"Ikimasshoi!"

The only Morning Musume albums I'd put above this one are the two "Best" albums, which compiled all their early singles (up to 2003) and a few other favorites. But of their regular succession of nine albums (with a tenth on the way), I have to classify "Ikimasshoi" as my clear favorite. Every song on it is a winner and not just the four major singles on it ("The Peace," "Mr. Moonlight," "Souda! We're Alive," and "Renai Revolution 21"). All the songs are full of delightful energy designed to pump you up and most of them are group songs. There's only one ostensible solo on the album and it's "Otoko Tomodachi" which is sung by Natsumi Abe with light vocal accompaniment by the then-new 5th Gen members. Also, "Suki na Sempai" is sung only by the four members of 5th Gen (Ai Takahashi, Risa Niigaki, Makoto Ogawa, Asami Konno). This album is from that golden year (late 2001-to-Sept. 23, 2002) when 5th Gen had joined MM and Maki Goto was still in the group. MM was never better. After listening to this album again to prepare for this review, I went and dug out my DVD of MM's very best concert, "Love is Alive Spring 2002," at which they sang 12 of the 13 songs on this album. The perfect supplement. The only one they didn't sing at that concert, "Dekkai Uchuu ni Ai ga Aru," was sung at the next one, "Love is Alive Fall 2002," held on Sept. 23, 2002 (Maki's 17th birthday), the one at which Maki graduated (a sad event for MM). The last track on this album, "Nanni mo Iwazu ni I Love You," was later recorded as a single by Biyuden.