Hopefully this post won't be really super long. I don't think it will be because the vast majority of the songs have no video to talk about for them. This is Morning Musume's second coupling collection to be released, their first being in 2009. The songs on this release go from the end of the Platinum Era with the coupling song from Kimagure Princess to the last release of 2013 with the coupling tracks from Wagamama Ki no Mama Ai no Joke/Ai no Gundan. I'm really thankful that H!P groups seem to do this Coupling Collection thing (Berryz is releasing something like it in January) it saves me so much money....only having to buy the studio albums & coupling collections. Although I'm very impatient so I buy the newest releases anyway......maybe I'll do a giveaway in the new year because I have no use for CDs that I have the songs on something else. I'd rather the CDs go to someone who really wants them :) But anyway, off topic xD If I do hold a giveaway, it wouldn't be until the beginning of next year, so look out for that!
All of the songs will be in a playlist at the end so if you don't care for reading just go ahead and skip to the end to listen to the songs!
Track #1, Aishite Aishite Ato Ippun: It was VERY weird listening to this CD today. Hearing Ai & Reina's voices again was strange (it's been a couple months since I listened to anything pre-2014 by MM). This song could've easily been an A-side (well, the vast majority of their B-sides could.). I can see why it was the B-side instead of Kimagure Princess though. 4.5/5.
Track #2, Nakidasu Kamo Shirenai yo: This song is so much better than Onna ga Medatte! I love the music of this song. It would've been nice to have this as a single. Just something a little different than their other songs during this time. 5/5.
Track #3, Tomo: I am so thankful that MM doesn't release a great deal of ballads. They sound nice and all but ballads bore me xD At least ballads like this anyway. Just going by feel, this probably should have been the B-side to Onna to Otoko since Eri, Junjun, & Linlin graduated after that single. 3/5.
Track #4, Kura Zushi Bikkurapon: When I started writing this review I totally forgot about this song. I got to the end of disc one and couldn't figure out why my track count was off....that doesn't speak well for this song does it xD. Well, the reason I forgot about this is that it's not technically a Morning Musume B-side, but a Muten Musume one. It's not a bad song. It's so happy. But it's best that it stays labeled as Muten Musume instead of Morning Musume. It's an odd track to have on the coupling collection. Actually, it reminds me a lot of Momoko's solo B-side from Cha Cha Sing. 3.5/5.
Track #5, Aisaresugiru Koto wa nai no yo: Best B-side pre-Colorful era hands down. This whole single was fantastic. Maybe it's just me being nostalgic (Onna to Otoko was the first song I discovered from MM), but this release is easily one of their best ever. 5/5.
Track #6, Motto Aishite Hoshii no: The first appearance of Gen 9! They sound so young here. This song feels like the very beginning of Tsunku's experimentation in the direction that H!P is in now. It still sounds like the Platinum Era, but there is just that new feel to it that you can tell is going to change things. 4.5/5.
Track #7, Yamete yo! Sindbad: This is the song Hyokkori Hyoutanjima should have been! I realize that there's absolutely no point in comparing songs that were released 8 years apart, but this is what I wish Hyokkori would have been. It has the silly sound effects, yet sounds more mature. And wow they still sound so young. I never really noticed when Reina was actually in MM, but she sounds young like the 9th gen does too. 4/5.
Track #8, Kare to Issho ni Omise ga Shitai!: I totally didn't realize until a few months ago that this song was actually a B-side. It was supposed to be an A-side but because of H!P being odd they didn't include this song on Ai's graduation edition, and it had to be rebranded as a solo A-side or it would have counted as two separate singles. The song is still as great as ever. I'm so glad Riho's voice has matured though. The video is adorable too. They could do a video like this now. It would be neat. 5/5.
Track #9, Jishin Motte Yume wo Motte Tobitatsu Kara: This is Ai's graduation song. Listening to this makes me actually like Ai more. I didn't dislike her in Morning Musume, but I felt (and still feel) that her vocals are way better suited for solo material like this. The song is alright. Very rocky for a Morning Musume song, but I think it fits Ai a lot. The video is just your typical reminiscing video. 4/5.
Track #10, Kanashiki Koi no Melody: The first appearance of the 10th Gen! Now this song completely shows what direction MM is headed to. Another fantastic B-side. I personally don't hate Pyoko Pyoko Ultra (I actually believe that it was a great intro song for 10th gen and something different for MM), but I know a lot of people disliked it and this song would have probably made a better A-side. 5/5.
Track #11, Watashi ga Ite Kimi ga Iru: This is such a poor B-side compared to the A-side. Renai Hunter was THE Morning Musume song for me. It was the song that transformed me from a casual fan to where I am today. This song feels like Maji Desu ka Ska except not as good. 3/5.
Track #12, Egao ni Namida~Thank You! Dear My Friends~: I'm still so upset that Risa didn't get her very own solo song. I realize she wasn't that popular but come on. I think I remember hearing a rumor that she chose to do a cover over an original song, but I don't know. Doesn't stop me from being upset. I've long believed that Risa had one of the best voices in all of Morning Musume history and she was so criminally underused in songs. Her rendition is better than Aya's. I don't care if that's a bad opinion because there is no one that could ever change my mind about it. This song was my personal high school graduation theme song (Renai Hunter was released shortly before I graduated from high school). Even though the video is a typical memory lane one, she looks so pretty. 5/5.
Track #13, Watashi no Jidai: The beginning of the multiple B-sides trend (that really needs to come back...). As much as I dislike Sayumi's voice, Reina's balances it out. Reina was always my favorite member. I spent my 11th grade year of high school trying to emulate her hairstyle from the Onna to Otoko video xD. My hair wasn't very long though so it looked stupid xD. I do like this song a lot. It's very catchy and almost anthemic. 5/5.
Track #14, Aisaretai no ni: This is why Kanon needs solo lines. Probably the best B-side since Aisaresugiru and before Sakura. I would like to see the whole group do a song like this now. This is the kind of style I see perfected in Chikyuu and Senobi that Morning Musume needs to put out. 5/5.
Track #15, Seishun Domannaka: As catchy as this song is, I dislike it as a song for the 10th gen. 3 out of 4 of them don't fit this style at all. Masaki is the only one I'd say does, even then. 3.5/5.
-----Second Disc-----
Track #1, Futsuu no Shoujo A: So while I was listening to this I totally lost everything I was thinking of saying about it. I just started singing it at the top of my lungs because I remembered how amazing it was. 5/5.
Track #2, Daisuki 100 Manten: I've never really cared for this song. I can't believe how much their vocals have matured though. 3/5.
Track #3, Shinnen Dake wa Tsuranukitoose!: So even though Haruna sounds really bad in the beginning of this, it's so high energy and catchy I can't help but love it. Songs like this seem to be the closest that Tsunku ever comes to the generic idol pop song. 4/5.
Track #4, Love Innovation: Out of all the coupling songs on Wakuteka, this and Daisuki are the worst. It's always interesting to note that even the "worst" Tsunku production is still pretty darn good. I don't know what it is about his work but there's something so special about it to me. It kinda reminds me of an updated Seishun Collection, especially when they say "My love innovation" 3/5.
Track #5, Happy Daisakusen: This is easily the most boring B-side on Help Me. Really nothing that makes it stand out in comparison to the other songs. 3/5.
Track #6, Aishuu Romantic: I can't decide is this or Daisuki is my favorite B-side on Help Me. This is the Sayumi I like. The auto-tuned to death electro Sayumi. Mizuki works well with this style as well. 5/5.
Track #7, Watashi no Dekkai Hana: This song is.....strange. I love Tsunku for his experiments but sometimes they're a little weird. Ayumi can't rap. She can't. Nice attempt but no xD Haruna was still a pretty poor singer at this point too. She's still not great, but much better now. Reina's voice also sounds really annoying in this one too. 3.5/5.
Track #8, Nani wa Tomo Are: Gosh I can't believe how many B-sides per single we used to get. This song sound like an old S/mileage reject. Kanon doesn't suit these kind of songs in my opinion. Her voice just isn't suited for the cutesy stuff. 3/5.
Track #9, Daisuki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai: It's interesting how much better of a singer Sakura is than Riho. I actually used to hate Riho because I thought she was this annoying little kid who came to steal all of Reina's lines (not even kidding......my insane fan phase is much better left in the dark xD). I'm definitely glad that Riho's voice has matured a lot. She sounds great now. And listening to this again you can tell the difference in Sakura too. 5/5.
Track #10, ABCD Echa Echa Shitai: I played this song to death at it's release so nowadays it's kind of annoying to listen to. It's a pretty great song though. The B-sides of Brainstorming are probably the best as whole during their multiple B-sides phase. It has "Love me do" in it too xD Tsunku's Beatles fanboyness showing. 5/5.
Track #11, Tokimeku Tokimeke: This is the best song on the whole collection and their best B-side ever. Do yourself a favor and just listen to it. 5/5.
Track #12, Itsumo to Onnaji Seifuku de: This sounds like Christmas. Not even kidding. For it being the throw together unit, they got a very good song. 4/5.
Track #13, Rock no Teigi: Reina's graduation song. It fits her SO well. Even though it's got the electro sounds, I think it goes well with what she is doing now with her band. This is probably the best she's sounded all album. I love that the video is totally Reina too. Not a memory lane at all. 5/5.
Track #14, Makeru Ki Shinai Kon'ya no Shoubu: Best B-side of Wagamama. I love the feel of this song. It feels defiant. I like that. We need more songs that feel like that in the H!P catalog. 5/5.
Track #15, Bouya: The Sayu autotune song of the single. I kind of overplayed this too as this was the version of the single I bought. Looking back down it's the weakest of the three Sayu autotune B-sides. Still great though. 5/5.
Track #16, Funwari Koibito Ichinensei: I didn't care for this at all when it came out, but now it's awesome. I like the random rappers that H!P sometimes has in their songs. 4/5.
I realize I started to ramble and repeat myself a lot by the end.....it's not easy and pretty boring to think of something new to say about 31 different songs xD However, the point of this post is to not read my talking to myself but to listen to the awesome songs. So enjoy! 5/5.
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