And if you ever feel Tak and Koshi are too intimidatingly glamorous/cool/rocking, just remember that Koshi reads Chibi Maruko manga and Tak enjoys the occasional helping of SPEED and SMAP. That will help balance it out. And now follows an article giving an overview of how B'z was formed and found themselves on the road to success. It's very interesting, so don't stop now, and finish the course!

B'z Early History

In May of 1988, Takahiro Matsumoto, formerly a guitarist for TM Network, was searching for someone to help him achieve a long-time dream. Tak was quite a well-known session guitarist and had just released a solo album, �Thousand Wave,� but the idea of having his own band had always been in his heart.

Because he recognized that his outer appearance and voice were not too extraordinary (these are not my words, Mat-chan!), Tak had been seeking a partner with not only a special voice, but a personable appearance, to help him fulfill his musical dreams. By chance, someone at EMI brought up the name of a young man who had done a little recording work during his university days. Tak listened to Koshi Inaba�s demo tape and liked the voice on it at once. He arranged for an audition session.

Koshi Inaba had recently graduated from Yokohama University�s Education department with a degree in Mathematics. Even though he hugged the dream of music, he had already entered the teaching profession and had given up some of the passion he once felt towards possibilities in the music profession. Then out of the blue, a demo tape he had made while a university student, a tape with very poor quality recording, was found by Tak. When Tak telephoned Koshi for the audition session, Koshi couldn�t believe his ears.

At the audition session, Koshi sang two Beatles songs (one was Let It Be), accompanied only by Tak�s guitar. Who would have thought that as soon as Koshi finished singing, one of Tak�s guitar strings snapped! Perhaps that looked a little unlucky. Nevertheless, Tak had formed a very favorable impression of Koshi, and in his heart, he had already decided on him as �his other half.� Not only did Koshi�s voice have a clear ring, but his looks weren�t bad either! Actually, after the session, Koshi had given up hope. But a few days later, Tak called him up to take him into the recording studio. They divided up their tasks: Tak would write the melodies, play guitar, and draw up plans; Koshi would sing and write the lyrics. Now at this point there was nothing much to indicate whether Koshi would write good or bad lyrics, so Tak was taking a bit of a leap of faith. Tak also wanted all production duties to be taken care of by themselves personally. Just like that, very quietly, B�z was born. Koshi was 23 years old, and Tak was 26.

They immediately started work, and in February of 1988, �B�z� released their first album, the self-titled [B�z]. Usually, when singers release an album, they immediately go on tour or hold small lives to promote their music. But B�z did not hold any lives, even through the release of their second album OFF THE LOCK in May 1989. Regarding this, they explained that their first album only had 9 songs, which was not enough for a live setlist, and they also did not wish to sing other people�s songs; therefore they didn�t do any lives. Their second album also took a while to produce. Ordinary albums from composition to recording average about 400 hours of work, but B�z spent over 1000 hours.

As they had discussed, Tak composed the melodies for all the songs, and Koshi wrote the lyrics. Tak was already an old hand at composing, but Koshi had never written lyrics prior to �B�z.� However, Tak recognized that Koshi�s lyrics matched his tunes very well. Meanwhile, Koshi also diligently tried to catch up to Tak in the area of live performances, as Koshi had not much experience. After their second album (8 months after their debut), B�z started to hold lives in Osaka and Tokyo, and officially meet their fans. In 1989, they released their first mini-album BAD COMMUNICATION. This instantly took hold of clubs all over Japan and became a huge hit. A 12 inch single was released for discos only that is now a rare collector�s item. In June 1990, B�z 4th single �Taiyou no Komachi Angel� debuted at #1 on the charts and became the most popular song in Japan at the time. B�z tasted the flavor of stardom. The same year in November, they released their fourth album RISKY, which sold over 1 million copies. They also sold out all 52 of their concerts. So these two years saw a great rise in fame for B�z. During their national tour, they had 3 supporting members on stage. Tak�s guitar actually only cost about 70,000 yen; such an average instrument can be bought on the street. This was a very ordinary instrument, yet he could play such creative music. This is an aspect of B�z that is very admirable.

Ever since their position changed with the release of Komachi Angel, B�z have never wavered. All of their subsequent singles have reached #1. Perhaps with regard to idol singers, singles reaching #1 are no big deal, but B�z have a certain self-creativity, and every single or album contains several times the hard work and effort of idols. Fans recognized not only their songs and their image, but also their talents in composition. However, B�z were like idol stars in one respect -- everywhere they went to promote, they were constantly bowing to people. After one day, their backs ached.

B�z [In the Life] tour ended in March. [In the Life] is their longest tour thus far, totaling 66 concerts. Koshi once said that �Directly meeting the fans can lessen misunderstandings.� What did he mean? Actually, the expectations of fans and the media brought B�z quite a lot of pressure. Before B�z were formed, Tak was already renowned in the insiders� circle, and when he announced he wanted to find a partner, everyone had very great expectations for this �Cinderella.� Thus Koshi felt, �Directly meeting the audience will lessen some misconceptions.�

When B�z were first formed, Koshi was extremely quiet. Only gradually did he begin to express his opinions more and more. When he and Tak were interviewed, Koshi would mostly stay silent and keep nodding. This earned him the nickname of �person who is most skilled at nodding in Japan.� B�z also had a radio show, �B�z Wave Gym.� Who could guess, after a few years, Koshi would be an eloquent speaker and even later host �B�z Wave Gym� by himself!

As fans know, today it is quite the opposite situation: in interviews, Koshi is the one who does most of the talking. He still keeps glancing at Tak for approval though. Takboss, don�t you bully KoKo too much now! Also, Koshi onstage is anything but quiet!

And ever since they met in 1988, B'z have just kept running and running, with an indefatigable spirit and energy ~ experimenting, creating, perfecting, and performing with a passion that has earned them countless numbers of devoted fans and legendary status in Japan.

Quick Recommendations

Finally, we top off this section with a list of 20 recommended songs from B'z Net Party.
My personal opinion is this: You can't go wrong with Pleasure, Treasure, or The Mixture, their 3 best-of albums. Love and B'z is also a compilation album, but consists of ballads (excellent ones, but you won't get to hear some of the real rockers).
If you've never listened to B'z at all, I recommend any of the above 3 albums. And here are some nutshells for you!

LOOSE (1995): Classic pop-rock with a dash of blues; standouts include Love Phantom, Suna no Hanabira, and a reworked Bad Communication. Great for beginners.
GREEN (2002): Super summer album with addictive melodies, including the very popular Ultra Soul. Also terrific for beginners.
SURVIVE (1997): Harder rock than the above, exuberant and catchy; contains classics like Calling and Liar! Liar! If you usually listen to Morning Musume, well, maybe it'll take a little time for you to adjust. But the songs are all still so accessible, like the irresistible beat of Swimmer Yo! that you will come around.
BROTHERHOOD (2000): Overall one of their more serious and intense albums; great guitar work; more straight rock; classic song Brotherhood, passionate Nagai Ai.
Friends II (1996): I don't think you can realize what a change in style this mini-album is from B'z usual works unless you've first listened to some of the stuff above. But once you have, treat yourself to this beautiful jazzy album.
ELEVEN (2001): While this album contains many popular singles, such as Konya Tsuki no Mieru Okani and May; and must-hear song Raging River, be warned that this is B'z heaviest album, and as such, in my opinion, is not the best starter album if you come from the jpop listening realm.
BIG MACHINE (2003): Reviewed on this site. Good for new fans!
The 7th Blues (1994): 2-disc set of blues rock. I love this but I'd recommend the first 4 albums in this list to beginners first. Essential selection Don't Leave Me is also on the Pleasure album.
RUN (1992): B'z are transitioning from their old school 80s style music here. Contains classics like ZERO, RUN, Gekkou, and Sayonara Nankawa Iwasenai. I have to say I really enjoy this, though it's a bit short. Beginner-friendly.
In the Life (1991): Hm, I wouldn't put this album at the top of your B'z priority list; I'd put the albums above over this.
The first 4 albums are definitely more 80s style, although RISKY (1990) provides the most corny fun. HOT FASHION, Gimme Your Love, and Easy Come Easy Go are all classics.

And for my video pick? That's easy. Once Upon a Time in Yokohama, the intense 1999 concert video. Although it doesn't contain any backstage footage or fancy stunts, the performances are perfection. For a more lighthearted concert video with excellent backstage footage, try A Beautiful Reel (2002). Finally, BUZZ! the movie (1995), while more cartoony and featuring copious amounts of animal print and...hotpants, is lots of fun.

Ok, I hope that was helpful. Now check out the rest of the site!