Q Last year when I saw you in Maeshima, I have heard that you were recording the cover numbers of Rock'n Roll Standard Club. Even though when you talked about this very subject in FM program, you might mentioned it only as a plan, but after such highly expected album is released, I wonder if way before this, you have always had the intention to do a cover album like this?
Tak Although I didn't give it much thought about releasing this album as a merchandise to sell, but I often really wanted to seriously record the music I enjoy playing.
Q Since when have you had such thought?
Tak Well, I've had this thought since forever. I think it'd be great if I could do songs which can be said as my musical roots, not songs I write myself. Even way before B'z started, I've always thought about this, but it never got to be processed. Right now we can have this situation partly because of that thought has been materialised.
Q Definitely it is something that Matsumoto-san from B'z is capable of. Well, I'd like to hear about the selected songs one by one, please. First of all, the opening is Montrose's "I Got The Fire". When it was released in 1973, the title in Japanese was "Shakunetsu No Daisuisei", right? (laugh) (*Scorching Hot Big Red Comet)
Tak Aa... that's right (laugh).
Q How did you first hear of this song?
Tak It was during the first year of high school. My friend's band, a very skillful band, played this song. Afterwards I borrowed the single. That's how I got to know it.
Q Do you have special impression of Ronnie Montrose's guitar?
Tak I don't have much impression other than this song. Because I don't really listen to other songs in the album itself.
Q Concerning guitar, Matsumoto-san's version is same with the original, without over-dubbing, right? Lately the music scene in general is including this sound. This is a fresh way of recording, do you do it?
Tak Even for B'z, when I played guitar solo parts before, I definitely had backing guitar added. Although I've forgotten why we came to notice this, but as good as it was to have backing guitar in the songs, there were times that the existance of backing guitar sound made it impossible for the song to have a fresh feeling. After that, we have come up with considerable numbers of songs for B'z without any backing.
Q Sometimes an interval/pause (*?) is cool, isn't it?
Tak Yes, you're right. Anyway, in short, this song is a faithful render to the original version.
Q The drum in this song is played by Higuchi-san. I think his cool drum playing is heavier than the original. Have you known him for a long time?
Tak Yes, actually very long time already. It was from the time when he was in Loudness.
Q His participating in this recording was definitely an approach by Matsumoto-san?
Tak Yes. Just in time when I was going to do this album, we went drinking together and somehow got to talk about what songs would be good to put in it. Higuchi-san first mentioned that "I Got The Fire" would be great. That's when I recalled this song. To think about it, we have done this song together before. So we talked about whether we should do it. This song was one of the first songs recorded for this album.
Q Next song is White Snake's "Fool For Your Loving". This cover album includes two songs sung by David Coverdale. Is it because you like this vocalist very much?
Tak I do like his vocal very much. In the last song "Mistreated", as the guitar starts somehow you can't notice anything else beside it, because even though the whole song is very good, the riff is even more important. But when I first heard "Mistreated" I thought the vocal is excellent and gradually I came to like the song. Therefore I like Coverdale very much, even till now.
Q What does Matsumoto-san expect from a vocalist?
Tak Nothing special (laugh). But I do have the type of vocalist I like. When guitarists from overseas write their compositions, mostly they would do the riffs, and then while the vocal guys do fake (*? temporary song), the melody will slowly build in. I think in their case, this happens alot. I like this kind of fake-line.
Q So we can say that you like the works of the two vocalists who appeared in this album.
Tak Yes. This album could not be released at all without the appearance of Ikusawa-san.
Q What I'm most happy about is to hear Motoki-san's voice again after such long time. Even though I do wish that you had dragged him out more (laugh).
Tak I also wish to do more.
Q Concerning Inaba-san, as his expressive vocal always manages to exhibit his power and personality, he has what we call 'an amazing level and mind of a vocalist'. Therefore it's probably hard for you to work with less-skillful vocalists now? (laugh)
Tak You're right. Because for sure the melody really depends on the vocalist.
Q Next is Jeff Beck's instrumental "Cause We've Ended As Lovers", right? Concerning Jeff Beck, he is certainly a guitarist to be copied, isn't he?
Tak Yes.
Q Matsumoto-san is a guitarist with hard-rock as background, I'm wondering if Jeff Beck's playing was difficult for you in the beginning when you first tried?
Tak It was. Because it's pretty tricky. Well, it is not hard-rock, is it? The first ones I heard in Real Time were from "Blow By Blow" and "Wired". At that time, I was told about the cross-over. Maybe that's why there's a feeling of extremity in the songs.
Q The intro's playing method is 'choking' and 'volume'. Hearing this fresh style for the first time got me thinking, 'Aa, so guitar can be expressed this way too...', I was deeply-moved. Matsumoto-san's cover version is actually very glossy too. Do you like this kind of ultra-delicate playing?
Tak I do. Even if I try to do it all over again next time, it will still be difficult.
Q Following closely is "Into The Arena". The guitar is by Michael Schenker. He is a guitarist famous for dramatic composition of 'crying' melody, right? I often heard that in his situation, he plays his best guitar when he's drunk, drowning in alcohol or when his life is crumbling. For Matsumoto-san, is there anything that makes you sometimes produce terrible or miracle-like guitar playing, for example the problems troubling the mind?
Tak Aa, I think there is such thing for me too. I suppose it happens to all creators. If my private life is not going too well, I can come up with many good things (laugh).
Q So you're at ease with problems in your private life.
Tak Because it certainly won't do if I don't have tension in life, living a smooth-sailing steady life... When I did my solo album "Wanna Go Home", it was somehow a heart-breaking period for me. Even now, I still like that album very much.
Q I've also heard that it really was pretty painful time for you.
Tak Now I probably can never play in that style ever again.
Q So if you consider making that style of music, would you on purpose, put yourself in tough situation? (laugh)
Tak No way, of course not (laugh). But it's maybe a sad thing because what you say is quite true.
Q For certainly all human beings have this side in them. On the other hand, when you're considering things as a professional, won't this dillema come out?
Tak Well, because in everyday life, if I keep a moody state of mind all the time then I'd be in big trouble.
Q That's true enough (laugh). Well, I have seen Michael Schenker's Live many times myself. My impression is that he is a player that sings and plays guitar without a score. He buries his head in his playing and seems to be drunk in his own melody. I feel that too when watching Matsumoto-san during Live. Do you like his appearance very much?
Tak Yes. If I had never heard of Michael Schenker's play, I think I wouldn't have come up with my style now. But after I saw his Live in Budokan, I decided to never go and see his Live ever again. In my head, I had the image of Michael Schenker crumbling down, somehow he was quite clumsy. I don't know if it was because of his bad mood or not, but I completely could not catch any feeling of speed we get from listening to his records. Therefore I always remind myself to be careful as to not give anyone this kind of impression (laugh).
Q I think you won't have any problem (laugh). Next number is Rick Derringer's "Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo". To call him as a guitarist, he's more into all aspects of music. I think he's also a produser, right?
Tak I'm also not too concern in his guitar in particular. It was his catchy riff in the song that pulled me. At the beginning, I've come up with a funk version which is closer to original. But with Higuchi-san's specially heavy drum, it became a completely a different thing. The final result is good (laugh).
Q On chorus, Oguro Maki-san's voice can be heard. As I listen to this song too, I think that I'd recognize this voice no matter where she sings, but she really fits in nicely (laugh).
Tak Aa, it's true. The young girl did sing it with a good feeling (laugh).
Q "Move Over" is Janis Joplin's, right? This song and the next song from Eddie Money's "Life For the Taking" are both completely vocal numbers. It's quite a surprise that a guitarist like Matsumoto-san picked these two songs.
Tak "Move Over" is something that Motoki-san said he wanna do. When I called to approach him, I asked on the phone, what songs of yours would you like to see being produced most? So he chose this song and "Communication Breakdown". As for "Life For The Taking", I selected it. I don't really know other songs of Eddie Money but this one. I love it, especially the guitar solo. I really love that part.
Q Do you know who play the guitar on that song?
Tak I have no idea. But it's excellent, isn't it? That guitar...
Q Next is Garry Moore's "Sunset". As I listened to the next three songs, even though the expression is different, you certainly gave them the important tearful element. But for sure, is there an intention to use guitar to sing on songs without vocal?
Tak Very important, isn't it? But I think it is that kind of style, whether it's a vocal part or a guitar solo that runs for 8 bars. On other people songs', I really like guitar solos that is crying or talking about something.