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On February 26, 2021, Alice Cooper released the album "Detroit Stories", his 21st albumת which is a "back to the roots" album of the veteran singer, who was born in the city of Detroit and grew out of it, musically. From the first listen it seems that this is one of the best Alice Cooper albums in recent years. If you like Alice from the classic era, this album will surely do you good. Cooper recruited the legendary Bob Ezrin, who started working with him back in the 70s, as a producer, and now returns to help him recreate the legendary sound of the 70s. Ellis also surrounded himself with guests from the veterans of the Detroit scene, including guitarist Wayne Kramer from the band "MC5", and guitarist Mark Farner from the band "Grand Funk Railroad". In addition, members of the Alice Cooper band from the 1970s such as Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith, as well as drummer Larry Mullen from the "U2" band, are also staying here. Cooper stated that the album will explore how the city of cars and industry helped the development of what he defines as "angry hard rock" and later became known as the shock rock genre. He said that the city of Detroit was the only place that accepted the "angry" and different hard rock sound that he brought at the beginning of his career and therefore this album will be a kind of homage to the city. Said and done! Those who listened to the singles already released by him knew to say that they definitely remind the sound and the vibe that existed in Detroit almost five decades ago. The album opens up with " Rock 'n' Roll ", the first single released from the album which is actually a cover version of "The Velvet Underground" song written and recorded by Lou Reed in Detroit. The second track " Go Man Go " is a rough and dirty classic punk-rock piece, and right after it comes " Our Love Will Change The World " with the "Beatles" flavor which, in stark contrast to the previous track, is full of optimism. The fourth track " Social Debris " returns us to the metallic and dirty sound that so beautifully represents the music that came out of the iron city and the cars, an angry and protesting track that really makes us feel like "human waste". The fifth track " $1000 High Heel Shoes " is one of the most surprising ones on the album. Ellis recruits trumpets, wind instruments, Cooper's, and a backing choir and sets out to roam the realms of "gospel", "doo-wop" and the blues. The seventh track " Detroit City 2021 " best sums up the essence of this album and the return to the roots. It is an anthem for the city of Detroit which takes us back 18 years to the original song taken from the album "The Eyes Of Alice Cooper". Even the eyes on that album from 2003 correspond with Alice Cooper 's made-up eyes on the cover of the current album looking down on the dark city of Detroit. The song mentions among others the veterans of the scene Iggy Pop , David Bowie , "The MC5", Bob Seger and Suzi Quatro, and the "Shock Rock" that was born in the city. The list of songs on the album: 1. Rock ‘n’ Roll 2. Go Man Go 3. Our Love Will Change The World 4. Social Debris 5. $1000 High Heel Shoes 6. Hail Mary 7. Detroit City 2021 8. Drunk And In Love 9. Independence Dave 10. I Hate You 11. Wonderful World 12. Sister Anne 13. Hanging On By A Thread (Don’t Give Up) 14. Shut Up And Rock 15. East Side Story For Listening click: Here . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 16, 2021, just five months after the death of drummer Lee Kerslake after a battle with cancer and he is 73 years old, his first solo album "Eleventeen" is released. Lee was a special drummer with a tremendous emotional playing technique. He was also a songwriter with supreme grace and not a bad singer at all. He started playing drums at the age of 11 and began his musical career at the age of 21 with the band "The Gods" where he also met keyboardist Ken Hensley . Later the two will also form the band "Toe Fat" and in 1972 Lee will join Hensley's band "Uriah Heep". In 1980 Lee joined Ozzy Osbourne 's first lineup in his solo career and became one of his lead writers mostly on his second album. In 1986 he even sued Ozzy along with Bob Daisley for non-payment of royalties for their part in writing the songs. Due to health issues, it took Kerslake three years to complete the album, and the result serves as a historical photo collection that reminds us how talented he was. The album features eight tracks showcasing its wide-ranging influences, from the moving opening song " Celia Sienna " on the one hand to " Take Nothing For Granted " reminiscent of the '80s "Uriah Heep" on the other. It looks like Kerslake knew this would be his last work and this is reflected both in the choice of the songs like " You've Got A Friend " and also in the melancholy instrumental section he chose to call " Mom ". List of songs: 01. Celia Sienna 02. Take Nothing For Granted 03. Where Do We Go From Here 04. You May Be By Yourself (But You're Never Alone) 05. Port And A Brandy 06. You've Got A Friend 07. Home Is Where The Heart Is 08. Mom (Instrumental) For Listening: Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is part of the rhythm section due of "Rage Against The Machine" and he holds even more extreme views than the other members of the band, he is a powerful bassist and a wonderful musician!! (Photo: Kevin Winter) 1. His full name is Timothy Robert Commerford and he was born on February 26, 1968. 2. He grew up in Irvine California to an aerospace engineer father and a math teacher mother. 3. The bassists who influenced him a lot are mainly Gene Simmons (KISS), Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols), Steve Harris (Iron Maiden), and Geddy Lee (Rush). 4. When he was in the 5th grade his parents divorced and he stayed to live with his father when his mother left for " Sacramento ". At that time his relationship with his father began to deteriorate as his father abused him in every way possible. 5. At that time, his classmate Zack De La Rocha introduced him to the bass guitar, in which he found refuge from everything that happened to him. 6. The two formed their first band "Juvenile Expression". 7. In 1991, an anonymous guitarist named Tom Morello decided to form a new band, he added Zack whom he was impressed by after seeing him perform in one of the clubs as a singer. They added drummer Brad Wilk whom Tom Morello knew and was looking for a bassist. Zack De La Rocha suggested his childhood friend Tim and thus the band was formed. 8. The quartet gave themselves the name "Rage Against The Machine". Photo: Gie Knaeps 8. The group whom we name the "Rage quartet", recorded 12 songs on a tape that bore the band's name, and tried to get a contract with a major record company. By the way, not all the songs from the tape will appear on the band's debut album - " Rage Against The Machine ". 9. After the tape toured several offices and the group performed many shows in various clubs in Los Angeles for a year, the quartet signed a record contract with "Epic Records" which was the only one that agreed to all of the band's terms. 10. In 1992, the "Rage Quartet" released their debut album " Rage Against The Machine ". The album received a lot of airplay on the radio stations with the first single released from the album "Killing in the Name" tearing up the airwaves. The album reached number one on the Billboard charts and number 45 on the Billboard 200. Just like the photo that captured a shocking moment and covers the album, the quartet shocked the music world and shook the world. 11. Despite many rumors about the dissolution of the "Rage Quartet", the quartet released their second album " Evil Empire ". The album was very successful and took the first place on the "Billboard 200". The band performed with the song "Bulls on Parade" - the second single from the album on the TV series "SNL" and caused a great provocation and was subsequently banned from performing on the program due to the so-called " SNL Flags Incident ". 12. In 1993 Tim adopted his greatest hobby Mountain Biking. He is a professional rider and very famous in the mountain bike industry. On one occasion it even affected his career when "Rage" had to cancel shows in 1995 after he broke his arm in a cycling accident. 13. In 1998 the band released their first live album "Live & Rare". A year later, the band participated in the famous "Woodstock '99" festival. 14. In 1999, the "Rage Quartet" released their third album " The Battle of Los Angeles ". Here too, the album takes first place on the "Billboard 200", but in addition to that, it also gives the band a nomination for the Grammy Award in the "Best Rock Album" category. The album also entered "Rolling Stone's" list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, at number 426. This is the band's last album. 15. In 2000, the band filmed the famous music video for the song "Sleep Now in the Fire" which was filmed on the sidewalk at the entrance to the "New York Stock Exchange". The music video was directed by the famous director Michael Moore who gave them the only instruction, "no matter what happens don't stop playing". The quartet and Moore were arrested during the filming of the music video after they also tried to break into the stock market, they managed to stop the stock market from operating for several hours, a rare event! 16. Although the band announced their official breakup in October 2000 after Zack decided he was leaving the band, they released their covers album " Renegade " two months later. On the album, they pay tribute to: Bruce Springsteen , Bob Dylan , Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, "MC5", "The Rolling Stones", Cypress Hil,l and "Devo". 17. After the disbandment of the "Rage Quartet", the trio decided to try to form a new band and find a replacement singer for Zack. Tim called him a "crossroads angel", Rick Rubin recognized that the trio had huge potential (not really hard to spot), supported them, and pushed them to go to group therapy. Rubin is also the one who invited Chris Cornell to the studio when the trio played there, because he was sure that it would be a pairing from heaven, and indeed it was!! 18. In 2002, the new quartet supergroup, which was called "Audioslave" released its debut album, called " Audioslave ". The combination between Chris and the "Rage Trio" was simply huge, a deadly combination of talented and rough musicians with a singer with a tremendous, exciting and rough voice. The singles "Cochise", "Show Me How to Live", "What You Are", "Like a Stone" and "I Am the Highway" were released from the album. 19. In 2005, the supergroup "Audioslave" released its second album " Out of Exile ". It is the band's only album to reach number one on the "Billboard 200" and also earned the band their second "Grammy Award" nomination. The singles "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", "Doesn't Remind Me" and "Out of Exile" were released from the album. 20. On May 6, 2005, the band made its historic appearance in "Cuba," the supergroup became the first American rock band in history to receive permission to perform live in "Cuba". The event was filmed and released on DVD in October 2005 and later also on the " Live In Cuba " album. 21. In 2006, the supergroup's third and final album titled " Revelations " was released, the album reached number 2 on the Billboard 200. The supergroup officially disbanded as a result of artistic differences it had with the "Rage Trio". 22. In 2007, the "Rage Quartet" (which included Zack) returned for a "one-off" performance at the "Coachella Music Festival". Fortunately, the performance was not a one-off and the band continued its performances at major festivals over the years to this day!! We are still praying that they will come to Israel because not all of us experienced the historic and crazy event that happened at the "Cinerama" club in the 90s. 23. In the same year Tim participated together with Brad Wilk in the album "V" Is for Vagina", of the band "Puscifer", led by Maynard James Keenan . 24. In 2013, Tim founded the band "Future User" together with Jordan Tarlow and Jon Knox. A progressive rock band that combined electronic elements and released one album in 2015 "SteroidsOrHeroin". The music video for the band's song "Voodoo Juju" is a kind of satirical criticism of the healthcare industry in the US, in which he plays a patient who is about to undergo spine surgery. Geddy Lee , Alex Lifeson and Tom Morello participated in the music video, among others. 25. In the same year Tim participated together with Brad Wilk in the recording of the song "Time Slowing Down" as part of the project " Sound City " led by Dave Grohl . 26. Another band that Tim started was "Wakrat". A punk-rock band consisting of Mathias Wakrat and Laurent Grangeon as they release one album bearing the band's name. 27. In 2016 the "Rage Trio" joined another "Rage Trio", rapper B-Real from Cypress Hill, rapper Chuck D from "Public Enemy" and DJ Lord and they became the "Prophets of Rage". 28. In the same year "the prophets" released the mini-album "The Party's Over" and in 2017 they released their debut and only album bearing the group's name. 29. It can be said that Tim has the most extreme views among the "Rage Quartet", he is a devout believer in "conspiracy theory". He believes that there is a conspiracy or fake news in many events such as the landing on the moon or the existence of "ISIS" organization. 30. In 2022, Tim shared that he was battling prostate cancer and had his prostate removed two months before he went on tour with Rage. 31. On July 9, 2022, Rage Against the Machine played their first concert in 11 years at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. The show was supposed to be followed by a worldwide tour but it was canceled due to a leg injury de la Rocha sustained during a performance. 32. On January the band published a statement on social media, that they are done touring and playing live shows. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we would like to tell you about the shy talented and humble George Harrison, and at the same time invite you to click on the link at the end of this review and listen to the playlist we prepared for you, with songs George wrote throughout his career. (Photo: courtesy of the Harrison family) 1. George Harrison was born in Liverpool on February 25, 1943, he was the youngest of four children. 2. Among his first musical influences were Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, and Chet Atkins. 3. His first band was called "the Rebels". He co-founded it with his brother Peter and friend Arthur Kelly. 4. He first met Paul McCartney on a bus on his way to school. 5. George was only 15 years old when John Lennon auditioned him to "The Quarrymen", which later became "The Beatles". It was on the second floor of a double-decker bus, after Paul told John Lennon that he knew someone who played the guitar perfectly. (Photo: Music History Twitter) 6. He left school as early as age 16 and started working at a local department store. 7. The first song he co-wrote with Paul McCartney was "Despite All The Danger", it was back in 1958 as part of "the Quarrymen". 8. Although he has not written songs for the Beatles' first album, he sings in two songs from it, one of which is "Do You Want to Know a Secret?". 9. The first song he wrote for "the Beatles" was "Don't Bother Me", from the band's second album. 10. He is the one who led "the Beatles" members to experiment with Indian music and the use of Indian musical instruments. One of the first and most famous uses was the Sitar in the song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". (Photo: Rex Features) 11. The first song he wrote for "the Beatles" and appeared on a single was "The Inner Light" from 1968. It was the b-side of "Lady Madonna". 12. He invented the concept of fundraising shows. He was the first to organize such a show in 1971 with " Concert for Bangladesh ", which also came out as a double album and as a movie. 13. He was greatly influenced by Bob Dylan and the members of "The Band". After the release of " The White Album " in 1968, Harrison flew to the United States and spent time at Bob Dylan's home in Woodstock, where "The Band" worked on their first album. 14. He co-wrote the song "Badge" for the band "Cream", with Eric Clapton , which was released on the band's fourth and final album - "Goodbye" from 1968. 15. He also wrote several songs for Ringo Starr 's solo career, the best known of which is "Photograph". 16. He played on John Lennon 's solo album " Imagine ". 17. He produced and played the sitar on the hit "Day After Day" by the band "Badfinger". 18. He was the first of "the Beatles" members to release a solo album, even while the band was active. These were two experimental albums, "Wonderwall Music", and "Electronic Sound" which used synthesizers in their earlier version. 19. He was also the first of "the Beatles" members to go on tour after they broke up. It was in 1974 in a tour called the "Dark Horse tour". 20. Harrison is also the only member of "the Beatles" to release a triangular solo album " All Things Must Pass ". 21. He also "donated" the theme song from the album " All Things Must Pass " to his keyboardist friend Billy Preston who released the song even before Harrison released it. It was part of Preston's "Encouraging Words" album, which came out about three months before Harrison's album. 22. Beyond his guitar and singing skills, Harrison knew how to play on 26 other different instruments. 23. For example, he played the violin in the song "All You Need is Love". 24. He lost his virginity to the cheers of the rest of "the Beatles" members. This was in the band's early years when the members shared one room in Germany. 25. As an avid fan of Monty Python members he founded a production company and produced the film "Life of Brian". He did this by taking out a mortgage on his home. As a token of appreciation, the members of Monty Python gave him a guest appearance in the mythological film. 26. In 1974 he also founded his own record company - "Dark Horse Records". 27. He also became a producer and among other things produced that year the album "The Place I Love" by the duo "Splinter". 28. As part of his spiritual search in India he became a vegetarian in the 1960s. 29. The most famous song of his solo career "My Sweet Lord" was the basis for a copyright lawsuit in connection with a song called "He's So Fine", by the female band "The Chiffons" from 1963. Harrison was forced to pay a fantastic sum for those times, in the amount of $ 1.5 million, To dismiss the lawsuit against him. 30. He wrote a song about this event called "This Song". It came out as part of his 1976 album called "33 and 1/3". 31. Lennon and McCartney did not want his song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on " The White Album ". Harrison brought his friend Eric Clapton to the studio, he played the solo in the song and suddenly Paul and John relented. 32. He was the youngest "Beatle" and only 27 years old when "the Beatles" broke up. 33. An asteroid discovered on March 9, 1984, is named after him. 34. He wrote the song "Wah-Wah" when he left the Beatles shortly after a quarrel between him and McCartney, during the recordings of the " Let it Be " album. He left the studio and went home to write the song and claimed that the argument with Paul McCartney caused him a big headache like "Wah-Wah". 35. In 1988 he formed the supergroup "Traveling Wilburys" together with Jeff Lynne , Roy Orbison, Tom Petty , and Bob Dylan . He wrote and sang, among other things, the hit "Handle With Care". 6. He was ranked 11th on "Rolling Stone magazine's" list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. 37. His first marriage to model Pattie Boyd, whom he married in 1966, ended in divorce in 1977. 38. One of the songs he wrote about her is "Something". It was the first song Harrison wrote for "the Beatles" which was released as the first side of a single. All "the Beatles" members and George Martin thought it was the best song on the " Abbey Road " album. Even Frank Sinatra defined the song as the most beautiful love song written in the last 50 years. 39. The clip for the song includes all "the Beatles" members along with their wives. At the same time, the photos of each couple were taken separately, in light of the tension that prevailed between the band members. 40. Patty was courted by his friend Eric Clapton , who also wrote the song "Layla" about her. Clapton married Patty after her divorce from Harrison. That did not stop Clapton and Harrison from remaining friends. 41. In 1997 Harrison was diagnosed with throat cancer. Later in 2001, he discovered that cancer had returned, this time in his lungs. 42. He recorded his last album "BRAINWASHED" in the shadow of the chemotherapy he underwent to treat his illness. 43. The last song he wrote was "A Horse To Water". His writing partner was his son Dhani. The song was performed by "Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra", as part of their 2001 album "Small World, Big Band" and Harrison was a guest on it. 44. On November 12, 2001, about two weeks before his death, he met with his Beatles friends Ringo and Paul, for the last time. They ate a meal in New York where he was receiving treatment for his illness. The meeting was happy and humorous as the friends reminisced about their distant past. Ringo flew straight from Boston, where he accompanied his daughter who had undergone head tumor treatments and was forced to leave immediately at the end of the meal, to return to her. Paul stayed and spent more time with Harrison and his wife. (Photo: Eric Alper Twitter) 45. Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001. Just one year after his death, an amazing and moving performance was held in his memory called "Concert for George". The show was recorded and released on audio and video and featured Paul McCartney , Ringo Starr , Eric Clapton , Tom Petty , and Jeff Lynne . For listening to the playlist we have prepared for you, click on the following link : Here . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 24, 2022 "Scorpions" released its 19th album "Rock Believer". The album was released 50 years after the band's debut album " Lonesome Crow " and exactly 43 years after " Lovedrive ", which was released today only in 1979, and it's probably not really a coincidence. This is the Scorpions' first studio album since "Return to Forever"ת released in 2015. It is also their first with drummer Mikkey Dee (formerly King Diamond and "Motorhead"), who joined the band in 2016, following Lemmy Kilmister 's death and the breakup of his band. After the release of "Return to Forever", the band went on a long tour that was also meant to mark the band's 50th-anniversary celebrations. About three months before the tour ended, in December 2016, drummer James Kottak was fired from the band and Mikkey Dee was officially announced as his replacement. After the addition of Mikkey Dee , the tour continued for another three years, which delayed any plans to record a new album. The writing of the material for the album began in the middle of 2019, but then came Covid-19. Amid the Covid-19 lockdowns, in February 2020, the band manages to release the single " Sign Of Hope ", a ballad that works on it has been completed especially to bring a message of hope due to the world crises (and is not included in the album). However, following the Covid-19 lockdowns, the band was unable to return to the studio and continue work on the new album. They already had quite a few finished songs just waiting to be recorded, but the situation did not allow them to get to Los Angeles, where they began working with producer Greg Fidelman, or alternatively the producer's arrival in Germany, to finish work on the album. Eventually, the band decided to "go back to roots" and recorded the album at the "Peppermint Park" studios, in their hometown of Hanover, Germany. They gave up on producer Greg Fidelman, who was supposed to produce the album in Los Angeles, and chose to produce it close to home along with Hans-Martin Buff. The opening song " Gas in the Tank " written by Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker , is a statement of intent by the band, with words that leave no room for doubt, "King of the Riffs is back in town" and "Scorpions" is back to "sting" you: "Pour hammer riffs all over me A little dirty, a little cheap Move your fingers up and down the fret The V is flyin' without a net Black me in and black me out The king of riffs is back in town Who is up for a deadly sting? Black me out and black me in" The "fuel in the tank" of "Scorpions" from the opening track, manages to keep the album on the highway throughout. There are moments when the band, and especially Mikkey Dee , "press the pedal to the metal", like with " Roots in My Boots ", " Knock 'em Dead ", " When I Lay My Bones to Rest " or " Hot and Cold ". There are times they shift down the gear and go into cruise mode, like with the theme song " Rock Believer " or " Seventh Sun " or even sliding through traffic jams like with the ending ballad " When You Know (Where You Come From) ". There are also moments when they get off the highway looking for scenic views, as with " Shining of Your Soul ", which corresponds with the reggae of "Is There Anybody There" from the album " Lovedrive ", which was released just today in 1979. Four singles have been released from the album so far, the first of which " Peacemaker ", which was released on November 4, 2021. A track that is full of the classic "Scorpions", as we know it. Hot riffs by Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs, a groovy and catchy chorus, and powerful Klaus Meine vocals whose voice simply refuses to age. The lyrics were written by Klaus Meine and are steeped in, among other things, the Covid-19 events that made him think that so many people were dying around, whether from the virus, whether from destructive wars, or other illogical crimes and it made him feel like the "undertaker" had to work overtime To "deliver the goods" and that it was time for the "peacemaker" to rule. The 11-song album was also released in a limited deluxe edition, with five more songs, including an acoustic rendition of the song " When You Know (Where You Come From) " and the excellent track " Crossing Borders ". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 25, 1979, "Scorpions" released its sixth studio album, "Lovedrive". This album marked a fundamental change in the sound and style of the band. It was the first to set the familiar formula of "Scorpions", which includes a combination of Hard Rock songs with melodic and sweet ballads. It is also the album that some critics consider to be the pinnacle of the band's work. The story of "Lovedrive" begins in 1977, with the end of the recordings of the album "Taken By Force", which marked the end of the psychedelic era of "Scorpions". The change in the musical line led to friction between Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine on the one hand, who wanted to push the band's style towards Hard Rock/Melodic Metal, and Uli Jon Roth on the other. These musical disagreements led Uli Jon Roth to decide he wanted to leave the band, but Klaus Meine 's persuasions led him to stay for the tour during which the " Tokyo Tapes " live album was recorded. At the end of the tour, Uli Jon Roth left the band and founded "Electric Sun". In his place, "Scorpions" hired the services of guitarist Matthias Jabs, who was chosen from 150 guitarists who auditioned, thus completing the band's classic line-up. But the story was not so simple, because after Matthias joined the band, a new actor, a "Superstar", came into the picture, in the form of Michael Schenker , the brother of Rudolf Schenker who just left "UFO", after the release of the live album " Strangers in the Night " from 1979. Michael was a guest on the recording of "Lovedrive" and even provided solos and background vocals, for 6 of the album's eight songs. Later Michael will also replace Jabs during the band's tour, but will leave again in April 1979, to set up his own project "Michael Schenker Group". This will lead Matthias back into the band's arms. Why are we telling you all of this? Because the addition of Jabs and the change of musical direction by Rudolf Schenker and Klaus Meine , will bring "Scorpions" to meteoric success that will only intensify from the early 1980s, while "Lovedrive" marks the exact turning point. Rudolf Schenker said that after the departure of Uli Jon Roth , he and Meine were determined to prove they could continue without him. The recruitment of Jabs helped them hone their sound. The songs became shorter and denser and they relied less on guitar solos and more on stadium-oriented catchy riffs. The fact that the meteor Michael Schenker joined the recordings, only added to the confidence and helped the musical change, while giving the band exactly the boost it needed. For example, Michael Schenker 's additions in songs like the energetic and fast-paced " Another Piece of Meat ", the instrumental " Coast to Coast " or the theme song " Lovedrive " is well felt, especially in the last one, where the riff and rhythm, sound like they were borrowed from Michael's previous band, "UFO". Another significant change that took place on this album, was the dominance of "power ballads" like " Holiday ", which will become a regular part of the band's albums, as a matter of deliberate policy. It's not that the band did not have quiet and melodic songs before, but on this album, they came up with the winning formula, which not only will skyrocket their careers, but will serve as a role model for any Hard Rock or Heavy Metal band in the 1980s and beyond. You will hardly find a classic Heavy Metal album during the 80s, without a ballad that tries to emulate the winning recipe that "Scorpions" started on this album. Listen, for example, to "Always Somewhere" (whose chord progression itself was influenced by "Simple Man" by "Lynyrd Skynyrd") https://en.faceoffrockshow.com/post/scorpions-taken-by-force and then to "Don't Cry" by "Guns N 'Roses" and understand what we're talking about. This balanced between "fast and furious" and "slow and melodic", will become an ultimate irresistible combination. This recipe will be incorporated into the band's next albums such as "Blackout" and "Love at First Sting", which will spawn stadium rock anthems alongside timeless ballads. So if you want to know where the so familiar "Scorpions" sound started to crystallize, listen here: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Remember the first episode of the "Pantera" series where we told you about " The Rise of the Transformers of Metal "? If not, then you should click on the link and read the first chapter, before you continue. The Transformers of Metal !!! - The second episode: "Revenge of the Metal Transformers" - "Revenge of the Fallen": On February 25, 1992, "Pantera" released their sixth studio album - "Vulgar Display of Power" - which is the subject of the second episode in the series - Revenge! Revenge of whom you ask? Revenge on the "Decepticons" - the big record companies who were just looking for how to soften, refine and commercialize thrash metal in exchange for piles of silver and gold. Revenge on the music market and their colleagues from the metal genre, for daring to commercialize, succumb to pressure, go with the flow... So while the world was busy with Grunge and in the days when "Metallica", "Testament" and even "Megadeth" succumbed to the pressure of record companies and tried to produce metal for the masses, the Transformers of Metal fought to achieve just the opposite and the album cover accurately speaks for itself and exactly represent what going on inside. "A vulgar display of power!" A powerful punch right in the face of the metal world! This album whose name is taken from a line in the movie "Exorcism", is a direct sequel to the band's previous album " Cowboys from Hell ", only it takes it one step further, stronger, and more powerful. A vulgar and edgy purposeful display of anger, power, and strength, designed to serve as a deliberate protest against the “commercialization” process that bands like “Metallica” went through on The Black Album . At that time, "Pantera" felt that there was some vacuum that "Metallica" left out and this was an opportunity to fill it. So they thought of making their heaviest album ever!! "Pantera's" music in this album is based on a combination of slow riffs and fast rhythms whose common denominator is heavy, forceful, and even brutal playing. Phil Anselmo abandons the last appendages of the "Glam" and Heavy Metal singing that still shone occasionally on the previous album and in fact almost completely cuts down the "high" and "clean" singing, focusing on screams of rage and powerful roars, and of course, we are not talking about the quiet tracks like in - " This Love " or " Hollow ". The writing topics have also become heavier and deeper, with " Mouth for War " talking about channeling your hatred in good directions, " Walk " raising a triple finger to the company surrounding the band, " Fucking Hostile " attacking religion, and " Hollow " describing dealing with the loss of a close friend in a permanent vegetative state. The result was not far from what "Pantera" intended. "Vulgar Display of Power" explodes with the forceful " Mouth for War ", which is written, of course, about the boxer, world champion, James 'Lights Out' Toney. Vinnie Paul 's violent and powerful drumming, Dimebag Darrell 's grinding guitars, and Phil Anselmo 's screams, all explain MTV's decision to use the song on the legendary " Headbangers Ball ". This is the first single the band has released from the album and also their first to hit American Billboard. This album continues with all the power and rage and does not let the "rain" of guitar strings in the opening of " A New Level " fool you, because what comes next is a dark and heavy riff and full brutal assault of Phil Anselmo . The amazing " Walk " whose broken and contagious riff with the psychic time signature of 12/8, was written during the soundchecks on the band's tour, demands a lot of RE-SPECT !!! And we feel sorry for those who will not "respect" the avenging Transformers. No wonder the song was adopted by wrestlers Rob Van Dam and Edge, as their entry song. Who would even dare mess with them with such a menacing entry? " Fuckin Hostile " is simply a cruel song that goes right into the vacuum "Metallica" left behind, with their " Black Album ". The riff and its rhythm are reminiscent of "Metallica" in its early days and constitute a kind of homage of "Pantera" to the band they adored. The distorted singing is influenced by the singing in the chorus of the song "Head Like a Hole" by "Nine Inch Nails", which was admired by Dimebag Darrell . This nervous and frenetic atmosphere continues throughout the album with " Rise " which immediately "raises" our heart rate, with " No Good (Attack the Radical) " and its radical "attack" and with " Regular People (Conceit) " and the simple rhythm changes Who never cease to surprise, even from a distance of 30 years. What's amazing about this album, is that even when "The Transformers of Metal" stop for a few minutes on the side of the road to refuel, with immortal songs like " This Love ", which is thought to be written about Phil Anselmo 's relationship, but it's rooted in Anselmo's unhappy childhood, or with " Hollow " with the vibrating dual guitar sound of Dimebag Darrell , they still do not lose their power and strength. We want to be careful about this, so please be with us: Metallica's " Black Album " may be the most successful metal album of the 9090sbut "Vulgar Display of Power" is probably the album that defined the genre and in a sense even Saved the real metal from the danger of commercialization and extinction. This is exactly the "revenge of the fallen" of the "Transformers of Metal", this is exactly how a "vulgar and powerful display of power" should sound! For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "I miss him terribly, personally ... if there is a band that defined my youth, on the same level as Metallica, it must be pantera ... I got this autograph from Dimbag with a big hug, at Ozzfest in 2000 if I Iecall... He added the famous CFH, and I told him a bit about myself .... Pantera was also a serious and powerful part, of my military service soundtrack ... In general, lately, I have been exposed to a lot of media, dealing with the pretty bad period of my military service In southern Lebanon, and of course, a direct line connects Sujud to the music tapes and my mini-disc device... One of my customs, to this day during live performances, is to glance and "record" the immortal moments during each show, straight to my memory bank... this Pantera performance at Ozzfest, I will not forget for the rest of my life ... Dimebag's Confederate guitar, was so special And beautiful, without getting completely into its negative connotations, I did a very long search in the US, until I found one ... On the fretboard, there is one word: "REBEL" In one word, one guitar managed to sum up the late Daimebag for me, because that's how I was in that period of military service, and also after it ... The Pantera tapes from the regular IDF service, I met again as a reservist in the second Lebanon war of 2006 .... I was very excited to listen to them, and here I found myself again in southern Lebanon .... Anyway .... He has a warm, loving, and painful place in my heart .... " "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Don't Stop Believin'... On February 25, 2021, the song " Don't Stop Believin' " by "Journey" crossed the threshold of one billion listens on Spotify. In doing so, the song joins " Bohemian Rhapsody " and the handful of songs on the prestigious list, with songs that crossed the threshold of one billion listens. The band's guitarist Neal Schon celebrated the important achievement at "Twitter", sharing a screenshot of "Journey's" homepage on "Spotify", with the song topping the list with over a billion plays. It is interesting to note, that since Covid-19 broke out, the song has been used as an "anthem" by medical teams in the US and has undergone a major refinement, which has probably led to a spike in its playbacks. Another contribution to the song many plays, can be attributed to the fact that it accompanied the ending scene of the masterpiece series "The Sopranos". The song is taken from the band's seventh album " Escape " which celebrated 40 years in 2021. In January 2024, the song won another amazing title, when it was crowned by "Forbes" magazine as "The Biggest Song Of All Time", after the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) announced that the song's sales figures reached 18 platinum, i.e. At least 18 million sales in the United States alone. For Listening: S potify . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about the guitar legend Johnny Winter: (Photo: Gijsbert Hanekroot) 1. He was born John Dawson Winter, III, Texas, on February 23, 1944. 2. He and his younger brother Edgar were born albinos. 3. Edgar is also a musician and multi-instrumentalist known among others from the band "The Edgar Winter Group" with the hit "Frankenstein". 4. He grew up in a musical home, his father sang, played guitar and saxophone. 5. Already at the age of 5 he started playing the clarinet. 6. At the age of 10 Johnny appeared with Edgar on a local TV show playing the ukulele. 7. He discovered his love for blues at the age of 12 when he went to the movies and watched a movie whose soundtrack included blues tracks. He said he was less interested in the film but was fascinated by the music. 8. He began his musical career at the age of 15, when he recorded his first song "School Day Blues" as part of his band "Johnny and the Jammers". 9. At the age of 17 he went to a B.B. King show at the "Beaumont Club" in Texas, with his brother Edgar. During the show, B.B. King allowed him to take the stage and play with him. 10. In 1968 he released his first album "The Progressive Blues Experiment". 11. He got his first serious chance when guitarist Mike Bloomfield invited him to perform with him and Al Kooper in a concert the two held in New York. Representatives from the record company Columbia were in the hall, recognized the talent, and within days he signed a recording contract that was one of the "fats" of the time - $ 600,000, three times the contract signed by Led Zeppelin shortly before. 12. His first album with the record company Columbia - "Johnny Winter" was released in April 1969. His brother Edgar joined him on the album. 13. The album was a success and received rave reviews and Johnny performed at the Woodstock Festival that year. He was among the only artists to be paid for a performance at the Mythological Festival. 14. In September 1969, Winter released his second album - "Second Winter", a double album with three vinyl sides when the fourth side was empty. Winter was the first in history to release such an album. 15. Johnny fired the legendary producer Eddie Kramer during the recordings, after thinking he was not doing a good production job. Kramer worked with big names like "Led Zeppelin", Jimi Hendrix , and "The Rolling Stones" but also "AC/DC" did not get along with him and fired him during the recording of the masterpiece album " Highway To Hell ". 16. At the time he was in a relationship with Janis Joplin and even appeared with her in a show at Madison Square Garden. 17. In 1996 Johnny Winter and his brother Edgar sued the "DC Comics" company for printing a comic paper called "Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such," which contained two similar figures of outlaws named Johnny and Edgar. They lost the lawsuit when the court in a precedent-setting ruling preferred the comic book company’s freedom of speech. 18. Winter suffered from anxiety attacks throughout his life and used to take medications to treat the stage fright he had. 19. He revived the career of his childhood hero Muddy Waters when in 1977 he produced the album "Hard Again" for him, which was a great success and won a Grammy. Winter went on to produce two more albums for Waters, which also earned Waters a Grammy Award. (Photo: Bill Green) 20. In 1980 Johnny appeared on the cover of the first issue of "Guitar World" magazine. 21. In 1988 he became the first white artist to enter the Blues Hall of Fame. 22. Winter continued to release music and perform until the day he died. 23. He passed away on July 16, 2014, two days after a performance he gave in Zurich. Winter was 70 at the time of his death. 24. Many guitarists have cited Johnny Winter as an influence on their playing, including: Joe Perry , Frank Marino, Michael Schenker , Adrian Smith , and Alex Skolnick . 25. During his musical career, Johnny released 19 studio albums, 9 live albums, and a variety of compilation albums and singles. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 23.02.1993 “I think a lot of songwriters would agree with me that it’s much easier to find inspiration in misery.” Grant Lee Phillips knew exactly what he was talking about. The singer and primary songwriter of "Grant Lee Buffalo" often indulged in songs wrapped in melancholy, and some of the finest examples appear on the band’s debut album “Fuzzy”, released on February 23, 1993. There is hardly anyone unfamiliar with the album’s title track. Although it never became a massive chart hit, Grant Lee Phillips’ high, aching vocal delivery, combined with guitars that seem to sink into the same emotional fog, helped the song gain respectable airplay on MTV. In fact, 1993 turned out to be a surprisingly strong year for a relatively unknown band at the time, especially considering they were not part of the grunge explosion dominating the scene. I have previously shared the story of Grant Lee Phillips, born into a family of preachers. Blues and rock were part of his DNA from an early age, thanks to his grandmother and artists such as Kiss and David Bowie . By the age of 13, he was already writing songs with a band called "Bloody Holly". Later, he continued composing in the psychedelic rock outfit "Shiva Burlesque", where he met drummer Joey Peters. The two connected creatively, forming a partnership that would continue fruitfully in the years ahead. In 1990, the band’s bassist James Brenner announced he was leaving. Just before "Shiva Burlesque" disbanded, they recruited a new bassist, Paul Kimble, and released a second album. Shortly afterward, vocalist Jeff Clark also departed. Kimble, Peters, and Phillips carried on, with Phillips stepping into the spotlight as frontman. During 1991, they settled on the name “Grant Lee Buffalo”, a title combining Grant Lee Phillips’ name with historical American imagery such as Buffalo Bill and Harry Houdini. After sending demos to the label Singles Only, one particular demo, “Fuzzy” , began to gain traction. Over time, it would become what was arguably their closest brush with a major hit. Meanwhile, Grant Lee Phillips kept writing relentlessly, building both a growing catalog of songs and increasing confidence in his craft. This momentum had already begun in the twilight days of Shiva Burlesque, and by the time the trio signed with Slash Records, they had accumulated not only a respectable following but also a substantial body of material ready to be recorded. What remained was to enter the studio and shape those songs into a cohesive statement. Production duties were handled by bassist Paul Kimble, who would go on to produce all of the band’s albums until his departure before their fourth and final release. The debut album by "Grant Lee Buffalo" presents Phillips as a storyteller, delivering his narratives in a rich baritone that occasionally soars to heights reminiscent of Prince’s vocal virtuosity. At times, his phrasing evokes Jim Morrison  and Lee Hazlewood, all while strumming an acoustic guitar that erupts with surprising intensity. The songs of “Grant Lee Buffalo” merge American iconography with the alternative country movement that was beginning to take shape at the time, wrapped in a distinctly Californian gothic atmosphere that envelops the listener. Phillips sings and narrates the story of two lovers whose romance is interrupted by legal troubles in “Jupiter and Teardrop” , while also confronting darker subjects such as sexual offenders and the exploitation of Native Americans in “Grace” . There is even a modern, gothic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood in “Soft Wolf Tread” , alongside a tongue in cheek jab at the indifference and rising globalization of early 1990s America. One defining performance by the Buffalo in the summer of 1993 on Later... with Jools Holland prompted Michael Stipe  to declare that “Fuzzy” was the best album released in 1993. Well of course, let’s see him make that same statement had the album come out in 1992. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Wrote: Ori Anaby Release date – 23.2.1993 A story that begins with an annual trip. A high school boy gets on the bus and suddenly hears sounds from the radio that catch his ear and brain. A soft and caressing guitar melody, something addictive. A few seconds later comes a sentence: " If I stole your desire to laugh or cry, I'm really sorry ". Something about the sounds emanating from the radio makes the world stop suddenly, or at least fade into the background while the realization that he is hearing something good seeps into the boy's mind. Good! Chances are good he's heard this song before. Not only would it turn out to be a very popular song, but it's by a band that the boy's two older brothers adored when they were in high school themselves. Later, the boy will have a childhood memory of another song from the same album, being played at home, when he was a little boy. Very quickly this song will become his favorite song from his favorite album by one of his favorite bands. So this boy was, of course, me, and as you can understand from the title the band is "Eifo HaYeled?" and the album is "Zman Sukar" (Sugar Time). The band's debut album was released on February 23, 1993. In honor of its 30th anniversary, I asked his Dudu (David) and Lior to write a personal review of the album and to my delight, they agreed. In this review, you will not read about interesting trivia details, that is more Dudu & Lior thing. Instead, you will get my personal interpretation of the experience of listening to this album. Most of the band's hits are on this album and almost every song on it blows my mind every time I hear it, over and over again. The first song on the album is " America Krova " (America Is Close). This album opens with "in your face" rock and roll, with distorted guitars and Hemi Rudner 's rocker scream, before even a single word is sung. And if we have already mentioned the lyrics, they are something between a social critique of the period, in which the song was written, and a flirtation with a future post-apocalyptic vision (something that will come back more prominently later on). The band does not shy away from a poignant text, already in the opening, and also allows itself to hide references to various sources, from the Bible to Mati Caspi, in the text. All these lyrics are wrapped in a melody that does not stop kicking from the beginning of the song to the end. "America is close", here too, and more precisely Seattle is close. The influence of bands from the grunge scene, which was at its peak at the time, especially "Nirvana", is evident. If I wrote that " Ma SheOver Allay " (what's going on with me) is my favorite song of the band, the second song on the album, " Nafalta Chazak " (You fell Hard), is probably in second place. Let's put aside for a moment all the mythology surrounding Yermi Kaplan and Dana Berger that is associated with the song, and the fact that it is the first single released from the album and the band's most successful song. This is a text that anyone who has ever experienced unrequited love or an unrequited relationship can relate to. The love in this song is a destructive drug, one that can knock you down and ruin your life completely. The woman in this song is presented as an almost demonic being, with destructive powers that the unfortunate victim who is in love with her cannot face. Even after "all is lost" she is insatiable and continues to abuse her victim by asking them to stay close. Of course, this representation is clearly unrealistic, but sometimes people in love have a hard time understanding reality correctly, just like people whose lives have been taken over by drugs. As in " Ma SheOver Allay " and quite a few other songs by the band, here to the song opens with a caressing guitar riff, and very quickly comes the opening line that catches the ear and magnetizes the listener. In my opinion, the transition of the guitar between the chorus and the second verse is one of Assaf Sarig's most beautiful. The melody in the song varies between softness in the verses and hardness in the chorus, one that emphasizes the depth of the "fall". After falling hard in the second song, in the third song, we soar high into the sky. Unlike the previous songs mentioned, the song " Hashamaim Hagvool " (The Sky is the Limit) starts first with the first line of the lyrics, and only then that the addictive guitar riff enters. Assaf Sarig admitted that they stole this riff from "Led Zeppelin", but qualified by saying that they ("Led Zeppelin") are quite thieves themselves (which is actually quite true...). The narrator in the song tries to overcome a breakup with someone close and chooses to do so mainly with the help of alcohol ("You don't love me, just me and the bottle without anyone"). From the clouds of alcohol "suddenly a door opens to another world". The narrator realizes the secret: "Being alone is actually not that bad". From the moment we reveal this secret to him, "the sky is the limit". The music in the song also takes off on top of the stolen riff and takes us up to the sky and beyond. One of the boy from the first paragraph's early childhood memories, is related to the fourth song on the album: " Mesibat HaTe Shell Alizza " (Alice's Tea Party). For years he had a memory in his head of a song that was played at home and talked about Alice and her tea party, but only when he grew up did he discover what that song was. The alcohol from the previous song is replaced here by tea, but one that has a strange taste, and its effects are just as strong as those of alcohol, if not more so. The psychedelia in the song is evident both in the words and in the melody. The words describe a surreal experience that corresponds with Lewis Carroll's famous book. The melody corresponds mainly with the "Pixies". Except for the last song on the album, this is the only track in which Hemi Rudner was not involved in writing the lyrics. Most of the songs on the album are about relationships or social criticism. The fifth song, " Eifo Haruach " (Where is the Wind), talks about a more personal crisis. This crisis is not related to a relationship (or at least not only a relationship). "Last day left a sour feeling". Who hasn't had days like this? The experience in the song is that of a person facing a crisis in his life and trying to find the right direction, the "wind". He tries to disconnect from the people outside and in the peace of the house and the shower reflects on his existential situation. The problem is that even inside the house he does not find peace for long. "The past day" chases him into the house. The song ends when the crisis is not resolved and the questions remain unanswered. The sixth song on the album is also the theme song, " Zman Sukar " (Sugar Time). This song is also about dangerous and explosive relationships. The narrator of the song is warning someone about the person she is entering into a relationship with. He is sure that the relationship will end in a crash and he announces, in advance, that he will not be there to pick up the pieces ("Who will help you after you fall? Not God, certainly not me"). This relationship may seem sweet at the beginning, but the end may be bad and bitter, and even violent. In terms of the melody, this is perhaps the most "rocky" song on the album. After the explosive drum opening, the guitars in the song don't stop "grinding" throughout. They also accompany the end of the song, a "Fade Out" which is almost an anthem: "Going, coming, sugar time". The lyrics of the seventh song on the album, " HaEtzev Shela " (Her Sadness), were written by Hemi Rudner together with Iris Ratsabi. Ratsabi is also the one who wrote the lyrics to the song " Mesibat HaTe Shell Alizza " (Alice's Tea Party). This probably explains why this is the only song on the album written from a woman's point of view, when singer Tal Gordon is a guest here on vocals. Many songs on the album deal with heartbreak from a man's point of view, but in this track, it is the woman who deals with the issue and her way of dealing with it is completely different. She chooses to keep her sadness inside and outwardly broadcast that everything is fine: "When you step on thorns, she says, you have to smile". Her ability to show restraint and not fall apart demonstrates how much strength she has, a strength she herself "doesn't understand". The melody in the song also corresponds with the tension of the lightness outside and the pain inside. Throughout most of the song the melody is light and only in the chorus does it become heavier, when talking about "her sadness". And here we come to the eighth song on the album, the one with which we opened the review: " Ma SheOver Allay " (what's going on with me). If they were to compile a list of the songs that characterized Israeli rock in the early nineties (the so-called "Roxanne" club generation), this song would surely be one of the most prominent on the list. In my opinion, this is a wonderful song from the first note to the last. On top of the addictive guitar riff is a text that tells us (another) story of dealing with a breakup. The narrator in the song describes the life of the girl who broke up with him and he becomes a marginal figure in them. While her life is actually improving following the breakup, his life is falling apart and he secretly hopes she will notice this. At the end of the song, the narrator can no longer hide his bad condition and his hope that she will be interested in him (or at least call). A breakup is a difficult and painful thing, but at this point, I would ask that even if you experienced a breakup, "water your pots and don't kick your pets". The pots and the animals are not to blame for your breakup. The transition from a quiet melody in the verses to a loud and kicking melody in the chorus and back was very common at that time (We already mention Seattle) and this song demonstrates it well. As long as we talk about her, the melody is calm, but when we talk about what he is going through (which is actually the heart of the matter) the melody explodes. Whoa... what do we have here? What is this bass line? Did Seattle really reach "Tel Aviv" or "Givat Brenner"? No. This is the iconic opening of the ninth song on the album, " Echad Elohim " (One God). 30 years have passed since the release of the album and unfortunately, this song remains relevant to a large extent. The social critique and the description of a post-apocalyptic future that we were exposed to in " America Krova " (America Is Close) take center stage here. The first verse of the song actually describes the present. No one comes out "clean" in the sharp and poignant text written by Hemi Rudner . The picture of the situation that Rudner paints for us in the first verse is a preparation for what happens in the second one. He describes a starting point of a world full of "little people" with weak characters, so that we understand how the disaster described in the second verse happens. "Suddenly the situation becomes fatal" Rudner sings at the beginning of the second verse. The people show a great willingness to go to war and trust their leaders, but as soon as the war breaks out, things deteriorate very quickly. The results of the war are described at the end of the second verse, but mainly in the chorus: "And now they suddenly ask how it happened that the sky fell, they search in the cities that there might have been some left in them, to drink in them, some water left in them". This is a description of total destruction and the people who survived are in a state of shock. They don't understand how they got into this situation, but Rudner "volunteers" to explain to them and does so mercilessly. One can find in the text of the song a certain parallel to the biblical story of Noah and the flood. In this song, too, the melody is quiet in the verses and loud and kicking in the chorus. "One God" is a warning prophecy that people didn't really want to listen to at the time and it seems they don't want to listen to it even today... This is the first song that Hemi Rudner wrote, the first song that the band recorded somewhere in 1991 and the first that was published, two years before the band was signed to "Hed Artzi". While the Scud missiles fell on Israel Hemi sang: "There was a biological and chemical war, something total...". In a way, it was also the song that saved the band and made Assaf Maroz believe that they had something good in their hands and stay in the band. Maybe because of this, this song also gets to open the band's shows, a kind of tribute to the song that opened the doors for "Eifo HaYeled?". The tenth song on the album, " Tzipor Gan Eden " (Bird of Paradise), is also a song of social criticism, but this time with a less apocalyptic flavor. Between the lines, you can read here the "kibbutznik" who moved to the big city and sees the emptiness that hides behind the glamorous life of the famous. The gossip sections in the newspapers report where they go out to drink and who they saw what, but there is no real content. All the drugs and lies try to hide the fact that "the most beautiful of them all" is gone and no one really cares where she is. It is not clear whether "the most beautiful of all" is a real woman or an abstract idea, such as meaning or truth. What is clear is that the "paradise" of the big city shines less in reality than what is written about in the newspapers. what? Another breakup song? Yes, but the last on the album. The eleventh song, " Karati Et Michtavech " (I read your letter), is a quiet and beautiful song whose soft melody covers a complex text. The letter in the poem is apparently a farewell letter, but the speaker of the poem is not really coming to terms with the farewell. "The past is a spider's web that doesn't allow me to hope and dream" Rudner sings and presents us with a picture of a man who cannot free himself from his love for a certain woman. The problem is that he refuses to let her go too, even as she tries to move on with someone else. He still believes that in the end, they will be together forever. Similar to " Eifo Haruach " (Where is the Wind), the twelfth song on the album, " Yoshev Ba Kursa " (Sitting in an Armchair), also talks about a personal crisis. This is a song about a man whose existence is empty and he spends most of his time in an armchair in front of the television. I admit I don't have too much to say about this song. I didn't just write that almost all the songs on the album blow my mind. Everything has an end and we have reached the thirteenth and last song on the album: " Knaffaim, Eincha Shomea " (Wings, you don't hear). This song is very different from the other songs on the album, both in terms of lyrics and melody. The lyrics were written by Yosef Sarig, father of the guitarist Assaf Sharig. Yosef Sharig was killed while serving in the Armored Corps and his son Asaf gave the words he wrote a beautiful and melancholy melody. Except for " Mesibat HaTe Shell Alizza " (Alice's Tea Party), (which was also composed by Assaf Sharig), this is the only song on the album that Hemi Rudner was not involved in writing the lyrics or the melody. It is very difficult for me to write a commentary on the lyrics of the song, but maybe there is no need. Assaf Sarig's guitar stars in this song almost alone and while the song is mostly quiet sometimes heartbreaking "howls" are emitted from it. The choice to end the album with this song is very interesting. Personally, I think that the fact that the album ends with a song that is fundamentally different from the other songs on it actually adds to the album, because it emphasizes the other songs on it and also gives it a unique ending chord. This is it. That is what I had to write about "Zman Sukar" (Sugar Time). 48 minutes and 31 seconds of a masterpiece. A milestone in Israeli rock and roll and one of the most prominent albums released in Israel during the nineties (and there were quite a few of them). As mentioned, this great album is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. If you have tickets for the special performance in honor of the occasion - go and enjoy. If you don't have one (like me), you can still enjoy this album if you listen to it at home or if, by chance, you get on the bus on an annual trip and suddenly wonderful sounds emanating from the radio... For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 23, 1976, the only album by the supergroup "Tamouz", "End of the Orange Season", was released. This is one of the most important and influential albums in Israeli music. A Hebrew cornerstone. "Blue and white" masterpiece. A one-off magic in the form of eight perfect songs, that distill the essence of Israeli rock in 40 minutes. Although this album was not a commercially success, in real time, today it's considered a classic, an immortal masterpiece that influenced the development of Israeli music. The story of the album began with the return of Shalom Hanoch from England, in 1973. After his great success with Arik Einstein , he flew to England with the aim of trying to develop an international career. Although he got to work with the producer of Elton John and record an album in English with members of Elton's band, Shalom Hanoch failed commercially and returned to Israel. Upon his return to Israel, he began writing new material. He also returned to perform live with Arik Einstein and at the same time tried to form a new lineup composition. At that time Ariel Zilber went through similar "adventures" as Shalom Hanoch. In 1971, while Shalom Hanoch was in England releasing his English album, Zilber was in France releasing an EP featuring two songs in English: "Movie instead" and "When it's time." Like Shalom, Zilber returned to Israel in 1973, because hise EP was unsuccessful, even causing him to shelve an entire album he recorded in English. (Photo: Gerard Alon) In 1974, Mati Caspi offered Shalom to form an Israeli supergroup in the style of "Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young", which would include Caspi, Hanoch, Ariel Zilber and Danny Litani. However, after several meetings that failed to produce the long-awaited connection, Caspi and Litani retired, leaving Zilber and Hanoch, who found a common musical ideas and fertile ground that drove them to continue working together. The two began working on songs and materials for an album, while at the same time receiving encouragement from Arik Einstein, Hanoch's partner since 1967 on masterful albums such as "Mazal Gedi", "Puzi", "Shablul" and "Plastelina". Arik gave the two a room to work in, for free, and even funded them. What’s more, he invited them to be his warm-up show on the “Sa Leaat” tour. Zilber and Hanoch knew that they could not base the show on vocals, guitar and keyboards and that they had to add more musicians, especially a drummer. At this point Hanoch and Zilber had a revolving door of musicians who accompanied them in Einstein's warm-up performances. Eventually, the band settled down with drummer Meir Israel, who had previously played in several bands, including "Uzi and the Styles", and two other "young" musicians at that time, that was just released from the "Nahal" band in the Israeli IDF: guitarist Yehuda Eder and bassist Ethan Gedron. It is interesting to note that not only did Arik Einstein support and encourage Shalom Hanoch and the band, by allowing them to be his warm-up show, but he was also the one who gave the band its name: "Tamouz". He thought it would broadcast something like the hot of the summer. The musical material for the album began to crystallize during performances that the band held as Einstein's opening show. Shalom noted that he played to the band members many things to which he was exposed during his stay in England, including the bands "Genesis" and "Yes". The band was based on pre written songs, mostly by Hanoch and Zilber, when they changed and arranged them in a different way, to suit a rock band. For example, the song "The Deeper The Bluer" was originally a short song from the album "Shablul" by Shalom Hanoch and Arik Einstein. The song "I Don't Know How to Tell You" was recorded by Hanoch with the band "Bnei Noach" in 1973. The song "Holech Batel" was written by Meir Ariel, who also performed it in a different melody, when the new melody that Zilber gave it was recorded in 1971 By Tiki Dayan. The song "Quiet Love" was originally called "Peaceful Love" which Hanoch sang in English, and "You Wanted Me That Way" was originally performed in English, back in 1968 by "Ofarim Duo", then it was called "Purple Eyes". In the middle of 1975, the band entered the studio and recorded their first two songs: "The Streetlight" and "The End of the Orange Season", which came out as a single. In addition, the song "Holech Batel" was also recorded. Anyone who listens to these versions of the early recordings will find that they are different from the final versions that entered the album, especially that of "The End of the Orange Season". The versions of "Streetlight" and "End of the Orange Season" came out as bonus tracks in the 2006 expanded edition of the album. Michael Tapuach, who was the manager of the "Triton" Studios, where the band recorded the single, was very enthusiastic about the musical material of the members of the "Tamouz". He offered them his services as the band manager, let them use the studio and decided to pair them with recording technician Louis Lahav, who had just returned from the United States after working with Bruce Springsteen . It was this connection between Lahav and the band that created the "Big Bang", that led to the creation of one of the greatest albums ever created in Israel. The band's musical vision along with Lahav's creative production were the winning combination that led to this masterpiece. Lahav spurred the band to experiment, explore and stretch their musical boundaries, as well as the lengths and complexity of the songs. His perfectionism left no chance for the existence of a product that would be less than a masterpiece. Hours of Sisyphean work in the studio on every bar and note, gave birth after, painful contractions, a simply masterful A-L-L--M-I-G-H-T-Y album!!! Without exception, all eight songs on this album, became classics: " The Deeper The Bluer ", which was a 3-minute song in the days of "Shablul", stretched to a length of about 9 minutes, with changing rhythms and styles that pushed the boundaries of " Israeli rock "as it was known until then. " The Streetlight (Someone Stopped the Stream) ", written by Hanoch after returning to Israel as an acoustic song, become a duet with blues influences. " I Don't Know How to Tell You " written by Hanoch in the early 1970s as a minimalist song of love, pain and breakup, recorded two years earlier with "Bnei Noach", has become an epic, dramatic and chilling piece. " Holech Batel ", originally composed by Meir Ariel (his version can be found in his compilation album), received completely different energies. There is no need to say too much about the theme song " The End of the Orange Season ". This is without a doubt one of the great rock songs writtenin Israel. " Silent Love ", which developed from the song "Peaceful Love" from Shalom's "English" album, became a heavy rock piece, with riffs, shouts of Shalom and a drum solos by Meir Israel. It's intresting to note that after the dissolution of "Tamouz", Ariel Zilber recorded his own version of the song, which even challenges the original. " You Wanted Me That Way ", which was also originally performed in English back in 1968 by "Ofarim Duo" and is called "Purple Eyes", received aromas of Funk and Groove that kicks you right in the stomach. It can be said that the only song that did not change during the joint creative process was " Can't Sleep Now " by Shalom Hanoch, which remains as acoustic and raw as on his creation day. Apparently both the band and Lahav thought it would be a crime to touch such a perfection. After the release of the album, the band went on their first tour as a lead show. One of the mythological performances that the band held in "Tzavta" was even commemorated on video. However, despite the one-off magic that exists on this masterful album, the band failed to translate it into success on stage. It soon became clear that this was a commercial failure. Apparently the Israeli audience was not ready for such complex materials and in a sense this is a tragic case of a band that simply was "ahead of its time". The commercial failure began to seep into the band and the frictions that began behind the scenes finally reached the stage as well and heralded the band's bitter end. For Listening: S potify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website