On November 18, "Genesis" released their sixed studio album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" stands as a magnum opus in "Genesis's" catalog and one of the most ambitious concept albums in progressive rock history. The double album, with its sprawling narrative, rich soundscapes, and intricate musicianship, marks the band's final collaboration with Peter Gabriel as their frontman, but also showcases the tension that shaped its creation. The album’s experimental storytelling and surreal themes demands attention and repeated listening. In fact, while the album features stunning musical moments and daring storytelling, its excessive runtime, the loose plot, and imbalanced instrumentation make it a challenging listen. This concept album was Peter Gabriel ’s brainchild, centered on Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City. Gabriel’s insistence on writing all the lyrics resulted in a narrative that is both deeply personal and notoriously difficult to decipher. Even Gabriel himself later admitted that parts of the story were obscure and nearly impenetrable. Rael, a disaffected youth in New York City, embarks on a surreal journey after witnessing a lamb on Broadway. Drawn into a bizarre alternate reality, he confronts symbolic challenges and encounters, from being trapped in a cave to meeting grotesque creatures and navigating dreamlike landscapes. Along the way, he relives key moments from his past, including gang life, his first sexual experience, and emotional struggles. Rael’s journey involves fantastical elements such as the Lamia, who seduce and die after drinking his blood, and the grotesque Slippermen, with whom he shares a disturbing transformation. He seeks redemption through sacrifices, including castration, and chases his stolen essence down a river. Faced with a choice to return home, Rael instead rescues his drowning brother, John, only to discover his own face in John’s. In the climax, their identities blur, and Rael transcends his individual self, merging with the universe. The story blends existential themes with a dreamlike narrative, leaving interpretation open-ended. The album’s creation was fraught with tensions within the band. Gabriel’s insistence on writing all the lyrics caused friction, especially as he temporarily left the project to collaborate with filmmaker William Friedkin and attend to personal matters. Meanwhile, the rest of the band crafted the music through jam sessions, with Banks taking the lead in composing most of the melodies and arrangements. This lack of collaboration is evident in the final product, with the album leans heavily Tony Banks  keyboards which dominate the arrangements and often overshadow the contributions of Mike Rutherford  and Steve Hackett  guitars. This imbalance reflects the less collaborative dynamic of the album’s creation, with much of the instrumental work being shaped by jam sessions that Gabriel was absent from. Still, there are moments of brilliance: “ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway ” is a powerful opener with a driving piano riff and theatrical flair that immerses the listener in Rael’s world. "Fly on a Windshield" : A hauntingly cinematic piece where Rael is enveloped by a dark cloud. The track features one of the most atmospheric moments on the album, with a dramatic build led by Banks’s keyboards and Hackett’s brooding guitar. “ In the Cage ” features some of the album’s most dramatic and intricate arrangements, with Banks’s keyboards leading the charge. " Back in N.Y.C. " which sees Genesis adopting a more aggressive sound than in past compositions. “ Carpet Crawlers ” offers a hauntingly beautiful and melodic respite, showcasing "Genesis’s" knack for ethereal atmosphere. “ The Chamber of 32 Doors ” captures Rael’s existential struggle with emotional weight carried by Steve Hackett  guitar . "Lilywhite Lilith" : A powerful track built on two song fragments, both of them written by Phil Collins , that stands out for its dynamic structure and evocative lyrics, describing Rael’s encounter with a blind woman who briefly guides him before leaving him trapped in a cave. “ The Lamia ” stand out for it's haunting melody and climactic resolution. However, at 94 minutes, the album struggles to maintain momentum. Some experimental sections, like “ The Waiting Room ", " Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats ", " Ravine " feel like filler rather than essential parts of the story. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" is undeniably bold and ambitious, offering moments of brilliance and some of "Genesis’s" most iconic songs. However, its sprawling length, incomprehensible plot, uneven pacing, and imbalanced instrumentation prevent it from achieving its full potential. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"Reload" - " Load " twin brother was released on November 18, 1997. This is Metallica's seventh album !! Let's start with a candid acknowledgment that might stir some feelings, but honesty is crucial. There's no denying that the "black album" marked a pivotal moment, whether you enjoyed it or not. Now, here's where we might draw a parallel, possibly even a comparison to Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy," where the magic or aura seemed to diminish. While subsequent albums, excluding "St. Anger," weren't necessarily bad, they didn't quite capture the same powerful Metallica magnet. Consequently, these later albums were perceived as less exhilarating or influential compared to the initial ones, despite the captivating renditions of songs from those albums in performances like "S&M" or live shows. Before the release of "Load," Metallica initially planned a double album. They delved into songwriting, completed demos, and recorded just over half of the intended tracks. However, as the album's release date loomed, they decided not to exhaust themselves and opted to release the recorded songs as a separate album. Thus, "Load" hit the shelves in June 1996. Metallica embarked on a tour to promote the album, lasting a little over a year. Upon concluding the tour, they returned to work on the second part, the second album. (Photo: rockcelebrities.net) During the tour, Metallica generated numerous ideas for improving and adding different elements to the songs. However, when they entered the studio, they made a conscious decision to adhere to the authenticity of the original demos, resisting the urge to alter the songs. They were aware that there might be a perception that Reload included songs that didn't make the cut for Load, but they clarified that the split was not based on the quality of the songs but rather the band's schedule. Remarkably, within three months, Metallica completed the recording of the album, and just three weeks later, it was edited, mixed, and ready for release. Comparing Load and Reload to the "black album," there's a noticeable shift in style, at least in our humble opinion. While Metallica was once the queen of thrash or speed metal in their early albums, the "black album" saw them crowned as the queen of heavy metal. However, with Load and Reload, they ventured into the territories of Southern Rock, perhaps even Country, and occasionally flirted with Hard Rock. If you were to play songs from the "Ride The Lightning" album and then tracks from Reload to a random listener, they might find it hard to believe it's the same band. It's like some of the DNA got lost along the way. Nevertheless, the album has its highlights, such as the explosive "Fuel," the nostalgic "Unforgiven II," and "The Memory Remains," which had a noteworthy version in "S&M." As you probably know, the band would eventually return to its roots with the album "Death Magnetic" about a decade later. Indeed, it's worth noting that "Reload" marks the last album on which bassist Jason Newsted played with Metallica. And regarding the album covers, they are certainly notable and controversial. The covers were created by the photographer and artist Andres Serrano, who also crafted the cover for "Load." The image on the "Load" album, titled "Blood and Sperm III," featured cow blood and human semen injected between two adjacent glasses. The cover for "Reload," named "Piss and Blood," consisted of blood and urine. The sources of these bodily fluids are undisclosed. It's interesting to note that while Kirk Hammett appreciated the artist and the concept, James Hetfield was not as enthusiastic, possibly not at all. The provocative nature of these covers added another layer of intrigue to the albums. So now you are welcome to receive a dose of blood and urine on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... On November 17, 1998, came out the album that brought us "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" which was one of the anthems of the late 90's when we were dancing in clubs on weekends. This is the fifth album by the punk rock band The Offspring, it was a huge success and reached number six on the Billboard 200 when it sold more than 150,000 copies in its first week. This is the band's second best-selling album after "Smash", their breakthrough album released in 1994. The album, or rather the famous single we mentioned above even got them to perform at the famous Woodstock 99 Festival. According to band leader Dexter Holland this album is a band matriculation certificate, here they understood what the band's boundaries are, where they can play / change / experiment, here they have defined their DNA (as we like to say). Although it was not pre-defined as a concept album and even today it is not exactly defined that way according to the band, but the album has a very clear central motif. Each song is basically a story of a character or event that exposes the ugly side of American society and actually criticizes it and shows it in a negative light. Remember the memorable opening ??? Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 17, 1975 Tommy Bolin released his debut solo album "Teaser". Some albums aren’t just debuts — they are declarations. "Teaser" arrived not simply as Tommy Bolin ’s first solo statement, but as the moment he finally tore open the door to his own musical universe. It was released in parallel with "Deep Purple’s" "Come Taste the Band", the very album that had consumed his time, energy, and schedule. And yet, in this whirlwind of commitments, Bolin delivered a record that showed the world everything he was capable of when left entirely to his own imagination. To understand "Teaser", you have to understand the man behind it — a singular talent whose career took him through "Zephyr", the "James Gang", the breathtaking jazz-fusion explosion of Billy Cobham’s "Spectrum", and ultimately to "Deep Purple" itself. By the time he entered the studio to craft this album, Bolin wasn’t just a guitarist. He was a shapeshifter. A visionary. A musician whose curiosity was bigger than any band he’d ever been part of. Here, at last, he had the freedom to explore every one of his instincts. "Teaser" is cherished because it refuses to belong to a single world. It is an album that moves effortlessly between hard rock, blues, funk, jazz fusion, reggae, and Latin influences — and sometimes blends several of them within the same song. This was Bolin at full power: fearless, playful, emotional, and endlessly inventive. The variety is not a lack of focus; it's the sound of an artist who had no interest in repeating himself, an artist who understood music as a spectrum rather than a box. The players surrounding him reflected that spirit. Session musicians came and went depending on the track, creating an atmosphere that felt more like a creative laboratory than a structured band environment. Among the contributors is a name many miss on first glance: Phil Collins , who appears on percussion in “Savannah Woman” , adding a subtle rhythmic layer that ties beautifully into the song’s Latin-jazz touch. Even though the album is eclectic, it still has clear pillars — moments that defined its enduring legacy. "The Grind" , open up the album with a funky, muscular groove that immediately announces Bolin’s voice as a frontman and his uncanny feel as a guitarist. It became a live club staple for "Van Halen" in their early days, a testament to how deeply Bolin’s grooves resonated with young guitar players hungry for something fresh. The title track "Teaser"  grew into one of Bolin’s signature pieces, later covered by "Mötley Crüe" for the charity compilation "Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell", bringing his music to an entirely new generation. The song twists funk, rock, and exotic harmonies into something intoxicating. The groove is seductive, the melody addictive, and Bolin’s guitar stabs slice through the mix with razor precision. It may be the album’s most beloved moment. "Wild Dogs" is a song of aching beauty. It was even powerful enough that "Deep Purple" themselves performed it on their 1975–76 world tour — a rare honor for a solo piece. The connection with "Deep Purple" is woven deeply into the album’s history. Because Bolin’s commitment to the “Come Taste the Band” tour was absolute, he had almost no time to promote "Teaser". Nemperor Records even added a sticker to the album’s wrapping that read “Guitarist for Deep Purple”   in an effort to boost recognition, but it wasn’t enough. And yet, over the years, "Teaser" became something far more important than a commercial success story. It became the album that fans point to when they talk about Tommy Bolin ’s genius. It became the record musicians dissected to understand how effortlessly he could jump between colors and moods. It became the definitive evidence that Bolin was one of the most versatile guitarists of his generation, an artist who could have reshaped rock, fusion, and beyond had he been given more time. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 16, 1999, Korn's fourth album, "Issues", was released, the album in which everyone was "clear". So here are some interesting stories about the album that celebrates its birthday today... Strong lyrics as always After the insane success of the third album "Follow the Leader" , the band was considered one of the leading bands when the Nu-Metal genre, began to erupt in the US and around the world. Jonathan Davis like the rest of the band had a crazy life of drugs, alcohol, parties, sex, and total insanity. At that time Davis' first son Nathan was born and he married three years later. So he decided to pull himself together and went to rehab, believing it would clear out all his paranoias, but the opposite have happened. Davis was afraid to get out of bed and felt that the whole world was sitting on his shoulders. In addition, he developed existential anxieties and anxiety about bacteria. He refrained from eating because he was afraid of bacteria in food and lost a lot of weight. It was even difficult to take the pills due to fear of bacteria or toxins in the pills. He was also afraid that the pills will impair his ability to write or sing. Finally, he relented, and indeed the use of pills affected him for the better and he felt more positive. That is why the first sentence that opens the album is: "All I want in life is to be happy ". Davis released everything he experienced before rehab on the album. The role of the educator As they gathered for the work on the album, all the band members decided that this time they needed to change the form of the work and act differently from the previous albums. This time they wanted to work neatly, and professionally without the distractions of sex, drugs, and alcohol. To that end, they enlisted producer Brendan O'Brien who was known for his rigid and thorough form of work. Davis said they wanted Brendan because they knew he would not let them go wild and crazy like what happened during recordings on previous albums. Although the industry has raised an eyebrow at the combination of the grunge and hard rock producer with the rejected metal quirks, the combination has proven to be a winner both in the work on the album and in the result. (Photo: Robin Platzer) Musical characteristics Work on the album began in early 1999, when Munky, Head, Fieldy, and drummer David Silveria began writing the music for the album. By June they had already finished writing more than 15 songs and enlisted Davis to work on the final product. A month later they had already started recording with O'Brien. It took only three months to complete the recordings that took place at A&M Studios in Hollywood. The band members said they wanted to get to a simpler but fuller sound, riffs, and heavier groove than the previous two albums. In addition, they also wanted to achieve a more powerful melody in Davis' singing that was reflected in higher abilities than previous albums. The iconic doll In order to create the album cover, the band, in collaboration with MTV, launched a campaign to design the album cover by the band's fans. MTV published and produced the competition in which the band's fans were invited to create an original album cover and send it to the band. The final cover that won the contest was Alfredo Carlos's famous doll. He designed the cover that will become one of the band's famous icons. In addition to Alfredo's work, 3 other covers were chosen that came out in different versions of the album. End of continuity This is the band's first album that does not hold a hidden track at the end, instead, at the end of the album after the song "Dirty" there is a static silence of more than four minutes, which finally ends with nothing. Another interesting thing is the link to the previous album. The music video for the first single from the album "Falling Away From Me" which was an insane success and played non-stop on MTV, begins where the music video "Freak on a Leash," from the previous album ends. The music video opens with the same animation in which the clip from the previous album ends. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Nostalgia strikes Metallica and in return, it embraces it with love !! Following the thirties celebrations for the band's Black Album , in November 2021 the band launched an exciting, huge, and ongoing archive project called "The Metallica Black Box". In this project, the band will share an array of artifacts, memorabilia, and rare vault content from throughout their 40-year career. The project is not one-time and defined in time but is an ongoing project with the band occasionally adding more pieces to "the black box". The Black Box launches on Nov. 16, 2021, with The Black Album Exhibition, which features a variety of items tied to the band’s 1991 self-titled album, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary. The exhibition includes a handful of galleries filled with rare photos, while Metallica will also livestream 10 rare shows from The Black Album era, selected by super-fan and Metallica historian Dan Nykolayko (also known as “Spider Dan”). Years in the works, Metallica is now officially “unboxing” collections and pulling their favorite, most significant, and personally meaningful artifacts. Features available exclusively in the Black Box will range from the virtual to the physical—including weekly livestream events to extremely limited signed memorabilia. In the weeks, months, and years ahead, The Black Box will venture progressively deeper into the vaults, the sounds, the visuals, the instruments, the culture, and beyond. Metallica launched a special website for this project: metallicablackbox.com But drop all this nonsense !!! The most amazing, important, exciting, and surprising thing is... As part of the above project, on February 19, 2022, the phenomenal, tremendous, and unforgettable show of "Metallica" that took place on June 30, 1993, in Hayarkon Park, Tel Aviv will be broadcast live !!! Yes, yes you read that right, Metallica takes out of the vault "The Black Album LIVE" where it chose only 10 shows from the tours that took place in 1991-1993 and put this great show in the "Black Box" !!! The performance that was part of the "Nowhere Else to Roam" tour will be broadcast in a special and festive event on February 19, 2022 (Saturday) at 22:00 (Israel time) and will be accompanied by a live chat with the band members ( buy ticket here ). Filmed with the house cameras during the June 30, 1993 gig at Park HaYarkon in Tel Aviv, Israel during the Nowhere Else to Roam tour and taken from a pair of Betacam tapes located in the Metallica Vault. Audio Mastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering. Since this was not a professionally shot concert film, there are several imperfections ranging from a raw soundboard audio recording to occasional camera dropouts, some short, some significant, as well as a tape glitch during “Seek & Destroy”. Some short cover doodles have been edited out. This was filmed in standard definition in 1993 so this live-stream is a snapshot in time, warts & all! It is important also to mention that non of the performance materials were released before!! And just to make you even more excited, here are some pictures from the band's most dedicated and number one fun which maintain an incredible memorability treasure!! "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 15, 1982, "Whitesnake" released their fifth album "Saints & Sinners". The album stands as a pivotal album in "Whitesnake's" discography and the last to feature the classic " Ready An' Willing " lineup including David Coverdale , Jon Lord , Ian Paice , Micky Moody , Bernie Marsden and Neil Murray . Produced by Martin Birch after an initial stint by Guy Bidmead, the album was recorded during a turbulent period marked by financial strain, tensions within the band, and uncertainty about their future. The result is an album that captures "Whitesnake" in the midst of change, retaining the bluesy grit of their past while hinting at a more commercially polished hard rock style that would come to define their later success. Despite internal conflicts, "Saints & Sinners" proved successful, peaking at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. The album includes " Here I Go Again " and " Crying in the Rain ," which would later be re-recorded on "Whitesnake's" " 1987 " self-titled album and go on to become international hits. In their original forms here, both tracks are rawer and more emotionally charged, reflecting David Coverdale ’s personal struggles, particularly his marriage’s breakdown, which influenced much of his songwriting. The recording process of "Saints & Sinners" was challenging for the band. Tensions and exhaustion were high, as bassist Neil Murray , drummer Ian Paice , and guitarists Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden were dealing with financial setbacks and friction with management, headed by "Deep Purple’s" former manager, John Coletta. David Coverdale ultimately decided to put the band on hold, firing Coletta and later dismissing several members to reassemble "Whitesnake" with a new lineup Including former "Trapeze" guitarist Mel Galley, former "Rainbow" drummer Cozy Powell and Colin Hodgkinson on bass guitar. However, Marsden, Moody, Murray, and Paice had already contributed significantly to "Saints & Sinners", so the album captures the original lineup’s chemistry one last time before Coverdale embarked on "Whitesnake's" next chapter. Musically, "Saints & Sinners" delivers a blues-infused hard rock sound that remains true to "Whitesnake’s" roots while showcasing David Coverdale ’s knack for blending pub-rock attitude with a more commercial edge. Tracks like " Young Blood " and " Rough an' Ready " offer an energetic blend of riff-driven hard rock with Jon Lord ’s signature organ work adding depth. The second single from the album " Victim of Love " sounds like a "Bad Company" song. " Bloody Luxury " and " Rock an' Roll Angels " showing the bands Rock an' Roll roots. " Dancing Girls '" riff sounds like the "Ready An' Willing" riff on steroids. The album also sees David Coverdale  embracing more commercial themes, especially on tracks like " Love an' Affection " adding a "sexed-up" flair to the straightforward rock-and-roll ethos. But the song is actually a rip-off from "Led Zeppelin's" "How Many More Times", which was influenced by Howlin' Wolf's song "How Many More Years". " Crying in the Rain " in its original, slower blues form and " Here I Go Again ," both centerpieces of the album, resonate with a raw emotional core. The latter, inspired by Coverdale’s personal struggles, narrates resilience in the face of hardship, capturing his lyrical honesty and vocal intensity. Moody’s guitar work and Marsden’s contributions further emphasize the bluesy aggression and grit that defined "Whitesnake’s" early sound, making "Saints & Sinners" feel both unrefined and powerfully genuine. "Whitesnake’s" journey was far from over, and "Saints & Sinners" marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. The album serves as a testament to David Coverdale 's resilience and vision, pushing forward despite the band's turmoil to create an enduring rock classic. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Ozzy Osbourne 's third studio album "Bark At The Moon", was released on November 15, 1983. The story of this album begins with what was probably Ozzy Osbourne 's biggest low point, and we're not talking about a musical one. Ozzy Osbourne 's drinking and drug problems were at their peak, and these not only affected his functioning as an artist, but also led to a sequence of unusual events that put him in a negative light in the media, all within two months. On January 20, 1982, Ozzy bites a bat during a performance and is forced to receive a series of shots against rabies. He later collapsed during a performance on stage, and a month later, on February 19 he was arrested for urinating at the Alamo Memorial in Texas and if that wasn't enough, then he was even spotted sniffing a long line of working ants. But the biggest blow of all landed on Ozzy on March 19, 1982, with the news that the talented guitarist, who was also his co-writer on his first two albums - Randy Rhoads , died in a plane crash. For more details about that horrific accident, click and read the end of our review for the album " Diary of a Madman ". But Ozzy is Ozzy, right? He managed to get out of what seemed like his biggest low point and land on his feet like a cat with nine lives. Just two weeks after Randy Rhodes' death, Ozzy Osbourne hires the services of guitarist Bernie Tormé, who previously played with Ian Gillan , and returns to the stage to complete the tour to promote the album " Diary of a Madman ". He does not stop there and immediately afterward records the live album "Speak of the Devil" which focuses on songs by the mother band "Black Sabbath", while in the process he replaces his backing players like socks, in an attempt to reach a winning lineup with which he will record his next album. This line-up got locked up during the tour with Bob Daisley returning to play bass, the formidable Tommy Aldridge on drums, and of course Don Airey on keyboards. But as we know Ozzy's "X-Men" must be a high-class guitarist, charismatic, virtuoso, one who will push the whole band forward, one who can step into Randy Rhoads ' big shoes of Tony Iommi 's heavy cowboy boots, before him. The one who was chosen after a careful selection to fill this important role was eventually Jake E. Lee who played in one of the first lineups of "Ratt" and later in "Rough Cutt", and which rumor has it that his name was even considered at one point as a second guitarist in "Motley Crue" at their early days. The idea was to return to "Ridge Farm Studios" in England in an attempt to recreate the magic that existed on the first two albums. The problem was that this time Ozzy Osbourne was completely out and could not contribute to the writing process, so those who took the reins were mainly bassist Bob Daisley, who also wrote most of the lyrics for the album, and the excellent new acquisition - guitarist Jake E. Lee . Rumor has it that Daisley received between £ 50,000 and £ 60,000 from Sharon Osborne just to write the material for the album. The two worked for hours in and out of the studio writing most of the album material, with Ozzy Osbourne occasionally showing up in the studio stoned, adding and correcting the materials the two wrote. Although as mentioned the vast majority of the material was written by Daisley and Jake E. Lee ., They ended up not getting credit for it, when on the album it was written that all the songs were written by Ozzy Osbourne . Some say the two were even forced at the end of the recordings to sign a contract in which they waive their credit. This conduct of Ozzy and especially Sharon Osborne, is also well known to us from the first two albums of the Prince of Darkness, in which no credit was given to the real writers, leading to a point that Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake (the previous drummer), filed a lawsuit against Ozzy in 1986 for not paying them royalties for their part in writing the songs on his first two albums. As we told you at the time in a review of the album Blizzard Of Ozz , in response to the lawsuit, Ozzy re-recorded all the bass and drum roles on these albums, along with drummer Mike Bordin from "Faith No More" and bassist Robert Trujillo . But let's not let this story obscure the real treasure that exists on this amazing album. It opens up with the theme song " Bark at the Moon " featuring one of the most amazing riffs in heavy metal, not to mention not one, but two crazy solos by Jake E. Lee . The song tells the story of a werewolf who returns from the world of the dead to take revenge. Ozzy noted that the title of the song came from a joke he used to provide and her punchline was "eat shit and bark at the moon". Ozzy provided the title to Jake E. Lee and Bob Daisley, who simply wrote the song based on the title. It was the first song written for the album and is also one of the greatest songs from the Prince of Darkness, in his entire glorious career. And it is impossible to talk about this song without mentioning the amazing clip in which Ozzy changes shape with heavy makeup and becomes a werewolf. Ozzy claims it took 8 hours to prepare him for the clip. Please note that this clip was preceded by a month the iconic Michael Jackson clip for "Thriller" in which similar heavy makeup was used on Michael Jackson. Still, at a faster pace relative to the album, we have the “ Center Of Eternity ” that opens up the other side of the vinyl which is in our opinion also one of the best songs on the album and Ozzy Osbourne ’s most beautiful. The song opens slowly with a scary and creepy bell ringing in the style of "Black Sabbath" and continues with the ecclesiastical choir evolving to the dark sounds of Don Airey 's synthesizer. This opening track of the song has been dubbed "Forever" at the European album version, but is undoubtedly an integral part of the song that just explodes in 1:15 minute with Jake E. Lee 's bouncing riff and the "speed drug" Ozzy Osbourne's singing, that seem to chase after Jake's riffs during the verses. Listen how beautifully Ozzy Osbourne 's voice blends during the chorus with Don Airey 's keyboards in a sweeping melody. And you must not, but you must not miss Jake E. Lee 's solo in this song. Jump right into the bridge part that starts at 2:49 to get into the atmosphere and go through with us in the hallway that leads straight to this psychic solo that is simply a school for guitarists. The third and fourth tracks on the album " Now You See It (Now You Don't) " and " Rock 'n' Roll Rebel " move at a mid-pace relatively to the album's average RPM, with a clear lead of Jake E. Lee 's riffs. The first of which was written by Bob Daisley as revenge against Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, for their attitude towards him and especially in the subject of song credits. He was even surprised that Ozzy and Sharon did not notice this and included the song on the album. Still staying more or less at the same rhythm with " Waiting for Darkness " and with the catchy and monotonous guitar-keyboard line, without a doubt one of the most beautiful and special songs on the album. The album also features two ballads that prove that even the Prince of Darkness sometimes knows how to slow down, light a candle and be a little romantic. Already in the second track, we meet " You're No Different " an exciting song full of "eighties" keyboards with a melodic and sweet melody that slowly intensifies and develops until the end with Jake E. Lee 's solo leading us to the song's Fade Out. And make sure not to miss the special and uncharacteristic of metal bass playing of Daisley in this song. Similarly, the second track on the other side of the vinyl " So Tired ", is a charming and melancholy ballad with a production that includes strings arrangements, conducted by Louis Clark. It reminds us at times of things that the "ELO" did very successfully in a completely different genre. Here it is worth noting that there are differences between the European and American versions of the album, with the American version having the song " Slow Down ", one of the weakest on the album that sounds like a filler, while the European version includes " Spiders " that seals the album. The album's reissues included the two songs and another bonus track - " One Up the 'B' Side ", which was the b-side of the single "Bark at the Moon". The story of this album ends as it began, with the entanglement of Ozzy Osbourne . In the year of the album's release, a 20-year-old Canadian man claimed that the song "Bark At The Moon" caused him to murder a woman and her two children. A year later, the parents of a 19-year-old boy in the United States sued Ozzy over the fact that the song " Suicide Solution " from his first album caused their son to commit suicide. The well-publicized lawsuit against him was dismissed. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 14, 2000, Geddy Lee released his first (and currently the only) solo album, "My Favorite Headache". As time goes by since the death of Neil Peart and the realization that "Rush" will cease to exist, the relevance of this album only grows, especially in light of the fact that it gives us a glimpse of how Geddy Lee Lee's next project might sound, if at all, alone or with Alex Lifeson , who knows? This album probably would never have come to this world, if the mother band "Rush" had not entered a long hiatus in 1997 and if disbandment wouldn't have been hovering over it's head. As you may recall, this long break was forced on "Rush" following the two tragedies that befell drummer Neil Peart . In August 1997, at the end of the tourto promote " Test For Echo ", Neil Peart 's 19-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident. 10 months later, Peart's partner died of cancer. In his book "Ghost Rider" Peart said that at his daughter's funeral he informed his friends, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson , that he was retiring from the band. Out of respect and understanding for Neil's condition, Geddy and Alex gave him all the time he needed to recover from the tragedies that befell him. Geddy said he never had the desire to do a solo project. He was good with what he had within the "Rush family" and he never thought of doing something outside of the band. He enjoyed what this band had and saw no need to do anything alone. But as the forced hiatus grew longer and when it became clearer to Geddy that it was not going to end anytime soon, if at all, he began to feel the urge to engage in music again. The partner that seemed most appropriate to him at the time, was his good friend Ben Mink, the songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist known among others from the band "FM", and as the one who played the amazing violin solo in the song "Losing It" from the album " Signals ". Geddy Lee and Ben Mink have a broad common ground. Both were born to Jewish, Polish, Holocaust survivor parents, both grew up and lived in Toronto Canada and were both influenced by the same music. Geddy said that the whole thing started as a joke and as an excuse to spend time with Ben. It started small, they thought of setting up a production company and starting to manage and produce young bands, write material for other artists and help them promote it. Geddy also noted that the last thing he thought of doing was an album, certainly not one that would present him as a solo artist. But slowly he began to fall in love with the material being written and feared for the way it would sound when other artists performed it. At this point the record company encouraged, supported and pushed him and Ben Ben Mink to go with it farther. And so this small and modest project grew and developed into the first solo album and we certainly hope not Geddy Lee 's last. The writing process was different from what Geddy was used to for a very long time with the mother band "Rush". He had to re-adapt the ability to write lyrics. He has not done so for over two decades. When Neil Peart joined the band in 1974, he took on the role of lyricist almost exclusively. Geddy Lee noted that it was the most challenging part for him in this project, but in the end also the most interesting, rewarding and fun. Also in terms of composition the writing was a bit different, especially with the new writing partner Ben Mink. It started with Geddy Lee's aggressive unloading on the bass. He wrote all the music on bass guitar. It started with short lines and sentences and continued with chords played on the bass guitar. On the one hand this album is not much different from what the "mother band" did just before the hiatus that was forced on them. Listen to "Half the World" and "Resist" from " Test For Echo " and you will understand what we are talking about. On the other hand, this album is definitely not "Rush". In this album there is a lot of emphasis on melody and less on The musical complexity. Geddy Lee's singing is softer and more mature, and Ben Mink's production is much busier and more meticulous than we are than we are used to with "Rush." This album has a full and rich sound. For the recordings, the two had to added drummer Matt Cameron , who we know from the bands "Pearl Jam" and "Soundgarden", among others. Matt had a window of three weeks before embarking on a tour to promote Pearl Jam's "Binaural" album, and he took the time to enter the studio with the two to record the album. Geddy said in an interview with him following the release of the album, that very few people heard the material before it was released, not even the record company itself that encouraged him to release the album. The name of the album came from a story that Ben Mink told Geddy Lee about his parents. It represents something you really like to do, but it still hurts you in one way or another. This title probably illustrates what happened to Geddy Lee who really wanted to make music, he preferred to do it within the family, but when he realized it was not going to happen soon, he did it alone despite all the difficulties he went through in the writing process. The unloading of aggression that Geddy Lee recounted can be heard already at the opening of the album with his edgy bass line in the first few seconds of the theme song. Ben Mink's electric guitar is very reminiscent of the sound of the guitar and the wild and "primitive" playing style of Alex Lifeson from his solo project "Victor". But just when you're sure it's going to be a rough and aggressive album the atmosphere changes at once, and in a minute and a half into the song we slow a bit and change to something softer and more melodic with Ben Mink's acoustic guitar and violins, which after half a minute are replaced by an electric and rough riff. This combination of rough and clean, between rhythmic and calm, but mostly between calm and caressing, passes between other songs on the album, producing a fluid and very pleasant flow to listen to throughout. There are no bad songs on this album and you will probably not find "fillers". Each track has its own charm and all together complete a whole musical fabric that is just fun to listen to repeatedly. The grunge and sweeping riff in the opening of " The Present Tense " changes after half a minute from the beginning of the song in a peaceful and calm verse and so on. The third track " Window to the World " opens with a chord with a psychedelic sound that sounds like something Robbie Krieger did in the 1960s with "The Doors", later evolves into alternative nineties rock. This song was recorded in three different versions, before Geddy and friends got to the final version they love. The song " Working at Perfekt " is one of the most beautiful and special on the album. It oscillates between the sound of grunge guitars and the sounds of strings and piano. This "sound swing" also exists in the song " Runaway Train " which opens with a "Zeppelin" guitar sound and corresponds with " The Present Tense ", in the funky " Home On A Strange " which was the last to be written for the album and in the excellent ending " Grace to Grace " which seals the album wit Rhythmic and a kicking rock, that for a moment reminded us of "Pearl Jam". This album also features some beautiful and exciting rock ballads like " The Angel's Share " with the double viola-guitar solo, " Slipping " which opens with Geddy Lee 's special piano playing and includes one of the album's catchy chants and " Still " which continues the lyrical and musical line of Predecessor and proves to us that Geddy Lee 's voice can also be warm, soft and caressing. This wonderful solo project remains small and modest, just as it started. Geddy Lee did not go with this further. He gave up on the idea of ​​promoting the album live and apparently Matt Cameron 's unavailability was not the main reason for that. It is interesting to note that in 2023 Geddy Lee released two more songs that were written during the sessions for the album, but did not make it into the final version. Over 20 years later, the demos for the songs " Gone " and " I Am...You Are " were mixed, mastered and released on streaming services under the name "The Lost Demos". It is not clear if this is really true, but we speculate that the release of this album nevertheless had some effect on Neil Peart . A kind of "alarm clock" that reminded him how much he loves to hang out with his two longtime friends, create and experience this great thing called music. About two months after the release of the album, in January 2001, Geddy, Alex and Neil met and for the first time in 5 years entered the rehearsal room to work on what would become the band's 17th album, " Vapor Trails ". The screen may have gone down on Geddy Lee 's solo project to fast, but it probably broke the long hiatus of the power trio that continued to accompany us for over a decade later with excellent albums and sweeping performances. Geddy summed up his creative experience on this album as something very positive that the deeper he went into it, the more he realized how much it was rewarded for him. In the absence of any chance of seeing any new material from this marvelous trio following the death of Neil Peart , let's hope that the memory of this rewarding experience will push Geddy Lee to more and more projects like this and soon! For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music For Listening to "The Lost Demos": Spotify For Listening to an interview from the relevant time with Geddy Lee, click H ere : "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 13, 2020, "AC/DC" released their 17th studio album - "Power Up". The band that was responsible for the biggest comeback in rock history 40 years earlier, with " Back In Black ", hits again with another tremendous comeback that marked the return of singer Brian Johnson , as well as drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams. As well known, the troubles and tragedies kept falling upon the band and the sequence was unbearable. In 2015 drummer Phil Rudd was replaced amid a "Rock or Bust" tour after being accused of drug possession and death threats. In 2016 lead singer Brian Johnson was forced to stop performing in the middle of the band's tour, after experiencing severe hearing loss that threatened to deafen him and he was replaced by Axl Rose . Bassist Cliff Williams also retired from the band in 2016 after completing the "Rock or Bust" tour. In 2017 Malcolm Young who suffered from dementia succumbed to the disease and with the loss of the "living spirit" behind the band, we were sure "AC/DC" would cease to exist. However, Brian Johnson discovered state-of-the-art hearing aids that allowed him to sing with the band again even at the tremendous volume levels on stage. Williams and Rudd were "called to the flag" and immediately returned, and Malcolm Young 's place on rhythm guitar was filled by his nephew Stevie Young, who had already filled Malcolm's place in the band's 1988 tour of the US and from 2014 did so again. The combination of all these events brought the band back in full force, while the family atmosphere that faded a bit with Malcolm's death was strengthened. That is why the release of this album for us deserves to be listed as one of the greatest comebacks in history, alongside the previous 1980 comeback. If you will, the younger and "red" brother of "The Black Phoenix" (that's what we called the huge comeback of the album " Back In Black "). This is the band's 17th album and the first in 6 years since the excellent "Rock or Bust". "Power Up" is entirely dedicated to guitarist Malcolm Young , who passed away in 2017, and here too we see a kind of resemblance to the previous comeback, with " Back In Black " dedicated to vocalist Bon Scott . The album is laden with Malcolm's rock and roll spirit and features songs written by him. In fact, each of the 12 songs on the album was co-written by Malcolm in collaboration with his brother Angus Young , and they were drawn from their vast stock of riffs and ideas that the band built over the decades it has been active. This album is without a doubt the band's best in the current millennium, and maybe we would even stretch it for another decade. The songs are well written and some of them could have stood even on one front with the band's big hits from the seventies and eighties. They've bouncing, they're sweeping, noisy and dirty as we love so much with this band. The production is one of the best we've heard from the band in recent years and here we have another similarity for " Back In Black " and its superb production. 5 amazing singles have been released from the album, but we can tell you that they are definitely not the only great songs on the album. The first single released on October 7, 2021 album " Shot in the Dark ", shows us exactly the same familiar and beloved sound that has not really changed in almost five decades. We've talked and written about it quite a bit before. The genius of this band is simplicity. It's one of the only bands we know that has not evolved over the years, has not really changed the sound and style, and yet succeeds in every song to make us shake our heads and move our bodies in the frenzy of a stupid teenager. The second single " Realize " released on November 11, 2021, will make you raise your fists in the air from its very first second. What a simple and amazing riff from Angus that occasionally doubles it to make it sound as if his Gibson SG is turning into a machine gun. What an amazing voice Johnson has, he came back in a big way and sounds just like in the good old days 40 years ago. He leads the song with a high hand while Williams and Rudd hold the stunning rhythm of the track. The third single " Demon Fire " opens with Rudd's beating on the hi-hat and takes us 40 years back to the album and the song " Back In Black ", but then the tempo on the cymbal doubles, the deep and low voice comes in and for a moment we did not realize it was Johnson at all. This song presents one of the coolest "AC/DC" riffs, what a sweeping rhythm and what a cool groove that brought us flashbacks from "Whole Lotta Rosie". This single was later followed by " Witch's Spell " whose "hybrid picking" opening threw us straight into the warm arms of "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)". Although the chorus of the song is one of the catchiest on the album, we think there are much stronger songs on this album that would have worked better as successful singles, but this is exactly the proof of why this album is just awesome. The latest single released from the album " Through The Mists Of Time ", already proves to us that the selection of songs to be released as singles was apparently aimed at diversity. It's an exciting Mid-Pace song in which the band looks back on the beautiful moments passed together, from the time when everyone was young and energetic to the present day, while acknowledging the reality that imposes on us the inevitable passage of time. Angus Young wrote the lyrics and singer Brian Johnson noted that when he recorded the song a shiver went through his body. He thought of Malcolm and noted in one of the interviews that he still sees him in his mind every time he hears this song playing. As we mentioned, this album is far beyond the five singles released from it and is one of the band's greatest in recent decades. So go ahead, click on the link, "Power Up" and enjoy a particularly electrifying day: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"Soundgarden's" " King Animal" was released on November 13, 2012 !! This album represents a new beginning for the band, so it should not be labeled as a "comeback" album. But as we time passed by we learned that this is also the album of the "End", the last album the group have recorded with Chris Cornell. "But it's fate I only ever really wanted a break I’ve been away for too long Though I never really wanted to stay I’ve been away for too long I've been away for too long I've been away for too long" Back in 2012, the news that "Soundgarden" might reunite and possibly release a new album came as a total shock to us. At that time, Grunge was almost non-existent. "STP" had disbanded in 2010, "Pearl Jam" had drifted far from their early 90s revolutionary days, "Alice In Chains" had lost their essence in 1995, and "Nirvana" needs no explanation. With the only band left in its original lineup hinting at an album release, we felt immediate tremors and a sense of vulnerability. Our hearts were deeply moved by the news. The return of the band we adore, known for their distinctive, powerful sound and exceptional lyrics, led by one of the world's most talented vocalists, was a thrilling moment. After a 16-year hiatus, we eagerly awaited discovering what surprises our Seattle friends had in store for us. We meticulously absorbed every detail, scoured the internet for hints, and listened intently to unearth what lay ahead. Then, on September 27, 2012, the debut single "Been Away Too Long" was released, offering insight into our current moment, as we immerse ourselves in "Soundgarden's" latest album. Whether attributed to destiny, yearning, or a resurgence from obscurity, this album remains authentic, raw, weighty, and harmonious, reminiscent of their earlier work. It resonates as though it were crafted in the 1990s, preserved in a time capsule, only to resurface over two decades later. The nostalgic journey started in 2009 when the band members came together to talk about re-releasing some of their music and introducing new merchandise. Then, in 2010 Chris Cornell surprised everyone on Twitter when he wrote: “The 12-year break is over and school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!” Back in 2010, the band members initially decided to revisit their old songs, perform a few shows for enjoyment, and leave it at that. However, when they were in the process of recording a new track titled "Black Rain," which was included in the 2010 compilation "Telephantasm," they experienced a resurgence of energy that brought them closer together. The recording sessions for the song evolved into a spontaneous jam session, resulting in the creation of new material and collaborative improvisations involving all band members. At that point, it became evident to everyone that they needed to release a new album! In the spring of 2011, the "Fantastic Four" began recording a new album at the renowned "Studio X" in Seattle with their longtime producer Adam Kasper. Despite facing challenges, such as interruptions due to Chris' "Songbook" tour, the band managed to release their sixth album in November 2012, marking the end of a 16-year hiatus. Tragically, this album also served as the band's final release before disbanding following Chris' passing in 2017. (Photo: Justin Borucki) Looking back in time... In 1996, the band released "Down On The Upside", their final album before a lengthy 16-year break. It was a daring, diverse album that significantly fueled the musical disagreements and diverse artistic directions each band member wished to pursue. In retrospect, "King Animal" can be seen as more of a continuation of the sound from the album "Superunknown" rather than a follow-up to "Down On The Upside" that came after it... The album kicks off with the track "Been Away Too Long" , where Chris passionately expresses his frustration not only with himself but also with the feeling of being disconnected from others. He is upset about his absence, feeling unrecognized by those around him. The return of Kim's guitar and Chris' distinctive vocals over "Soundgarden's" rhythmic backdrop is a nostalgic reminder of the band's powerful presence, reminiscent of their earlier days. It is evident from the start that the band has returned with vigor, just like they were 16 years ago. Chris revealed that the song's initial inspiration struck him during a restless night, with the lyrics coming together later in the album's production. He emphasized that the song's message extends beyond rejoining the band, delving into the broader theme of revisiting a place after a prolonged absence. The album maintains its impact with the powerful track "Non-State Actor" swiftly followed by "By Crooked Steps", one of the album's standout songs characterized by intricate syncopations and unconventional rhythms. Matt Cameron and Ben form an impeccable rhythm section, while Kim and Chris deliver a heavy and intense guitar riff that captivates the listener. This amazing song that Chris called "a little weird" sat on an asymmetrical rhythm of 5/4 and was released as the second single from the album. It is interesting to note that its music video was directed by none other than Dave Grohl , an honorary member of the Seattle grunge scene himself. In the video below he is talking about working with "Soundgarden" on the clip. Overall, this album has successfully lived up to our expectations as a comeback album from one of our favorite bands, maintaining a consistent high quality throughout. "A Thousand Days Before" pleasantly surprised us with its oriental rhythm, while "Blood On The Valley Floor" transported us back to the band's early days with its heavy and somber riff. The melodic and captivating "Bones Of Birds" left a lasting impression on us, with Chris' vocals taking us on an emotional journey. Chris drew inspiration from his children when writing this song, expressing his desire to protect their innocence and shield them from the harsh realities of the world. "Taree" was originally composed by Ben in 1997 for his solo project "Deep Owl," but he later felt it was better suited for a "Soundgarden" treatment. Chris penned the lyrics during the album's recording sessions, describing it as a tribute to the Northwestern United States, his childhood home. "Black Saturday" was among the first tracks Chris crafted for the album, drawing musical influences from Paul McCartney and the "Beatles." The lyrics serve as a warning to friends, signaling them to intervene when someone is heading towards dark times, reminiscent of "Fell On Black Days." The song "Halfway There" , as per Cornell, shares lyrical similarities with "Fell On Black Days." Despite feeling more aligned with Cornell's solo work than with "Soundgarden," this poignant track resonates with us on a deep level. We need to point out (even if it may be somewhat frustrating for you) that while this album is solid and meets our expectations in various aspects, it is missing a standout track, a memorable tune that captivates us, that becomes addictive, that compels us to listen on repeat. Similar to the band's classic hits from the 1990s. Speaking in a somewhat personal manner, it can be challenging to meet the expectations of fans after 16 years of silence. On one hand, there's a desire to relive the past, to freeze our emotions and relive the sensations we experienced back then, and to hear the beloved band just as we remember them. On the other hand, we have grown and changed, our lives have evolved, and we rightfully anticipate the band we cherish to evolve as well, to be more contemporary and innovative, which may be the discord of this album. It stirs up emotions from the nineties within us, which is pleasant, nostalgic, and enjoyable, yet once the music stops, it may feel somewhat disjointed and not quite in line with our current state and desire for something fresh. It fades. While we were thrilled to hear Chris with Kim, Matt, and Ben once again, like in the past, there was also a part of us hoping for a surprise, something new and refreshing that would prompt us to include songs from this album in our latest playlist because we have moved forward a bit... Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Well, it's certainly the longest review we've had to date, so please take a deep breath, we promise it's going to be very interesting, it's really worth it. Neil Young is celebrating his birthday today and we are going to tell you 76 (!!) facts about him: (Photo: Michael Putland) 1. He was born on November 12, 1945, in Toronto Canada. 2. Young's middle name is Percival. 3. His father Scott Alexander Young was a well-known journalist and author in Canada who wrote more than 30 books. 4. In 1966 Neil Young was diagnosed with epilepsy. 5. Although he is considered Canadian, Young's mother has American roots that go back to the early days of the Republic. 6. Although Young lived in the US for decades he never relinquished his Canadian citizenship. 7. As a child, Young listened to rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, country, and rhythm and blues in his youth. 8. He adored Elvis Presley and was influenced by Chuck Berry, Hank Marvin, Cliff Richards, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison. 9. While only 7 years old, Young got infected by the polio bacterium which almost led to his death. 10. During Young's recovery process, his parents brought him to Florida, where the family lived for six months until his full recovery. 11. The first instrument he played was the ukulele he received in 1958 as a Christmas present. 12. Two years later, in 1960, his parents divorced and his mother moved with him to Winnipeg, Canada, where he formed his first band, "The Jades". 13. In 1963, when he was only 17, he joined the band "The Squires" with which he released the single "Sultan / Aurora. The two Surf-style tracks were influenced by" The Shadows ". 14. Today it is known about the existence of only 10 copies of this single, which makes it one of the rarest singles in the world. 15. To make it easy for him to move around with the equipment for his performances, Neil Young bought an old funeral car from 1948, in which hearse coffins were carried and gave it the amusing name Mortimer Hearseburg or Mort for short. (Photo: Rapalje.com) 16. He met Stephen Stills in 1965 when he performed with his band at a club in Ontario Canada. 17. On his 19th birthday he wrote the song "Sugar Mountain" which was influenced by his childhood in Winnipeg Canada. 18. This song was not released on an album until 12 years later in 1977 as part of the compilation album "Decade". 19. At the time of writing the song singer Joni Mitchell was Young's girlfriend. She loved the song and was influenced by it to write the song "Circle Game". 20. In 1966 Young joined the band "Mynah Birds" which included members of the future "Buffalo Springfield" Bruce Palmer, as well as Goldy McJohn and Nick St. Nicholas who would later form the band "Steppenwolf" and in addition the none other than the funk and black soul artist Rick James, yes yes, that one from the freaky hit "Super Freak". 21. Together with "Mynah Birds" he managed to get a recording contract, but at the recording stage of the album, Rick James was arrested after he defected from the army, which led to the disbandment of the band. 22. Young and Bruce Palmer sold all of the band's equipment and purchased a funeral vehicle that replaced the broken "Mort". The replacement vehicle was given the original name "Mort II". Together with "Mort II" the two crossed the border into the USת illegally, in search of a musical future in Los Angeles. 23. During the trip the two wrote "Mr. Soul" which would become a hit for "Buffalo Springfield". 24. While the two were stuck in a traffic jam at Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, Stephen Stills spotted "Mort II" from across the road. He was with singer and guitarist Richie Furay in the car and made an illegal U-turn to get Young and Palmer. This incidental encounter gave birth to the "Buffalo Springfield." 25. "Buffalo Springfield" has greatly influenced the development of the country rock and folk rock genres. 26. Their great hit "For What It's Worth" was adopted by the Vietnam War protest movements as an anti-war anthem. Here is a performance of the song as a medley with "Mr. Soul", in which Young takes the lead. 27. After the breakup of "Buffalo Springfield" Young signed a recording contract as a solo artist and released on his 23rd birthday in 1968 (exactly 53 years ago), his first album was named "Neil Young". 28. About a year later Young recruited Danny Whitten, Billy Talbot, and Ralph Molina, who adopted the name "Crazy Horse". This lineup will serve as his backing band. 29. Young will record his second album, " Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere " with "Crazy Horse". It also becomes his breakthrough album. 30. The masterful songs "Cinnamon Girl", "Cowgirl in the Sand", and "Down by the River" are recorded by Young while he was ill at 40 degrees Cel. 31. After the release of the album " Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere " Young joins the "Crosby, Stills & Nash" trio. 32. Their second-ever appearance was at the Woodstock Festival. 33. Young objected to being photographed during the festival and even threatened one of the photographers that if he approached him he would hit him with his guitar, so the only songs filmed at that show were "CSN" without Young. 34. Young's favorite electric guitar is "Gibson Les Paul Goldtop 1953", a particularly tough guitar that bears the name "Old Black". 35. 25 years later Young received a fantastic $ 1,000,000 offer to perform at the 1994 Woodstock Festival. Young refused because the event was too commercial and that he preferred to stay with the memory and atmosphere of the original festival. 36. Young was not the first choice of "Crosby, Stills & Nash". Their record label thought they needed a keyboardist and recommended Steve Winwood, but he was busy at the time with "Blind Faith". 37. In March 1970 Young released the successful album "Déjà Vu" as part of the band "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young". 38. That same year he wrote the protest song " Ohio " in response to the killing of four students at Kent State University by the National Guard. 39. In August 1970 Young releases his third album " After the Gold Rush " which includes the song "Southern Man", a protest song against racism and the treatment of blacks in the US. 40. In 1972 he released the masterpiece album " Harvest ", which includes the song "The Needle and the Damage Done", which Young wrote about the addiction of guitarist Danny Whitten, who also died a few months later from a heroin overdose. 41. The album featured all the members of "Crosby, Stills & Nash," country singer Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. 42. Although Young released hundreds of songs during his glorious career the song "Heart of Gold" is the only song that reached number one on the charts. 43. The album also includes the song "Alabama" which deals with the same theme of "Southern Man", in protest against racism against blacks. 44. The members of "Lynyrd Skynyrd" did not remain indebted and released in 1974 the successful song "Sweet Home Alabama" with a direct response to Neil Young whom they admired, including the words: "I hope Neil Young will remember A Southern man do not need him around anyhow ". 45. The quarrel between "Lynyrd Skynyrd" and Young was inflated by the media, in practice the two sides continued to admire each other, as evidenced by Skynyrd's singer Ronny Van Zant appearing with a Neil Young shirt on the cover of the band's " Street Survivors " album. 46. ​​In 1973 Young recorded what was to be his fourth album " Tonight’s The Night ". The album was grim and depressing and it addressed issues like loss and death, influenced by the deaths of Young's two friends, Danny Whitten and Bruce Berry from a heroin overdose. 47. The record company was so frightened by the content that it thought it would be a commercial failure and decided not to release it. The album was finally released two years later after the albums "Time Fades Away" and "On The Beach". 48. These three albums are known as "The Ditch Trilogy trilogy", as they were released during his melancholy, gloomy, dark period. 49. In 1976 while Crosby & Nash recorded and performed under the name "Crosby & Nash", Young and Stills formed "The Stills-Young Band" and released the album "Long May You Run". 50. The idyll between the two fell apart after only nine live shows, while Young abandons Stills in a telegram message as follows: “Dear Stephen. Funny how some things that start spontaneously end that way. Eat a peach. Neil”. 51. In 1976 Young joins "The Band" for their last show, which was recorded for Martin Scorsese's album and film " The Last Waltz ". 52. In 1979 Young released " Rust Never Sleeps ", an album that would later become one of the reasons why the nickname "Godfather of Grunge" stuck with him, partly due to the feedback, distortions, and the rough sound he used to produce from the guitar. 53. Kurt Cobain 's quoted some of the lyrics to the song "Hey Hey, My My" from the above album in his suicide note. 54. The news of Kurt Cobain 's suicide and the contents of the suicide note catches Young during the recording of the album " Sleeps With Angels " in 1993. Young did not remain indifferent to the tragic event and this is reflected in new songs written following Cobain's death and included in the aforementioned album dedicated to him. 55. That same year, "Pearl Jam" warmed up Young during his live shows. Young used to bring "Pearl Jam" members on stage during the encores to perform the anthem "Rockin 'in the Free World" from the album " Freedom ". 56. This Collaboration worked so well that the members of "Pearl Jam" joined Young and record the joint album " Mirror Ball " which was released in 1995. 57. Neil Young and "Pearl Jam" minus Eddie Vedder came to Israel for two shows that year. 58. In 1982 Young released an experimental electronic album called "Trans". Young said he tried to communicate through experimental music with his son who suffered from cerebral palsy as he felt his Distorted voice (in the album) would help. 59. This album created great tension between Young and the record company, which reached its peak when the record company refused to release material that Young had already recorded for his next album, "Old Ways". 60. In response, Young entered the studio and quickly concocted an entirely new "Rockabilly" -style material, which he quickly recorded for Everybody's Rockin', which was released in 1983 and became Young's shortest album in just 25 minutes. 61. Following this, the record company filed a lawsuit against Young, alleging that he deliberately released non-commercial albums. Young for his part filed a counterclaim alleging breach of contract, as he claimed he was given full creative freedom under the contract, which the record company denied him. Young won the lawsuit. 62. In 1991, Young releases an entire album (Arc) featuring guitar feedback noises recorded during his live performances. He released the album on the advice of Thurston Moore from "Sonic Youth". 63. In 1997, Young boycotted the induction ceremony of his band "Buffalo Springfield" to the Rock N 'Roll Hall of Fame, because he thought the ceremony was over-commercialized, after discovering that the organizers were demanding $ 1,200 to enter the ceremony. 64. Two years earlier in 1995 he was inducted into the Rock N 'Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. In this case, he did not boycott the ceremony. By the way, the one to give the induction speech was none other than Eddie Vedder . 65. Young is the first artist to record two different shows in the MTV Unplugged series. It happened after Young was completely unhappy with his performance on the first show, that he abandoned the show before it ended. Young returned for Second Attempt on MTV Unplugged , two months later and this time the magic worked, and thus Young's wonderful " Unplugged " album was born. 66. Young has since the early 1970s produced several films under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey. 67. Young was a partner in "PonoMusic" which developed music players and high-quality music download and streaming services. Young disliked the qualities of the MP3 format and the likes and claimed that their quality was so poor that it was impossible to enjoy music that way. 68. He also realized his love for trains by being a partner in a company that created toy trains and was called Lionel Trains. 69. Young almost obtained a recording contract with none other than convicted killer Charles Manson. He met him in 1968 at the home of the Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson and recommended him to the record company "Reprise". 70. Young never agreed that his songs would be used for commercials. 71. He protested against two presidents of the United States - Bush the father and the son. The protest against the father is expressed in the song "Rockin 'in the Free World" and against the son on the album "Living With War". 72. In August 2020, he also sued President Donald Trump for $ 150,000, for using his songs "Rockin 'in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk", for his campaign: 73. Neil Young and Bob Dylan mentioned each other's names in songs they wrote. Young did this with the song "Bandit" and Bob Dylan in the song "Highlands". 74. Neil Young has a kind of obsession with the moon. He has written more than thirty songs reminiscent of the moon. 75. Neil Young has released throughout his solo career, no less than 45 studio albums. Now add to that CSNY, Buffalo Springfield, live albums, and box collections and you will understand how prolific and influential this amazing man is even today. 76. Young also collaborated with so many artists like "The Monkees", Emmylou Harris, Warren Zevon, Randy Bachman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chrissie Hynde , Sheryl Crow , and more. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website