Writer: Moti Kupfer Release date - 30.09.1982 The early 1980s were hard on the United States. Ronald Reagan had been elected president and survived an assassination attempt 69 days into his term. The country faced a severe recession, rising unemployment, and bitter labor disputes. The administration's tax policies and its response to the air traffic controllers' strike deepened the sense of distance between the White House and working people. Bruce Springsteen stepped into this America having already earned a reputation for giving the working class a voice. Two years after the expansive "The River", he chose to release a dark, almost solitary acoustic album filled with stories of people left behind by the American dream. After years of richly produced rock records, "The Boss" felt that his way of working had become cumbersome. In early 1982, he recorded demos at his New Jersey home on a four-track tape machine, singing and playing mostly guitar and harmonica, along with other instruments on some of the tracks. He intended to bring the songs into the studio and develop them with the band. They did try fuller arrangements, but the elusive power of those home recordings slipped away. With Mike Batlan’s help, Springsteen transferred the tapes for release. Keeping the songs close to the way they had first emerged, complete with their rough edges and the empty space around his voice, turned "Nebraska" into a timeless folk classic. It is not an easy listen. "Nebraska" enters the mind of killer Charles Starkweather without offering the comfort of a simple explanation. "Johnny 99" follows a man driven toward a terrible act by unemployment and despair. Behind the spare melodies stand people struggling to get by, outsiders in their own society, holding on to whatever they have left. In "Atlantic City", a man is drawn toward the criminal underworld after his livelihood slips away. The song moves between despair and the faint promise that escape might still be possible. Its official video films the city streets in black and white, as though it had stepped straight out of the world Springsteen created on the album. "Highway Patrolman" places a police officer between his duty and his loyalty to his brother Frank, who has returned from the army and keeps getting into trouble. The story inspired Sean Penn’s film "The Indian Runner". Here, a few lines and a single guitar are enough to set out a dilemma that no grand production could make more painful. Near the end, "My Father's House" feels like a belated attempt to return to the home of childhood, and perhaps to a father who cannot be brought back. Then comes "Reason to Believe": no resolution, just a narrow opening through which a little light enters the album’s darkness. Listen closely and you can also hear the seeds of "Born in the U.S.A.", released two years later. Its sound would be bigger and more colorful, but Springsteen never abandoned his gaze on America and the people it leaves behind. "Nebraska" reached number three on the US albums chart and was certified platinum in the United States, a remarkable achievement for such a stark, uncompromising record. In 2025, "Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition" brought the electric sessions with "The E Street Band" into the light, alongside outtakes and a full performance of the album filmed more than four decades later. It lets us hear the different roads these songs might have taken, and how right the choice of the bare recordings turned out to be. David Michael Kennedy photographed the album cover through the window of an old pickup truck on a winter day. The deserted road disappearing into the snow is more than a backdrop to these songs; it feels almost like one of their characters. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website

On September 30, 1996, "Porcupine Tree" released their fourth studio album, "Signify". You can hear the change in "Porcupine Tree" as soon as the drums enter the title track. Until then, Steven Wilson had built entire worlds on his own from guitars, echoes and synthesizers. On "Signify", someone finally answers him. The bass starts pulling in another direction, the drums push forward, and the keyboards add a sense of unease. This sounds like a band beginning to find itself. In its early years, "Porcupine Tree" was largely Wilson’s creation. The previous album, "The Sky Moves Sideways", had already brought Richard Barbieri on keyboards, Colin Edwin on bass and Chris Maitland on drums into the picture. Parts of it, though, still sounded like one man inviting other musicians into a world he had already built. On "Signify", they are there from the start. Edwin’s restrained bass, Barbieri’s unusual textures and Maitland’s feel for when to surge and when to step back give the music the sense of a real group at work. Even so, Wilson was still very much in charge. He arrived with detailed demos, and the others recorded their parts over them. Apart from a group improvisation that became the backing for "Intermediate Jesus", the four rarely played together in the studio during these sessions. That approach explains some of the album’s character: nearly everything feels carefully planned, even as the players give it a pulse of its own. The fractured voices of "Bornlivedie" lead into the title track, "Signify". Wilson’s insistent riff has an almost heavy metal edge; a few bars later, the keyboards begin to wrap around it, while the beat keeps driving ahead. The guitar returns to the same figure again and again, but this is more than a passing resemblance to krautrock. Wilson began the piece as a demo cover of "Hallogallo" by the German pioneers "Neu!". As the band worked on it, the tribute became an original "Porcupine Tree" track. You can still hear the motorik pulse and the hypnotic repetition, but Edwin and Maitland give them a weight and force of their own. On "The Sleep of No Dreaming", the force of the title track gives way to quiet disillusionment. Wilson barely raises his voice, and the guitar and keyboards only deepen the sense of isolation. The short interlude "Pagan" then breaks the spell, like walking down a dark hallway before entering the next room. The two parts of "Waiting" show both sides of "Signify". "Waiting Phase One" has a melody that stays with you after a single listen. Wilson’s acoustic guitar carries much of its sadness, while brief electric guitar phrases decorate the edges. Then, around 1:35, he leans into the electric guitar and wrings much more from it. "Waiting Phase Two" opens the same feeling into a space that has no need for a chorus. It does not simply repeat the first part; it lets the feeling linger. The movement from a melodic song to an instrumental journey is where "Porcupine Tree" sounds most assured. Then "Sever" tightens everything. The rhythm is tense, the guitar cuts sharply, and the vocal sounds as if it is struggling to find a foothold in the arrangement. "Idiot Prayer" stretches that tension over a miniature epic that recalls some of the band’s work on the previous album. "Every Home Is Wired" seems gentler at first, but beneath its inviting sound lies a persistent unease. On "Intermediate Jesus", we finally hear what happens when the musicians loosen their grip. The bass finds its own path, the drums answer it, and the keyboards spread out over both. This is no mere pause between songs; it is a chance to hear the four musicians listen to one another. It is the only album track whose backing grew out of a studio improvisation by all four members. Afterward comes "Light Mass Prayers", Maitland’s atmospheric piece, on which he also plays keyboards and contributes voices. It slows the pulse almost to silence and leads into the closing song. "Dark Matter" asks for a little patience. It lets its melody reveal itself gradually before the guitar rises above it. The feeling builds slowly, drawing together much of what we have heard across the album. The atmosphere is mesmerizing. Even after nearly nine minutes, the final sound makes you want to begin again. Even before "Signify" arrived, the single "Waiting" was introducing "Porcupine Tree" to new listeners through radio play in Europe. The album gave that attention something solid to hold on to: four musicians with a shared sound, able to move from a focused, melodic song to a long instrumental passage while shaping their own identity. The music press began to take notice, and the audience at their shows grew. "Signify" did not make them stars overnight, but it widened their audience beyond their devoted prog following and gave them room to grow. The live album "Coma Divine", recorded in Rome the following year, captured a more confident band onstage. The demos later collected on "Insignificance" show just how far the songs had travelled from Wilson’s sketches to the finished recordings. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel’s Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about the singer, guitarist and songwriter Marc Bolan: (Image source: Rockandrollgarage.com; photographer uncredited) 1. He was born in London, England, on September 30, 1947. His name at birth was Mark Feld. Mark's father was a Jew of Russian-Polish descent and his mother was English. 2. His first musical influences were in the rock and roll style with artists like Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, and Eddie Cochran. 3. He got his first guitar at the age of 9 and kept playing from then on. He used to play during school breaks for his fellow students. 4. At age 15, he was expelled from school for misconduct. 5. Following this, he joined a modeling agency and modeled men’s suits in fashion catalogs and on advertising posters. 6. He began his musical career at the age of 17 when he recorded a song called "All at Once" whose style resembled that of the artist he admired, Cliff Richard. 7. He was later influenced by Bob Dylan and played folk music. To adapt his appearance to music, he changed his name to Toby Tyler. 8. In 1965 he was signed by the record company "Decca Records" and by this time he had already adopted the stage name, Marc Bolan. 9. The first single he released under the new stage name was "The Wizard" played by, among others, Jimmy Page as a session player. 10. In 1967 he joined the band "John's Children". One of the songs he wrote for the band, called "Desdemona" was banned by the BBC because it included the line "lift up your skirt and fly". 11. After leaving the band, Bolan formed "Tyrannosaurus Rex" in 1967. The band's first album carried the long title "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows" Released in 1968. 12. The band whose style is folk-psychedelic and acoustic rock released three more albums, with Mickey Finn replacing Steve Peregrin Took in 1969 until 1970 when they also performed at the first "Glastonbury" festival. 13. In 1970 came the upheaval. The band's name was shortened to "T. Rex" and Bolan and his band became "electric" as he adopted a Gibson Les Paul guitar, which even appeared on the cover of the band's fifth album "T. Rex" released in 1970. 14. With the help of producer Tony Visconti, the band recorded their first big hit "Ride a White Swan" which was released in October 1970. The song is considered groundbreaking, and one of the first glam rock style tracks. 15. Bolan was influenced at the time by David Bowie. He performed on stage in flashy makeup and costumes that added to his musical style and persona. 16. Bolan was Bowie's friend, they both had the same manager and both were produced at the time by the legendary Tony Visconti. 17. In 1970 Bolan was even featured on guitar playing David Bowie's song "The Prettiest Star". Bowie re-recorded it for "Aladdin Sane" in 1973, with Mick Ronson on guitar. 18. Bolan's stylistic change was completed with the band's sixth album "Electric Warrior" released in 1971. The album was a huge success and also critically acclaimed and became the best-selling album in England in 1971. Needless to say, the album was included in the list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. 19. At this point Bolan is already branded as an extroverted and ostentatious rock star with a charismatic appearance that cannot be ignored. This is accompanied by Bolan and the band's colorful performances and numerous television appearances, one of the iconic ones even alongside Elton John. 20. In 1972, Bolan continued to release other hits that reached the top of the charts, including "Telegram Sam" and "Metal Guru". "Children of the Revolution" was also released which reached number two. The band had four number-one singles, but they were not consecutive: "Jeepster" had already peaked at number two in 1971. 21. Bolan and "T. Rex" were a huge phenomenon in Britain at the time. Accounts of their peak success put their share of British record sales at around 6% and reported sales of up to 100,000 records a day. These are historical estimates, rather than audited sales figures or a verified daily average. 22. In the same year, the documentary "Born to Boogie" directed by Ringo Starr was also released, which documented a live performance of "T. Rex" at Wembley as well as recordings at the Apple studio, which featured Ringo Starr and Elton John. 23. In 1973 Bolan joined his friend Jeff Lynne when he was a guest on two songs from the "Electric Light Orchestra's" album "On the Third Day". 24. That same year Bolan continued to release hits such as "20th Century Boy" and "The Groover," but these failed to reach number one on the charts. 25. The band's eighth album "Tanx", already included a change of style towards funk, soul, and gospel. 26. On the album "Zinc Alloy And The Hidden Riders of Tomorrow" from 1974, Bolan enriched the band's sound through the addition of other musicians, including the keyboardist and backing singer Gloria Jones. 27. At that time he separated from his wife and lived with backing singer and keyboardist Gloria Jones, who in 1975 gave birth to his son Rolan Bolan. (Photo: Terry O'Neill) 28. Bolan and his band continued to release albums until 1977 when the band's 12th album "Dandy in the Underworld" was released. 29. Several months after the album's release, on September 16, 1977, about two weeks before his 30th birthday, Marc Bolan was killed in a car accident. Bolan and his girlfriend Gloria Jones were returning from a night out. During the ride, Gloria lost control of the vehicle, which struck a fence post and then a sycamore tree. Bolan died at the scene, while Jones was critically injured and suffered fractures to her jaw and arm. 30. Bolan often spoke about a fear of dying prematurely. He was not driving at the time of the accident, and he did not hold a driving licence. 31. In 2020, "T. Rex" was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a posthumous recognition of Bolan’s influence on glam rock. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 30, 1978, Gary Moore released his first solo album "Back on the Streets". To be precise, Gary Moore's "Back on the Streets" is widely regarded as his true debut solo album, setting itself apart from 1973’s "Grinding Stone", which was credited to the "Gary Moore Band". The album marks the beginning of Gary Moore's journey as a solo artist after years of collaborating with bands like "Thin Lizzy" and "Colosseum II". The album blends rock, blues, and jazz fusion, showcasing Moore's technical brilliance as a guitarist and his ability to mix genres with ease. The album was recorded at Morgan Studios in London and co-produced by Moore and Chris Tsangarides. It includes contributions from "Thin Lizzy" members Phil Lynott and Brian Downey, making it a unique combination of Moore’s solo work and "Thin Lizzy’s" influence, but only in a few songs, since this album does not have a uniform musical line. The album kicks off with the title track, "Back on the Streets," an energetic hard rock piece that immediately puts Moore’s fiery guitar work at the forefront, recalling his days in "Thin Lizzy". It's packed with catchy riffs and solos, showing Moore’s prowess while maintaining a melodic, accessible sound. Moore also plays bass on this track, Simon Phillips plays drums and Don Airey plays keyboards. The second track "Don't Believe a Word," is a reworked version of the "Thin Lizzy" song (which originally appeared on the 1976 "Johnny the Fox" album). Unlike the original’s fast-paced rock arrangement, Moore's version has a slower, more blues-driven feel. This allows his guitar work to breathe and adds a layer of emotional depth that distinguishes it from the "Thin Lizzy" rendition. Lynott plays bass and takes lead vocals, while Brian Downey plays drums thus reuniting the short-lived 1974 "Thin Lizzy" line-up which had recorded "Still in Love with You", "Sitamoia" and the single "Little Darling". "Fanatical Fascists" brings a punk-inspired energy to the album, showing Moore's heavier rock side, while in the instrumental "Flight of the Snow Moose," Moore returns to his jazz fusion roots, offering a complex, intricate arrangement that blends rock and progressive influences. It’s a testament to his background in "Colosseum II" and his talent for crafting sophisticated, technically demanding compositions. The second side of the vinyl opens up with "Hurricane" which as its name hints is a fast-paced jazz instrumental showcasing Moore's virtuosic guitar playing. "Song for Donna" introduces a softer, more introspective tone. These shifts in style keep the album fresh and highlight Moore’s versatility as both a guitarist and a songwriter. "What Would You Rather Bee or a Wasp" is another instrumental which blends jazz and hard rock and prepares us for the highlight of the album, the closing track and soulful ballad "Parisienne Walkways", which became one of Moore’s most iconic songs. This track was co-written with Phil Lynott, and features Lynott on vocals, and Gary Moore on backing vocals, mandolin, accordion. The slow, emotional guitar lines paired with Lynott’s voice create an atmospheric, haunting melody that continues to resonate with fans. Moore's ability to sustain notes and craft evocative solos is perfectly on display here, making it a lasting gem in his catalog. The melody of "Parisienne Walkways" is based on the jazz standard "Blue Bossa" by Kenny Dorham. The 2013 expanded edition of the album features the bonus tracks "Track Nine", which is another great instrumental, and "Spanish Guitar" in three versions, one of which features vocals by Phil Lynott. "Back on the Streets" stands out not only for Moore’s virtuosic guitar playing but also for its diversity. It balances hard-hitting rock tracks, tender ballads, and experimental jazz instrumentals, all while highlighting Moore’s melodic sensibility and technical skill, while the contributions from Lynott and Downey elevate the overall sound, giving it a collaborative feel. It is a defining album in Gary Moore’s career, laying the foundation for his future work and showcasing his talents as a guitarist and songwriter. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about one of the greatest and most influential drummers in the history of music - Buddy Rich. (Photo: Uncredited/AP/REX/Shutterstock) Although Buddy Rich did not come from the Rock genre and mainly played Jazz and led big bands, his influence on Rock music was enormous. To understand the power of Buddy Rich's influence on the world of music, we should note that great and influential drummers like John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Roger Taylor (Queen), Bill Ward (Black Sabbath), Phil Collins (Genesis), Carl Palmer and more mentioned Buddy Rich as the drummer who influenced them the most. Not only that, but some huge drummers changed their playing style and their drum set under Rich's influence. For example, the legendary drummer Neil Peart (Rush), who was influenced by Buddy Rich, decided to take jazz lessons in the mid-1990s, from the well-known jazz drummer Freddie Gruber. Under Freddie Gruber's guidance, Neil changed his entire perception of playing, when at one point he moved from two bass drums to one bass drum, and on the album "Test For Echo" even played most of the songs with a different stick grip, known mainly from jazz - "traditional grip". Neil even made a tribute to Buddy Rich, when he organized and produced the tribute album - "Burning for Buddy", in 1994, in which he plays himself, along with other drummers, the works of the legendary drummer. Following the success of the album, the sequel album "Burning for Buddy ... Volume 2", was released in 1997. Buddy Rich was born Bernard Rich on September 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish vaudeville performers Robert Rich and Bess Skolnik. Already at a very young age, his unique talent was revealed when his parents discovered in a restaurant that he was able to keep pace when he hit the table with a fork. At just 15, he became the second-highest-paid child entertainer in the United States. Rich never took drum lessons and yet he is considered a prodigy and a maestro. He is a virtuoso and has perfect control over the drum kit. He has incredible technique, power, and speed that are considered unprecedented to this day, even compared to other great drummers in the history of music. All this he did with a very modest and minimalist drum set. What's amazing is that you can still see today, that most rock drummers place their system in the same way as Rich's, who is generally characterized as a jazz player. Buddy Rich passed away on April 2, 1987. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

"Stone Temple Pilots'" debut album was released on September 29, 1992, and is called "Core". It is one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, with sales of over 8 million copies. Twice as much as the album "Dirt" by the band "Alice in Chains", which was released on the same day. So the story of this album begins somewhere in 1986 when singer Scott Weiland met bassist Robert DeLeo. The two immediately join Robert's older brother Dean DeLeo on guitar and drummer Eric Kretz and begin performing at clubs in the Southern California area. In 1990, the band that goes by the name of "Mighty Joe Young" enters the studio and records its first demo. At the same time, the band continues to build its fan base in the California area, which catches the attention of the Atlantic record company which immediately signs them on a recording contract. During the recordings, the band receives a message from their lawyer that there is a blues musician named "Mighty Joe Young" and the band is forced to change its name to "Stone Temple Pilots", inspired by stickers that adorned their rehearsal room environment of the well-known oil company "STP". Among the names raised and matched the above acronyms were "Shirley Temple's Pussy" and "Stereo Temple Pirates". (Photo: Katrina Dickson) Hard to believe, but this masterpiece album, recorded in just five weeks and flew straight to the top of the charts, is an album that has created severe dissonance between fans and critics, most of whom "killed" it when it came out with words like "theft", "copying", "lack of identity". Compared to the bands like "Pearl Jam", "Alice in Chains", and "Nirvana". At the same time, more than three decades after its release, it can be said with certainty that the Southern band's album from San Diego, deserves all the existing superlatives, "by right and not by grace" and that it does not fall short of the other masterpiece albums of the four major Seattle bands. The first song recorded for the album is actually the short track "Wet My Bed" which was born from an improvisation by Scott and Robert when they were alone in the studio. At the end of the track, you can hear producer Brendan O'Brien enter the studio and say "All right, now what ?". By the way, Brendan is a super producer who has worked with bands such as "AC/DC", "Red Hot Chili Peppers", "Soundgarden", "Audioslave", "Rage Against the Machine", "Incubus", "Korn", "Mastodon", "Pantera", and more. After "Wet My Bed" everything was already flowing and the album was recorded in less than five weeks, as mentioned. The opening track "Dead & Bloated" opens with a kind of rough acapella and immediately after that comes Dean's heavy and dirty riff which sets the tone for the sound we will encounter later in the album. The song apparently talks about infidelity in a relationship, although Scott did not confirm it. An interesting statistic about the song, when the band was on a tour with "Linkin Park" in 2001, Chester Bennington would take the stage and perform that song with them. Chester would later take Scott's place only for a short time after the latter was fired from the band in 2013. From there we continue to “Sex Type Thing” which explodes on us like a volcano with Dean’s immortal and sweeping reef. Here is the place to note that Dean is the only guitarist in the band and he does an amazing job. Anyone who listens to the album and the thick and full sound is sure to have at least two guitarists here. By the way, this sound also goes well on stage, as we witnessed with our own eyes at the band's performance in Israel in 2019. Dean is without a doubt one of the great guitarists of the 90s, although in our opinion he is underrated. This is the first single the band released from the album and it was written about a girl Scott went out with and who was raped by three members of the high school football team she attended. Scott claimed the song was a screaming statement against rape. The song "Wicked Garden" is a song that was sent to radio without a commercial single release, however, it is one of the favorite songs by the band's fans. The lyrics were written by Scott about the ups and downs in life, including those that come as a result of drug use. The charming ballad "Creep" is a melodic and melancholy grunge ballad that is simply a classic! The music for the song was written by Robert, who noted that he was influenced by the song "Heart Of Gold" by Neil Young. In terms of lyrics, Scott who co-wrote the lyrics with Robert noted that he talks about the apathy of a teenage boy and the sense of non-belonging at that age. By the way, in 2001 a performance version of the song was released in collaboration with Aaron Lewis from the band "Staind". Also, this song was included in the soundtrack of the film "Black Hawk Down". The song "Plush" is probably the musical stamp of this band and is probably the band's biggest hit. A mesmerizing song with a very special and interesting chord structure that was influenced by a story about a young woman from San Diego who disappeared and was later found lifeless. Both the acoustic version and the album version are "devastating" equally, as if the band deliberately equipped us with two versions, one for each time or mood. And it is impossible to end the review without a word on the song that seals the album "Where The River Goes". It's the band's longest song in its entire career which spans 8:26 minutes, definitely not typical of the genre and period. It is interesting to note that the band wrote the riff of the song the first time they met and jammed with Dean who replaced the band's first guitarist Corey Hickok. Dean the older brother by 5 years from Robert played hard to get and did not initially respond to requests from his brother and the other members to join the band. Then when he had already arrived, the magic happened and already in the first meeting, this song was written. Scott recalled that he was simply overwhelmed by Dean's playing and immediately wrote the lyrics to the song based on his feelings and the decision to flow like the river where life had taken him. Undoubtedly, this is an amazing album, and proved beyond any doubt that this band has a lot more to give later, as it did on other albums during the 90s. Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

There are not many artists we know who managed to do what "Iron Maiden" did in the 1980s. This is one of the only bands known to us that managed to produce 7 masterpiece albums in such an amazing sequence. No falls, no stumbles, no "fillers" or weak songs. Simply Masterpiece after Masterpiece, timeless albums that even after almost 40 years can be listened to from beginning to end without skipping or getting bored from one track or another. On September 29, 1986 "Iron Maiden" released the sixth album from this inconceivable sequence, and managed to amaze us once again. We must say, even this time when we held the vinyl purchased at "Allegro" record store on Sheinkin Street in Tel Aviv, in our hands, we were sure it would be very difficult to surpass the masterpiece "Powerslave". After all, this is the album that made "Iron Maiden" the biggest Metal band in the worls at that time. But already during the bus trip back from Tel Aviv to Ramat Gan, as we stared at one of the special covers ever created for any album, we realized that something very special was waiting for us inside. Eddie appeared on the cover in the form of a cyborg. He was standing with a laser gun drawn, in a futuristic world that seemed to us like a combination of the movies "Blade Runner" and "Back to the Future", two movies from the genre we loved so much at the time. The name of the album and the song titles fit in well with the concept of "science fiction", and as we delved deeper into the cover we discovered more and more details and clues related to the band. So much so that it was clear to us that at least in this context this album surpasses its predecessor. When we reached the scriptures for the word "gin" ("ג'ין") and the four Hebrew letters that make up the explicit name of "the one", that the third commandment forbids us to bear his name in vain, it was already love at first sight and that was even before we heard one note from the album. This may sound silly to you, but try to think of the feeling of an adolescent Israeli boy who sees a caption in Hebrew letters on the album cover of one of his favorite bands. The build-up that the same boy went through during the trip home, just exploded when the tip of the needle landed on the first strip of vinyl, it was already a total admire. The sound of the guitar synthesizer effect that flooded the speakers left no room for doubt, his favorite band crossed the speed of light and flew forward in "time", also in terms of its updated sound. And no, there was no astonishment or disappointment here as described by some of his friends who did not like the new sound at first, but quite the opposite. A few months earlier, "Judas Priest" had released the album "Turbo", which already included the guitar-synth sound, and this transition made by "Iron Maiden" sounded very natural to him, especially when she did it in such an amazing way and without losing even a tiny fraction From her identity. The story of this very special album in the "Iron Maiden" repertoire, begins with the end of the "World Slavery Tour" that accompanied the previous album - "Powerslave". The band members finish it exhausted and shattered. This tour was grandiose on every scale. Starting with the bombastic production and stage set and ending with the length and number of performances the band made during it. It lasted for almost a year in a row and included close to 200 performances, including one historic performance that was the first from a Metal band's behind The "Iron Curtain". During this tour, the band performed in front of millions of fans, with only one performance in Rio, Brazil, attended by about 300,000 people. At the same time, the band was working on the iconic live album and video "Live After Death", which were released in 1985. After the tour, the band took a break of several months to rest, spend time with their families, but also to write and experiment with new equipment, especially the guitar and bass synthesizer effect. The band decided to take their time and not rush with the recording and this is also one of the reasons that this is the band's first album not released exactly in the year following the previous one. Singer Bruce Dickinson really wanted to get the foot off the gas this time around and make a different album. He arrived at the studio with acoustic songs, but these were rejected by the rest of the band. Bruce did not let his ego lead him and gave way to others ideas, which contributed much to the prominence of the mighty and talented guitarist Adrian Smith on this album, and to the fact that he wrote exclusively (lyrics and music), three of the album's eight songs. Although the band states that there was no intention to produce a concept album, some of the album's songs deal with the subject of "space" and "time" and especially Steve Harris' fears and complexes from the futuristic and unknown world. The album opens up with the statement of intent "Caught Somewhere in Time", a song that best sums up the overall vibe of the album. The song written by Steve Harris was inspired by the 1979 film "Time After Time", which is about time travel. "If I said I'd take you there, would you go, would you be scared?" Sings Bruce Dickinson and manages to convey in his thrilling poetry the fear of time travel, when later we discover the heavy price the protagonist is required to pay when he risks losing himself along the way. On the one hand this song reveals the new and updated sound of "Maiden", but on the other hand the band proves that no effect, even if it is a synthesizer, can change its DNA. Steve Harris' pulsating and galloping bass, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith's amazing solos and Nicko McBrain's powerful drumming, are still here and they are "stuck in time" and are not going anywhere. The second track "Wasted Years" is the first single released from the album and the biggest hit from it. It had probably been Maiden's closest to mainstream track, without losing its unique sound. This is the first song out of three written by Adrian Smith and is also the most different from the other songs on the album. Beyond the fact that this is the only song on the album that has no guitar or bass synthesizer effect, it is the least mystical and most realistic song out of it. The song was written following the band's long tour about the "time" wasted on the road instead of with the family. The original name of the song was "Golden Years" in which Adrian Smith urges us not to look back on the wasted lost years, but always to look ahead. Also the next track "Sea of ​​Madness" is a song written exclusively by Adrian Smith, who simply spark on this album and proves once again that he is a writer with supreme grace. On the one hand the heaviness in the riffs between the verses, on the other hand the perfect melody in the bridge and chorus, which only intensifies with the amazing submission of Bruce Dickinson. Without a doubt one of the most powerful and beloved songs on the album. The song that seals the first side of the vinyl "Heaven Can Wait" is another song by Steve Harris that was influenced by a movie of the same name from 1978. A complex and dynamic song that includes several transitions, including the epic stadium part starting at 3:35, where the band allows the audience and the stage workers to go up to the stage and sing with them "Wow wow wow ....", see example here: The second side of the vinyl opens with "The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner". Another mighty song by Steve Harris that starts as slow as in the warm-up before the run, then erupts in a mighty sprint that only gets louder, although ostensibly this is a "long distance" run. How beautiful are the harmonies between Dave Murray and Adrian Smith guitars and what an energetic singing of Bruce Dickinson, who despite the fast rhythm manages to illustrate to us the loneliness of a long distance runner, and all we have left is to wonder if Steve Harris wrote the song about himself? Probably not... because it is likely that the song was influenced by the movie of the same name that was released in 1962. From here we move on to the second single from the album and the third song written by Adrian Smith - "Stranger In A Strange Land". This song is without a doubt competing with the first single "Wasted Years", for the title as best song on the album. The song was written by Smith following a conversation with an Arctic explorer who discovered a body buried in ice, which had been preserved there for years. Adrian wrote about the same "stranger in a strange land" who set out to explore the land of ice, died during the journey and his body was preserved for 100 years, until futuristic researchers found it. The song opens with Steve Harris' beating bass and continues with Smith's catchy riff, wrapped in synthesizer sounds that add to the drama and atmosphere of the story, which only intensifies through Dickinson's emotional singing. This is one of the few songs from "Iron Maiden" that ends in a fade-out. We're nearing the end with "Deja-Vu" which begins with the melodic and melancholic bass inro and develops into a song in a fast and edgy rhythm. Another catchy song whose chorus just does not come out of your head, in a way that makes you feel as if "you were already here", or in the lyrics of the song itself: "Feel like I've been here before ..." Similar to the previous album, here too, we ends up with an epic track - "Alexander the Great", which passes chronologically between time stations in the history of Alexander the Great, from Macedonia, through Alexandria and Egypt to Persia and Babylon. Here too the contribution of the synthesizer sounds add to the atmosphere and cannot be ignored, especially in the instrumental part which also includes the amazing guitar work of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. As perfect and flawless as this album is, it is just a preparation for the "bible" of metal, an album that changed the whole concept of the genre - "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son". The imaginary concept will become a full concept, the guitar-synth effect will be upgraded to a full synthesizer, and the epic stories will get a facelift that will be spread over an entire album. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Singer and writer Brett Anderson is celebrating his birthday today, so let's tell you 20 interesting facts about him: (Photo: Roberto Ricciuti) 1. He was born Brett Lewis Anderson in the town of Lindfield near Sussex in the south east of England, on 29 September 1967. 2. In his youth he grew up on classical music he heard at home mostly from his father whom he described as an obsessive classical music fan. 3. As a teenager he played guitar in various garage bands, including "The Pigs and Geoff" in which he also played with his childhood friend Mat Osman, who would become the bassist of "Suede". 4. After high school, Brett began studying architecture at University College London, where he met Justine Frischmann who became his girlfriend. 5. In the late 1980s he formed "Suede" with the bassist Mat Osman and his Jewish guitarist girlfriend Justine Frischmann. 6. In the beginning they did not have a drummer and they played, with the help of a drum machine, cover versions of songs by artists such as: "Roxy Music", "The Smiths", David Bowie and "The Cure". 7. At one point Justin and Brett realized that they were not good enough to be lead guitarists. At that point guitarist Bernard Butler was recruited and later also former "Smiths" drummer Mike Joyce was recruited. 8. In 1991 drummer Simon Gilbert replaced Mike Joyce and became a regular member of the band. It was during this time that Justine began flirting with Damon Albarn from "Blur". She stopped coming to rehearsals and finally left the band, in October 1991, and went to form the band "Elastica". 9. Justine's leaving the band brought with it a change in the band's musical style and also a change in the writing dynamics, as the collaboration between Brett and Bernard Butler began to crystallize as the band's lead writers. Brett said that if Justine had not been fired from the band they probably would not have changed their style and probably would not get anywhere either. (Photo: Kevin Cummins) 10. In 1992, the band signed a contract to release two singles with the independent label "Nude Records". After the release of the singles, many major record companies were interested in "Suede", including "Island Records". It turned out that even before the release of the band's first album they had already been crowned as "the next hot thing" and even received the front page of the Melody Maker newspaper with the accompanying title: "Suede: The Best New Band in Britain". 11. It was during this period that Brett's sexual preferences preoccupied the media in the UK. The androgynous style and dress as well as his statement that he is bisexual who has not yet experienced homosexual relationships, have given the band a lot of media attention. The media buzz was fueled when the debut album "Suede" was released and the controversial cover was revealed in which the gender of the two kissing characters was not clear. 12. The debut album "Suede" was released in March 1993 and returned the spot to the British music industry as a worthy rival to the grunge revolution that took place on the other side of the ocean. Before "Oasis" and "Bush" and before the breakthrough of "Blur" and "Radiohead", it was "Suede" who kept the British fire burning. They were an alternative to American dominance in the music market in those days. The band's debut album soon became the UK's fastest-selling debut album in about a decade. 13. During the recording of the band's second album - "Dog Man Star" released in 1994, disagreements began to arise between Brett and Bernard Butler. What fueled the friction between them was an interview given by Butler in which he noted that Anderson is very slow in writing and that he is not a musician at heart. Butler and Brett have not met since then at the studio, when Butler records the guitar parts in the mornings and Brett arrives in the evenings to record the vocals. The climax of the friction was in an ultimatum issued by Butler for the dismissal of the producer. Rumor has it that one day Butler arrived at the studio and found that he was not allowed in and that his guitars were outside. He eventually left the band. 14. Butler's departure sparked rumors as to whether the band would be able to proceed at all in the absence of one of its essential writers. But in 1996 Brett proved that he was quite capable of writing even without Bernard Butler and released with the band their third album "Coming Up", with which the band broke into a worldwide consciousness. It is also the band's most successful album to date, from which five successful singles have been released. 15. Brett and his friends will ride the wave of success of "Coming Up" and release two more albums before disbanding in 2003. After Suede disbanded Anderson surprisingly teamed up with Bernard Butler. The two formed the band "The Tears" in 2004 and in 2005 released the album "Here Come the Tears", which included the singles "Refugees" and "Lovers". 16. In 2007 Anderson started his solo career with the excellent album named "Brett Anderson". The album included the song "Color of the Night", in which he mentioned the city of "Tel Aviv" as the place his lover dreams of. Or in his own words: "My love she dreams of Tel Aviv". Brett expressed his fondness for "a city without a break" and for Israel. 17. Brett has performed in Israel with "Suede" no less than 7 times, the last of which was in June 2023. In addition, Brett arrived in Israel as part of his solo career accompanied by Matt Osman, for an excellent show held at Zappa Tel Aviv. 18. More about the Israeli connection, in 2008 Anderson collaborated with Aviv Geffen on several performances that took place in the UK and Israel. 19. And if that is not enough to understand how much Anderson is connected to Israel, we note that in 2012 Anderson was a guest on a "Blackfield" album, which is known to be a project of Aviv Geffen and Steven Wilson, and in 2019 he was a guest hosted by Aviv Geffen at the Amphitheater in Rishon Lezion. 20. Anderson has released to date 10 studio albums along with "Suede", one album with "The Tears", and another 4 studio albums as part of his solo career. Follow us on Facebook or Subscribe to our website "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog & Podcast

Here are some interesting facts about Alex Skolnick ,best known as the lead guitarist of the thrash metal band "Testament": (Photo: Reddit) = Alex Skolnick was born on September 29, 1968, in Berkeley, California. = He was raised in a non-traditional Jewish family. = His parents, Jerome Skolnick and Arlene, were both PhD graduates from Yale University. = His parents taught sociology at New York University and the University of California, Berkeley. = Skolnick began playing guitar at age nine. = He was influenced by guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, and Randy Rhoads. Other influences included Frank Zappa, Michael Schenker, Yngwie Malmsteen, "Kiss", and "Scorpions". = He was a student of guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani. = In 1984, Skolnick joined the band "Legacy" (which would later become "Testament"), when he was only 16. He replaced original guitarist Derrick Ramirez. = "Testament’s" debut album, "The Legacy", was released in 1987. = He released "The New Order" with "Testament" in 1988. = In 1989, "Testament" released "Practice What You Preach". Which propelled by the singles "Greenhouse Effect", "The Ballad" and the title track "Practice What You Preach", and was a major breakthrough for The band. = In 1990, "Testament" released "Souls of Black", which was as an influential guitar album, being ranked number nine on "Guitar World" magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1990. = In 1992, Skolnick played on "Testament's" album "The Ritual"' which marked a major stylistic shift for the band, moving towards a heavy metal sound. = Skolnick left "Testament" in late 1992 to pursue different musical directions. = In 1993, Skolnick recorded and toured with the "Stuart Hamm Band". = He joined "Savatage" in 1994, recording the album "Handful of Rain". = He also played on "Savatage’s" "Japan Live '94" album. = In 1995, Skolnick briefly played with Ozzy Osbourne’s band. = During the late 1990s, he led a funk project called "Skol-Patrol" in the San Francisco Bay Area. = He formed the band "Attention Deficit", with bassist Michael Manring and drummer Tim Alexander. The band released two albums "Attention Deficit" in 1998, and "The Idiot King" in 2001. = In the late 1990s, Skolnick collaborated with violinist Joe Deninzon in the band "Stratospheerius". = Skolnick moved to New York City in 1998. He enrolled at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music. He graduated with a degree in jazz performance. = In 2001, he briefly rejoined "Testament" to re-record old material for "First Strike Still Deadly". = In 2002, he formed the "Alex Skolnick Trio", which blended jazz with rock and metal influences. Their debut album, "Goodbye to Romance: Standards for a New Generation", was released in 2002. = In 2004, he made a guest appearance on "Lamb of God's" "Ashes of the Wake" album. = "The Alex Skolnick Trio" released their second album "Transformation" in 2004. = In 2005, he officially rejoined "Testament" for a reunion tour. = Skolnick was active in blending music with works of art and literature. He performed in various art galleries, including a project for Egyptian artist Nader Sadek in 2007. = In 2008, "Testament" released "The Formation of Damnation". = The "Alex Skolnick Trio" released their third album "Veritas" in 2011. = In 2012, "Testament" released their eleventh album "Dark Roots of Earth". = Alex collaborated with pianist Randy Klein on the jazz album "What's Next?" in 2012. = Skolnick memoir, "Geek to Guitar Hero", was published in 2013. = In 2014, he released "Planetary Coalition", featuring over twenty musicians from five continents. Skolnick used various guitars, including steel string, nylon string, acoustic, and electric, for Planetary Coalition. = Alex Skolnick co-founded the supergroup "Metal Allegiance" in 2014, with with bassist David Ellefson ("Megadeth"), drummer Mike Portnoy ("Dream Theater"), and principal songwriter Mark Menghi. = "Metal Allegiance" released their self-titled debut album "Metal Allegiance" in September 2015. Skolnick contributed guitar work to the entire album, which featured guest appearances by musicians from bands like "Pantera", "Slayer", and "Lamb of God". = In 2016, "Metal Allegiance" released the EP "Fallen Heroes", dedicated to Lemmy Kilmister, David Bowie, and Glenn Frey. = "Metal Allegiance" released their second full-length album "Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty", in September 2018. = In 2016, "Testament" released "Brotherhood of the Snake"' theit 12th studio album. = In 2020, Skolnick and "Testament" released their 13th studio album "Titans of Creation". = On October 10, 2025, Skolnick and "Testament" released the album "Para Bellum" = In 2009 "Heritage" released Alex's first signature guitar. In 2013, "Budda" released a signature amp for Skolnick, called "the Preceptor". Later in the same year Skolnick was signed to "ESP guitars". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

We opened this crazy day with the album "Dirt" by "Alice in Chains", but it is only natural that we end it in a crazy circle with the reunion album "Black Gives Way to Blue", the band's fourth album released on the same day, September 29, 2009, by a wide margin of 17 years from the album "Dirt". The story of this album actually begins even before the death of Layne Staley, in 2000, when Jerry Cantrell met William DuVall in Los Angeles through a mutual friend. Friendships were formed between the two, with Cantrell occasionally joining as a guest artist in Duvall's band "Comes with the Fall" performances, while Duvall and his band opened for Cantrell in his solo performances to promote his album "Degradation Trip" in 2001 and 2002. In some cases, Duvall and his band also served as Cantrell's backing band, with William singing Layne's roles in "Alice in Chains" songs. In February 2005, the three surviving members of Alice in Chains returned to perform together for the first time, after almost 10 years. This was during a fundraising event for the tsunami victims. The three continued their momentum and went on tour with many varied guest singers, in order to celebrate their love of music, honor the memory of Layne Staley and remember the good old days. In March 2006 Duvall joined the band on stage to perform the song "Rooster", the performance was perfect and paved the road to official membership in the band, with Alice continuing a short tour in America. These reunion shows gave the band an appetite to write and record new music, but at first, they thought it would not be appropriate to do so under Alice's name, but over time as they performed together and spent time together it already felt more right to them. (Photo: Johnny Buzzerio) In October 2008, the band entered "Foo Fighters" "Studio 606" in California to record the album. The band did not have a record company to accompany them at the time, so Jerry and Sean Kinney funded the recordings out of their own pockets. During the recordings, Layne Staley's mother visited the studio and gave the band her blessing. By then it was already clear to all the members that this project was going to bear the name of "Alice in Chains" and not any other. Mystically the recording of the album ended on March 18, 2009, Jerry's birthday which is also the birthday of William Duvall's son. The album was finally released on September 29, 2009, exactly on the same day that the masterpiece album "Dirt" was released, which is perhaps the most amazing piece signed by Staley, and should thus be seen as a kind of homage of the band to one of the greatest singers of our generation. Cantrell also wrote the title song "Black Gives Way to Blue" as a tribute to Staley, in which Elton John plays the piano. Before writing the song, Jerry said that he suffered from a mysterious disease of migraines and exhaustion when the doctors were unable to detect the disease. Jerry believes that it is a psychological illness caused to him as a result of the great pain he experienced in the face of Layne's departure. Four singles were released from the album. The first single, "A Looking in View", heavy and dark, which talks about the difficulties of getting out of difficult moods, was released on June 30, 2009, even before the album was released. It is one of the heaviest tracks on the album, that explores darker emotional terrain, with grinding guitar riffs and intense vocals. Clocking in at over seven minutes, it’s a slow, deliberate journey into themes of self-reflection, alienation, and inner turmoil. The dense layering of guitars, bass, and drums amplifies the song’s oppressive atmosphere, making it one of the most intense experiences on the album. About a month before the album's release, the second single "Check My Brain" was released, which tells of Cantrell's move from Seattle to Los Angeles in 2003, a move that was difficult for him as a Seattle native who lived there most of his life. his track stands out with its sludgy, grunge-infused riff and a catchy hook. Cantrell’s guitar work is sharp and precise, with a memorable riff that elevates the track to one of the album's highlights. The revamped Alice also introduced its acoustic side with the third single “Your Decision” which also addresses the pain Jerry experienced after Staley’s death, dealing with it and the decision not to sink into it and choose life. It's an acoustic-driven ballad, with Cantrell’s soft vocals paired with the acoustic guitar creating a somber mood, and with lyrics like "Time to change has come and gone" evoking deep sadness and resignation. It’s a track that showcases the band’s ability to balance heaviness with vulnerability. This song "Lesson Learned" combines strong riffs with a catchy chorus, bringing a more accessible sound compared to the heavier tracks. The lyrics focus on personal growth and the lessons that come with pain and hardship. The band balances grit with melody here, creating a memorable track that stands out for its balance of aggression and melody. The amazing video clip for this fourth single consisted of 6,000 still images, watch it here: But this album is definitely not just the four singles released from it. There's the opening track with the simply amazing sound "All Secrets Known", a somber track that sets the emotional tone for the album and is in our opinion one of the band's best songs. The mesmerizing riffs and slow tempo create a feeling of farewell to the past and cautious optimism about the future. Cantrell and Duvall's vocal harmonies provide a sense of continuity to their previous albums. "Last of My Kind" the only song on the album where William DuVall sings without Cantrell's harmonies. Duvall wrote the lyrics and the melody of one of the songs that leans on the heavier and more metallic side of "Alice in Chains". The acoustic track "When the Sun Rose Again" which feels meditative with the caressing vocal harmonies. The subtle arrangement showcases the band's versatility, seamlessly combining elements of folk and rock here. "Acid Bubble" here, which echoes the band's dark, grunge roots, slowly building up the tension with wicked guitar riffs and a dissonant melody. "Take Her Out" which brings a more rockish sound to the album, but still maintains the basic melancholy that runs throughout the album, and of course "Private Hell" which Cantrell denied was written about Lane Staley. The album cover includes an illustration of a heart symbolizing the band's heartbreak over Staley's death. The entire album is also dedicated to his memory as it appears on the inside cover. This album was nominated for two Grammy Awards and won the Album of the Year award from Revolver and Metal Storm magazines, and rightly so. But most of all, he has proven that the revamped lineup has a lot more to give and that it definitely deserves to continue to carry Layne Staley’s torch with pride. True, this is no longer the same Alice, but it certainly honors the memory of Layne, who continues to live through it, and convincing proof of what we saw with our own eyes during the band's performances in Israel in 2018. 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 September 29, 1976, "Rush" released their debut live album "All the World's a Stage". For us, this album is not just another "Rush" album. It's the album through which we got to know this amazing band To be precise, it's the album that takes us back in time to the exact point where we fell in love with this wonderful Canadian power trio, and it was love at first sound. Since then, more than forty years of total dedication to the band have passed and all this love eventually summarizes into one piece from the mini medley "Working Man / Finding My Way", to the moment when the cousin from America arrived with a cassette tape that was entered an AKAI tape deck, the finger touched the play button and Neil Peart's drum solo shook the speakers. With how many bands in your life have you fell in love with through drum solos? How many of you devoted yourself to a band without even listening to one of its songs? We are proud to say that it happened to us "big time" and that we even can pin-point this moment to the second when it all started: 9:15 minute of the "Working Man / Finding My Way" mini medley and the words of Geddy Lee: Ladies and Gentlemen The Professor On the drum kit ..." So let's tell you a little bit about this historic album (at least for us). This is Rush's first live album, which gives us a first glimpse into how this amazing band sounds live. The decade of the 70s was the decade of live performance albums. Many artists have released a live album at that time. It was a kind of test of courage. Artists were judged on their ability to play their material live. There were also those whose performance albums upgraded their careers and those whose documented live shows led to their big breakthrough. "Deep Purple"- "Made In Japan", "UFO"- "Strangers in the Night", "Cheap Trick"- "At Budokan", "Uriah Heep"- "Live", "Led Zeppelin"- "The Song Remains The Same", "Rainbow"- "On Stage", "The Who"- "Live At Leeds", Frampton- "Frampton Comes Alive!", "Kiss"- "Alive!" and more. "Rush" definitely Did not intend to be exceptional in the matter. This album actually sums up the band's first four studio albums from its hard rock era. It was recorded during three consecutive performances to promote "2112" album on June 11-13, 1976, at the famous "Massey Hall" in Toronto, the home ground of "Rush". This album will also begin a tradition of the band summarizing every four studio albums by a live album. The name of the album is taken from the play "As You Like It" by William Shakespeare and it definitely illustrates what is inside the cover. As for "Rush" “the whole world is on stage” and they are not going to sound any less good than they sound in the studio. Indeed, not only does “Rush” does not sound less good than the studio albums, but on the contrary, we get an upgrade to a large portion of songs that sound bolder, rougher and even heavier than their studio versions. So true "Rush" didn't turn any 2 minute song into a 10 minute epic improvisation, as most bands did at the time, but they certainly where at the top of their game. This album best conveys how this band sounds live. It has almost no interference of mixes, production cuts and a variety of studio tricks that are common while editing a live album. It gives us the closest to how "Rush" sounds on stage, with no filters and almost no intervention. The album maintains a high and uniform level throughout. From the opening sentence: "Would You Please Welcome Home ... Rush!" to the wow-roars of Geddy Lee and the phrase "Man Ohhh Man" that followed in the brief conversation between the band members behind the scenes and the slamming of the door at the end of the show. Anyone who has said that "Rush" is not a hard rock band, feel free to listen to this album and see this power trio that sounds like an erupting volcano. Already at the opening of the album, with the energy bombs "Bastile Day" and "Anthem" you can hear the amazing guitar work of Alex Lifeson, which sounds heavier and precise. Alex is without a doubt the standout of this album and he leads all the songs with high hand. Listen to the riffs in the mini-medley of "Fly By Night" and "In The Mood" or his crazy solo in "By-Tor and the Snow Dog". Even calmer songs like "Lakeside Park" or "In The Mood" sound more vigil and "alive" here thanks to his incredible guitar work. Don't get us wrong, it's not that Geddy Lee or "the professor" are not doing their best here, it is just the style of songs chosen from the first four albums allows more expression for Alex. The album also includes an abbreviated rendition of the masterpiece "2112" from which the two tracks ("Discovery" and "Oracle: The Dream") were omitted, apparently not to exceed the time quota that was then customary in double vinyl albums. But the highlight of this album is undoubtedly the drum solo of the "Professor" Neil Peart during the mini-medley "Working Man / Finding My Way". For hours we listened to this drum solo in loops, analyzing every pass, every snare blow, every dribble and every tapping on the cowbell that was perfectly synchronized with the floor tom. Neil Peart manages to become with a drum solo that did not bore the listener even for one second. It's sweeping, it's exciting, it sounds like a song played by an entire band and not like a drum solo. Just a school for drummers. In conclusion, "All the World's a Stage" introduces us to the immature, young and wild "Rush". Before the keyboards, before the virtuoso outburst and just before the first change of style and genre. This is an album that excellently sums up the band's hard rock era and a must-have for any "Rush" fan. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On September 29, 1992, "Alice in Chains" released its second album "Dirt". This is one of the greatest albums of the 90s and one of the ultimate statements of modern music. This album is a tragedy of contrasts between the creator and the listener. A musical paradise wrought in the fire of the artist's inner hell, a whole of wholeness formed from the shards of the writers' souls, a heavenly beauty made up of thousands of scars. This is a painful and creepy document that is a window into the feelings and thoughts of Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley at the time. It deals with the issue of hard drug addiction in such a direct and overt way that there has been no equal since the masterful album "Velvet Underground & Nico", where Lou Reed honestly wrote about his experience with the song "Heroin" and told us how he waits for "Man" to sell it for $26 In the song "I'm Waiting for the Man". You could even say that "Dirt" is actually a concept album about heroin since most of its songs deal with this deadly drug in one way or another. "Dirt's" musical style is much heavier and gloomier than its predecessor, an album with a lot of sadness and rage, the most "metallic" grunge of the early '90s, and despite that, it was a huge success, quite a bit of which is attributed to the shaky and "breaking" lyrics of Jerry and Layne. This album managed to produce five successful singles and became the best-selling album by "Alice in Chains" to date. It also entered a high spot in almost every possible ranking list of the 90s and is ranked 6th and most respected in Rolling Stone magazine's big grunge album list as well as in the list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die. The writing session between Layne and Jerry continues on this album as well with an advantage for Jerry who also became more vocally dominant on this album. On the other hand, Layne wrote for the first time and played the guitar in two songs on the album. (Photo: Chris Carroll) The background to this amazing work begins with a tour designed to promote the previous album "Facelift" released in 1990. In September 1991 the band rides the wave of success of the album "Facelift" which becomes the first grunge album to reach "gold" status in sales and the band's future looks promising. But then the record company makes a tactical mistake. It brands the band as a metal band and teams it up for the "Clash of the Titans" tour along with bands like Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer. The tough crowd of the thrash giants fails to connect and the band is humiliated and receives boos during its performances. In November 1991 the band enters the studio to record their next album, but a dream dreamed by drummer Sean Kinney caused them to change the plan and go for an EP called "SAP" which was released in February 1992. Dream or reality, it was an ingenious move. The band managed with just four acoustic songs to erase the mental image that the record company was trying to equate to it. And if the four songs from "SAP" still haven't got the message across, then the back cover of the EP sure did. It shows the band members peeing on their old photos and saying hello to the image that was forced on them. This is it! The move is complete. The band was ready for its big breakout. Four months later, in June 1992, the music video for the song "Would?" was released. Which is designed to promote director Cameron Crowe's "Singles" film. The clip shows a completely different "Alice" both externally and musically. They look deliberately "anti-metallic" and sound like nothing else there has been until then. It was a song you could not remain indifferent to. A masterpiece that opens with Mike Starr's pulsating bass line and Sean's rolling African drumming, which without any warning grabs you with no ability to resist, and you're addicted. A masterpiece in which each of the instruments seems to be alone in the studio, playing solo for itself, but somehow all of them merge together and form a meteoric connection. This song also closes the album, which Cantrell wrote as a tribute to his good friend Andrew Wood from the band "Mother Love Bone" who died in 1990 and is undoubtedly responsible for the band's big break and the tremendous anticipation from the upcoming album. The song talks about the weaning process and what happens after it, with the last part of the song ending with the question of whether the future is more promising. Hence the question mark in the title of the song. Cantrell sang all the stanzas in the song and lined up the chorus. At the end of each line in the verses, Layne completes Cantrell in the harmonies of a second voice, and the combination between them is simply amazing. It's unbelievable that Layne had to convince Cantrell to sing and how great that Cantrell agreed because the combination of voices between them on this album is undoubtedly "divine" and is responsible for quite a bit of its so unique sound. This "appetizer" called "Would?" is definitely not a one-off and despite the magnitude of the anticipation for its release, this masterpiece called “Dirt” left no room for disappointment. The album opens with the angry cries of Staley and Cantrell with "Them Bones" and with Cantrell's chromatic riff that throws us in unusual beats of 7/8 which later become 4/4. This change of rhythm pushes this song strongly forward and is exactly what makes this band different and so special in the grunge landscape from the early 90s. A short, compressed, and sharp song like a knife that for 2:30 minutes manages to shake you and smash your "bones", against the backdrop of Cantrell's sarcastic lyrics that preach to you to just live and not be afraid of death because we all end up like bones. The song "Dam That River" continues at a fast pace and is led by Cantrell's heavy and nervous riff, with his blues-metal solo after the second verse and back again until the abrupt end. And this time, Jerry and Layne's vocal harmonies blend into the verse, with Layne singing the chorus alone. According to the explanatory note in the booklet Music Box, while Cantrell and Sean were fighting, Sean broke a table on Cantrell's head, and in response, Cantrell wrote the song. In the third track, we slow down the tempo a bit with "Rain When I Die" which includes perhaps Cantrell's best guitar work on the album. The only song that gives credit to all the band members opens with the slow bass line and Kean's strange rhythm when later Cantrell enters and manages to produce strange and varied sounds from the guitar that blend nicely with his and Layne's voices and the Doom atmosphere. From here we move on to one of the great songs from the album "Down in a Hole". It's a song with simple lyrics and breaks. Each line here is more destructive than the other and has the potential to become a tattoo or be engraved on tombstones. It's a power ballad that Cantrell wrote to his girlfriend Courtney Clarke, which undoubtedly shows how painful, hurt, and exposed he is. The vocal combination between Cantrell and Staley in this song is just amazing. Two voices sing separately but merge into one voice that roars and shouts. Just think of the level of sensitivity of Staley who even though he did not write the lyrics presents the song as if it is his own and is completely identified with him. It is interesting to note that Cantrell was initially afraid to play the song to the band because he thought it was too quiet, but the band loved it and it was good that way. Immediately after the song "Sickman" and the fast and mechanical rhythm cut into a slow waltz, we reach one of the highlights of the album "Rooster". Rooster was a nickname for Cantrell's father as a child in light of his "Show Off" personality and the hair curls he had and later adhered to as part of his service in Vietnam. Rooster is also a nickname for soldiers carrying an M60 machine gun as well as for the unit in which Cantrell's father served in Vietnam, but the prevailing opinion is that these versions originated by mistake. The song, written by Cantrell while living in Chris Cornell's home, is told from the point of view of a simple soldier serving in Vietnam and conveys the atmosphere of the war and also the post-trauma that followed. A gloomy and slow song that opens with guitar items caressing and howling in pain and later develops into a roaring and angry blues-metal. In the song, "Junkhead" Layne tries to tell us what it means to be addicted to hard drugs, to heroin. Layne explains to us that you can't really understand what's going on in a drug addict's mind until you become one. This song connects lyrically to the song "God Smack". Staley wrote the song together with Jerry Cantrell and based it on his addiction to heroin, providing us with a cold look at the addiction process, with sentences like: "Stick your arm for some real fun, So your sickness weighs a ton". Not for nothing did Jerry Cantrell define these two songs as the band's most honest songs, or in his own words - "most openly honest". Interestingly, Staley and Cantrell said that the second half of the album builds a narrative about the progression of a heroin addict, from messing in drugs just for fun to descending into hell. The first track in this narrative is "Junkhead" and the second is the theme song "Dirt". Although the song does not specifically refer to drugs, it certainly looks directly into Staley's suicidal thoughts, which are a direct result of the heavy use of drugs. Staley does not try to beautify things and writes harsh lyrics that describe in chilling detail the way he is going to take his life. He even leaves instructions on how to clean up the mess he will leave behind, literally in the lyrics of the song: I want to taste dirty, a stinging pistol In my mouth, on my tongue I want you to scrape me from the walls And go crazy like you've made me But although the theme song "Dirt" fits well with the narrative of the heroin addict, in several interviews conducted with him, Staley scattered hints from which we can learn that the song may have been written about his fiancee Demri Parrott. He referred to the album cover which corresponds with the theme song and noted that it is a form of "revenge" on a certain person who actually "buried" him, saying: "The woman on the album cover is kinda the portrayal of that person being sucked down into the dirt, instead of me". What can perhaps bridge the two different versions for the meaning of the song, is the explanation that Parrott was the one who introduced Staley to heroin. By the way, Parrott herself was a heavy user of heroin and she passed away in 1996. In the short part "Iron Gland" Tom Araya from "Slayer" is hosted. The segment started with Cantrell's riff annoying the band members and then Cantrell added the reference to "Black Sabbath's" "Iron Man". The songs "Hate to Feel" and "Angry Chair" were written by Staley who also plays guitar there. Cantrell noted that he thinks "Angry Chair" is a masterpiece and that he is proud of Staley for writing here and the fact that he plays guitar here. One interpretation of the lyrics of the song is that Layne's father used to punish him when he strapped him to a chair in front of a mirror, but there is no support for this. In any case, it's hard not to hear the pain in Layne's broken voice. The song "Hate to Feel" is another song from Staley in which he ascertains how he fights pain using heroin. A very dynamic song that includes rhythm changes, breaks and stops with Cantrell's amazing guitar work. What makes the album "Dirt" so amazing is its sincerity. The heroin dominated here in an almost absolute way that did not allow the band members to write on almost any other subject, otherwise, it was just fake. The heroin will seep very deep into the band's veins and the first casualty will be Mike Starr who vacated his spot immediately at the end of the tour. The heroin will continue to seep in a way that will make it very difficult for the four members to function as a band. "Alice In Chains" will indeed manage to release an amazing EP and an excellent album. It will also manage to connect to one divine moment in the immortal unplugged show, but in a very sad and unfortunate way, the “heroin” that inspired the amazing piece called “Dirt” is also the one that brought the end of its classic lineup. And there is also a small Israeli corner related to this tremendous album. On the 30th anniversary of the album, the Israeli musician Adir Laybo and friends recorded "Dirt" in its entirety, from start to finish as a tribute to the album and the great band. You can listen to the amazing results on all platforms, including here: Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website