Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 26.08.2002 "Now or never", Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, once sang. In September 2001, the Twin Towers fell, and for a moment it felt as though the end of the world had arrived. Whatever you wanted to do, you had to do it here and now. That same sense of urgency also seeped into Chris Martin, frontman and leader of London band "Coldplay". On September 11, Martin sat down and wrote the song that, 11 months later, would open the band's second album, "A Rush of Blood to the Head", released on August 26, 2002. Martin later recalled: "I wrote the song on 9/11 and we recorded it on 9/13. We were all a little confused and frightened." He explained that the experience reinforced his desire to keep creating because "you never know what might happen." "Coldplay" was formed in September 1996 by Chris Martin and the band's lead guitarist Jonny Buckland after the two met while studying at University College London. They were later joined by bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion, while manager Phil Harvey became such an integral part of the group that he has long been regarded as its unofficial fifth member. Following the success of their debut album "Parachutes", "Coldplay" began thinking about its successor. Then came the September 11 attacks, intensifying the band's sense of urgency to write, play and move forward. Opening track "Politik" emerged directly from that atmosphere. Martin wrote it on September 11 and the band recorded it just two days later. Only days after the attacks, "Coldplay" were already working on the new material. After beginning sessions in London, they eventually returned to Liverpool, where much of "Parachutes" had been recorded, reconnecting with producer Ken Nelson as they tried to figure out what their second album should become. "A Rush of Blood to the Head" creates a mixture of songs dealing with love, loneliness and uncertainty, but running through much of the album is an unmistakable sense of urgency, reflecting the world as the band experienced it at the time. Martin himself explained that there was "a bit more urgency" in the new songs, born from the places the band had visited and the things they had experienced. The album also contains a tribute to an artist Martin deeply admired: Johnny Cash, who inspired the album's title track. Some of the songs still carry traces of the intimate atmosphere of "Parachutes", while others already point toward the enormous stadium anthems that would soon become synonymous with "Coldplay". The band's expanding musical vocabulary can also be heard on "Warning Sign", whose guitar work incorporates elements of country rock, another indication that the group was beginning to look beyond the boundaries established by its debut. Perhaps the album's most irresistible moment is "Clocks", driven by the hypnotic piano riff that runs throughout the song. Remarkably, it almost didn't make the album at all. Chris Martin came into the studio late in the process with the piano idea, when the band already believed the record was essentially complete. Producer Ken Nelson recalled: "We already had 10 songs for the album, and then Chris came in late one night and wrote 'Clocks' on piano." Because they thought it was too late to finish the song properly, the band initially recorded a demo and placed it on a CD containing material intended for their third album, appropriately labelled "Songs for #3". But in June 2002, with the album seemingly finished, "Coldplay" reconsidered. They felt the record still sounded too much like "Parachutes" and decided not to rush its release. Songs were reconsidered, the album was reshaped, and "Clocks" was brought back into the picture. It proved to be a crucial decision. With its relentless piano pulse and almost breathless momentum, the song didn't merely strengthen the album, it became one of the clearest musical expressions of the urgency that defines "A Rush of Blood to the Head". Another major hit from the album, "In My Place", had already begun taking shape during the period following "Parachutes". Jonny Buckland's chiming guitar, combined with the melancholy in Chris Martin's voice, creates one of those moments where "Coldplay" still sounds closely connected to its debut album, while already beginning to think on a much larger scale. It was chosen as the album's lead single and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The fourth single released from the album, "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face", reveals a rougher and more rhythmic side of the band. During the recording process, the members of "Coldplay" felt that something about the song simply wasn't working. A change to the bassline finally gave it the groove it had been missing, helping transform a track that had struggled to find its place into one the band ultimately became particularly fond of. And it is impossible to discuss the album without "The Scientist", one of the most recognizable ballads in "Coldplay"'s catalog. A simple piano progression carries a song about a relationship that has fallen apart and the desire to return to the beginning, trying to understand where everything went wrong. It is precisely that simplicity, especially when contrasted with the larger production found elsewhere on the album, that makes "The Scientist" one of its most emotionally powerful moments. The album contains several other strong songs, including "Daylight", which already takes the band into slightly more experimental territory. The track opens with the distinctive sound of a slide played on a 12-string guitar, while parts and loops developed through the band's studio jams were incorporated into the recording. The result is an almost hypnotic song that gradually builds in layers, until the daylight Martin sings about seems to break through the music itself. By contrast, "Green Eyes" brings the album back to acoustic simplicity. Jonny Buckland suggested giving the song an acoustic approach inspired by Johnny Cash, and the result became one of the album's most direct and warm love songs. Interestingly, like "Amsterdam", it was recorded relatively quickly and avoided much of the rewriting and repeated recording that characterized several other tracks on the album. The title track, "A Rush of Blood to the Head", perhaps captures better than anything else the idea running through the entire album. Chris Martin explained that the song is about impulsiveness, about doing something now rather than waiting until tomorrow. Musically, it begins restrained and almost threatening before gradually expanding with the guitars, as though the "rush of blood" itself is slowly taking control of the song. Then comes "Amsterdam", a quiet and beautifully measured conclusion to the album. It was recorded quickly and with an almost live feel, while different sections of the song were written in locations more than a thousand miles apart, including its ending, which Martin said he wrote in Iceland. His exposed voice and piano begin almost alone before the rest of the band enters, giving the album a finale that starts in fragility and ends with a powerful sense of release. The album cover was created by Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø and features a grey, three-dimensional rendering of a woman's head and shoulders against a white background. "Coldplay"'s second album further established the band as one of the leading candidates to inherit the kind of global stadium-rock status associated with "U2", and it went on to sell more than 15 million copies worldwide. The success of "A Rush of Blood to the Head" extended far beyond sales. The album received widespread acclaim and earned "Coldplay" the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album, giving the band its second consecutive victory in the category after "Parachutes". "In My Place" won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, while the following year "Clocks" claimed one of the ceremony's most prestigious honors, Record of the Year. Its reputation only grew with time. In 2007, the album was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "200 Definitive Albums" list, and in 2010 it was one of ten albums nominated at the Brit Awards for the title of Best British Album of the previous 30 years. That same year, its iconic artwork received another unusual honor when it became one of ten album covers by British artists featured on a special series of Royal Mail postage stamps. "A Rush of Blood to the Head" has also appeared in editions of "Rolling Stone"'s "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and has repeatedly been included in lists celebrating the finest albums of the 2000s. All of this has only reinforced its status as the album on which "Coldplay" stopped being the great promise introduced by "Parachutes" and became one of the biggest bands in the world. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Creed's debut album is a breakthrough album, it's something most bands don't experience but this album is the beginning of a powerful band that just exploded with an album, after an album and that's the story of "My Own Prison". Music is life... Our story begins in the Tallahassee prairie in California USA, somewhere in the mid nineties. When the grunge scene started to fade away and something else develops in the music world, it gets the name Post Grunge. Our two teen heroes Mark Tremonti and Scott Stapp which are at the same university and working as cooks in local restaurants, discover they have a common interest/talent. They both love to listen to music but also to create and write. The two start working together, playing and making music. They decide to dedicate their lives to music and form a band, they enlist Brian Marshall on bass, Scott Philips on drums and Brian Brasher on rhythm guitars (he will short after). The five riders start performing as a cover band in clubs, bars and even restaurants and occasionally thread original songs. They are still not cohesive in terms of musical identity and also have no name, they decide to randomly choose a name from a local newspaper and fall for an article titled "Naked Toddler", they adopt the name for several appearances until they choose the name "Creed" suggested by Brian inspired by his previous band name . (Photo: Hollywoodiconmagazine.com) Please enter your ID number... Our heroes lead the band, Mark is in charge of the music and most of the melodies (even some of the lyrics) and Scott brings his own additions and lyrics. They do not know what the future holds but they are sure it is their way and they go for it with all their might. They set up an impromptu rehearsal room in the living room of Phillips' house and begin working on the songs. Scott said that while writing, after they created 6-7 songs they did not really form their musical identity until the song "Grip My Soul", a song that was not released on any album or single, but it is the song after which the band members looked at each other and understood their musical identity, they realized that this is what they want to be. After that formative moment they wrote another 10-13 songs and start compiling a list for the debut album. Someone opened the door... The emerging band continues to perform wherever possible while inserting original songs between the covers. A guy named Jeff Hansen, who owns a club where the band appears and was very impressed with what he heard and decided to help the young gang. He connects them to a producer and multi-instrumentalist John Kurzweg, who is also a very cheap one and decides to invest $ 6,000 in the band. John invites the band to record at The Kitchen Studio, his home studio among the toys, beds, armchairs and other furniture in his house and everyone starts working. Indeed this combination works, a chemistry is created between the band members and the producer and after the members hear their music recorded for the first time they realize that they have something special here. They record 10 songs and release the album "My Own Prison" under their independent label Blue Collar Records, Mark's brother, Daniel Tremonti designs the cover. He chose a picture he took in a photography class in which his good friend sits bent over in the corner of an iron wall. Scott loved the picture and feels very connected to what it is generating and how it reflects the lyrics on the album. They took the materials and with a loan from Brian's father they printed 5,000 copies. They distributed the copies in shopping centers and stores, and within a month they managed to sell the entire quantity. Music spreads faster than fire... The album begins to resonate and a number of major record companies begin to take an interest in the band. The Wind-Up Records label is sending its new apprentice Diana Metzler to Tallahassee to look into the matter. She comes to the show where the band already has a pretty large local fan base and she is simply dazzled by Scott's stage presence and Mark's sound. She flies them to New York and within a week she signs them to the label, the young apprentice's first signing. Mark said that Scott and Brian took old pins, scratched themselves and signed the contract with blood !! The album is remixed and remastered and re-released on August 26, 1997. Diana along with Hansen who has meanwhile become the band's manager sends the album to various radio stations around the city in order to leverage the fan base that has already begun to establish in the city. The first single that also bears the name of the album starts playing on local radio stations and the music starts to spread. A radio station in the neighboring city of Georgia decides to play the song "Pity for a Dime" and the buzz is gaining even more momentum, the station invites the band to perform in the city. Scott said it was a moment he will never forget, they came to the club, went on stage and instead of performing in front of 600 people they discovered 6,000 people in front of them, at that moment they knew their dream was coming true !! The explosive chain lights up... The first single begins to spread beyond the small town, surpassing even the neighboring cities and reaching many cities across the US, taking over the top of the charts. After the two comes out one of the band's great songs "What's This Life For" written by Trimonti following the suicide of one of his high school friends. Indeed, he too continues his predecessors and conquers the tops of the charts across the US. The last explosion in the chain "One" comes out almost a year and a half after the release of the album and not only does it conquer the various charts but it enters the famous Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album stays 110 weeks in the Billboard 200, sells over 6 million copies and wins a place in The 200 best-selling albums of all time in the United States. Listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Noam Asulin Release date - 26.8.2022 Analyzing a "Muse" album can be challenging because each one feels like a complete universe. There's always something new and unexpected to uncover. While introducing this remarkable band might be unnecessary, "Muse" originates from Teignmouth, Devon, England, and was established in 1994. The power trio includes Matt Bellamy (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Chris Wolstenholme (bass), and Dominic Howard (drums). So far, "Muse" has released nine studio albums, starting with "Showbiz" in 1999. An interesting fact is that Chris initially played drums, but since Dominic already occupied that position, Chris learned to play bass. The band's most recent album was produced by its members and is described by them as "a greatest hits album – of new songs." This came about in response to their label's request for a "greatest hits" album, which the band refused to create unless it was on their terms. According to Matt Bellamy, the outcome is a collection of the best of "Muse," featuring new versions of all the genres the band has previously explored. Starting with their seventh album, "Drones," released in 2015, the band embraced a different approach to album themes. Each album focused on a specific theme, with songs centered around it. For instance, "Drones" dealt with the "dehumanization of modern warfare," while "Simulation Theory" delved into "science fiction and futurism." The album "Will of the People" revolves around a central theme, with lyrics inspired by the uncertainty and instability of the world. The members of "Muse" convey that the Western world and nature, which have long coexisted peacefully, are now facing threats, prompting the need for urgent political action to protect the planet. Much like its predecessor "Simulation Theory," the new album combines electronic sounds with live instruments such as guitars, bass, and drums. In my opinion, "Will of the People" sees the band striving to return to their rock roots, which characterized their early sound, by reducing the emphasis on the "computer" sound, although electronic and industrial elements remain present. The opening track "Will Of The People" is a daring glam rock song, inspired by recent global turmoil and protests. Themes include epidemics, wars (even in Europe), demonstrations, riots, attempted uprisings, natural disasters, and the destabilization of the world order. While the song's theme and structure somewhat resemble "Uprising" from 2009, I find "Will Of The People" to be one of the weaker tracks on the album. The repeated phrase "Will of the people" becomes quite irritating to me and doesn't seem to lead anywhere. The verses are the song's strongest aspect. The next track, "Compliance," is a dystopian synth-rock composition. It begins with a synthesizer that evokes the 1980s and includes lyrics about life in a repressive society. A dominant force seeks to secure the compliance of the weak by promising safety and comfort ("Fall into line, you will do as you're told"). These lyrics are consistent with the band's themes since "Drones". The verses are highlighted by an outstanding bassline from Chris, which significantly elevates the song. The next track, "Liberation," continues with a similar theme ("We intend to erase your place in history"). This piece has a classical vibe, strongly reminiscent of "The Resistance," featuring piano and multiple vocal layers and harmonies by Matt Bellamy, capturing the spirit of a "Queen" song. Despite these references to the legendary band, it stands out as an amazing and captivating performance (particularly Bellamy's), giving me chills every time I listen. This album includes some of Muse's most intense tracks, such as the lead single "Won’t Stand Down," known for its rapid tempo, heavy riff, and screams, as well as "Kill Or Be Killed," which is equally energetic and metal-driven. In my opinion, "Kill Or Be Killed" provides a glimpse into the classic "Muse" sound from two decades ago, reminiscent of songs from "Absolution." Significantly, drummer Dominic Howard explores double bass for the first time on this album, reinforcing the impression that "Muse" intended to take some tracks in a somewhat heavier direction. The fifth track "Ghosts" is a delightful ballad and, in my view, truly remarkable. It draws on the dynamic piano performance and exceptional vocal skills of Matt Bellamy. Speaking of Matt, he sounds fantastic throughout the album, with each song highlighting a different nuance and tone of his voice. Initially, when I first listened to the eighth and ninth tracks, "Verona" and "Euphoria" respectively, I considered them the album's weakest. However, after several listens, my perspective changed, and I now think these are wonderful songs that also remind me of "The Resistance". The concluding track, "We Are Fucking Fucked," upholds the powerful and remarkable energy of the album's previous songs. This piece offers a "doomsday vision," implying that our fate is predetermined. ("The black vacuum of the universe, it was designed to swallow us whole"). Before wrapping up, I must highlight the fifth single from the album, "You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween". This track makes any attempt to classify the album's style unnecessary. It further proves that "Muse" consistently amazes, and even more so. It shows that no matter how prepared you think you are for their surprises, you will still be astonished, as you truly haven't come across a single like this before. This song combines "Somebody's Watching Me" by "Rockwell" with "People Are People" by "Depeche Mode", featuring 1980s synthesizer and computer effects, a guitar solo that momentarily revives Prince... and a music video filled with horror film montages... simply incredible! In summary, "Muse's" ninth album is an impressive and varied collection. It brings back memories of the "Muse" from twenty years ago while providing a nod to their earlier works like "Absolution" and "The Resistance". I believe a band should evolve and experiment, as long as they don't sacrifice their integrity to the demands of record labels. In this case, "Muse" has successfully balanced expectations with their artistic aspirations. They delivered a wide array of music, perhaps even excessively, ensuring every fan can find at least one song that resonates with them. So, even if you miss the old "Muse", approach this album with an open mind, and you're likely to find moments of enjoyment. The main drawback of this album is its brevity. With only ten tracks and just 37 minutes of music, it leaves you wanting more. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Oh, how much we love this album... Even today, after decades of intense playing, we cannot get enough of it. Each song on the album has its own special charm and sound.... what a sound, what a crazy production. All of these make the album sound fresh as if it was only released yesterday. This album is the fruit of the vision of one man, a genius and a perfectionist. This person conceived, planned and performed every detail on this album, from setting up the studio itself, through building the equipment, writing the songs, recording, producing to the final mix. This genius is called Tom Scholz and he is responsible for the amazing album "Boston", the debut album of "Boston", released August 25, 1976. The story of the album begins in the late 60's. Tom Scholz was a student of music technicians at the prestigious MIT, one of the best universities in the world in the field of science and technology. In those days Schultz began writing the music for what would become about 7 years later one of the best-selling debut albums in the world, selling more than 20 million copies. After graduating with honors, Schultz began working in the development department of "Polaroid Corporation". At night he played keyboards for various bands in Boston pubs and in his spare time he built a recording studio in his home basement, full with equipment, electronic components and effects. Schultz also knew how to play on various instruments. He began experimenting with innovative recording and sound technics, adding more and more instruments, channels, effects and sound layers. Schultz was a perfectionist and there are rumors that he recorded certain parts over and over again dozens of times until he reached a result that satisfied him. While working in the studio, Schultz, along with drummer Jim Masdea and guitarist Barry Goudreau, formed a band called "Mother's Milk". The band replaced a large number of singers until Brad Delp got accepted to the band, thus creating the basis of the band "Boston". The band continued to perform and at the same time Schultz and the other members recorded the songs he wrote. By 1973 the band already had a demo that included six songs. Schultz sent the songs to all the record companies he could think of. The songs on that demo tape were: "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", "Rock & Roll Band", "Something About You", "Hitch a Ride" and "Don't Be Afraid", which will eventually be included On the band's second album, "Don't Look Back". The band received rejection letters one after the other, some of which were even insulting. In 1975, After two years, Delp gave up and left the band. Schultz also gave up on performances and locked himself in the studio for hours in an attempt to improve the recordings. He enlisted the help of his friends, who were called to the studio from time to time, and re-recorded some of the songs and instruments. Equipped with a new and satisfactory recording, Schultz decided to use some of the connections and passed the recording to a friend from "Polaroid" whose cousin worked at the record company "ABC Records". The same cousin placed the tape on the desk of one of the company employees but it was forgotten there for weeks, until the same employee recalled it's existence and decided to listen to it. He got excited and contacted another friend, who was linked to "Epic" which immediately called Schultz and offered him a recording contract, but on two terms. One, was that Schultz present the materials live, in front of them, with a full band. The second, that the album will be recorded in a professional studio with a technician from "Epic". Enthusiastic Schultz was afraid to miss the opportunity and rushed to reassemble the band along with Delp and Guadro and at the same time enlisted bassist Fran Sheehan and drummer Sib Hashian. The band rented a warehouse from "Aerosmith" and preformed the live audition in front of the company members. Now Schultz had to overcome the second and higher hurdle, as most of the album had already been recorded and he did not intend to let any technician destroy what he had achieved over 7 years of perfectionist work. (Photo: Ron Pownall) Luckily for Schultz, he found an ally in John Boylan, who was entrusted with the production on behalf of the record company. Schultz sent all the band members to the Los Angeles Record Company's studio as a diversion, while he remained in Massachusetts and continued to work on improving the recordings in his basement. Not only did Boylan ignore the fact that Schultz stayed in his home basement, but he even flew his recording technician, Paul Grupp, to Boston to help Schultz record the acoustic instruments, as he thought Schultz's work on the acoustic was not good enough. After the recordings were completed, Schultz flew to Los Angeles to perform the final mixes. It is amazing to think that the end result of this album, with its amazing sound, included the same recordings from Schultz's basement with only minor additions and changes, which were recorded in studios in Los Angeles. Moreover, all the songs on the album except for one "Let Me Take You Home Tonight", which ends the album and was written by Delp, are the same songs from the original demo tape on which Schultz began working 7 years earlier. This album was defined as one of the most complex projects in the history of music, but at the same time it was also one of the cheapest, costing only thousands of dollars. All thanks to the initiative and execution of the genius Tom Schultz, who created most of this album with his ten fingers. This album demonstrates how perseverance and goal adherence ultimately pays off. This is a timeless masterpiece that features some of Rock's most beautiful songs. The opening song, "More Than a Feeling", which was the first single released from the album in September 1976, reached number 39 on VH1's all-time best rock song rankings. The song is on the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now hold on tight: the song was one of the influences on Kurt Cobain in writing the riff for Nirvana's song "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Cobain noted in an interview the following words about that famous reef: "It was such a clichéd riff. It was so close to a Boston riff." Schultz himself mentioned The Left Banke's song "Walk Away Renee" as the inspiration for this masterpiece and defined the song as a bitter-sweet ballad. By the way, the "Marianne" mentioned in the song is Schultz's cousin, who was a few years older than him, in whom Schultz was in love in his youth. Schultz noted that years later, when she found out he mentioned her in the song, she was really angry with him. The second track, "Peace of Mind", released as the third single from the album, shows the perfect combination, repeated on this album, between the acoustic guitars and the sound of the electric guitar so unique to "Boston". This combination existed in bands like "Led Zeppelin", "The Who" and "Yes", but "Boston" improved it and brought it to perfection. Another hallmark of Boston's so unique sound is Brad Delp's incredible singing, whose harmonies have been achieved by recording repeated layers of his voice. It is interesting to note that the drum roles here were developed by Jim Masdea, but re-recorded by Sib Hashian as part of the improvements Schultz made to the recordings. Schultz wrote the song about his friends at "Polaroid Corporation" and his own unwillingness to climb the ranks of the company's top management. Delp himself defined this song as an example of Schultz's ability to combine the harmonies of "the Beach Boys" with the heavy guitar sound of "Led Zeppelin". "Guitar World" magazine chose this song as one of the 50 best rock songs of all time. The third track, "Foreplay / Long Time", is one of the most complex and long tracks on the album, something on the verge of Progressive. "Foreplay" is the keyboard-driven instrumental section based on the "Hammond B3" organ that appears as an introduction to the song. "Long Time" includes the vocals and came out as the second single from the album and it stands on its own. Schultz noted that this was the first song he ever wrote and recorded, back in 1969. "Rolling Stone" magazine defined the song as a combination of "Yes" and "Led Zeppelin". The three solo tracks in the second part of the song are played by Barry Goudreau. The other side of the vinyl opens with "Rock & Roll Band". Many thought the song told the story of "Boston", but this was not the case. "Boston" was not a band at all until the mix stage of the album. The song was written following Schultz's conversation with drummer Jim Masdea who was in the Boston pub and club scene and told Schultz about the struggles of local bands to get a recording contract. The song "Smokin'" was originally called "Shakin" and contrary to popular belief does not deal with marijuana. The song tells about the feelings when listening to music. The song has received several cover versions, one of the most interesting of which is that of the thrash metal band Anthrax. "Hitch a Ride" was originally called "San Francisco Day" and Schultz used to play it in shows of the first variations of "Mother's Milk". The song opens as a quiet and pleasant acoustic ballad and develops with the takeover of the Hammond organ and electric guitars. The song features one of the most beautiful solo pieces on the album that spans about half of the song. The album ends with two recently written tracks: Schultz's "Something About You", originally called "Life Isn't Easy" and was Schultz's last demo in 1975, and "Let Me Take You Home Tonight" which is the only song Delp wrote and also plays acoustic guitar. Boston's debut album is considered one of the greatest albums in rock history. It is on the list of the 200 greatest albums of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and in the book "1001 albums that you must listen to before you die". Schultz's perfectionism will help him put out more masterpieces, but it will also cause a relatively slow creation process with huge intervals between albums. In the early 1980s, Schultz founded "Scholz Research & Development, Inc." The company will market, among other things, the successful guitar amplifier "Rockman", which was invented by Schultz. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Singer and songwriter Rob Halford is celebrating his birthday today! (Photo: Jim Louvau) Here are 16 interesting facts about the "Metal God" with the infinite range of vocal: 1. He shares the same birthday as Gene Simmons from "Kiss" and guitarist Vivian Campbell from "Def Leppard" and former "Dio". 2. Before starting his musical career he worked in a cinema that screened pornographic films. 3. He returned to his "roots" when he played a clerk at a porn video store in the 2002 film "Spun", which also starred Mickey Rourke. See here: 4. He is a die-hard cat lover. In a 2020 interview, he revealed that he owned around 100 cat shirts. 5. In 2010 he participated in an advertisement for the communications company "Virgin Mobile". He played a priest. See here: 6. Rob also served as a lighting technician in the theater before joining "Judas Priest", this contributed to his theatricality in performances and among other things to the idea of ​​entering the stage on a motorcycle. 7. Speaking of motorcycles, during the final show of the "Painkiller" tour in 1991, Halford crashed his motorcycle onstage and broke his nose. Despite briefly losing consciousness, he recovered and returned to complete the encore. 8. It was his sister Sue who made the connection between him and "Judas Priest". At the time, she dated Bassist Ian Hill through whom Rob was accepted into the band. Hill later married Rob's sister which made them brothers-in-law who play in the same band. 9. He used a real submachine gun loaded with blanks and fired it over the stunned audience during the "British Steel" tour. (Photo: ultimate-guitar.com) 10. In 1986 he was completely cleansed of drug and alcohol addictions. This did not stop him from singing background vocals in the song "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" by the band "Queens of the Stone Age" also known as "Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol". 11. He performed as the lead singer of "Black Sabbath" at three different shows. He first replaced Ronnie James Dio for two shows in 1992 after Dio refused to open for Ozzy Osbourne. He later replaced Ozzy during a "Black Sabbath" performance at Ozzfest in 2004. During the 1992 shows, Halford also took the opportunity to bring back songs that "Black Sabbath" had not performed for some time, simply because they were among his favorites and he believed the fans would want to hear them. 12. Although Halford is a car collector he only got his driver's license at the age of 38. 13. Halford played the harmonica in songs, "Rocka Rolla" and "Cheater" from "Judas Priest"'s first album. 14. He wrote all the guitar parts for the album "War of Words" of his band "Fight" which he formed after leaving "Judas Priest", so technically he also knows how to play the guitar. But he stated in an interview that he is probably the worst guitar player in the world. 15. He publicly came out as gay in 1998 during an interview with MTV. The moment was not planned as a formal announcement; while answering a question, Halford casually used the phrase "speaking as a gay man", effectively coming out in the middle of the interview. He was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelmingly supportive response he received from metal fans. 16. The movie "Rock Star" starring Mark Wahlberg was originally supposed to be called "Metal God". Halford's lawyers claimed it was already Halford's trademark and threatened to take legal action if the movie producers did not choose a different name for the film. The film's producers were convinced and changed the name. Before joining "Judas Priest", Halford sang in several local bands, the last of which was "Hiroshima". When he joined "Judas Priest" in 1973, he brought drummer John Hinch with him from the band. Hinch would later play on the band's debut album "Rocka Rolla". Halford's first performance with "Judas Priest" took place in May 1973 at the "Townhouse" in Wellington, Shropshire, more than a year before the release of the band's debut album "Rocka Rolla". In 1992, Rob Halford wrote and recorded "Light Comes Out of Black" with members of "Pantera" for the soundtrack of the film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Working with Dimebag Darrell proved particularly significant for Halford, as he later explained that it was the first time he had written a song by himself, giving him the confidence to pursue his own musical direction outside "Judas Priest". The song was completed in a single day. In fact, Halford considered trying to recruit Dimebag Darrell for his new project. He later explained that he decided against it because he felt it would have been unfair to tempt Dimebag away from "Pantera", who were on the verge of becoming one of the biggest metal bands of the 1990s. The formation of "Fight" happened almost by accident. While Halford was getting tattooed, he and his tattoo artist began talking about music. Halford discovered that the tattoo artist played in a band, went to see them perform, and eventually recruited bassist Jack "Jay Jay" Brown and guitarist and keyboardist Brian Tilse from that band for "Fight". Following "Fight", Halford made one of the most unexpected stylistic turns of his career when he formed "2wo" with guitarist John 5. The project combined rock and metal with industrial music, and released its only album, "Voyeurs", in 1998. "2wo" also had a direct connection to Trent Reznor of "Nine Inch Nails". Halford happened to visit Reznor's studio in New Orleans and played him some of the material he had been working on. Reznor subsequently became heavily involved in reshaping the project's sound, and "Voyeurs" was eventually released through his "Nothing Records" label. Halford even made it to "The Simpsons". In the 2014 episode "Steal This Episode", he performed a humorous version of "Breaking the Law", with the lyrics changed to "Respecting the Law". It was another indication of just how far the song, and Halford himself, had crossed over into popular culture. In 2022, on the night "Judas Priest" received the Musical Excellence Award and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Halford found himself singing "Jolene" alongside Dolly Parton, Pink, Annie Lennox, Pat Benatar, Simon Le Bon, Sheryl Crow and others. His connection with Parton later developed into an actual collaboration, with Halford appearing on "Bygones" from her 2023 rock album "Rockstar". One of Halford's most successful later collaborations came with "Five Finger Death Punch". When the band initially approached him about appearing on "Lift Me Up", they were told that he was too busy working on a new "Judas Priest" album. After hearing the song, however, Halford personally called them and said that not only did he want to sing on it, but that he would fly to Las Vegas to record with them. The song subsequently reached No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. The story behind Halford's departure from "Judas Priest" is more complicated than is often assumed. Halford wanted to record a side project and had received the blessing of his bandmates, but was reportedly told that, for contractual reasons, he had to formally "resign" from the band in order to do so. The letter he wrote was leaked and interpreted as an actual resignation from "Judas Priest", and the situation deteriorated until the separation lasted for more than a decade. In 2005, Halford was invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace celebrating the British music industry, where he met Queen Elizabeth II. When the Queen asked him why heavy metal had to be so loud, Halford explained that the music needed to be played loud so people could headbang to it. He later described meeting the Queen as one of the special memories of his life. More than two decades before publicly coming out, Halford had already incorporated clear references to his sexuality into the music of "Judas Priest". On "Raw Deal" from the 1977 album "Sin After Sin", he included references to Fire Island and its gay culture. Halford later recalled that he thought the meaning was obvious, yet almost nobody picked up on it. In 1981, a fan approached him who understood what the song was about, and the two later became partners. Halford is also a huge fan of Christmas music, so much so that he has released two Christmas albums. In 2009, he released "Halford III: Winter Songs" with his band "Halford", combining traditional Christmas songs with original material. He returned to the idea in 2019 with "Celestial", this time turning it into a family project featuring, among others, his brother Nigel and his nephew Alex Hill. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Here are some facts about Vivian Campbell, known as the lead guitarist for "Dio" and "Def Leppard". (Photo: Kevin Winter) 1. He was born Vivian Patrick Campbell on August 25, 1962, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. 2. At the age of 12, Vivian Campbell started playing guitar, utilizing a Telecaster Thinline and a Carlsbro Stingray amp. 3. By the time he was 15, Campbell joined a band called "Teaser", which later evolved into "Sweet Savage", a band associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM). 3. In the early 1980s, Campbell rose to prominence as replacing Jake E. Lee as the guitarist of "Dio", a legendary heavy metal band fronted by Ronnie James Dio. 4. Campbell played a pivotal role in the band and contributed to the band's sound, although Ronnie James Dio, Vinny Appice, and former "Rainbow" bassist Jimmy Bain already had most of the songs for the album "Holy Diver" prepared. 5. "Holy Diver," Dio's album featuring Campbell's guitar work, was released in 1983 and became a significant success. 6. Continuing with Dio, Campbell contributed to albums such as "The Last In Line" (1984) and "Sacred Heart" (1985), which also achieved commercial success. 7. Sadly guitarist Vivian Campbell, who no doubt fit into this lineup like a glove, was fired by Dio in the middle of a tour that supported the album "Sacred Heart". 8. His last release with the band was the live album "Intermission" released in 1986. 9. Before Campbell was fired from the band, he and his bandmates participated in the "Hear 'n Aid" project, which aimed to raise money for the famine in Africa. Dio, Campbell, and Bain wrote and composed the song "Stars", which was performed by the leading artists in heavy metal at the time. 10. In 1987, Vivian Campbell took a significant step by joining "Whitesnake", which had recently recorded their album "Whitesnake". 11. Despite not being involved in the original album tracks, Campbell re-recorded the guitar solo for the single release of "Give Me All Your Love." 12. Throughout his time with "Whitesnake", Campbell's relationship with lead vocalist David Coverdale became strained due to personal conflicts involving their wives, impacting the band's dynamics. 13. Following the tour supporting "Whitesnake's" self-titled album, Coverdale informed the band that the next album would be written solely by him and guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, leading to Campbell's departure. 14. Campbell's relationship with David Coverdale eventually found resolution during a tour where "Def Leppard" and "Whitesnake" shared the stage in 2008. 15. In 2015, Campbell returned to the "Whitesnake" stage for a special performance of "Still of the Night" in Sheffield, signifying a symbolic reconciliation. 16. After departing "Whitesnake" in December 1988, Campbell took on diverse musical projects. In 1989 he played guitar in 3 songs from Lou Gramm's second solo album "Long Hard Look". 17. That same year he played acoustic guitar on the song "Desperate" taken from "Vixen's" debut album. 18. In 1989 he also produced the first demo for "Riverdogs", a band he later officially joined. 19. In 1990 he was part of their debut album "Riverdogs". Campbell will rejoin the band for their later releases "World Gone Mad" (2011) and "California" (2017). 20. In 1991, Campbell joined Lou Gramm's new band "Shadow King". That same year he released their eponymous album with them. 21. In 1992 he played lead guitar on two songs from "Gotthard's" eponymous debut album. 22. That same year, Vivian Campbell joined "Def Leppard", taking over the role of lead guitarist after the passing of Steve Clark in 1991. 23. Campbell made his "Def Leppard" debut at a club show in Dublin and later performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, showcasing his new role in the band. 24. Despite facing challenges, including a diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, Campbell continued touring and playing with "Def Leppard". 25. He released 6 studio albums with the band, the first "Slang" from 1996 and the last "Diamond Star Halos" was released in 2022. 26. Alongside his band commitments, Campbell released a solo album titled "Two Sides of If" in 2005, showcasing his affinity for blues music. Terry Bozzio plays drums on the album. "ZZ Top's" Billy Gibbons guests on two songs, and Joan Osborne on one other song. 27. In mid-2010, when "Def Leppard" was on hiatus, Campbell joined "Thin Lizzy", one of his favorite band. 28. In 2012, After the tour, he asked Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice both from the original lineup of "Dio" to get together for a "Dio" tribute project that ultimately became "Last In Line". 29. They released "Heavy Crown" in 2016, showcasing a positive reconnection with his Dio legacy, followed by their second album "II" from 2019. 30. In 2014 Campbell played the guitar solo on the song "Gangbang at the Old Folks Home" from "Steel Panther" album, "All You Can Eat". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 25.08.1975 “I saw rock and roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen,” journalist Jon Landau wrote in May 1974 after seeing Springsteen perform at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And everyone quietly wondered: Bruce who? Landau himself could hardly have imagined that within months he would join forces with the man he had identified as rock’s next great star, helping him turn that prophecy into reality. In the summer of 1975, the prophecy fulfilled itself when The Boss released "Born to Run", his third studio album, on August 25, 1975. But getting there required an enormous amount of effort, frustration and nerves, and at times it seemed that the harder Springsteen pushed forward, the further away his destination became. Springsteen later recalled having enormous ambitions for the record. He wanted to make the greatest rock album he had ever heard, something huge and impossible for the listener to ignore, music that demanded attention not only to the songs themselves, but to life and what it meant to be alive. The album took approximately 14 months to record, with an extraordinary amount of that time devoted to the title track alone. Springsteen wanted the record to sound like Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan with Phil Spector producing, an ambitious vision for a musician who had released only two albums and was still relatively unknown outside his strongest markets. Almost all of the album's songs were initially composed on piano. Springsteen's first two albums, "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." and "The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle", had earned critical praise, but neither sold particularly well. By 1974, his popularity remained largely concentrated on the East Coast of the United States, while his record company's confidence in him was beginning to fade. Management at "Columbia Records" had changed, and the label was increasingly placing its bets on another emerging young artist named Billy Joel. Morale was low throughout Springsteen's camp, including his manager Mike Appel and his backing group, the "E Street Band". After Springsteen rejected a CBS proposal to record in Nashville, Tennessee, with session musicians and a producer selected by the company, the label agreed to finance one more album. The message was clear: if this one failed, Springsteen could be dropped. Springsteen, it is worth remembering, was still only 25 years old, and the pressure naturally weighed heavily on him. Recording "Born to Run" alone became an exhausting, months-long process. Springsteen's perfectionism turned the sessions into an ordeal. He obsessed over every syllable, note, tone and texture, desperately trying to transfer the sounds he could hear inside his head onto tape. The song was written during a period when the promise of the American Dream seemed increasingly unattainable for many Americans, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal and the 1973 oil crisis. Springsteen spent an enormous amount of time working on the lyrics because he wanted to avoid the familiar clichés of classic rock and roll. Instead, he tried to transform those familiar archetypes into fully developed, vulnerable and emotionally believable characters. “It was the beginning of the creation of a certain world that all my others would refer back to, resonate off of, for the next 20 or 30 years,” Springsteen later explained. The songs were largely autobiographical, while also drawing inspiration from the noir-like B movies Springsteen enjoyed at the time. Through those cinematic images, he tried to capture new ideals shaped by his own experiences, creating characters desperate to escape, find love, reinvent themselves and discover whether something better might exist beyond the horizon. His determination to achieve something approaching Phil Spector's Wall of Sound created another problem. Multiple instruments were assigned across the studio's 16-track mixing console, and with every additional overdub, recording and mixing became increasingly complicated. As Springsteen continued rewriting and refining the lyrics, he and Mike Appel constructed mix after mix filled with electric and acoustic guitars, piano, organ, horns, synthesizers and glockenspiel, along with strings and backing vocals. At the center of much of that increasingly expansive arrangement was the magnificent Roy Bittan, whose piano would become one of the defining sounds of "Born to Run". "Born to Run" reportedly went through no fewer than five different versions. According to Springsteen, the finished recording contained 72 separate tracks squeezed down onto the studio's 16-track console, an extraordinary example of just how far he was willing to push the recording technology available to him. Springsteen was finally satisfied with the completed mix in August 1974, but CBS/Columbia reversed the expected strategy. Rather than immediately releasing "Born to Run" as an advance single, the label wanted to hold it back and allow the eventual album to promote the song. That same month, pianist David Sancious and drummer Ernest Carter left the "E Street Band" to form their own jazz-fusion group, "Tone". They were replaced by Roy Bittan on piano and Max Weinberg on drums. Bittan came from a background that included orchestral and theatrical work, while Weinberg had experience with various rock bands and Broadway productions. Bittan was already familiar with Springsteen's music, while Weinberg was not. Both quickly fitted into the band, bringing fresh musical ideas as well as calmer personalities that helped ease some of the tension accumulated through years of recording and performing. On "Born to Run", Bittan effectively became the principal pianist, while Danny Federici's contribution was primarily on organ. In November, Mike Appel began circulating "Born to Run" to radio stations, effectively ignoring the record company's wishes. A pre-release version was played by Philadelphia DJ Ed Sciaky on WMMR on November 3, 1974, and within weeks it had reached other progressive-rock stations in the Northeast. Appel's gamble worked. The song began generating significant interest and anticipation for the unfinished album, and "Born to Run" soon became a radio favorite as well as one of the highlights of Springsteen's concerts. Audiences were becoming familiar enough with it that by February 1975 they could already sing along during performances. By January 1975, the band had been working on the album for more than a year, yet only one song was completely finished. The sessions continued to be plagued by technical problems, false starts and Springsteen's relentless demand for additional takes. A new song called "Wings for Wheels" was unveiled in February. Springsteen felt that the sessions were losing direction and increasingly turned to writer and producer Jon Landau, who had already become closely associated with him after writing about Springsteen in "The Real Paper". The two had developed a close friendship, and in February 1975 Landau attended a rehearsal where he suggested moving the saxophone solo in "Wings for Wheels", soon to become "Thunder Road", from the middle of the song toward the end. Springsteen liked the suggestion and eventually brought Landau into the project as co-producer. In March 1975, work shifted from 914 Sound Studios to the more sophisticated Record Plant in Manhattan. Landau's arrival gave Springsteen a fresh perspective and helped restore focus to a project that had begun to overwhelm him. Springsteen later explained that Landau helped bring the sessions back toward the fundamental idea of making a rock and roll album when everything around the project seemed to be coming apart. Mike Appel and Landau did not always agree over production decisions, leaving Springsteen to resolve their differences. Neither man, however, was there to completely reinvent the record. Like the musicians themselves, their role was largely to help Springsteen finish and sharpen ideas he had already conceived. Israeli recording engineer Louis Lahav, who had worked on Springsteen's first two albums and engineered the marathon sessions for "Born to Run", briefly returned to work on the project. His wife, violinist Suki Lahav, also contributed the haunting violin heard on "Jungleland". Louis Lahav subsequently became unavailable as he prepared to return to Israel, and Jimmy Iovine took over engineering duties during the Record Plant sessions. Recording continued from March through July 1975. Springsteen spent most of those months consumed by the album. The sessions were exhausting. Although basic backing tracks and vocals could sometimes be captured relatively quickly, he struggled endlessly with overdubs, lyrics and arrangements. He worked obsessively, sometimes spending hours correcting a single line or days trying to determine the right arrangement for a song. Springsteen later described the recording process as something that gradually overwhelmed and buried him. Weinberg would remember "Born to Run" as one of the most difficult projects of his career, while Federici recalled that the band essentially ate, drank and slept the album. Sessions frequently stretched from approximately three in the afternoon until six the following morning, and Springsteen could spend extraordinary amounts of time perfecting individual guitar parts. "Thunder Road" was conceived as an invitation to embark on a journey, with its cinematic imagery partly inspired by the title of the 1958 crime drama starring Robert Mitchum. The lyrics introduce Mary and a narrator desperate to convince her that they still have one last chance to turn their dreams into something real. Springsteen also explicitly invokes Roy Orbison in the song, imagining him singing for the lonely on the radio. Orbison, whose best-known recordings included "Only the Lonely", was a tremendous influence on Springsteen. His dramatic vocal approach can be heard throughout "Born to Run", while Springsteen's guitar playing also carried traces of Duane Eddy's twanging style. For "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", Springsteen brought in horn players Randy Brecker, Michael Brecker, David Sanborn and Wayne Andre. The partly autobiographical song tells, in exaggerated and almost mythological form, the story of Springsteen and his backing band struggling toward success, until the arrival of the "Big Man", Clarence Clemons, changes everything. Musically, it is a funky, horn-driven R&B number. Springsteen and Bittan were struggling to devise suitable horn arrangements when former "Steel Mill" bandmate Steven Van Zandt stepped in and essentially worked them out in the studio. Van Zandt joined the "E Street Band" shortly afterward. At barely three minutes, "Night" is one of the album's shortest songs. It follows a working-class man trapped in the repetitive routine of his job, who races into the night after work in search of cars, women and freedom. For Springsteen's protagonist, real life begins only when the working day ends. The highway becomes his escape route, while nights and weekends provide the fleeting freedom that his everyday existence denies him. Springsteen recycled and developed lyrical ideas between "She's the One" and "Backstreets". The former deals with a narrator's obsession with a woman who repeatedly deceives him, while "Backstreets" explores the narrator's intense relationship with someone named Terry through imagery that moves between gritty realism and romantic poetry. Their bond eventually collapses after Terry leaves the narrator for somebody else. Terry's gender is never made explicit, leading some critics and listeners to interpret the relationship as potentially romantic or homosexual, while others view it as an extraordinarily intense platonic friendship between two young men. Either way, the emotional betrayal is what matters, and the song contains autobiographical echoes of Springsteen's own youth. The jazzy "Meeting Across the River" is both musically and lyrically different from much of what surrounds it. Piano and trumpet create an almost film-noir atmosphere as the narrator and his partner Eddie, two small-time criminals, prepare for an illegal deal across the Hudson River that they hope will finally bring them enough money to change their fortunes. Filled with desperation and quiet hopelessness, the song ends before the story is resolved. We never discover whether the deal succeeds, although the bleak atmosphere hardly inspires confidence. It became one of Springsteen's finest early character studies, allowing him to step inside the mind of someone living permanently on the losing side of life. Thirty years later, the song inspired the 2005 book "Meeting Across the River: Stories Inspired by the Haunting Bruce Springsteen Song", a collection of 21 short stories edited by Jessica Kaye and Richard Brewer. That shadowy underworld flows directly into "Jungleland", the album's monumental closing track and a poetic street epic set within Springsteen's mythological vision of New Jersey and New York. The song follows a gang member known as the Magic Rat and his unnamed companion, the Barefoot Girl, through a world of street gangs, cops, romance and doomed dreams. By the end, their relationship has collapsed. The girl disappears and the Rat is killed in the streets. His death becomes another variation on the album's central contradiction: the dream of escape can give life meaning, but chasing it can also destroy the person who believes in it. Running for more than nine minutes, "Jungleland" is driven by Springsteen's increasingly desperate vocal, Roy Bittan's majestic piano and Suki Lahav's violin, before Clarence Clemons delivers the song's emotional centerpiece, an extraordinary saxophone solo lasting more than two minutes. Clemons was disappointed when "Jungleland" was omitted from Springsteen's 1995 "Greatest Hits" compilation. The song also had a major influence on Bob Seger's "Night Moves". Seger had written part of his song but struggled to complete it until hearing "Jungleland", which showed him how far he could stretch a song structurally and dynamically. "Night Moves" was released the following year, in 1976. Years later, Melissa Etheridge described Springsteen's wordless cries at the end of "Jungleland" as the essence of rock and roll singing, emphasizing the way he uses his entire body to project enormous power, emotion and passion. The iconic album cover was photographed by Eric Meola in his personal studio on June 20, 1975. Springsteen brought Clarence Clemons with him because he specifically wanted the saxophonist involved in the cover concept. Meola shot roughly 900 photographs during the three-hour session. The image eventually selected shows Springsteen in a black leather jacket, holding his Fender Telecaster while leaning against Clemons. It captured something essential about "Born to Run" even before anyone heard the record: Springsteen might have been the name on the cover, but the dream he was building was never meant to be pursued alone. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 25.08.1986 When Paul Simon did his Idan Raichel! Well, perhaps I am reversing the roles a little. Apart from Raichel and Simon's shared attraction to music and musicians from Africa, there is not all that much similarity between them. But once again, as in the case of Eric Clapton, it was proven that periods of personal and professional crisis can sometimes produce singular, transformative works. Such was the case with Paul Simon's seventh solo studio album, "Graceland", released on August 25, 1986. "Simon & Garfunkel" began their musical journey in the late 1950s. Over the years, the hugely successful folk-rock duo experienced repeated ups and downs in their relationship, resulting in several separations and reunions. At the beginning of the 1980s, the duo planned another comeback. Their reunion included the enormously successful Concert in Central Park in 1981, followed by an international tour that even brought them to Israel in 1983. But just when things seemed to be falling back into place onstage, the recording studio reopened old wounds. Material that had been intended as a "Simon & Garfunkel" album eventually became Simon's "Hearts and Bones", with Art Garfunkel's recorded vocals erased from the masters. At around the same period, Simon's turbulent relationship with Carrie Fisher was also falling apart. The commercial failure of "Hearts and Bones" left Simon's career looking as though it were heading nowhere. Then, almost by accident, he encountered a bootleg cassette of South African township music, particularly the infectious accordion-driven sound associated with mbaqanga and township jive. Simon later recalled that the entire project essentially began by accident after a friend gave him a tape of South African street music. With his career struggling, Simon decided to search for new musical territory. He traveled to Johannesburg in 1985 to explore the sounds that had captured his imagination. There he entered the studio with a group of extraordinarily talented local musicians, searching together for a common language through music. Those sessions became the foundation of "Graceland", an album that would become one of the most important and commercially successful records in bringing what would increasingly be marketed as "world music" into the heart of the Western mainstream. It is important to point out, however, that Simon was not the first major Western artist to open that door. As early as 1982, Peter Gabriel immersed himself in music from Africa and other non-Western cultures on his fourth solo album, while that same year he was one of the driving forces behind the creation of WOMAD, conceived as a platform through which Western audiences could encounter musicians and traditions from around the world. What "Graceland" did was take that connection a significant step further. This was an entire album built to a large extent around Simon's direct collaboration with South African musicians and musical styles, and it transformed that encounter into an enormous worldwide success. Traveling to South Africa and recording an album that connected different musical worlds might have looked, from the outside, like a convenient way to restart a fading career. Many critics certainly saw it that way. But there was nothing convenient about traveling to a country isolated by an international cultural boycott because of its apartheid regime, particularly when you were Paul Simon, one of the most prominent Jewish musicians in American popular music. Simon knew the trip would generate criticism, but insisted that he was going there to work with musicians, not with the South African government or to perform for segregated audiences. His decision nevertheless placed him at the center of a fierce political and ethical controversy, with anti-apartheid organizations arguing that simply entering South Africa to record violated the spirit, and according to some interpretations the terms, of the cultural boycott. As noted, Simon refused to be distracted by the controversy surrounding him. He had discovered an entirely new musical world and was determined to bring the African sounds that had fascinated him to a much wider audience. On "Graceland", Simon combined the American folk and pop traditions he knew so well with rhythms and musical ideas drawn largely from South Africa. Western and African musicians and instruments coexist throughout the album. Contributors included Adrian Belew, "The Everly Brothers", and numerous South African musicians, while the music moves freely between pop, rock, a cappella, mbaqanga, zydeco and other styles. Simon's lyrics deal with journeys across America and the wider world, love, aging, pain, self-discovery and introspection, all filtered through the wit, wordplay and understated humor that had long characterized his songwriting. Commercially, Simon's gamble paid off spectacularly. The songs received extensive radio exposure and "Graceland" became the biggest-selling album of his solo career. Yet the success did little to silence the criticism. Simon was attacked for defying the international cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa, both by activists abroad and by some voices connected to the anti-apartheid struggle itself. Organizations including Artists United Against Apartheid criticized his decision, and accusations that he had undermined the boycott would follow the project for years. Viewed from the perspective of four decades later, "Graceland" had a double effect. It spectacularly revived Simon's own career, but it also introduced millions of listeners to South African music and significantly expanded the international audience for African artists. Musicians such as Miriam Makeba and "Ladysmith Black Mambazo" reached audiences far beyond those who had previously encountered their work, with the latter in particular experiencing a major international breakthrough following their involvement with Simon. "Graceland" is estimated to have sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. It won Album of the Year at the 1987 Grammy Awards and subsequently established itself as one of the most acclaimed and influential albums in popular music history. In 2006, it was selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, which preserves recordings considered culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. The album cover features a late 15th-century Ethiopian Christian image depicting Saint George. The artwork came from the collection of what is now the Peabody Essex Museum and provides "Graceland" with another visual connection to the African continent, although one geographically and culturally far removed from the South African music at the heart of the album. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Eric Clapton's "Unplugged" album was released on August 25, 1992. It is not clear what exactly went through Eric Clapton's mind when he sat down on the stool on January 16, 1992 at the Bray Studios near Berkshire, England. One of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time, that wrote and composed quite a few classics that became masterpieces, a gifted musician who was a part in bands that became legends, from "The Yardbirds" and "The Bluesbreakers" through "Cream", "Blind Faith" and "Derek and the Dominos" to a glorious solo career, a phenomenal guitarist who has won quite a few titles and is ranked in every possible list at the top ten of the best guitarists of all time, the second of the top 100 on Rolling Stone magazine list, who in 1967 was the reason behind the famous graffiti painted on a wall in Islington and which leaves no room for doubt: "Clapton Is God". So it's really not clear for what this man of many titles needed the adventure of an unplugged show? Why did he have to get into it at this point in his career, especially when he's so identified with the electric guitar? Just thinking that Clapton, who for over two decades has had a Fender Stratocaster guitar attached to his main artery, should disconnect from any cable, effect or amplifier and play a complete, clean, naked and exposed set, teaches us that Clapton took a big risk here that could cost in the tremendous reputation he has. But Clapton is the "guitar god" and he just doesn't think like a mortal. He left "The Yardbirds" precisely when it began to be commercially successful and went with his heart and his love for the blues when he joind John Mayall's squad. He swam against the current when after his meteoric success with "Cream" he chose to establish "Blind Faith" where he served as an equal player between equalls, instead of being the leader. He consciously chose to move behind the scenes when he served as a guitarist in the "Plastic Ono Band" and "Delaney and Bonnie and Friends". He later took it a step further, setting up "Derek and the Dominos" because he was tired of being expected for long and virtuoso solos, there he even hid behind a fictitious name. He even started his solo career with an album in which he gave his friends the lead. When everyone expected him to play blues he broke right into reggae with a cover version of Bob Marley and immediately broke left with a country style song "Lay Down Sally". In short, Clapton does not always align with the logic of the masses and often does the unexpected. And so this time around, Clapton chose to go with his emotions rather than mind and became one of the first leading artists to record an unplugged show as part of the MTV series. One of the triggers that pushed Clapton to go with his heart, was related to a tragedy that occurred several months earlier. On the morning of March 20, 1991, Clapton's son, Conor, was staying with his mother in an apartment building in New York. Clapton was then at a nearby hotel preparing to go out to pick up his son for lunch and later to visit the Central Park Zoo. Conor fell from the window of the 53rd floor apartment, that was accidentally left open, following cleaning work in the apartment. He was found dead. Two song where written by Clapton at the time and was directly inspired by the death of his son. "Circus Left Town" tells the story of spending time in a circus with Conor on the night before his death. "Tears in Heaven" which is a personal and touching song, which like many ballads, was greatly influenced by the emotional state of its creator. For Clapton, this song was created out of intense pain following the death of his son. In the song Clapton faces the loss of his son, his heartache and longing of a grieving parent. The two songs were not originally intended to be released, but the producer of the film "Rush" that Clapton was suppose to write it's soundtrack, insisted that he include the song in the soundtrack as she convinced him that the song could touch and help many people who experienced the same pain. It is possible that the "Unplugged" show would not have happened without the tragedy described, for sure it certainly would not have sounded as it is. Clapton has proven that when you go with the heart then nothing can stand in your way. Clapton's "Unplugged" album became his best-selling album, ever. What’s more, it has become the world’s best-selling live album of all time, with sales of over 26 million copies. The album has also won six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Artist of the Year. "Guitar World" magazine chose the album as the best guitar album of the year, and more and more, this list of titles just does not end. Clapton's playing on this album proved that no matter, electric or acoustic, he is a guitar wizard, a "master" who is attached to this mighty instrument as if it were another organ in his body. The album opens up with "Signe" an instrumental piece by Clapton that immediately puts the listener in the mood with the acoustic, smooth and clean sound of his Martin guitar. Immediately after, Clapton brings us a cover version of Bo Diddley's song "Before You Accuse Me", a blues classic that simply surpasses the original. This is not the only cover version on the album. Here you will find, among others, "Hey Hey" by Big Bill Broonzy, "Malted Milk" by Robert Johnson, which Clapton admired and even dedicated an entire album to in 2004, "Rollin 'and Tumblin" by Muddy Waters, and more. But the highlight of the album focuses on two songs that surpass the rest. The first is an immortal version of "Derek and the Dominoes"' "Layla". Clapton simply broke the song and the electric guitar line so identified with it to tiny elements, and rebuilt them, slower, acoustic, more emotional. The second song "Tears In Heaven" is a tear-breaking song that Clapton wrote in memory of his son Connor, who fell from the 53rd floor of an apartment building in New York when he was just four years old. The song appeared on the soundtrack of the movie "Rush" and was released as a single about a week before the show was recorded. In conclusion, Clapton proved that the fan who wrote the famous graffiti in 1967 was not wrong. This album managed to inspire a new and fresh spirit in Clapton's career and was the final stamp intended for those who have not yet grasped it. Clapton is indeed a God! And now all you have to do is listen to the album: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Here are some interesting facts about Geoff Downes - English keyboardist known as a member of "The Buggles" "Yes", "Asia" and much more: (Photo: vinylwritermusic.wordpress.com) = He was born on August 25, 1952 in Stockport, Cheshire, England, to musical parents; his father was a church organist, and his mother was a pianist. = Downes attended Stockport Grammar School and later graduated from Leeds College of Music. = His musical influences include Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and Dave Sinclair. = During the 60s Downes displayed his early talent, playing keyboards with several local bands. = After moving to London, he worked as a session musician and composed advertising jingles. = In the years 1975-1977 Downes played in various bands, including "She's French" and "Gary Boyle's band". He also worked on a theatre production of "The Wombles". = In 1977 Downes met Trevor Horn while auditioning for Tina Charles' backing band, leading to the formation of "The Buggles". = In 1978 Downes and Horn briefly formed the group "Chromium", recording the album "Star to Star" with Anne Dudley and Hans Zimmer. = In 1979 "The Buggles" achieved worldwide fame with the release of their hit single "Video Killed the Radio Star", which became the first video clip ever played on MTV. = In 1980 "The Buggles" released their debut album, "The Age of Plastic". = The same year Downes and Horn joined "Yes", contributing to the album "Drama". Downes became the first member of "Yes" with a music degree. = In 1981 "Yes" disbanded and Downes worked with Horn on "The Buggles'" second album, "Adventures in Modern Recording". = The same year Downes co-founded the supergroup "Asia" with Steve Howe, John Wetton, and Carl Palmer. = In 1982 he played in one song from Kate Bush's album "The dreaming". = In 1982 "Asia" released their debut album, "Asia", featuring the hit single "Heat of the Moment." The album spent nine consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard charts. = In the years 1983 and 1985 "Asia" released their second and third album, "Alpha" and "Astra". = In 1985 Downes played in Agnetha Faltskog's album "Eyes of a Woman". = In 1986 he co-produced the "Nothing in Common" single for "Thompson Twins". = In the years 1986-1990 Downes left "Asia" briefly but rejoined in 1990, remaining a consistent member since then. = In 1986 Downes produced the Album "GTR" of Steve Howe and Steve Hackett's supergroup "GTR". = In 1987 he co-produced Mike Oldfield's album "Islands". = In 1989 Downes participated in a remake of "Deep Purple's" "Smoke on the Water" to raise funds for Spitak earthquake victims. = In 2001 he released his first studio album with John Wetton. = In the years 2005-2009 Downes continued his collaborated with John Wetton on the "Icon" project, releasing three studio albums an EP and a live DVD. = In the year 2006 Downes joined Alan White's band, "White", for their debut album. = In 2006 Downes reunited with the original "Asia" lineup and continued touring with them until 2008. = In 2008 "Asia" released "Phoenix", the first new album by the original lineup since 1983. = In 2010 Downes released the solo album "Electronica". = In 2011 he rejoined "Yes", recording "Fly from Here" and returning as their full-time keyboardist. = In 2012 Downes co-founded the "Downes Braide Association" (DBA) with Chris Braide, releasing the album "Pictures of You". = Until 2023 Downes will continue to release 4 more albums under the "DBA" title. = In 2012 he co-wrote most of the songs on "Asia’s" 12th studio album "XXX". = In 2013 Downes joined the quirky, humor-oriented project Deckchair Poets, contributing to albums like "Searchin' for a Lemon Squeezer" and "Who Needs Pyjamas?" = In 2014 "Yes" released the album "Heaven & Earth" with Downes as a key contributor. = In 2015 he was featured in Greg Lake's album "Ride the Tiger". = In 2017, After John Wetton’s death, Downes continued "Asia’s" "Legacy" album with Billy Sherwood as bassist and vocalist. = In 2021 Downes contributed to "Yes’s" album "The Quest". = In 2023 Downes was part of "Yes’s" release of "Mirror to the Sky". = Downes has been married three times, with two daughters from his first marriage. He lives in South Wales with his third wife, Martine, and step-son, Louis. = Downes entered the Guinness Book of Records for playing 28 keyboards in a single performance. = Over the years Downes collaborated and was featured in many artists' albums, such as: Steve Howe, John Wetton, Nektar, Billy Idol, Billy Sherwood. = Downes cites "Yes’s" "Drama" as the album he is most proud of. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He is the well-known Israeli with the famous tongue, the bass player, and one of the founders of the legendary rock band "KISS" !! So let's have 12 facts you may not have known about him... (Photo: Jim Dyson) 1. He was born on August 25, 1949, in Haifa (yes, in Israel) under the name "Haim Weitz" but at the age of eight he moved with his mother to live in Queens and changed his name to "Eugene Klein", his stage name is Gene Simmons and his nickname in the band is The Demon. 2. Together with the band they released no less than 20 studio albums !! 3. He once owned a football team called "LA KISS" along with his bandmate Paul Stanley. 4. He never consumed alcohol or drugs because he promised his mother that he would not do so. His mother is a Hungarian Holocaust survivor and Simmons is very attached to her. 5. He is a very big philanthropist and even received quite a number of awards for it, especially for his contributions to children. (Photo: AP) 6. Prior to his musical career Simmons was a sixth-grade teacher at the Spanish Harlem School in New York. 7. He speaks five languages: Hebrew, English, German, Hungarian and Japanese. 8. Believe it or not but his trademark, his famous tongue was measured and it stretches to a length of 17.8 cm !! He even has a lifestyle magazine bearing the name of the tongue "Gene Simmons' Tongue". 9. Simmons has a special talent he received not voluntarily. He can spit a flame of fire to a distance of almost 5 meters. When the band director came up with the idea of ​​pyrotechnics for performances, no one wanted to be the one spitting the fire so Simmons was chosen for the role and was trained by the magician "Amaze-O". The first time he performed the stunt, the flame was so strong (with a combination of an excessive amount of hair spray) that he burned a significant portion of his head hair. (Photo: Morrisonhotelgallery.com) 10. He released two solo albums, the first "Gene Simmons" in 1978 and the second "Asshole" in 2004. 11. On his first solo album he hired the services of actress Katay Sagal, to perform background vocals on the album, you probably know her as "Gemma" from the "Children of Anarchy" TV Series. 12. He discovered one of the great bands of rock !! "Van Halen" !! He signed them to his label and started recording demos with them but in light of his crazy schedule with "KISS" they decided to break up and went to sign with Warner Music. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On August 28, 2006, "Iron Maiden" released its 14th studio album - "A Matter of Life and Death". (The album was released in the US, Canada and Japan on September 5 and in Italy and Finland on August 25). Let's start with the fact that this is the only album of "Iron Maiden" that has not been mastered. The material you are listening to sounds exactly as it sounds in the studio during the recordings, without console games and equalizers of any kind - "Pure Direct !!!" It was a conscious choice of the band that sought to sound most natural and close to the original. This is the third album since the glorious comeback of Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith to the band, and the third in a row with Kevin Shirley producing the previous two albums alongside Steve Harris. The album cover and its title hint at what's going on inside. Although this is not a concept album, most of the songs on the album deal with death and war over the bloody history of mankind. The title "A Matter of Life and Death", is taken from a British film about World War II which was rated by the British Film Institute as the 20th of the 100 best films to come out of the United Kingdom. The band started to write the material for this album after two world tours that accompanied their previous and successful album "Dance of Death" from 2003. Although this is not the first "Iron Maiden album that included Progressive material, it is probably the band's first album in which the dynamics, changes Frequent rhythms and complex composition became the goal. The first single released from the album - "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg", is a statement of intent regarding the complexity of the album, which includes only 10 songs spread over 72 minutes. This is an epic piece that tells the story of Benjamin Brig, whose biography was published simultaneously on a special website that the band uploaded in parallel with the release of the single. The person who allegedly set up the site was a cousin of the same Benjamin, who allegedly came across an old picture of him in his grandmother's house after she passed away. The same "cousin" allegedly set up the site in an attempt to search for Benjamin and on the site his biography could be read. Benjamin Briggs was born on September 3, 1939, the day the Allied forces declared war on Germany following the invasion of Poland. Benjamin's parents died in a terrible fire that occurred in their home in 1947 and Benjamin was sent to an orphanage. He was a very smart boy but tended to be lonely and did not connect with the other children in the orphanage. He experienced nightmares at night and used to draw them. In 1954 he left the orphanage and began working as an undertaker. He later traveled the world, but on June 18, 1978, his traces disappeared. His cousin set up the site specifically for the purpose of the search, that anyone who knew details about Benjamin's whereabouts would contact him, and so it was. One of the site's visitors announced that he had details about Benjamin and scheduled a meeting with his cousin for August 14, 2006 - the day of the single's release. Like the background story, the composition of the song is dynamic and complex. The first two minutes are a quiet introduction in which Harris' bass guitar is heard with a kind of chords, with Bruce Dickinson in the background as a mouthpiece for Benjamin's voice, which invites the listener to hear his story. Later in the song explodes with one of Maiden's beautiful riffs and with melodic and amazing singing that develops as the song progresses. This dynamic and epic style is found in other notable songs from the album, such as: "These Colors Don't Run" which talks about the heavy price the patriots pay on the front lines of the war, and "The Longest Day" which gives us details of the invasion of Normandy in World War II, which took place on 6 June 1944 and lasted until August 30, 1944, and the amazing “Brighter Than a Thousand Suns” which foretells an impending nuclear holocaust and includes Adrian Smith playing on a synthesizer. The war line takes a slightly different angle with songs like "The Pilgrim", “For the Greater Good of God”, and “Lord of Light” that address the role of religion in conflicts between peoples. There are no weak moments in this album. Even the shorter tracks like the second single "Different World" which rumors say is a tribute to Phil Lynott or "Out of the Shadows", fit in perfectly here. If we look at Iron Maiden's albums since their reunion in 2000 as one whole piece, as opposed to the number of strong songs on each album individually, we think that it's one of the band's best albums of the current millennium. No wonder then, that even the band itself chose to play it from start to finish in a tour designed to fully promote it. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website