Neil Young's 17th studio album, "Freedom", was released on October 2, 1989. It's Young's comeback album after the hardest decade of his musical career. It is not that Young did not release albums during this decade, but the musical material on those albums was not close in level to his classic albums from the 1970s. With this album, Young makes a restart to his glorious career and returns with his first worthy work since "Rust Never Sleeps" which came out in 1979, exactly a decade before. So, to understand what all the fuss is about and why we call it a comeback album, let's go back to 1981 for a moment. After releasing the album "Re·ac·tor", Young leaves the record company "Reprise" with whom he had been in contract since his first album in 1968. Young signed a new recording contract with "Geffen Records" and the recording contract gives Young a million dollars for the album and complete creative freedom. Fate wanted and Young was preoccupied during this period with caring for his son who was born with cerebral palsy, which greatly influenced his work. Young's first album at "Geffen Records" was "Trans" from 1982. It was an electronic, experimental, and completely bizarre album that was fundamentally different from what Young had released up to that time. Young will later say that he tried to communicate with his son through this experimental music and that he felt that his distorted voice (as was done on the album) would help with that. However, this album created a great deal of tension between Young and the record company. This tension reached its peak when the record company refused to release material that Young had already recorded for his next album, which was to be called "Old Ways" and which had a country-folk-rock style, similar to the "Harvest" album. The record company feared that such an album would not be well received by fans and demanded that Young will produce a rock 'n' roll album. In response, Young entered the studio and quickly wrote and record an entirely new "Rockabilly" - style album which he named "Everybody's Rockin'", released in 1983 and became Young's shortest album with just 25 minutes of music. This was Young's sweet revenge on the record company, which did not remain indifferent and filed a lawsuit against him, alleging that he deliberately released non-commercial albums. Young for his part filed a counterclaim against the record company alleging breach of contract, as he claimed he was given full creative freedom which the record company denied of him. As a result of the legal dispute, Young also began to slow down the release of his albums, until the end of the dispute in a settlement in his favor. In 1988, Young left "Geffen" and returned to "Reprise, which accompanied him throughout the years. A year later he returns to business with "Freedom" which is the subject of our review. Similar to the album "Rust Never Sleeps", which was released exactly a decade earlier, this album also opens and ends with a different variation of the same song. This time it is Young's ultimate rock anthem and Young's first international hit in a decade - "Rockin' in the Free World". The version with which the album opens up is an acoustic version of the song which was recorded in a live performance, held in Jones Beach, New York. The album is sealed with the electric and "electrifying" version of the song. It's a political song against the Bush administration, written by Neil Young on the band's tour bus, as he travels between shows. Some of the lyrics really mock Bush's campaign speeches. This song became an anthem in a very short time and in addition, also rode on the wave of the fall of the Berlin wall that took place about five weeks later. By the way, this song was the trigger for the collaboration between Young and the members of "Pearl Jam" on the "Mirror Ball" album, that Young released in 1995. "Pearl Jam" used to perform the song in their live shows. In 1993, during the MTV music awards, Young took the stage with them to perform the song. This collaboration continued in Young's live shows, when he used to bring "Pearl Jam" members on stage during the encores, to perform the song. The connection and mutual admiration between the two artists eventually led to the creation of a joint project as part of the "Mirror Ball" album, released in 1995. Without diminishing the greatness of the immortal "Rockin' in the Free World", "Freedom" is completely not an album of one song. It is an eclectic collection of songs from different periods and styles, that create an impressive mosaic of sounds and colors, which somehow, despite the differences in style, blend into each other and become one perfect work. There's the "Don't Cry", "Eldorado" and "On Broadway" released as part of the EP only in Japan and Australia and whose common denominator is a combination of subtle acoustics, with resounding feedback and dirty and grunge chords that jump on you out of nowhere and bite you without warning. There's also "Crime in the City" and "Someday" which were recorded along with Young's previous band, the "Bluenotes" and include a combination of brass instruments with jazz and blues touches. "Crime in the City" is one of our favorite Young songs, there are live versions of this song that last 20 minutes. Complete madness. The chord passages in this masterpiece remind us of "All Along The Watchtower" and something in the tone of the singing and lyrics are both "Hurricane" by Bob Dylan. This song won an amazing and completely grunge version, as part of the masterful live album "Weld", see here: And of course, there is also "Hangin' on a Limb" and "The Ways of Love", Young's two wonderful duets with Linda Ronstadt that are reminiscent of the country-folk-rock we know from "Harvest". The first of the two is hardly played by Young in performances and here is a rare version of it: It seems that after a decade of musical "drought" Young has lost a bit of confidence so he has scattered in different musical directions, as he gathers the best he has to give from the different periods in his extensive career. Despite the diversity, this is an excellent album, which undoubtedly brought him back to the center of the stage and proved his relevance, especially in the eyes of the grunge bands that are emerging in the northwestern United States. Young's dominance and influence over those bands will only intensify, especially with the release of the double album "Weld" two years later, in a way that would justify his nickname as the godfather of grunge. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On October 2, 2000 "Radiohead" released their 4th album "Kid A". The album was released in the UK on October 2, 2000, and in the United States the following day, October 3. It was produced by Radiohead and Nigel Godrich. The album marked a bold and daring departure from the traditional rock sound that made "Radiohead" global superstars with "OK Computer". Released in 2000, this album divided both critics and fans at the time, but it has since become a cornerstone in modern music, often regarded as one of the most influential albums of the 21st century. From the outset, it's clear that "Kid A" is a different beast. The album opens with “Everything in Its Right Place,” an eerie electronic track driven by Thom Yorke's processed vocals and sparse synthesizer melodies. The conventional guitar-driven sound that dominated their earlier work is largely absent, replaced by ambient textures, glitchy electronic beats, and a sense of dissonance. The title track, “Kid A,” follows in a similar experimental vein, with warped vocals buried beneath electronic rhythms, creating a distant, almost alien atmosphere. As the album progresses, it's clear that "Radiohead" is drawing influence from a wide array of genres—Krautrock, ambient music, jazz, and even classical. Tracks like the monotonic "The National Anthem" with its chaotic brass arrangements, and "Idioteque," (which samples "Mild und Leise" by Paul Lansky) driven by jittery, apocalyptic beats, showcase a band willing to explore sonic territory beyond mainstream expectations. Despite its heavy reliance on electronics, "Kid A" deliver songs like "How to Disappear Completely" which is an acoustic ballad with orchestral strings and guitar effects, wrapped with elements of ambient music. One of the things that keeps this album as a unified piece is its emotional core. Although singer, Thom Yorke, wrote impersonal and abstract lyrics, cutting up phrases and assembling them at random, Yorke’s plaintive, vulnerable vocals, capturing a profound sense of isolation and introspection. His singing across the album often delivers vibes of alienation, societal disintegration, and personal dislocation, reflecting a darker mood that complements the experimental soundscapes. One of the album’s strengths is its sequencing. It ebbs and flows between cold, dystopian sounds and moments of fragile beauty. For example, the instrumental “Treefingers” acts as a serene, ambient pause before plunging into the frenetic energy of “Optimistic,” one of the few tracks on "Kid A" that features guitars in a somewhat traditional rock form. At the time of its release, "Kid A" baffled many listeners expecting a continuation of "OK Computer’s" alt-rock sound, but the band’s willingness to reinvent themselves has solidified their status as forward-thinking musicians. Over time, the album's influence has only grown, particularly in the realm of electronic and experimental music, and many now consider it "Radiohead’s" defining masterpiece. It is not for nothing that the album entered the "Rolling Stone magazine's" list of the "500 greatest albums of all times" and many other respectable ranking lists. "Kid A" is not an album that seeks to please everyone, and its unconventional nature means it can be a difficult listen at first. However, its enigmatic quality and complex soundscapes reward repeated listens. For those willing to dive into its depths, "Kid A" offers a haunting, thought-provoking journey that challenges traditional rock norms and sets "Radiohead" apart as true pioneers in modern music. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He is the No, 4 in "Slipknot", his name is Jim Root and he was born on October 2, 1971, so let's get to know the veteran guitarist a bit !! (Photo: David Phillips) 1. His full name is James Donald Root and he was born in Las Vegas. 2. He began his significant activity in music in the early 90s in a thrash metal band called "Atomic Opera" which was founded and operated in Iowa. 3. There he met Corey Taylor and joined his band called "Stone Sour" in 1995. At the same time as being in the band he worked side jobs as a waiter and a ticket agent on the bus. 4. The initial band recorded a number of demos and tried to obtain a recording contract and tour dates but without any real success. They went on hiatus until 2000 when they started recording for their debut album. 5. During the period when Stone was on hiatus, the band "Slipknot" who had just signed a seven-album contract began work with Ross Robinson on their debut album and they were looking for a vocalist and guitarist. (Photo: Matt Stasi) 6. In January 1999, Jim joined "Slipknot", replacing guitarist Josh Brainard, who had already recorded most of the guitar parts for the debut album. Jim took part in the final recording sessions and played on "Purity". 7. Although he joined as a rhythm guitarist, Jim began to play a significant part in the writing and creation of the band's albums. In "Slipknot" there is no set role for lead/rhythm guitar, Jim and Mick Thomson both share the guitar roles. 8. Except for "Slipknot's" first album, in which he was partially involved. In the band's next albums, Jim was significantly involved in writing and creating, and also writing the lyrics. 9. As part of Stone, Jim was involved in the band's first five albums. Together with Josh Rand, they shared the roles of guitars, writing, and creating. 10. In 2014 Jim left Stone apparently as a result of friction and disagreement over the band's path mostly with Corey. Corey said that if Jim had not left Stone there would have been a big explosion that would have caused the dissolution of "Stone Sour" and even "Slipknot". (Photo: Fender) 11. In 2007 Fender guitar brand released a special model named "Jim Root Telecaster", in 2010 another model named "Jim Root Signature Fender Stratocaster" was released and in 2014 Fender released another model called Fender "Jim Root Jazzmaster". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time ... the album "Restless and Wild", the fourth studio album by "Accept", released on October 2, 1982. What a crazy album it was and what impact it had on the metal world of the early 1980s. A second before Thrash Metal erupted with "Metallica's" Kill 'Em All, this album featured one of the most headbanging songs we've ever heard. The opening song of the album "Fast as a Shark", was indeed "fast" in the full sense of the word. The Speed ​​Metal classic that greatly influenced the metal bands of the period and whose double bass sound resonates even 40 years later to this day. Anyone who listens to the song today may not understand all the fuss, but for anyone who grew up at the time, this song was something out of the ordinary in the heavy metal landscape. True, "Motorhead" flashed with "Ace Of Spades" and "Venom" with "Welcome To Hell" a little before, but still the BPM rating in this song just broke the scale at the time, especially when it came after an album like "Breaker" and just left us speechless in the face of the band's radical change. Another thing that contributed to the metallic shock that exploded on our faces, was the intro of the song which included a recording of an old German tune sung by a children's choir (Heidi heido heida heidi heido heido heida heidi heido heida Hahahahahahaha) "Accept" thought the contrast between the delicate children's choir with the scratch of the needle, Udo Dirkschneider's chilling scream, and the speed and power of the double bass, would intensify the extremes and will even be amusing. But the joke was on the members of "Accept", after it became clear that the recording of the children's choir they used had a completely different connotation, because it was used as a marching song on parades during the Nazi era, a fact that the band was completely unaware of at the time. This album represents Accept in its heyday, and to this day we believe it is the best album, alongside the classics that followed "Balls to the Wall", and "Metal Heart". The album features timeless classics of the genre like the theme song - "Restless and Wild" with the galloping rhythm, "Shake Your Heads" with the slow and mesmerizing riff, and "Ahead of the Pack" which reminded us of "Judas Priest", the amazing "Neon Nights" Which opens with the guitar sound that a year later will emerge from Cliff Burton's bass guitar in the "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)", "Demon's Night" which later received a cover version of "Cannibal Corpse", "Flash Rockin' Man" whose riff was "borrowed" From "Swords and Tequila" by "Riot" and later will be "borrowed" again by "Iron Maiden" in the song "2 Minutes To Midnight", and of course the huge ending track "Princess of the Dawn" which is simply cut abruptly and deliberately and leaves us with a taste of more .. . To listen to this masterpiece: Spotify / Apple Music. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 21, 1979, "Whitesnake" released their second studio album "Lovehunter". It can be said that the band started its way back in 1977 when David Coverdale released his first solo album "White Snake" and collaborated with guitarist Micky Moody who would also become one of the pillars of the band's emerging band. A year later in 1978, Coverdale released his second solo album "Northwinds" with Micky Moody continuing to serve as his songwriting partner and as an integral part of the band. It is interesting to note that this album also featured former "Deep Purple" bassist Roger Glover as a producer and even played synthesizer and cowbell. Also, Ronnie James Dio and his wife Wendy contributed vocals to one of the songs on the album. After recording his second solo album, Coverdale begins to form a band to accompany him on the tour to promote the album. He joins his second and third pillars, guitarist Bernie Marsden and bassist Neil Murray, and "Whitesnake's" initial lineup began to crystallize. It should be noted that the move of adding a second guitarist was a certain change from the traditional hard rock lineups, most of which usually included one guitarist. This lineup is slowly becoming permanent, when in the same year (1978) Coverdale is already releasing the first EP with the band formed - "Snakebite". This EP is already coming out under the name "David Coverdale's Whitesnake" while borrowing from the name of Coverdale's first solo album. 1978 was a busy year for Coverdale and he also released the band's first album "Whitesnake", which was called "Trouble". On this album, the band was joined by the immortal keyboardist Jon Lord, who completes this almost perfect lineup into a simply dreamy one. Why only "almost"? Because after recording the next album, Lovehunter, the band would be joined by drummer Ian Paice - another old friend from the MKIII lineup of "Deep Purple", then the band's lineup would be just "perfect". In the second album for the band, collaborated with super-producer Martin Birch. The cohesive lineup is already proving to the audience and the record companies that it is not a passing project but a Solid band that is going to be part of the musical landscape of the hard rock and blues-rock scene. The opening song "Long Way from Home" was written by Coverdale and was also the only one released as a single from it and was a relative success. It is interesting that although in the chorus of the song Coverdale sang the word "Long" twice - "Long, Long Way from Home", the title of the song includes only one "Long", probably to avoid confusion with a song of the same name by the band "Foreigner" from 1977. It is interesting to note that the song also had a marketing clip in which drummer Ian Paice can also be seen, who joined the band after the recording of the album and before the filming of the clip. One of the iconic songs on the album is without a doubt "Walking in the Shadow of the Blues". it is not clear why the band chose not to release it as a single. The song was written by Coverdale and Bernie Marsden and can be found in the band's setlists to this day. These songs, as well as the theme song, are a perfect example of the unique sound of "Whitesnake", which combines hard rock and blues, a sound in which the band will continue with minor changes until the great metamorphosis of 1987. This album shows us the high abilities of all members, including Micky Moody with his so unique slide guitar sound, Bernie Marsden in the bluesy solos, and even taking over lead vocals from Coverdale in the song "Outlaw", and Jon Lord in the piano ballad "We Wish You Well". At this point, it was already clear that this band could not be ignored. And it is impossible to end the review without a few words about the special album cover that caused a great deal of controversy and criticism, especially among women's organizations. The designer was the artist Chris Achilleos, who immediately stopped designing covers until 2003. On the cover is a naked girl riding a snake. A similar idea exists on keyboardist Jon Lord's second solo album from 1976 - "Sarabande". Lord was known to be part of the band "Whitesnake" and we wonder if he is the one who gave the idea to Chris Achilleos. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On October 1, 1990, "No Prayer for the Dying", Iron Maiden's 8th studio album, was released. This is the band's first album in the 90s and also the first to begin the process of disintegration of the band's classic line-up, from all the masterful albums of the 80s. Guitarist Adrian Smith left the band during the album's pre-production phase, due to professional disagreements related to the band's musical style. Adrian was interested in continuing with the musical line featured on the previous album "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son". Realizing that this was not the case he simply left the band, not before writing with Bruce Dickinson one song - "Hooks in You". Smith was replaced by guitarist Janick Gers who worked with Dickinson on his solo album "Tattooed Millionaire" which was released earlier that year and also collaborated with other artists such as Ian Gillan and Fish from "Marillion". Indeed, the musical line in this album is fundamentally different from the previous ones, especially compared to "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son". Let's start with the fact that there is not a single song on this album that crosses the 6-minute line, with the vast majority of the songs being under 5 minutes. In addition, the band greatly reduced the role of keyboards and synthesizers and focused on the deep-rooted and direct Metal that characterized their first albums. Even Dickinson's voice on this album has gone from bombastic and operatic to thin and rough. The album was recorded with the help of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio in a barn near Steve Harris' home in Essex England. What started as an energetic process in a pleasant atmosphere did not continue like this, at least for Bruce Dickinson who later noted that it was a bad decision to record in the barn. The band chose the super producer Martin Birch who worked with them on previous albums and was responsible for quite a few masterpieces of the band. Beyond the fact that the album included short songs of root metal style, the lyrics were also different from the previous albums, while moving away from writing on historical issues and focusing on political issues, religious exploitation ("Holy Smoke"), society ("Public Enema Number One"), fate, mortality and survival ( "Fates Warning"), Naval Battles ("Run Silent Run Deep"). It is interesting to note that the song "Tailgunner" is a kind of sequel to "Aces High", from the album "Powerslave". The lyrics of the latter tell about a British Royal Air Force pilot who fought during the battle of Britain against the German Air Force. "Tailgunner" also returns to aerial combat in World War II, but follows a rear gunner on bombing raids over Germany, rather than the same Battle of Britain engagement. The album includes the song "Bring Your Daughter ... to the Slaughter" which was one of the album's two singles, alongside "Holy Smoke". The song was written and recorded by Bruce Dickinson for the soundtrack to the horror film "A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child," but Steve Harris thought it was good so the band recorded it again and included it on the album. Although the song was boycotted by the BBC due to its title and content, it reached number one on the UK charts. The song that is perhaps closest in musical style to Maiden's previous albums is the epic track that seals it - "Mother Russia" which talks about the democratization of the Soviet Union. This album will always be remembered as an album that started "Iron Maiden"'s decline, a process that continued with the departure of Bruce Dickinson in 1993 and will only intensify during the 1990s in a way that undermines the band's relevance. Although in the various charts of the band's albums, this album is always in the last places, it is still an excellent heavy metal album that is worth listening to. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

"KK’S Priest" released their debut album "Sermons Of The Sinner" on October 1, 2021. Exactly a decade since guitarist K.K. Downing left his mother band "Judas Priest". For over ten years we have not received any new music from this all-too-talented guitarist, whose playing is deeply engraved in the history of metal. It was not perceived but the last full studio album he had a partner in was "Nostradamus" by "Judas Priest", which was released in 2008. It's not a trivial matter, it's like forever in the music world, where musical trends and preferences change all the time. This certainly should have an effect this new effort from Downing, but we must admit that in this case, it does not in any way detract from the result. For us, K.K. He is a magician in the form of "Dr. Strange" who managed to stop time. He did not age even in the day, not in appearance, not in the precise playing nor in the amazing creative ability. Downing announced "KK'S Priest" in February 2020 and recruited two old friends, drummer Les Binks and singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, both former members of "Judas Priest". This move has already indicated his intentions and the name of the band chosen - "KK’S Priest" only strengthened the hypothesis. He's not going to sound different from the mother band, quite the opposite! For him, time stopped somewhere in 2008 and Dr. Strange's "Time Stone" allows him to continue exactly from the same point with the same musical style, the same performance, and the same sound, as if 13 years had not passed. It was not easy at first, even his former bandmates tried to slow him down, when he received a warning letter from the band's management about the use of the name "Priest". But Downing did not intend to give up. He explained that he has always been a "Priest", since 1968 he has been a part of the sound and development of the "Priests" style, from the blues, through hard rock and metal. He added that he does not intend to change and that it is inconceivable that new musicians who have recently joined the band will be able to play material he has written and created, but he will not be able to use the name "Priest" especially as it is a combination of his full name and the name in dispute. According to Downing, at the time of his June 2021 interview, the threatened legal action had not been pursued. Then there will be those who will say that "KK'S Priest" sounds like a cover band of the real thing - "Judas Priest". We think otherwise. This album is excellent in its own right, it does not try to sound like an imitation and it cannot be considered an imitation because it is the source itself. There are two former members of "Judas Priest" here (Les Binks was in the original lineup, but a wrist injury prevented him from recording the album; Sean Elg played drums), led by someone who was a full partner in creating the band's sound across 16 albums, so Downing has all the legitimacy to continue doing exactly what he did for over four decades, And he does it best !!! True, it's not a perfect album, but it's a good album that includes quite a few gems, including the excellent "Hellfire Thunderbolt" released in May 2021, and absolutely does not fall short of the materials the mother band has been producing in recent years, not in great guitar work of Downing and A.J. Mills (from the band "Hostile"), not in the beating bass of Tony Newton ("Voodoo Six"), not in the thunderous drumming of Sean Elg (who replaced Les Binks here) and certainly not in the amazing singing of Tim "Ripper" Owens who does not fall here from his idol Rob Halford. Other interesting songs are the fast-paced theme song "Sermons of the Sinner" with Newton-Elg's crazy rhythm section, the slow and the melodic "Metal Through and Through", "Sacerdote y Diablo" with the "Black Sabbath" atmosphere, "Raise Your Fists" and "Brothers of the Road" which combines the classic "Priest" and "Maiden", "Hail for the Priest" which Owens' singing in the intro reminded us of Ronnie James Dio and of course the 9-minute epic ending "Return of the Sentinel". Tracklist: Incarnation Hellfire Thunderbolt Sermons of the Sinner Sacerdote y Diablo Raise Your Fists Brothers of the Road Metal Through and Through Wild and Free Hail for the Priest Return of the Sentinel For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Despite the short period in which she was active musically, Inbal is considered to have had a significant influence on Israeli music. Photo: Rinati Dvorski Dor She was born on January 15 1971 in Rehovot to the poet Ofra Shunit and the guitarist Avraham Perlmutter when at the age of eight he exposed her to music and taught her to play the violin. Her sister Iris was a keyboardist for the band "Bearers of the Hat". Of course, she is best known for the band "The Witches", which she formed at the end of 1992. Together with Yifat Netz and Yael Cohen, they began performing in clubs in Israel. Perlmutter wrote and composed most of the songs and served as Guitar player, Yael Cohen as drummer, and Yifat Netz as bass player. The band had its first success at the Ein Gev Festival in 1993, arranging and performing the song "Magic on the Sea of ​​Kineret". The band's performance of the song came out on a broadcast record that Perlmutter painted the cover of. The song was broadcast extensively on various radio stations and created great exposure for the young band. Photo: Ronen Lalena In early 1994, the band recorded their first album - "Until the Next Pleasure". Corinne Elal produced the album, and all of his songs (except for "Bird" written by Cohen and "Sexual Tension" written by Netz) were written and composed by Perlmutter. The album featured energetic rock songs and was a huge success and a gold record status. The single "Until Next Pleasure" is one of the band's most prominent songs and its most famous to date. In the middle of 1995, the band recorded their second album - "Strange Times". This time arrangements and production were done by all three. Perlmutter wrote and composed all the songs on the album, except for "Unknown Pursuit," whose lyrics were written by Cohen. With the release of the album, it was less successful than its predecessor. The Witches continued to appear frequently, including a show in Caesarea as a warm-up for Bjork performance and in "Amphi Wohl" with Ohad Naharin. In April 1996, the band released a mini-album called "The Witches Are Covering" with covers of songs that are beloved by the band members. There's a story that connects to the album, Annie Lennox has banned the band from including the cover version of the song "Sweet Dreams" in the mini-album and as a protest, Perlmutter distributed the song on an underground tape she designed and wrote about it "Shit Rights". Another amazing cover version that exists on the album is the song "Shivers" by The Boys Next Door - Nick Cave's first band. Inbal loved Cave and his songs and when he came to Israel for the first time she bravely approached him and asked him to record a song with her and her band. Cave agreed and it was a dream come true for Inbal, but also and especially a groundbreaking event in Israeli music when an artist on the scale of Cave agrees to collaborate with an Israeli artist. After the release of the album, the band went on a tour to promote it, where they hosted Dana Berger, Korin Elal, and Alona Daniel. After the release of the mini-album, the band's activity diminished greatly and their last performance took place in September 1996. With the decline of The Witches, Perlmutter continued to pursue independent musical activity. She recorded sketches for a solo album, played in Korin Elal's shows, and recorded an album in London with Ram Orion called "Inbalance". The two intended to release the album but this did not materialize at the time. In the album, Inbal gave expression to the collection of baby games she had in her possession, sounds of the games appear throughout the album in the various songs. The recordings were made over five days in January 1996 on a four-channel tape and all the songs were written by Perlmutter during her visit to London. On March 25, 2016, the album "Inbalance" was released for sale by Orion, with all proceeds going directly to the Animal Welfare Association of Israel. Inbal was also part of a temporary supergroup called The Fuckers. Tal Gordon, Iggy Waxman, Asi Levy, and Inbal just wanted to play and have fun together, without production, without interventions, and without record companies. Inbal is the one who invented the name for the band but the other girls refused and only after her death did they decide to adopt it. Tal Gordon wrote: "We wanted to be like boys, do nothing with producers and record companies, put each one the 40 shekels per hour in a rehearsal room, order pizza and swear. It was kind of child's play." Photo: Use under Section 27A of the Copyright Law Drugs were an integral part of Inbal's life and accompanied her, especially in her last period until they took center stage. With heroin, she first experienced on her trip to London at the age of 20, and in the last year and a half of her life, she was already heavily addicted. Her friends tried to help but without success. Among other things, they were right with her in rehab treatments and even collected NIS 15,000 for her to finance special treatment. Korin Elal who was with her in a relationship for a while said that at first she hid it very well and not everyone knew and until they understood what was going on they did not know what to do. Perlmutter was killed in a car accident on October 1, 1997, at the age of 26. It happened on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and just one day before The Witches planned reunion appearance. In the evening she went into her black collectible Volvo and drove towards Ramat Gan for a holiday dinner at the home of her new partner, Shrek de Mayo. She did not get there. Her car collided with a guardrail at the Rishon Lezion interchange. No skid marks were found on the road, and no evidence of drug use was found in Perlmutter's blood. The mystery surrounding her death continues to this day, more than 20 years later. In 2023, a new documentary film about Inbal's life "Inbal Perlmutter - If You Let Me Go" was released. The film reveals for the first time her personal diaries, rare archive pieces, and intimate meetings with those who were closest to her. Some did not know about the power of the dark beast behind the good fairy. "Inbal Perlmutter - If You Let Me Go" dives into the soul of a groundbreaking creator who plunged into the abyss and left a mark on music and culture in Israel. On January 15, 2021, on the occasion of what was supposed to be the 50th birthday of the late Inbal Perlmutter, the band "Fruit of the Imagination" released their debut single "In Eternity". The song was written by Dudu Rose - the band's lead singer and a devoted fan of Inbal and The Witches, more than twenty years ago, on the night he was informed of Inbal's death. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On October 1, 1987, the madness began…… In 1987 "Soundgarden" releases its first EP and we are first introduced to the wonderful quartet led by Chris Cornell. The album was produced by Jack Endino who also produced some of "Nirvana" and "Mudhoney" albums. This EP brings us together with a band that is still trying and experimenting, a band that is looking for the musical direction that will define it, but also a band that is starting to shape the initial sound of grunge. We hear this sound already in the opening song "Hunted Down". It is this dirty and raw guitar sound that will accompany the band and more like it in the period when the first buds of what will later be called grunge began to sprout. (Photo: Sub-Pop) Here we must note that this guitar sound also reminds us of another band thousands of miles away from Seattle and whose roots are rooted in a completely different musical style. This band is called "Joy Division" and for some reason, the sound of Kim Thayil's guitar is very reminiscent of certain parts of that band. In the song "Nothing to Say" Kim lowers the low E string by a whole tone, using drop D tuning so that it sounds much heavier and darker. Thayil will use this trick further down the road and it will also be the band's familiar sound. Thayil learned this trick from guitarist Buzz Osborne of the "Melvins" who explained to him how "Black Sabbath" and Tony Iommi got to their heavy sound. The song "Tears to Forget" was written by the band back in 1985 and appeared on a compilation album by Seattle bands called "Deep Six" and was released under the famous C/Z Records label, only there the song was recorded by drummer Scott Sundquist while the EP was re-recorded by drummer Matt Cameron. The song "Hand of God" includes recordings of a Christian preacher from the 1950s. Producer Jack Endino found the recordings in old tapes he bought at the flea market. Cornell liked the idea of recording the song on top of the preacher's voice. The only single released from this EP was "Hunted Down". Its B-side, "Nothing to Say", also appeared on the Seattle KCMU radio collection's "Bands That Will Make Money". This recording will eventually be rolled out to A&M Records, which will also sign the band on a recording contract. And the rest is history... Three years later, in May 1990, this EP was merged with the second EP released by the band and was called "Fopp" in a special release called "Screaming Life / Fopp". Listen to the combined EP "Screaming Life / Fopp" on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written by: Moti Kupfer Release date - 01.10.1971 People live, weather crises, and search for meaning. Sometimes a particularly traumatic experience changes the course of a person's life completely. At 19, Cat Stevens contracted tuberculosis and was admitted to a hospital in West Sussex. After several months in hospital, during which he came close to death, he finally recovered. Yet the man who left the hospital was no longer the same person. This was a Cat Stevens searching for meaning in his life. He began studying meditation, yoga, and metaphysics. He also read about other religions and became a vegetarian. Stevens recalled that moving from the entertainment world to a hospital, where he received daily injections and saw people around him dying, changed his perspective on life. As a young man, he had pursued wealth and success. After surviving, however, he embarked on his most important journey: the search for meaning. He had become a different person, and suddenly the songs began pouring out of him. In a short space of time, he wrote a wealth of new material, moved away from the orchestral style of his first two albums, and parted ways with producer Mike Hurst. His new direction was personal, reflective folk music about the meaning of life, faith, and a positive, sometimes naive, cosmic optimism. Stevens was born Steven Demetre Georgiou to a Greek Cypriot father and a Swedish mother. His parents ran a restaurant where the whole family worked, and divorced when he was eight. From an early age, the young Stevens was interested in music and painting, and taught himself to play the piano. When he was 15, his father bought him a guitar. He began playing songs by "The Beatles", along with songs he wrote himself. After returning to London from a brief stay in Sweden with his mother, he lost interest in his studies and focused on music and art. He enrolled in an illustration course and later painted some of his own album covers, including "Teaser and the Firecat", his fifth studio album, released on October 1, 1971. After recording several demos, including "The First Cut Is the Deepest", he signed a recording contract and performed in coffeehouses and clubs. Feeling that his birth name was not particularly catchy, and inspired by a girlfriend's remark about his catlike eyes, he chose the stage name Cat Stevens. Having fallen ill and nearly died of tuberculosis, Stevens found a renewed sense of purpose. He brought in producer and former "The Yardbirds" bassist Paul Samwell-Smith. On his recommendation, Stevens began working with guitarist Alun Davies, whose distinctive guitar picking added a special dimension to his post-illness songs. Between 1970 and 1973, some of Stevens' songs appeared in film and television soundtracks. His deeply personal albums also brought fruitful collaborations with Peter Gabriel on "Mona Bone Jakon", and with Rick Wakeman, who joined progressive rock band "Yes" in 1971 and plays piano on "Teaser and the Firecat" in "Morning Has Broken". "Teaser and the Firecat" is also the title of a children's book Stevens wrote and illustrated, published in 1972. It tells the story of two characters, Teaser and Firecat, who try to return the moon to the sky after it falls. There is no conceptual connection between the book and the album beyond their title and the cover, which Stevens himself created. Here, Stevens creates a concise, focused album, bringing together quiet, delicate ballads and lively uptempo songs. Occasionally, he returns to the landscapes of his childhood through exotic Greek-flavored pieces such as "Rubylove". Stevens wrote all the songs on "Teaser and the Firecat" except "Morning Has Broken", which opens with beautiful piano playing. It is a Christian hymn first published in 1931, with words by English author Eleanor Farjeon set to a traditional Scottish melody. On the opening track, "The Wind", Stevens explores spirituality and destiny, listening to the wind of his soul to find his direction. That spiritual thread continues in "Changes IV", where he encourages us to keep finding ways to grow and to embrace change. In "If I Laugh", Stevens sings about life's sliding doors: what might have happened if... Two of the album's most uplifting songs are "Moonshadow", about finding hope in whatever circumstances we face, and "Peace Train", a song that feels like a hippie anthem without quite realizing it. These are the years of the Vietnam War, and the peace train is nowhere on the horizon. In Cat Stevens' world, however, things fall into place a little differently. In 1975, in Malibu, Stevens went swimming and was swept away, unable to return to shore. According to his account, just before his strength gave out, he appealed to God to save him, promising to devote his life to Him. At that moment, a wave came up behind him and pushed him back toward the shore. Stevens survived. After that escape, Stevens began reading the Quran. He converted to Islam in 1977 and changed his name to Yusuf Islam in 1978. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On October 1, 1984 "U2" released their 4th album "The Unforgettable Fire". The album marked a significant evolution in "U2’s" sound, showcasing a more atmospheric and experimental approach compared to their previous work. The band wanted to pursue a new musical direction following the harder-hitting rock of their previous album, "War". Collaborating with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the band moved away from the raw, anthemic rock that defined "War" and embraced more textured, ambient elements that gave the album a dreamlike, cinematic quality. "The Unforgettable Fire" marked "U2's" biggest musical shift, featuring a richer, more orchestral sound and their first album with a cohesive feel. Under Daniel Lanois' guidance, Larry Mullen Jr.'s drumming became looser and more refined, while Adam Clayton's bass playing flowed more smoothly, giving the rhythm section a more fluid presence. The album’s opener, "A Sort of Homecoming," highlights "U2's" shift in sound, replacing the militaristic drumming of "War" with more refined rhythms and featuring less prominent bass guitar in the mix. The song immediately sets the tone for the record’s more expansive sonic palette. The Edge’s guitar work is less about sharp riffs and more about creating a swirling, echo-laden backdrop, while Bono’s vocals take on a more introspective, reflective quality. It's interesting to note, that a live version of the track is found on 1985's four-track EP, "Wide Awake in America", which we think is even better than the album version. The title track, “The Unforgettable Fire,” encapsulates the album's essence: it’s both haunting and hopeful, with lyrics inspired by the devastation of Hiroshima and the desire for peace. The track builds in intensity, riding on Adam Clayton’s melodic bassline and Larry Mullen Jr.’s driving percussion, as the band explores the balance between despair and redemption with ambient and orchestral sounds. The song originated from a short piano composition by The Edge during a demo session with Jimmy Destri of "Blondie". Although written without a specific purpose, The Edge saw it as a potential film soundtrack piece. Perhaps the album's most iconic song is “Pride (In the Name of Love),” a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. The song’s soaring melody and passionate vocal performance make it one of "U2’s" most enduring anthems, blending the band's political consciousness with their newfound atmospheric sound. The Edge’s signature guitar work, which blends chiming, echo-laden riffs with a driving rhythm is amplified by Bono’s powerful vocals. The melody and the chords were improvised in November 1983 during a soundcheck the band made before a show in Hawaii. Other tracks like “Bad” which was written about heroin addiction, showcase the band’s ability to channel raw emotion into an expansive, meditative song structure. With its minimalistic beginnings, "Bad" slowly crescendos into an emotional high, making it a staple of "U2's" live performances. Here too, a live version of the song appears on "U2's" 1985 EP "Wide Awake in America", when this rendition became even more popular on radio stations. "U2's" performance of the song during Live Aid 1985 became one of the show's most memorable moments when Bono jumped off stage to hug and dance with a fan during a 12-minute rendition of the song. Though the extended performance caused them to drop one song from their setlist, it marked a breakthrough moment for the band. Eno’s influence is particularly felt on tracks like “MLK,” a sparse and ethereal lullaby also dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., “Elvis Presley and America,” which blends stream-of-consciousness lyrics with a hypnotic, freeform arrangement and of course the ambient instrumental "4th of July" which came about almost entirely through a moment of inspiration from Eno, when at the end of a studio session, Eno pushed the record button when he heard Clayton improvising a simple bass figure. These songs, though more abstract, contribute to the album’s overall mood of searching and introspection. True, "The Unforgettable Fire" may not have the consolidation and uniformity that "U2" was able to bring with "War", but its depth and ambition set the stage for the band’s later achievements. The album was a bold step forward, cementing "U2" as artists willing to take risks, and laying the groundwork for their masterpiece "The Joshua Tree". In essence, "The Unforgettable Fire" is an album that shows "U2’s" growth as musicians and songwriters. Its atmospheric soundscapes, politically charged lyrics, and willingness to experiment made it a pivotal moment in their career, setting them on the path to becoming one of the most influential bands of their generation. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Writer: Moti Kupfer Release date - 30.09.1985 The image that defined Tom Waits’ early career was taken by Mitchell Rose for "Rolling Stone" at the Tropicana Motel in West Hollywood in 1977. Waits had rented a room there for several years, yet the photograph makes it look as if he had moved in only an hour earlier. Beer bottles are scattered across the coffee table. His guitar case sits on top of a large cardboard box. He leans forward with his hands clasped, looking skeptical, perhaps a little annoyed, but hardly embarrassed by the shabby state of his home. He sits in a folding lawn chair that has not seen sunlight in a very long time. The following year, Waits released his sixth LP, "Blue Valentine", on "Asylum". Founded by David Geffen and Elliot Roberts in 1971, the label became a showcase for Southern California talent that shaped the post-Woodstock singer-songwriter scene: artists such as Judee Sill, Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell. Waits knew some of them from shared bills and from the scene around the Troubadour in Los Angeles, where manager Herb Cohen had discovered him. But he never quite fit in. For singer-songwriters of that era, the prevailing approach was personal expression. You were expected to draw your songs directly from your life, write about friends and lovers, and change just enough detail to keep them from being recognized. Waits had no interest in that kind of confession. Instead, he turned the idea upside down and began shaping his life around his songs. For Tom Waits, music offered a way to become somebody else. With a record deal in hand, and inspired by the Beat Generation and countercultural figures such as Charles Bukowski, he wrote about people at the margins and the ragged lives of the street. As his voice grew smokier and more scorched, Waits realized that he could not remain a wandering, melancholy barroom singer telling stories of the downtrodden forever. He felt trapped in the character he had created. That began to change when he met Kathleen Brennan, a script supervisor he had encountered a few times. They fell deeply in love and were engaged within a week. From then on, his creative life seemed to divide into a period before Kathleen and a period after her. One of the latter period’s unquestionable high points was "Rain Dogs", released on September 30, 1985. Perhaps Brennan’s greatest contribution was the confidence she gave him. If Waits feared letting go of the persona that had defined his recording career, she persuaded him that something better lay within his reach. She also widened his musical horizons, introducing him to avant-garde artists such as Captain Beefheart, Harry Partch and Gavin Bryars, whose work would matter greatly in the next phase of his career. When his contract with "Asylum" ended, Waits moved to "Island Records". By the time of 1983’s "Swordfishtrombones", he was already rummaging through a musical junk shop for wheezing accordions, delicate glass harmonicas, African drums, marimbas and all manner of percussion. Those sounds continued to evolve on "Rain Dogs". His earlier work drew on theater and film, but these new songs also took shape among the creative community of downtown New York’s experimental music scene. Waits felt an affinity with some of its players. He became friends with saxophonist and composer John Lurie of "The Lounge Lizards", and through Lurie he met jazz guitarist Marc Ribot. He brought in drummer Stephen Hodges and bassist Larry Taylor, both veterans of "Swordfishtrombones". Hodges was astonished by how quickly and thoroughly a group of musicians formed around Waits. He told biographer Barney Hoskyns that Waits seemed like New York’s "frigging Pope": he took care of business and seemed to be everywhere at once. Waits finally overcame his hesitation and asked Keith Richards to play on the record. The living legend agreed. After years of telling guitarists that he wanted the feel of "The Rolling Stones", Waits now had the confidence to ask one of the Stones himself. The album is, in a way, a tribute to New York’s street people, its rejected and broken souls, each with a small, strange story to tell. Many of the musicians were people Waits knew from the city’s avant-garde scene. Waits wrote much of the album while hiding away in a Manhattan basement. Now and then he went walking through the city, recording the sounds he heard, and those sounds helped give the record its grimy atmosphere. It became the middle chapter of a trilogy that began with "Swordfishtrombones" and ended with 1987’s "Franks Wild Years". In one sense, "Rain Dogs" is a concept album about New York’s down-and-out residents. Yet the connections among its 19 tracks make it even more compelling as a focused musical portrait of an artist reinventing himself after moving from one coast to the other. Waits used a broad range of instruments to find its sound, including marimba, accordion, double bass, trombone and banjo. What stands out is the organic quality of the record and the physical means by which its sounds were made. Speaking about his distrust of fashionable studio techniques, Waits said that when he wanted a sound, he felt better if he had hunted it down, skinned it and cooked it himself. An engineer might suggest sampling the tap of a stick against a cup and enlarging it in the mix. Waits would rather go into the bathroom and strike the door with a piece of drum hardware. On "Clap Hands", Waits uses a simple trick. He takes the vocal rhythm and chant of the children’s tune "The Clapping Song" and passes them through his surreal imagination, always circling back to the title. If you ever find yourself in a nightmare where nothing makes sense and see children skipping rope on a street corner, "Clap Hands" is the song they will be singing. Waits displays his wild sense of humor on "Cemetery Polka", singing about aging relatives who are mad, dying, or both. "Time is a precious commodity," Waits said while introducing "Time" on a promotional cassette for "Rain Dogs". That thought gets to the heart of the song. Each verse turns toward another person on the street and the hardships they face. The title track draws on the idea of dogs that leave home and lose their way in the rain because the water has washed away the scent trail that could lead them back. In interviews from 1985, Waits described "rain dogs" as a metaphor for lost people in pain, people without a sense of direction. They sleep in doorways and have no social or physical place to call home. A brief respite from the album’s surrounding gloom arrives with "Downtown Train". Some critics dismissed it as a conventional bid for a hit, and its later history gave them an obvious argument: Rod Stewart recorded it near the end of the decade and took his version to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and into the UK Top 10. The cover image comes from photographs that Swedish photographer Anders Petersen took in the 1960s at Café Lehmitz on the fringes of Hamburg. Although the man on the cover looks remarkably like Waits, the photograph actually shows a man and a woman named Rose and Lily. Thom Yorke of "Radiohead" remembered one of his great albums: "I fell asleep while listening to it on my Walkman, only to wake the next morning with it still inside my head. Every track was a short film set in a mysterious, circus-like, desolate America I barely understood. Different characters emerged through both the words and the instruments. For a few minutes, an entire universe opened up to me, only to drop me at the far end of the block with no idea how I had got there." "Every word seemed to rhyme so effortlessly that I could only dream of writing something like it myself. The words fell from his tongue so beautifully, yet they never gave everything away; half the story remained his own. Waits inhabited a character whose darkness and humor felt much more real than anything that was trying to seem real. I have never tired of this album, even after playing it over and over throughout my life, and my children grew up hearing it too." For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website