALBUM SONG* (2009)
|
REMIX: DIVE [Album Version] (2009) |
| Ichibu to Zenbu SINGLE & ALBUM SONG (2009)
|
RE-RECORDING: Ichibu to Zenbu -Ballad Version- (2009) |
Live appearances
Live Performances
- DIVE [86 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]
- Music for Relief's Secret Show for Japan [1/1 SHOWS]
- TV Asahi Dream Festival 2011 [1/1 SHOWS]
- Pepsi NEX presents B'z 1DAY LIVE [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon- [26/26 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2013 -Pleasure75- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER- [7/30 SHOWS]
- 7-Eleven presents B'z PREMIUM LIVE [2/2 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 "LIVE DINOSAUR" [18/18 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
- Time Flies [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- MY LONELY TOWN [47 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]
- Music for Relief's Secret Show for Japan [1/1 SHOWS]
- AEROSONIC [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2017 -Hissatsu Hiokinin- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2017 -B'z In Your Town- [11/11 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2020 -5 ERAS 8820- [1/5 SHOWS]
- long time no see [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- Ichibu to Zenbu [232 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]
- TV Asahi Dream Festival 2011 [1/1 SHOWS]
- Pepsi NEX presents B'z 1DAY LIVE [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon- [26/26 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2013 -Pleasure75- [1/1 SHOWS]
- AEROSONIC [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER- [30/30 SHOWS]
- B'z Special LIVE at EX THEATER ROPPONGI [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2015 -Shimonoseki Uchouten NIGHT- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2015 -EPIC NIGHT- [40/40 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2015 -Shinagawa Uchouten NIGHT- [1/1 SHOWS]
- TV Asahi Dream Festival 2015 [1/1 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]
- 7-Eleven presents B'z PREMIUM LIVE [2/2 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 "LIVE DINOSAUR" [18/18 SHOWS]
- B'z SHOWCASE 2018 -The Wall Of Rock- [1/1 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI- [20/23 SHOWS]
- B'z PARTY Presents B'z Pleasure in Hawaii [1/1 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]
- PRAY [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- MAGIC [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- Mayday! [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- TINY DROPS [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- Dare ni mo Ienee [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
- Yume no Naka de Aimashou
- Freedom Train [19 SHOWS]
- B'z LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic" [19/19 SHOWS]
Home Videos
- DIVE
- Time Flies
- MY LONELY TOWN
- long time no see
- Ichibu to Zenbu
- MAGIC Limited Edition DVD: SUMMER SONIC 09
- LIVE-GYM 2010 "Ain't No Magic"
- LIVE-GYM 2011 -long time no see-
- GO FOR IT, BABY Limited Edition DVD: Pepsi NEX 1DAY LIVE
- LIVE-GYM 2011 -C'mon-
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER-
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 -ENDLESS SUMMER- (Hall Tour)
- Uchouten Limited Edition DVD: EX THEATER ROPPONGI Special LIVE
- LIVE-GYM 2015 -EPIC NIGHT-
- DINOSAUR Limited Edition: ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL 2017
- LIVE-GYM 2017-2018 "LIVE DINOSAUR"
- LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2018 -HINOTORI-
- LIVE-GYM 2019 -Whole Lotta NEW LOVE-
- PRAY
- MAGIC
- Mayday!
- TINY DROPS
- Dare ni mo Ienee
- Yume no Naka de Aimashou
- Freedom Train
Sales data
| No. | Cover | Album | Physical Copies Sold | Chart Positions | Certification | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST WEEK | LIFETIME | WEEK | MONTH | YEAR | ||||
| 17 | 
|
MAGIC |
340,630+ |
500,000+ |
1 |
1 |
13 |
2x Platinum |
Personnel
B'z
- Tak Matsumoto: Guitar, Music Composition, Arrangement
- Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Arrangement, Harmonica (Track 8)
Support Members
- Shane Gaalaas: Drums (Tracks 3, 4, 7-13), Chorus
- Chad Smith: Drums (Tracks 2, 5, 6)
- Barry Sparks: Bass (Tracks 3, 4, 7-13), Chorus
- Juan Alderete: Bass (Tracks 2, 5, 6)
- Takanobu Masuda: Organ (Tracks 2, 8, 9)
- Akira Onozuka: Piano (Track 10)
- Ichirou Nakaken: Trumpet (Tracks 9, 12, 13)
- Osamu Ueshi: Trumpet (Tracks 9, 12, 13)
- Fire Watanabe: Sax (Tracks 9, 12, 13)
- Azusa Tojo: Trombone (Tracks 9, 12, 13)
- Lime Ladies Orchestra: Strings (Tracks 4 & 10)
- Kozue Hayashi: Strings (Tracks 4 & 10)
Production
- Hideyuki Terachi: Arrangement
- Munetaka Higuchi from LOUDNESS: Special Thanks