ACTION B'z 16th Album | Release date: December 5, 2007 Review by --- Nameo from B'z Net Party Click to buy this album and get FREE Shipping!! "I do not like green eggs and ham, Sam-I-am" - Keen ^0^

Sort of a weak opener. Koshi is great throughout, and the bridge just after the solo adds some needed spice to it. The solo, however, is fantastic. Thankfully it wasn't quite as much like Shoudou as I was thinking it would be.

2| KUROI SEISHUN

Mediocre B'z. Nothing stands out at all.

3| SUPER LOVE SONG

I was surprised at how this one is. I'm glad to see B'z starting to release consistently good singles now. I love the solo on this one. I felt that this one could benefit from less crash-bang drumming, and a bit more finesse.

4| MANGETSU YO TERASE

Great vocals on this one. Musically, however, it's a little lacking. If the verses were as convincing as the chorus, this one would be a real winner.

5| PERFECT LIFE

What a great one this is. Sort of different from the usual formula, but everything works extremely well. Even the bridge going into a chorus with a very different feel works awesomely. The keyboards in the middle of the song are fantastic, and Tak delivers another great solo. Minus .5 for the verses, though.

6| ISSHINFURAN

This one has a STRONG backbeat, which works very well. Koshi's delivery on the chorus brings out the catchiness perfectly. I thought the song would benefit from another different part.

7| FRICTION - LAP2 -

The best vocal parts on the record are probably on this song. The energy that Koshi gives off hits you over and over. The chorus is insanely catchy and driving. I really liked the solo on this version, too.

8| ONE ON ONE

Well, I didn't expect something like this coming from modern B'z. It has hints of that 7th Blues era B'z that has pretty much disappeared. I love the jazzy flair they throw in before the second chorus. The keyboards throughout the song add a very much needed layer to the sound. However, this one really doesn't stand out as much as I'd like it.

9| BOKU NI WA KIMI GA IRU

This one is what I call the "hidden ballad." There's always the ballad on a B'z album that is much better than the ballad released as the single. Tak pays special attention to the dynamics, and lets Onozuka explore a bit. The vocals are absolutely splendid throughout. I just wish the solo was a bit longer.

10| NANTO IU SHIAWASE

Here's where things start heating up. I'm SO glad that Tak decided to do a song like Amadare Blues. I feel that it unlocked a desperately needed side of B'z. This one is pretty much the spiritual successor to AB. Excellent use of brass, powerful vocals, tasteful organ, and a powerful melody are blended perfectly. The little flurry of notes around 2:06 is my personal favorite part of the whole album. The solo is absolutely divine. The build up and subsequent drop at the end of the song just seals the deal. A classic.

11| WARUI YUME

Oh man, the GROOVE on this one. The rhythm section on this keeps it from falling apart. I hope Shane and Akihito look at this piece carefully. I wish they'd play more like this. Koshi certainly doesn't let himself get left behind, as he delivers another masterful performance. The playful middle section is something I will always enjoy. More props to Akira Onozuka for his playing on this one. Tak's soloing adds the right amount of icing to this wonderful cake.

12| HOMETOWN BOYS' MARCH

When I saw the title for this one, I thought it'd be another Guitar Kids Rhapsody. They've got the same full, anthemic feel, but HBM is much more fun. That alone makes it worth four. It'd be higher if the writing was just a bit tighter. 4/5

13| KOUBOU

Well, this one certainly came out of nowhere. The lightness of the beginning, contrasting with the powerful chorus, keeps you on your toes. The writing on this one is top-notch to say the least. I love the use of strings on this one. If they were full-blown and dramatic, the effect would have been lost entirely. And the solo... this is the solo I've been waiting for the whole album. Tak should look to wherever he got the inspiration for this one more often. Truly chill-inducing.

14| THEME OF TRAVELLING MEN

I'm glad Tak decided to try something new. I certainly wouldn't have thought this was a B'z song if I didn't know any better. I really like the quirky retro feel that the keys, bass, and drums give off. It's all in the production, here. The chorus is surprisingly catchy, too. However, the rest of it is pretty meh. Let's call this a failed experiment and move on.

15| ORE TO OMAE NO ATARASHII KISETSU

When I first heard the guitar kick in, I knew this would be a magnificent song. I'm glad that my expectations were met and then some. Again, it's all about the melody and groove, here. The rhythm section delivers in a huge way. It'd be awesome if B'z took THESE guys on tour with them. The vocals work perfectly with the rest, and the chorus goes through a great transformation by the end of the song. Just awesome.

16| EIEN NO TSUBASA

I knew that this one would work better in the context of the album when I heard the single. The guitar solo and part at the end are the high points.

17| BUDDY

Just as great as I remember it being. Nice and simple throughout. The catchiness is what makes this song so great. Pretty much the perfect closer for this album.

Action ends up being a better album than I imagined it would be. Not as good as Monster, but I feel that B'z is still riding the wave of said album's success. The writing for the past two albums has been much fresher, and old sounds are beginning to come back. Tak's production took a jump for this album. It's noticably better than his more recent works. I'm also very glad that he has been giving the keys a more prominent part in the mix. Also, the basslines are much more interesting this time around. Surrounding himself with different musicians really helped here. However, I feel that the album would be much stronger if 2-3 songs were axed. If you do the math, the score could potentially go up by another half point with the other songs gone. Regardless, nothing is so terrible that I would never listen to them again. Congrats to Tak and Koshi on a job WELL done.

Final score: 4/5

- Nameo -

Check out Kaizou's reviews on ACTION

Jan 12, 2008 | B'z Net Party | Gathered by Keen for this website ©