Ongaku Cafe (The 2000s): ZARD - Cruising & Live - LIVE AT THE PACIFIC VENUS (January 2000)

ZARD’s “Cruising & Live – LIVE AT THE PACIFIC VENUS” offers fans a rare opportunity to listen to ZARD perform live!

BAND: ZARD

ALBUM TITLE: Cruising & Live – LIVE AT THE PACIFIC VENUS

LABEL: B-Gram Records

CATALOG#: JBCJ-1026

DURATION: 1:02:27

Released on January 26, 2000

TRACK LISTING:

1. OPENING|揺れる想い
2. 君がいない
3. 心を開いて
4. Don’t you see!
5. 世界はきっと未来の中
6. フォトグラフ
7. もう少しあと少し…
8. 眠れない夜を抱いて
9. My Baby Grand~ぬくもりが欲しくて~
10. IN MY ARMS TONIGHT
11. あの微笑みを忘れないで
12. この愛に泳ぎ疲れても
13. ENCORE|遠い星を数えて
14. 負けないで

Reviewed back in January 2000

ZARD has always been a mysterious group. Well, for one, ZARD is the band name but with all band members leaving the group early in the band’s tenure, Sakai Izumi continued to use the name as a solo artist.

Too add to the mystery behind ZARD, Sakai Izumi rarely performed on television.

Where it is important for a band and artist to promote themselves, ZARD never had to. The music spoke for itself.

In 1999, this changed as she gave a special performance to 600 members of her fan club (600 out of 2 million requests).

In January 2000, a special album was released with a 14 track album, the second CD containing a video game and a VHS tape of the behind-the-scenes footage of putting the concert together.

Because the performance was recorded in a small cruise line room, the audio quality is not the best but you do feel the energy from the fans and you get a glimpse of Sakai Izumi’s character and that she may be a very shy person.

This album is the first glimpse of ZARD live and also the first time fans got to hear her and the fans interact live.

As for the video game portion, it’s a mind numbing game of trying to find a single pass to access videos from the concert.

Unfortunately, the pass is hidden among three levels, with each level consisting of 20 rooms on the cruise line.

With 30 minutes to find it and enemy helicopters and gunshots impeding your chances, the game is frustrating and the rooms change with each play. So, accessing the videos is not at all easy.

The VHS is a short look behind-the-scenes and a booklet is included in the box set which holds the CD’s.

Despite the frustrating video game, “Cruising & Live” is the best opportunity at this time to finally hear ZARD perform live.