B'z The Best "Treasure"
| B'z The Best "Treasure" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by B'z | ||||
| Released | September 20, 1998 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 64:11 | |||
| Label | Rooms Records | |||
| Producer | Tak Matsumoto | |||
| B'z chronology | ||||
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B'z The Best "Treasure" is a compilation album released by B'z on September 20, 1998, just one day prior to the band's 10th anniversary. Unlike the majority of best of albums released by mainstream artists, the entire tracklisting was determined by fan polling. The album came some four months after the first official B'z compilation release, B'z The Best "Pleasure". The tracks found on Pleasure made it more of a traditional best of release, featuring several of the band's biggest hits of the years, and were ineligible for inclusion here. As was the case with its predecessor, all tracks included here were remastered from their original forms in order to bring out the greatest possible audio fidelity.
This album marks the first occasion for many classic B'z songs to have been collected on one of the band's albums. Fan favorite B-side and top vote-getter Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) appears in album form here for the first time, as do singles BLOWIN', Negai, MOTEL, and Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE. The only English B'z single, Real Thing Shakes, is collected here for the first and last time on a Japanese-released B'z album. It would later be included on the five-track promotional mini album DEVIL released in South Korea to promote the B'z & Aerosmith appearance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Upon release, B'z The Best "Treasure" premiered in the top spot on the weekly Oricon albums chart and remained at that position for three consecutive weeks, making it the top selling album for the month of its release. Despite being released only in September and just months prior to the end of the year, it was the second highest selling album for the year of 1998, trailing only its sister album, B'z The Best "Pleasure". The Recording Industry Association of Japan has certified the album as 10x Platinum for sales in excess of over four million copies, solidifying its place as the fifth highest selling album in the history of Japanese music.
Another compilation album in the same vein was released for the band's 20th anniversary, titled B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure", that once again featured songs selected by fans.
Production and information
Records
Track listing
All lyrics and lead vocals by Koshi Inaba. All music and guitar by Tak Matsumoto.
- BLOWIN' (3:54)
- Pop Rock - Voted to 2nd place by fans. Originally released in 1992 as a single. This marked the first and only time this version of the song was included on a B'z album.
- Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) (3:49)
- Pop Rock - Voted to 1st place by fans. Originally released in 1992 as a B-side on the ZERO single. This album was the first time the song was collected on a B'z album but not the last.
- TIME (4:59)
- Ballad - Voted to 5th place by fans. Originally released in 1992 as a B-side on the BLOWIN' single. With its inclusion, both songs from the aforementioned single were voted onto the album.
- Liar! Liar! (3:23)
- Hard Rock - Voted to 7th place by fans. Originally released in 1997 as a single and later included on the band's ninth studio album, SURVIVE. The version included on this album was remastered with the aid of Rockman Preamps.
- Negai (3:30)
- Rock - Voted to 3rd place by fans. Originally released as a single in 1995 and later included on the band's eighth studio album, LOOSE, albeit in an altered state.
- Itoshii Hito yo Good Night... (6:17)
- Ballad - Voted to 13th place by fans. Originally released as a single in 1990 and later included on the band's fourth album, RISKY, which was also their first #1 studio album.
- Pleasure'98 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~ (4:43)
- Rock -
- Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~ (4:41)
- Power Ballad -
- Mou Ichido Kiss Shitakatta (4:40)
- Ballad -
- FIREBALL (4:15)
- Hard Rock -
- Real Thing Shakes (4:14)
- Hard Rock -
- MOTEL (4:24)
- Power Ballad -
- Itsuka no Merry Christmas (5:38)
- Ballad -
- RUN -1998 style- (5:54)
- Rock -
- HOME (Short Acoustic Version) appears as a hidden track that plays after twenty seconds of silence in the final track.
- Rock -
Voting results
1-14 (Included on album)
The fourteen songs that amassed the most votes were the songs that made up the tracks on the album. Their order on the album itself does not reflect the actual vote total, however, as B'z rearranged the top fourteen tracks to give the album as smooth a flow as possible.
| No. | Song | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Koi-Gokoro (KOI-GOKORO) |
|
| 2 |
BLOWIN' |
|
| 3 |
Negai |
|
| 4 |
Mou Ichido Kiss Shitakatta |
|
| 5 |
TIME |
|
| 6 |
Itsuka no Merry Christmas |
|
| 7 |
Liar! Liar! |
|
| 8 |
Pleasure'91 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~ |
|
| 9 |
MOTEL |
|
| 10 |
Real Thing Shakes |
|
| 11 |
Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~ |
|
| 12 |
RUN |
|
| 13 |
"Itoshii hito yo" Good Night... |
|
| 14 |
FIREBALL |
|
15-100
Apart from the top fourteen that were included on the release itself, B'z also revealed the songs that received enough votes to round out the top 100. Though these songs did not make the cut for this album, the results were later taken into consideration as B'z compiled B'z The "Mixture" just two years later.
Also of note is that when the follow-up compilation album B'z The Best "ULTRA Treasure" was released a decade later, several songs that were on the brink of making this album but fell short ended up making the cut the second time around. Wonderful Opportunity from IN THE LIFE ranked in at number twenty in the original Treasure polls, but for ULTRA Treasure was voted in as the fourth most requested track. Yumemi ga Oka from LOOSE underwent a similar resurgence with fans, as it was originally voted in as thirty-fifth but, ten years later, ranked as sixth. Notably, Swimmer yo!!, YOU & I, and Gekkou, which all narrowly missed the cut for this album, were all voted in on ULTRA Treasure. Most notably, LOVE IS DEAD, the lead track from The 7th Blues, a song that only ranked fifty-seventh in the original polling, ended up at number twenty-four for the 20th anniversary and was included.
| No. | Song | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| 15 |
Swimmer yo!! |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 2nd track |
| 16 |
OH! GIRL |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 8th track |
| 17 |
MOVE |
19th Single 「Mienai Chikara ~INVISIBLE ONE~/MOVE」 Second A-side |
| 18 |
Sayonara Nanka wa Iwasenai |
6th Album 「RUN」 8th track |
| 19 |
Kodoku no Runaway |
3rd Mini Album 「MARS」 1st track |
| 20 |
Wonderful Opportunity |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 1st track |
| 21 |
YOU & I |
16th Single 「Negai」 B-side |
| 22 |
Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite |
1st Single 「Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite」 A-side |
| 23 |
NATIVE DANCE |
6th Album 「RUN」 6th track |
| 24 |
Happiness |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 5th track |
| 25 |
Kienai Niji |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 6th track |
| 26 |
Gekkou |
6th Album 「RUN」 9th track |
| 27 |
HOT FASHION - Ryuukoukata - |
4th Album 「RISKY」 3rd track |
| 28 |
Shoushin |
5th Mini Album 「FRIENDS II｣ 3rd track |
| 29 |
Koi Jyanakunaru Hi |
4th Mini Album 「FRIENDS」 SCENE 3 |
| 30 |
GIMME YOUR LOVE |
4th Album 「RISKY」 2nd track |
| 31 |
Aikawarazu na Bokura |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 9th track |
| 32 |
BAD COMMUNICATION |
1st Mini Album 「BAD COMMUNICATION」 Title song |
| 33 |
Crazy Rendezvous |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 5th track |
| 34 |
Hi |
24th Single 「Samayoeru Aoi Dangan」 B-side |
| 35 |
Yumemi ga Oka |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 4th track |
| 36 |
Kimi no Naka de Odoritai |
2nd Single 「Kimi no Naka de Odoritai」 A-side |
| 37 |
LADY-GO-ROUND |
3rd Single 「LADY-GO-ROUND」 A-side |
| 38 |
The Loose |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 2nd track |
| 39 |
WILD LIFE |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 7th track |
| 40 |
Naite Naite Nakiyandara |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 8th track |
| 41 |
Akai Kagerou |
6th Album 「RUN」 3rd track |
| 42 |
Akai Kawa |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 9th track (DISC1) |
| 43 |
Odekake Shimasho |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 2nd track (DISC1) |
| 44 |
Tokyo |
17th Single 「love me, I love you」 B-side |
| 45 |
Urei no GYPSY |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 4th track |
| 46 |
Hoshi Furu Yoru ni Sawagou |
4th Single 「BE THERE」 B-side |
| 47 |
TONIGHT(Is The Night) |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 2nd track |
| 48 |
VAMPIRE WOMAN |
4th Album 「RISKY」 7th track |
| 49 |
JOY |
12nd Single 「Ai no Mama ni Wagamama ni...」 B-side |
| 50 |
Kirei na Ai Jyanakutemo |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 11th track |
| 51 |
STARDUST TRAIN |
3rd Album 「BREAK THROUGH」 11th track |
| 52 |
Survive |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 Title song |
| 53 |
Haru |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 6th track (DISC2) |
| 54 |
DEEP KISS |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 1st track |
| 55 |
GUITAR KIDS RHAPSODY |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 5th track |
| 56 |
Tonari de Nemurasete |
3rd Album 「BREAK THROUGH」 7th track |
| 57 |
LOVE IS DEAD |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 1st track (DISC1) |
| 58 |
Doushite mo Kimi wo Ushinaitakunai |
4th Mini Album 「FRIENDS」 SCENE 5 |
| 59 |
BREAK THROUGH |
3rd Album 「BREAK THROUGH」 Title song |
| 60 |
hole in my heart |
15th Single 「MOTEL」 B-side |
| 61 |
KARA・KARA |
13rd Single 「Hadashi no Megami」 B-side |
| 62 |
BIG |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 12nd track |
| 63 |
Do me |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 7th track |
| 64 |
Yaburenu Yume wo Hikisutte |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 7th track (DISC2) |
| 65 |
HOLY NIGHT ni Kuchizuke wo |
4th Album 「RISKY」 6th track |
| 66 |
NEVER LET YOU GO |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 3rd track |
| 67 |
SNOW |
5th Mini Album 「FRIENDS II」 2nd track |
| 68 |
Soredemo Kimi ni wa Modorenai |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 8th track |
| 69 |
Love & Chain |
3rd Single 「LADY-GO-ROUND」 B-side |
| 70 |
GUITAR wa Naiteiru |
3rd Album 「BREAK THROUGH」 5th track |
| 71 |
Suna no Hanabira |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 10th track |
| 72 |
"Kairaku no Heya" |
5th Album 「IN THE LIFE」 3rd track |
| 73 |
FUSHIDARA 100% |
18th Single 「LOVE PHANTOM」 B-side |
| 74 |
SAFETY LOVE |
2nd Single 「Kimi no Naka de Odoritai」 B-side |
| 75 |
GO! NUDE! GO! |
6th Single 「Easy Come, Easy Go!」 B-side |
| 76 |
Pleasure'95 ~Jinsei no Kairaku~ |
Only performed live—viewable on 「"BUZZ!!" THE MOVIE」 |
| 77 |
Ima de wa... Ima nara... Ima mo... |
3rd Album 「BREAK THROUGH」 9th track |
| 78 |
ROSY |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 9th track |
| 79 |
MY SAD LOVE |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 5th track (DISC1) |
| 80 |
Baby, you're my home |
6th Album 「RUN」 10th track |
| 81 |
THE GAMBLER |
6th Album 「RUN」 1st track |
| 82 |
HURRY UP! |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 2nd track |
| 83 |
Biri Biri |
23rd Single 「Liar! Liar!」 B-side |
| 84 |
BAD COMMUNICATION (000-18) |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 5th track |
| 85 |
MR. ROLLING THUNDER |
6th Album 「RUN」 7th track |
| 86 |
Yoru ni Furarete mo |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 6th track |
| 87 |
Miseinen |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 3rd track (DISC1) |
| 88 |
RISKY |
4th Album 「RISKY」 Title song |
| 89 |
LOVING ALL NIGHT |
2nd Album 「OFF THE LOCK」 7th track |
| 90 |
It's Raining... |
4th Album 「RISKY」 10th track |
| 91 |
Teki ga Inakerya |
8th Album 「LOOSE」 9th track |
| 92 |
WILD ROAD |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 10th track (DISC1) |
| 93 |
Yami no Ame |
7th Album 「The 7th Blues」 4th track (DISC1) |
| 94 |
CAT |
9th Album 「SURVIVE」 9th track |
| 95 |
Kimi wo Tsurete |
5th Mini Album 「FRIENDS II」 7th track |
| 96 |
Out Of Control |
6th Album 「RUN」 5th track |
| 97 |
DA.KA.RA.SO.NO.TE.O.HA.NA.SHI.TE |
1st Mini Album 「BAD COMMUNICATION」 3rd track |
| 98 |
FRIDAY MIDNIGHT BLUE |
4th Album 「RISKY」 9th track |
| 99 |
Kanashiki dreamer |
21st Single 「FIREBALL」 B-side |
| 100 |
GO-GO-GIRLS |
9th Single 「ALONE」 B-side |