Unbalance+Balance

Unbalance+Balance is the fifteenth studio album by Japanese singer Akina Nakamori and first studio album to be released during 1990's. It was released on 22 September 1993 under the MCA Records label

Unbalance+Balance
Studio album by
Akina Nakamori
Released22 September 1993
4 December 2002 (as Unbalance+Balance+6)
Recorded1992-1993
StudioVictor Studio
Music Inn
Cherry Island Studio
GenrePop
Length42:47 (original)
72:46 (re-printed)
LanguageJapanese
LabelMCA
ProducerAkina Nakamori
Akina Nakamori chronology
Best III
(1992)		 Unbalance+Balance
(1993)		 Utahime
(1994)
Singles from Unbalance+Balance
  1. "Not Crazy To me"
    Released: 21 May 1993

The album includes B-side Not Crazy To Me taken from the single Everlasting Love.[1][2]

In 2002 was released re-printed version of the album Unbalance+Balance+6 which includes original version of Not Crazy To Me, single Everlasting Love, Yoru no Dokoka de, and B-sides Rose Bud and Blue Lace, which was previously unreleased in the album recordings.[3]

Background

It's Nakamori's first studio album to be released after 4 years and in new recording label.

The first production of the album started in summer 1992, after Nakamori finished filming television drama Sugao no Mama de.[4] According to recording producer, Nakamori's distanced from her casual style and along with new music production staff aimed more into contemporary style.[5]

Some of the past musical writers were involved with the album, including Takashi Matsumoto, Makoto Sekiguchi from C-C-B, Koji Tamaki from Anzen Chitai and Brasilian singer-songwriter Osny Melo. Among new team includes well-known names as Ryuuichi Sakamoto, Nokko from Rebecca and Tetsuya Komuro. Composer Akira Senju later become the main producer of the series of cover albums "Utahime".

By this album, Nakamori start be in the charge of the producing albums. It's her second self-produced album for the first time in 7 year.

It was Nakamori's idea to write two songs with same melody yet different lyrics: Eien no Tobira was written by Natsuno Serino and Kagerou by Nakamori herself. It's Nakamori's first original song for first time in 9 years.[6]

Aibu was later recorded as a B-side in the cover single Kataomoi in 1994.[7]

Promotion

Single

It consists of one previously released single.[8]

Not Crazy To Me is B-side take from the twenty-seventh single Everlasting Love. It was written by Nokko and produced by Ryuuichi Sakamoto. It was released on 21 May 1993. It was Nakamori's the first single to be released in two years under new recording label. It includes renewed melodical arrangement, compared to the original. The original version was included re-printed version of album, Unbalance+Balance+6 and compilation albumUtahime Densetsu: 90's Best.[9][10]

The single debuted at number 10 on the Oricon Single Weekly Charts.

It's Nakamori's final single to be released in compact disc format.

Stage performances

While the singles Gekka and Aibu were performed in the later live tours and music television programs, the albums tracks Kurobara was performed in one-night live Parco Threatre Live in 1994, Norma Jean in live tour Spoon in 1998, Eien no Tobira and Hikaru no Nai Mangekyō were performed for the first time in acoustic live tour 21 Seiki he no Tabidachi. Kagerou was performed very often as well: Parco Theatre Live, True Akina Live in 1995 and acoustic live tour 21 Seiki he no Tabidachi.

Chart performance

The album reached at number 4 on the Oricon Album Weekly Chart charted for the 9 consecutive weeks with the sales of 186,600 copies.[11][12][13] It's Akina's last studio album which sold over 100,000 copies.

Until 2002 cover album Zero Album Utahime 2, none of Nakamori albums didn't debut at Top 10 in the Oricon Album Weekly Charts.

Track listing

Unbalance+Balance
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
1."Eien no Tobira (永遠の扉)"Seriko NatsunoKoji Tamaki (Anzen Chitai)Akira Senju7:13
2."Aibu (愛撫)"Takashi MatsumotoTetsuya KomuroKomuro5:14
3."Kurobara (黒薔薇)"MatsumotoOsny MeloMelo4:19
4."You Are Everything"Megumi AyukawaMeloMelo4:35
5."Hikari no nai Mangekyō (光のない万華鏡)"Akina NakamoriMakoto Sekiguchi (ex.C-C-B)Melo1:05
6."Nemuru Yori Nakitai Yoru ni (眠るより泣きたい夜に)"NatsunoBro.KORNMelo4:41
7."Norma Jean"MatsumotoKomuroKomuro5:31
8."Not Crazy To Me" (LP edit)NokkoRyuuichi SakamotoSakamoto4:45
9."Kagerou (陽炎)"NakamoriTamakiYuuji Toriyama5:28

Unbalance+Balance+6
No.TitleLyricsMusicArranger(s)Length
10."Everlasting Love"Ohnuki TaekoSakamotoSakamoto4:50
11."Not Crazy To Me"NokkoSakamotoSakamoto4:35
12."Yoru no Dokoka de: Night Shift (夜のどこかで)"NatsunoTsugutoshi GotōGotō5:46
13."Rose Bud"NatsunoGotōGotō5:15
14."Gekka (月華)"Goro MatsuiShuugou KajiwaraAkihiko Matsumoto5:00
15."Blue Lace"AyukawaAkemi KrivitEtsuko Yamakawa4:41

References
  1. "中森明菜 - アンバランス+バランス+6 - UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN". ユニバーサルミュージック合同会社. Retrieved 2012-07-28.
  2. "中森明菜 / アンバランス+バランス [CD] [アルバム] - CDJournal.com". 音楽出版社. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
  3. "中森明菜 / アンバランス+バランス+6 [再発] [CD] [アルバム] - CDJournal.com". 音楽出版社. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  4. Akina Nakamori (1993). Unbalance+Balance (CD Album; album notes). Akina Nakamori. Japan: MCA Records. GRCO-3001.
  5. ロックンロール・ニューズメーカー10月号増刊 Queen's Pal. ビクターエンタテインメント. 1993-10-20. p. 6.
  6. "page6". Rock N Roll News Maker October Issue Queen's Pal. Victor Entertainment: 6. 1993-10-20.
  7. "片想い 中森明菜のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE". オリコン. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
  8. "Discography (中森明菜 ) - Alteranet". meix-net.jp. Archived from the original on 1999-02-23.
  9. "中森明菜 / 歌姫伝説～90's BEST～ [3CD+DVD] [限定]". cdjournal.com.
  10. "歌姫伝説~'90s BEST [初回限定盤]". UMJ.jp.
  11. Oricon Album Chart Book Complete Edition 1970-2005. オリコン・マーケティング・プロモーション. 25 April 2006. pp. 3, 455–457, 883. ISBN 4871310779.
  12. "アルバムチャート". オリコンウィークリー The Ichiban. オリコン. 17: 63. 1995-08-07.
  13. "検索結果-ORICON STYLE アーティスト/CD検索". オリコン. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
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