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So ubiquitous had Japanese boy band Arashi become by the end of 2009, with 24 number one singles (and the group carpet-bombing the TV schedules thanks to what appeared to be a law stating there must be at least one member of the group on TV on at least one Japanese TV channel at any given time), that the phenomenal success of this bumper three-CD compilation was guaranteed to a level where it could simply bludgeon any critical appraisal of its contents aside. With the first two discs comprised of all Arashi's singles to date and the third containing a selection supposedly chosen by the group members (more likely by their notoriously controlling management company, Johnny's Jimusho, in accordance with the members' carefully stage-managed personae), listening to it all at once is like being blinded by the light from a revolving sushi bar of gold, platinum, and double-platinum discs. The songs are devastatingly effective slabs of earnest, undeniably catchy, blandly feel-good boy band pop, and even a dedicated hater of the group would be forced to admit that, taken on their own terms, songs like "Sunrise Nippon" and "Pikanchi" are good pop music. Obviously, however, given the kind of band Arashi are, anyone seeking something a bit more nutritious would be well advised to steer clear, since despite the eagerness of songs like "Hadashi no Mirai" to rock out, their music invariably comes across every bit as glassy-eyed, airbrushed, and sexually non-threatening as the boys themselves. Of the three CDs, disc one, containing the group's earlier singles, is the most fun, with the second disc seeming to be taking aim at courting a more mature (read: "bland") image. The third disc, containing "Arashi's selection," is a curious collection of tracks that certainly adds variety to the compilation, although its occasional flirtations with '90s Eurobeat demonstrate questionable musical taste from at least one member. ~ Ian Martin
