Search - B'z :: Circle

Great set from Tak and Kohshi

... | Montreal | 06/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This, the 14th album from the J-Rock group B'z, is simply an outstanding piece of music. The group consists of the guitar work of Matsumoto Tak and the vocals/writing of Inaba Kohshi, and they have been one of the most popular bands in Japan for almost 20 years now. Tak is a truly gifted guitarist, and is one of the few musicians to receive his own "signature series" guitar from Gibson. What makes his work even better is that, unlike many virtuoso guitarists, he complements the music beautifully without overpowering it. He never tries to dominate the vocals, which allows Kohshi's voice to really shine as the second instrument. Since amazon doesn't provide a track list for "The Circle", here it goes.



1. The Circle

2. X

3. Pulse

4. Ai no Bakudan

5. Fly The Flag

6. Aquablue

7. Suiren

8. Sanctuary

9. Fever

10. Shiroi Hanabi

11. Ikaros

12. BLACK AND WHITE

13. Brighter Day



This is a solid rock and roll album front to back, but if I had to pick favorite songs, the #1 would have to be "Fly the Flag", but a strong case can also be made for the opening song "The Circle", the harder rocking "X", the more upbeat "Ai no Bakudan", "Suiren", and the almost funky "BLACK AND WHITE". The last song, "Brighter Day" is even sung in English, which is a pretty cool way to end the show (plus it's a great song, and they sing it surprisingly well). Overall, this is everything that J-rock, and really rock and roll in general was meant to be. It's a pain to import, but beyond worth your while. The Japanese music scene has a lot to offer, and it doesn't get much better than B'z."