On June 2, 1972, "Pink Floyd" released their seventh studio album "Obscured by Clouds". There is a tendency to treat "Obscured by Clouds" as little more than the bridge between "Meddle" and "The Dark Side of the Moon". History has not been particularly kind to it. Created as the soundtrack to Barbet Schroeder's film "La Vallée", the album arrived after the band's earlier soundtrack work on "More", "The Committee", and portions of "Zabriskie Point". Schroeder, impressed by their contribution to "More", specifically approached "Pink Floyd" to provide the music for his new film about two travelers searching for spiritual enlightenment in New Guinea. What makes the project particularly fascinating is its timing. While recording at Château d'Hérouville in France, the band were already developing ideas that would evolve into "The Dark Side of the Moon". The sessions for both projects effectively overlapped, with Floyd stepping away from their emerging masterpiece to quickly compose and record music for Schroeder's film before returning to the album that would change their career. Yet among longtime "Floyd" devotees, "Obscured by Clouds" has earned a very different reputation. It is widely regarded as one of the band's most underrated and slept-on releases, a remarkably consistent collection of songs that rarely receives the recognition afforded to the albums surrounding it. More than a soundtrack, it serves as a brilliant and surprisingly upbeat bridge between the exploratory psychedelia of "Meddle" and the legendary commercial and artistic peak that followed. The opening title track, "Obscured by Clouds", immediately announces a different approach. Rather than easing the listener in with extended experimentation, the band delivers a focused instrumental built around synthesizers, layered keyboards, and a muscular groove. David Gilmour's guitar work cuts through Richard Wright's atmospheric textures, creating a sense of movement that carries directly into "When You're In". The transition between the two pieces is seamless, and together they form one of the strongest instrumental openings in the band's discography. The mood shifts dramatically with "Burning Bridges", one of Richard Wright's finest contributions to the "Floyd" catalog. Built around gentle acoustic guitars and lush keyboard arrangements, the song possesses a warmth that would become increasingly rare in later years. Wright's melodic sensibilities bring a sense of optimism that perfectly complements the album's unusually bright character. That warmth continues with "The Gold It's in the...", a straightforward rocker by "Floyd" standards. Driven by an energetic rhythm section from Nick Mason and Roger Waters, the song demonstrates how effectively the band could operate when they abandoned grand ambitions and simply focused on momentum and groove. The first genuine masterpiece arrives with "Wot's... Uh the Deal?". Gilmour delivers one of the most understated vocal performances of his career, floating through a melody that feels simultaneously comforting and melancholic. Beneath its acoustic surface lies a recurring "Floyd" obsession: the passage of time and the quiet disappointment of adulthood. Its elegant arrangement and emotional honesty make it one of the finest hidden treasures in the entire "Floyd" catalog. The album's title track may open the record, but "Mudmen" arguably provides its emotional centerpiece. Expanding upon motifs introduced earlier, the instrumental allows Gilmour's expressive guitar phrasing and Wright's keyboards to do the storytelling. There is a cinematic quality to the composition that reminds listeners of the album's soundtrack origins, yet it functions perfectly as a standalone piece. Side two begins with "Childhood's End", one of the most overlooked songs the band ever recorded. Written solely by Gilmour, it combines a driving rhythm with lyrics contemplating mortality and the relentless passage of time. The soaring guitar work points directly toward the style he would perfect on later classics. In "Free Four" Waters disguises reflections on death and inevitability beneath one of the catchiest arrangements "Floyd" had recorded to that point. The contrast between the upbeat melody and the song's dark lyrical content would become one of his defining songwriting traits throughout the 1970s. The gentle "Stay" returns the spotlight to Wright, whose understated vocal performance and elegant keyboard work provide another reminder of how essential he was to the band's chemistry. The song's dreamlike atmosphere feels suspended in time, creating one of the record's most intimate moments. The album closes with "Absolutely Curtains", perhaps the clearest reminder of its soundtrack origins. The instrumental passages gradually build toward a haunting vocal chant recorded from the Mapuga tribe of Papua New Guinea. In lesser hands the piece might feel disconnected from the rest of the album, but here it functions as a fittingly mysterious conclusion to a record built on atmosphere and transition. What ultimately makes "Obscured by Clouds" so compelling is not any single song, but its consistency. Unlike the conceptual monuments that followed, this is a remarkably relaxed album. It lacks the sweeping ambition of "The Dark Side of the Moon", the emotional devastation of "Wish You Were Here", or the political fury of "Animals". Instead, it succeeds through craftsmanship, melody, and mood. It may never enjoy the cultural stature of later releases, but among dedicated fans its reputation has only grown over the years. It is highly regarded as one of the band's most slept-on and consistently rewarding records, it captures "Pink Floyd" at the precise moment they were evolving from psychedelic explorers into one of rock music's defining artistic forces. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

There are some albums that we are just scared to think about the atmosphere that surrounded their creative process. Albums that had to meet expectations and success, continuity, and musical genius. Unlike the business world where expectations and pressure are the daily routines, in the world of music, you have to be inspired to create and you have to be satisfied with the result... This is the story of "Adore", the fourth album by "The Smashing Pumpkins", which was released on June 2, 1998 The insane success of the previous album, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", gave "Smashing" the official "stamp" as a significant influence on the alternative rock world of the 90s, and established its status as a successful international band. But as in many stories and reviews, we have written, also in this case things began to take a different turn and instead of a bright and rosy reality everything became dark and gloomy. At the end of the tour of the previous album, the prominent man and leader of the band Billy Corgan overwent a difficult period. As a matter of fact, it wasn't just "difficult", because looking from the outside it is hell on earth !! The tour and the three successful albums played him completely, he felt musically drained and his creative part went through a process of suppression and shutdown. His best friend in the band and his writing and creative partner, drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, was addicted to drugs and alcohol and reached the point of no return, leaving Billy Corgan no choice but to fire him out of the band. More than that, Billy Corgan's marriage broke up, when the divorce process did not go well. In addition, he lost his mother who died of cancer. How can one even rise from such turmoil when his starting point is already very low from the beginning? (Photo: Yelena Yemchuck) If you have read our reviews of the band's three previous albums, you probably know that their creation has taken a heavy price on Corgan, which was on a verge of a nervous breakdown and in one case even made him think of suicide. Many rock stars in Corgan's position would have probably succumbed to drugs, alcohol, or even taken more extreme measures, to calm their minds a bit and cast out their inner demons. But luckily Billy's case was different... Before the band went on to record the album, they release two significant songs, the first was "Eye" which was specially recorded for the soundtrack of David Lynch's film called "Lost Highway". The second song called "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" was specially recorded for the movie "Batman & Robin". In both cases, Corgan wanted to break the classic rock pattern of bass/drums/guitars and travel in sweeping electronic districts. And indeed, both songs were massively influenced by electronic music and heavily used as electronic elements. By the way, the second song even won a Grammy, and maybe that's also what pushed Corgan to choose the direction of the next album. The band members put together about 30 demos for the album. After several shows the band made in the summer of 1997, they met with producer Brad Wood who had previously worked with Corgan, at some studio in Chicago, to start recording the album. The situation deteriorated very quickly and the dynamics quickly changed from group effort to individual. Corgan was not happy (again) with the contribution and creativity of the rest of the band, and the producer did not contribute to Corgan's confidence or inspiration, this time either, so after six weeks Corgan decided to stop the recordings and change the atmosphere. The entire band changed location and moved to Los Angeles, where they resumed work on the album, this time with Corgan being the sole producer and lead singer. The band rented a house in the city to strengthen the ties between them and bond a partnership. But even this attempt did not succeed when the sessions became heavy and slow, the technical side overshadowed the work and required a lot of time and fuss. The drums were also a challenging part, without a dominant and leading drummer like Chamberlain, the band recorded some of the songs on electronic drums, and some of the songs were recorded by several different drummers including Matt Cameron ("Pearl Jam", "Soundgarden") and Joey Waronker (Beck). Even the legendary producer Rick Rubin Came to help and produced one song (which eventually was not included in the album). In short, a complete mess. Corgan said he wanted to address a wider audience. To satisfy the fans who have already matured, but also appeal to those younger ones. So he decided to use electronic elements, acoustic elements (lots of pianos), and very little distortion. While Corgan may have consciously decided to go in that direction, we are inclined to believe that he was just droned in there, by all the tremendous chaos going on. We believe that this album reflects exactly all the sorrow and pain that surrounded its creative process. It's an album that screams pain and conveys sadness, from the moving and chilling opening song "To Sheila" to the rocking instrumental section "17" that seals the album. If you ask us, the very choice to open the album with such a melancholy song is meant to convey a message about what happens next and the upheavals that Corgan's soul went through. And think about it, how many alternative rock albums do you know with such a quiet opening? (Photo: Facebook official) So Corgan and friends decided to put the heavy guitars and thunderous drums aside, replacing them with synthesizers, drum machines, acoustic guitars, and lots of pianos. How much? At least five of the album's 16 songs are led by piano. The vibe of this album exudes more dark and electronic than alternative rock. You could even say that the two singles released from the album initially, "Ava Adore" and "Perfect" are the only ones that somehow come close to rock, in terms of rhythm and atmosphere. The album received positive reviews from critics but failed in public opinion. It went straight into second place on the Billboard 200, but a week later it totally crashed and failed miserably. The two singles "Ava Adore" and "Perfect" were unsuccessful and received little airing on radio stations. In order to try to promote the album, the band released two more singles, "Crestfallen" and "To Sheila", but these also did not succeed on the radio stations and were removed very quickly from broadcast rotations. Corgan claimed he was to blame for the result and that he was wrong when he told the public that the band intended to release a "techno" album, creating a misconception. He noted that if he had told the public that this was "Smashing's" acoustic album, then the album would have been a huge success. Despite the reviews and the lack of success, despite the melancholy and gloomy atmosphere, we actually really like this album. It has songs that penetrate the heart and soul, it has exciting and chilling moments. Listen to the opening song "To Sheila", to the howling guitars that remind us of "Minimal Compact" in the song "Daphne Descends", listen to Corgan's cries of pain, especially with the word "Fallin" repeated towards the end of the song "Once Upon a Time", to "Tear"'s psychedelic keyboard sound (a song that was the first choice for the "Lost Highway" movie but rejected in favor of "Eye", or to "Crestfallen"'s piano and Corgan's singing, or the modern requiem in the 8-minute piece "For Martha" that Corgan dedicated to his mother. There are quite a few albums whose power comes from the heartbreak, whose cry comes from the silence, and whose melancholy can encourage us in difficult moments. "Adore" is one of them. Without making comparisons he easily joins our family of depressive and sad albums, like "Mercury Rev's" "Deserter's Songs", Beck's "Sea Changes" and more, a series of albums that we tend to pull out at specific moments in life and draw physical and mental strength from, so we can get back on track of the bumpy ride on the life's railroad... Still, we will leave the decision to you in this case... Click for YouTube Playlist "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Noam Asulin Release Date - 2.6.2017 I got to know "Unleash the Archers" at the end of 2017, just a few months after the release of their fourth album "Apex". Before reviewing this great album, let's get to know the band a little. Coming from Vancouver, Canada, "Unleash the Archers" plays power metal and includes Brittney Slayes (vocals), Scott Buchanan (drums), and Grant Truesdell (guitars and unclean vocals), Andrew Kingsley (guitars), Nick Miller (bass). The band was formed in 2007 and so far has released five albums. "Apex" is the band's fourth album and is a turning point in their career, as this album has won a good production compared to the band's previous albums, mainly thanks to the band moving up to a well-known record company. This is a concept album that tells the story of an immortal man, 1000 years old. He was cursed to obey the instructions of whoever woke him up. In the opening track ("Awakening") a character named "The Matriarch" wakes him up and demands that he find and bring her four sons to life. She plans to sacrifice her sons to an entity greater than herself, in order to have an immortal life of her own. She also promises the immortal to set him free in case he brings her sons in time. This whole part of the story is told in the first four songs. In the next four songs the immortal search and finds the sons of "The Matriarch". In the fifth track "The Coward's Way" finds her political son, in "Falls Walls" he finds the cult leader, and another in the song "10,000 Against One". All three are quite despicable so the immortal does not show any caring towards them. The fourth son ("Earth and Ashes") is a kind-hearted man who wants to live with his family and he befriends the immortal, but when the time comes to return him to his mother, the immortal does not spare him either. In the ninth track "Call Me Immortal" "The Matriarch" gets what she wants, but does not keep her promise and instructs the immortal man to go back to sleep, until someone needs him again. In the last track, he goes back to sleep on the mountain "Apex" from which he came from. Interestingly, the Japanese version of the album includes a live cover of the song "Queen of the Reich" by "Queensrÿche". Most of the songs on this album, are very melodic and with distinct speed and power metal characteristics. Although this is an hour-long album, with long songs that reach even 8 minutes, it is a sheer pleasure to listen to from start to finish. In my opinion, the solos are amazing. I consider this album to be one of the best power metal albums of all time. This album shows off everything Britney has to offer. She sings so well that there are times when you don't believe these voices are coming from her mouth. The production is polished and proves that it can upgrade the album on several levels. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Please join us for 46 trivia facts about the singer and artist Alanis Morissette, who has been crowned by The Rolling Stone magazine as "Queen of Alt-Rock Angst". (Photo: singersroom.com) 1. She was born in Ottawa Canada on June 1, 1974, as Alanis Nadine Morissette. 2. She has a twin brother named Wade who is 12 minutes younger than her. He is, also in the music business. 3. She started writing songs at a very young age. She noted that she wrote her first song at the age of nine. 4. In her youth and twenties, Morissette suffered from depression and eating disorders - anorexia and bulimia. 5. Alanis Morissette is vegan. 6. Already at the age of 10, she starred in the Canadian TV series "You Can't Do That On Television". 7. With the money she earned from the TV series, Alanis recorded her first single "Fate Stay With Me" in 1989. 8. In 1991, only at the age of 17, Alanis released her first album - "Alanis". A hugely successful pop/dance album in Canada, it has been compared to the American Debbie Gibson and even served as the opening show for Vanilla Ace. 9. In 1992, Alanis was nominated for the Canadian Juno Awards in three categories. That same year she released the album "Now is the Time" in which she tried the dance-pop style, but it failed and her contract with the record company was not renewed. 10. In 1993, Alanis moved to Toronto in an attempt to seek her fortune in music. She later moved to Nashville but even, in this case, her efforts did not bear fruit. 11. In frustration, Alanis decides to move to Los Angeles, where she met producer and author Glenn Ballard. The connection between them was immediate and after a 30-minute session, they had already started recording songs in his home studio. 12. The first song the two wrote together for the album was “Ironic”. 13. One of the defining moments in the relationship between Alanis and Ballard was during the writing of the song "Perfect" which was written and recorded in just 20 minutes. Alanis improvised the lyrics to the sounds of Ballard's guitar playing. At this point, the "dam broke" and Alanis began writing the song "Jagged Little Pill" at a dizzying pace. 14. All the songs on the album were recorded in one or two takes at most. 15. The song "You Oughta Know" from the album featured Flea on bass guitar and Dave Navarro on guitar. 16. The song was written by Alanis about her relationship with actor Dave Coulier. 17. The song "Hand In My Pocket" was written by Alanis in just one hour. 18. The album "Jagged Little Pill" was released in 1995. Alanis was then only 21. It was a huge success with sales of over 33 million copies. 19. It also nominated Alanis for six Grammy Awards, of which she won "Album of the Year", "Best Female Rock Performance", "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Album". 20. At that time she was the first Canadian singer to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. 21. After the release of the album, Alanis embarked on a worldwide tour. Who accompanied her as a drummer in this round was none other than Taylor Hawkins, known from the "Foo Fighters", drummer. 22. In 1998 Alanis recorded "Uninvited" - a theme song for the movie "City of Angels". Anyone who has not listened to the unplugged version of the song has never heard pure beauty before. 23. Later that year, Alanis released the album "Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie", for which she also wrote the songs in collaboration with Glenn Ballard. 24. The tour intended to promote the album was sponsored by MP3.com and Alanis received, among other things, stock options in the company under the contract signed with it. She sold the stock options a year later for $ 1.5 million. 25. In 1999, "Uninvited" won two Grammy Awards for "Best Rock Song" and "Performing the Best Vocal Rock for a Woman". 26. That same year Alanis released the acoustic album "MTV Unplugged". 27. Back in the same year, Alanis appeared in the role of "God" in Kevin Smith's "Model" and also performed the song "Still" from the film's soundtrack. 28. In 2000 she went on a world tour during which she also made two appearances in Israel. 29. In 2002, Alanis released her third international album, "Under Rug Swept". It was the first international album in which she did not collaborate with Glenn Ballard. 30. Later in 2002, Alanis released the set box "Feast on Scraps" which included, among other things, eight unofficial songs from the recordings of "Under Rug Swept". 31. In 2003 Alanis appeared in the play "The Exonerated" on Broadway. She played the role of a prisoner who was sentenced to execution and released after being proven innocent. 32. In 2004, Alanis released her fourth international album - "So-Called Chaos". 33. That same year she hosted the Canadian Juno Awards Ceremony. 34. In 2005 Alanis released an acoustic version of "Jagged Little Pill" with Glenn Ballard. (Photo: Williams & Hirakawa) 35. That same year she released a compilation album that included recordings that had not been released on her previous albums including a performance of Seal's song "Crazy". 36. Back in that year, she wrote and recorded the song "Wunderkind" for the soundtrack of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. 37. The year 2005 was busy for Alanis who also received American citizenship that year. 38. In 2009 she appeared in the fifth season of the series "Weeds". 39. In August 2012 the album "Havoc and Bright Lights" was released. That same year, Alanis performed at Nokia Hall in Tel Aviv. 40. In 2017, her manager admitted that he stole from her during all those years a huge sum of about $ 5 million. 41. On July 30, 2018, she performed again in Israel, this time at Live Park in Rishon Lezion. 42. Alanis appeared in an advertisement for the fashion company GAP. 43. She starred in an episode of "Sex and the City" and even got to kiss Sarah Jessica Parker in one of the scenes. 44. She also appeared in the play "Monologues from the Vagina". 45. In 2004, Alanis announced her engagement to actor Ryan Reynolds. After a long period without marriage the two separate, but today she is married to rapper "Mario Souleye" and a mother of three. 46. ​​In July 2020, Alanis released her ninth album after an eight-year hiatus - "Such Pretty Forks in the Road". 47. In June 2022, Alanis released a different and special album called "The Storm Before the Calm". An album that includes 11 instrumental pieces that take the listener on a journey between silence and storm. She created the album together with the electronic duo "Darkside". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The biggest disaster in the history of the music industry. The master recordings of over 100,000 albums, including Nirvana's "Nevermind" were lost in a huge fire. On June 1, 2008, a huge fire consumed parts of "Universal Studios Hollywood", Los Angeles, California. Universal stated at the time that the fire destroyed only an amusement facility of the "King Kong" movie as well as a safe in which copies of old videos were stored. Investigations by the New York Times reveal that more than 100,000 album masters, some of them masterpieces, were lost in a June 2008 Universal Studios fire. But an article published on 2019 in the New York Times magazine, shows that in the same fire that occurred 11 years earlier, masters of 118,230 albums including about 500,000 songs and albums that are considered classics and assets also caught fire. According to an investigation by the New York Times, "Universal" hid information that the fire broke out in a building numbered 6197, which contains a safe of audio masters. The New York Times refers in its article to a confidential report of Universal Studios from 2009 detailing its estimates of the damage caused by the fire and the amount of masters lost during it. Universal's secret report which reached the New York Times magazine, lists the works of the artists whose recordings were apparently lost forever in the same fire, and below is an unrepresentative sample of those artists: Elton John, "Lynyrd Skynyrd", Eric Clapton, "the Eagles", "Aerosmith", "Steely Dan", Iggy Pop, the Police, R.E.M, "Nirvana", "Soundgarden", Hole, Beck, Tom Petty, Nine Inch Nails, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, "Mamas and the Papas", Joni Mitchell, Cat Stevens, "the Carpenters", Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Bo Diddley, Etta James, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, Aretha Franklin. According to a New York Times article, Universal workers at the time made many efforts to diminish the extent of the damage caused by that fire, in order to avoid embarrassment. The results of an investigation by the New York Times are very disturbing. It is not clear how the assets of music, are stored so carelessly and without proper means of protection, and how original materials that are part of the historical heritage of music are not preserved in a way that will allow future generations to enjoy them as well. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 01.06.1985 Gordon had a dream. In it, he was sitting in the walled garden behind his home in Hampstead, beneath a lilac tree on a perfectly maintained lawn, surrounded by beautiful rose bushes. Suddenly, bricks from the wall began collapsing into the garden. It could not be happening. Gordon watched in shock as the head of a gigantic turtle emerged from the darkness, followed by four or five others, all of them human-sized. He noticed something even stranger. Not only were they as large as people, they were blue and completely fearless. They did not attack him, but with almost casual violence they destroyed his English garden, tearing up the grass with their claws, ripping out the rose bushes, and pushing over the lilac tree with a tremendous crash. The moment the lilac tree fell, Gordon woke up abruptly from the dream. At the time, he was in Barbados searching for meaning in what he had just experienced. With no famous dream interpreter available to help him, he eventually decided to name his first solo album "The Dream of the Blue Turtles", which was released on June 1, 1985. Leaving a band like "The Police" was already a major gamble. Leaving after a peak such as "Synchronicity", an album that won Grammy Awards and turned "The Police" into one of the dominant rock bands of the era, seemed even more extreme. In the end, growing tensions within the band and the desire of each member to pursue individual creative projects led to the decision to take a break. Stewart Copeland began composing film soundtracks, while Andy Summers recorded two albums with Robert Fripp. The hiatus left Sting free to begin his solo career. He started exploring his artistic identity and searching for new sources of inspiration. He wanted to be taken more seriously not only as a musician, but also as a lyricist, producer, and songwriter. The more people tried to define him by labels, the more restricted he felt. He wanted the freedom to constantly change and evolve, and he had little patience for creative repetition. Sting felt that he had largely exhausted the possibilities of traditional rock music and began moving toward a blend of pop, rock, and jazz. His vision was to create a rock record infused with jazz influences, supported by musicians capable of speaking both musical languages. To achieve this, he assembled an exceptional lineup that included saxophonist Branford Marsalis, keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, drummer Omar Hakim of "Weather Report", and future "The Rolling Stones" bassist Darryl Jones. His goal was to work with musicians who possessed the subtlety and improvisational instincts associated with jazz, while creating music that would not be confined by that label. The result was a record that reached musical territories rarely explored by mainstream pop releases. Many listeners were expected to be surprised by the album because it was neither a traditional jazz record nor a conventional pop album. Its unique blend of styles challenged easy categorization and raised questions about how radio stations would respond to it. With that broader perspective in mind, many of the major social, political, and cultural issues of the period found their way into Sting’s lyrics throughout the album. Sting later explained that he enjoyed treating songs as a modular system, borrowing and reshaping ideas from different compositions. That approach appears in "Love Is the Seventh Wave", where he briefly and playfully references "Every Breath You Take". The music video features Sting as an elementary school teacher, a nod to his profession before becoming a full-time musician. Throughout the clip, he performs among artwork created by his students. The anxiety created by escalating Cold War tensions, which was reflected in films such as The Day After (1983), found its way into the powerful and deeply moving "Russians". Built around musical themes inspired by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev, the song became one of the album's most enduring statements. In "Russians", Sting delivers a chilling summary of nuclear deterrence, mutually assured destruction, and the ever-present threat of global annihilation. The song's central message offers a rare glimmer of hope amid the fear, suggesting that beyond political ideology and military posturing, ordinary people on both sides share the same human concerns. To many Americans at the time, the Soviet Union was portrayed as an "evil empire" determined to destroy the West. "Russians" challenged that narrative by searching for compassion within the rhetoric of the Cold War, presenting a perspective that was rarely heard in mainstream popular music during that period. Sting later explained that he enjoyed treating songs as a modular system, borrowing and combining lines and ideas from different compositions. That approach can be heard in "Love Is the Seventh Wave", where he makes a brief and playful reference to "Every Breath You Take". The music video features Sting as an elementary school teacher, the profession he held before launching his music career. Throughout the clip, he appears among artwork created by his students. The anxiety surrounding escalating Cold War tensions, which was reflected in films such as The Day After (1983), finds powerful expression in the moving "Russians", built around musical themes inspired by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. In "Russians", Sting delivers a chilling reflection on nuclear deterrence, mutually assured destruction, and the constant threat of global annihilation. The song's only saving grace, as he suggests, is the belief that "the Russians love their children too." To many Americans at the time, the Soviet Union was portrayed as an "Evil Empire" whose goal was the destruction of the West. "Russians" searches for compassion beneath the political rhetoric, offering a perspective that was rarely heard in mainstream popular music during that era. Not everyone agreed with Sting's perspective. "The Police" drummer Stewart Copeland, whose father had worked for the CIA, viewed the Cold War through a very different lens. As Copeland later explained, no matter how strong his political arguments might have been, Sting could disarm them with a simple line such as "the Russians love their children too." Copeland famously remarked that it was impossible to argue with a poet. The lyric "How can I save my little boy from Oppenheimer's deadly toy?" references the atomic bomb developed under the leadership of American physicist Robert Oppenheimer, often referred to as the father of the atomic bomb. Sting later recalled how, while in New York, he discovered that local television broadcasts occasionally carried Soviet children's programming. Watching those shows led him to a simple but profound realization: Russian parents cared about their children just as much as American parents did. That observation became one of the central ideas behind "Russians." He originally hoped to record the song in the Soviet Union with the Leningrad State Orchestra, but bureaucratic and political obstacles ultimately prevented the collaboration from happening. Following a reworked version of "Shadows in the Rain" from "The Police", the album reaches one of Sting's most personal statements with "We Work the Black Seam". The song was inspired by the British miners' strike that dominated the year before the album's release, a bitter conflict between coal miners and the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The lyrics express the miners' deep connection to their profession and emphasize the importance of coal mining to Britain's economy and cultural identity. Sting also weaves references to William Blake's And did those feet in ancient time while criticizing Thatcher's economic policies, particularly the government's push toward nuclear power as a replacement for coal. The subject was especially meaningful to Sting because of his roots in northeastern England. Growing up near Newcastle, he witnessed firsthand how entire communities depended on mining for their livelihoods. He felt that during the strike, too few voices were defending the importance of coal while also questioning the growing reliance on nuclear energy. His father had worked in shipbuilding, another industry that once stood at the heart of Britain's economy before declining throughout the twentieth century. The song therefore reflects not only political concerns, but also Sting's personal connection to the industrial communities that shaped his upbringing. The album closes with two songs wrapped in a smoky jazz atmosphere. The first is "Moon over Bourbon Street", inspired by Anne Rice's novel Interview with the Vampire. "Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire was the direct inspiration for this song, but there was one moonlit night in the French Quarter of New Orleans when I had the distinct impression that I was being followed." – Sting The song placed radio programmers in an awkward position. Sting was one of the biggest artists in the world at the time, yet "Moon over Bourbon Street" did not fit comfortably into any established radio format. As a result, it received relatively little airplay in the United States, while a number of British stations proved more adventurous and added it to their playlists. For the closing track "Fortress Around Your Heart", Sting set out to write what he described as a reconciliation song. The lyrics use the image of an abandoned fortress within a walled city as a metaphor for a relationship that has survived a figurative war, with the narrator finally ready to leave the battles behind and seek peace. Reflecting on what once existed between the two people, Sting sings about building bridges and extinguishing old conflicts. Yet he recognizes that reconciliation will not come easily, because he must first cross the very battlefield where he once planted the mines himself. The song was inspired by Sting's divorce from his first wife, Frances Tomelty. The pain and regret he felt over the collapse of that marriage became a recurring source of inspiration for some of his most celebrated songwriting, including "Every Breath You Take" and "King of Pain." Unlike much of the album, Sting also played the bass guitar himself on "Fortress Around Your Heart", bringing an additional personal touch to one of the record's most intimate and reflective moments. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

The greatest drummer in rock, John Bonham, was born on May 31, 1948. (Photo: Chris Walter) Bonham is ranked No. 1 on "Rolling Stone" Magazine's 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time. With his first drum beat in the song "Good Times Bad Times", Bonham forever changed the world of rock and the whole perception of drumming. There is no drummer in the rock and metal world who has not been influenced by this legendary drummer, who started playing on tin boxes at the age of five and never took music lessons. In 2010 Dave Grohl wrote an article about "Led Zeppelin" for the "Rolling Stone" magazine. he said the trick was not just to learn and memorize everything Bonham did on the band's albums, but to put himself in a position where he would have the same instincts that Bonham had in drumming. Grohl went on to point out the things that sum up Bonham's greatness: "John Bonham played the drums like someone who didn't know what was going to happen next—like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. No one has come close to that since, and I don't think anybody ever will. I think he will forever be the greatest drummer of all time" (Photo: Quora.com) And now we've filtered out for you 10 interesting facts about the drummer whose every stroke of the snare drum equals the blow of Thor's hammer: 1. He was Tony Iommi's best man during his wedding in 1973. 2. He played with Keith Moon on the same stage at "Led Zeppelin's" performanceת on July 23, 1973. 3. He was one of the first drummers to use the Triplet technique in which he compressed 3 consecutive bass blows with the foot, where in a normal rhythm there was room for only one bass beat. He did this already in the first song from "Led Zeppelin's" first album - "Good Times Bad Times". 4. The song "Four Sticks" from the album "Led Zeppelin IV" got its name since Bonham plays with four sticks. Bonham did not like the way the song sounded and in frustration just hit the drums with 4 sticks. 5. Bonham's drumming in the song "When The Levee Breaks" follows the guitar riff and is not traditionally in sync with John Paul Jones' bass rhythm. 6. The instrumental section "Moby Dick" shows the great abilities of John Bonham on drums. The track during Zeppelin's live performances lasts for over 20 minutes, during which Bonham also drums with his bare hands up to bloodshed. The piece was called "Moby Dick" since his son Jason Bonham would ask him to play "The Long Song" and when Bonham asked him why, the son replied that he was as long as "Moby Dick". 7. He plays drums in some of the songs on Wings' (Paul McCartney's band), "Back to the Egg" album. 8. He also almost appeared on another Paul McCartney & Wings album called "Wings at the Speed ​​of Sound" from 1976. A demo version of the song "Beware My Love" which was released in the deluxe version of the album from 2014. 9. He took to the stage at one of "Damned" shows in the 1970s and was contempt by punk fans who did not like his complex drumming. 10. He appeared in the film "Son of Dracula" from 1974. The film also starred Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, and more. Bonus fact: On August 5, 1970, he was a guest at a "Skid Row" show (that of Gary Moore) at the famous Whiskey a-Gogo Club in Los Angeles. They performed the song "Whole Lotta Love" together. John Bonham passed away on September 25, 1980, he was only 32 years old! "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On May 31, 1979, "Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)" released their eighth studio album, "Discovery". This album has a special meaning for us. We received this album in real-time thanks to a special sale by the "Tempo" beverage company, in which records were distributed free of charge, in exchange for corks from "Tempo" bottles. Thanks to this amazing operation, which was called "Tempo Hit" at the time, we increased our record collection, and more importantly, we expanded our horizons with artists and genres that we might not have reached without this campaign. These were other times. Without the Internet, YouTube, or Spotify, the main channels through which we were exposed to music were the radio and records. Sometimes we would listen to one album for months, until we had enough money (or corks) to buy the next album. The album was plowed back and forth until we knew every word and every note. By the way, we still have the specific album in our record collection. An Israeli version, which quite rarely in those years included a folded cover and even an attached poster. The choice of the album from all the hundreds of records distributed as part of Tempo's campaign was immediate. After all, "hits" from it were played non-stop on radio stations, at parties, and events, so we had no shadow of a doubt that we needed this album on the family record collection. The walk to the nearest record collection point was full of immense excitement accompanied by anxiety, lest the specific album is out of stock and God forbid we have to retrace our steps empty-handed and wait until the stock is renewed or alternatively choose another album. But to our great joy, this time our hand was on top and in exchange for a sufficient amount of corks we received the album of the "Electric Lights Orchestra". This album marked a significant change in the musical style and lineup of the band, especially compared to the double masterpiece released before - "Out of the Blue" from 1977. This change was due to two main factors. First, at that time the "disco" was a pon high and the undisputed leader Jeff Lynne sought to divert the influences on the musical material from the "Beatles" to the "Bee Gees". Yes, Yes. He just wanted to sound like them. Second, The grandiose tour that accompanied the masterpiece album "Out of the Blue" and featured a huge replica of the spaceship from the iconic album cover, caused a huge financial loss. To this, we must be add the lawsuit in which the band was involved, during which it was accused of using full "playback" during their performances. All this led Jeff Lynne to conclude that it was time to cut back - and in this case, it was quite so, literally. The band, which sometimes numbered 7 or more members, was reduced to a quartet that includes Jeff Lynne, drummer Bev Bevan, keyboardist Richard Tandy, and bassist Kelly Groucutt. The album "Discovery" introduced us to a band with an updated sound and a reduced lineup. The name of the album also indicates what is happening inside and it consists of the words: "Disco-Very" - that is, "full of disco". The literal interpretation also refers to "finding" a new sound under an efficient smaller band. The band, which is essentially a connection between rock and classical music and whose string players were an integral part of its ensemble, had to say goodbye to violinist Mik Kaminski and cellists Hugh McDowell and Melvyn Gale, and the result was immediately expressed in sound and musical direction. Although the three will appear in clips taken for the album's songs, their names are missing from the record cover. As part of the musical changes, Jeff Lynne made a decision not to go on a tour to promote the album. Instead, the band filmed clips for all nine songs on the album without exception, and we in Israel even got to watch all those clips in one sequence, as these were broadcast at night on the only TV channel we had in the country. By the way, the three string players Kaminski, McDowell, and Gail appeared in the same clips as part of the band, but as mentioned they were no longer part of the band. We have compiled for you a playlist of all the clips in the chronological order of the album which you can watch here: Five successful singles were released from the album. The opening song "Shine a Little Love" was released as the first single and became the band's biggest hit to date. "The Diary of Horace Wimp" which describes a week in the life of a repressed man who wants to express his affection for a woman he meets. "Don't Bring Me Down" which is the band's biggest hit in the US and UK, and has no drummer in it, as the recording technician, came up with an idea to take a sample of Bev Bevan's drumming in the song "On The Run", slow it down and play it in a loop. "Confusion" which describes the thoughts of a man in a romantic relationship and of course the amazing "Last Train to London" which was released as a Double A-Side along with the previous song. But this album is definitely not just the five singles we mentioned. All the other songs in it are noteworthy, especially the two ballads "Midnight Blue" and "Need Her Love". And now, put on your disco shoes and jump with us to the dance floor with one of the most fun albums of the seventies: 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 - 31.05.1994 A gentle flute melody repeats itself over and over, emerging softly from the speakers as if determined to deliver good news. Then, without warning, it is interrupted by a rap verse: "Cause you can't, you won't, and you don't stop / Mike D come and rock the sure shot" That is how the fourth album by "Beastie Boys", "Ill Communication", opens. Released on May 31, 1994, it immediately announces that something has changed. 1994 was undoubtedly the year when rap and hip-hop fully seized control of the American music landscape. If Dr. Dre had opened the door in 1992 and Snoop Dogg pushed it even wider in 1993, then 1994 was the year the promise became reality for Black artists. The genre's rise was so dramatic that it would soon lead to the infamous East Coast versus West Coast rivalry that ultimately claimed the lives of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Most rap and hip-hop artists of that era shared a common denominator. It was a culture built around excess and image. Glossy music videos filled with scantily clad women, swaggering attitudes, profanity, insults, and lyrics that frequently objectified women were everywhere. There were exceptions. Groups such as "A Tribe Called Quest" and "De La Soul" championed a cleaner form of hip-hop built on clever rhymes, positivity, and self-deprecating humor. However, they operated in a landscape where they were very much the minority, especially during the years when G-funk and its often misogynistic themes dominated the charts. Against this very clear backdrop, "Beastie Boys" arrived with "Ill Communication" and created something of a revolution. A band that had not exactly avoided crude language or the objectification of women during its first three albums suddenly delivered a fourth record whose title might suggest a breakdown in communication, yet ultimately demonstrated the exact opposite. This was the moment when the three members of "Beastie Boys" — Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch, and Michael "Mike D" Diamond — initiated a transformation that stood out sharply from the culture surrounding them. They became one of the first major voices within their scene to signal that the times were changing, and that the culture itself needed to evolve along with them. The shift becomes apparent from the very first track, "Sure Shot", particularly during a verse that arrives roughly two minutes into the song and makes it clear that a dramatic change is taking place here: "Want to say a little something that's long overdue, the disrespect to women has got to be through, to all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends, I want to offer my love and respect to the end" With old scores settled and the reckless-boy image largely behind them, Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D had far more to offer. Their focus shifted away from women and toward broader subjects, including the short, punchy punk track "Tough Guy", which references Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons' infamous "Bad Boys" era. "Ill Communication" serves as a melting pot of every style the "Beastie Boys" had embraced from their formation through their newfound maturity. This allows them to jump effortlessly from a hardcore punk burst to "Root Down", a track built around samples from jazz and funk giants such as Jimmy Smith, Dick Hyman, "The Meters", and "The Stone Alliance". Produced by the band alongside Mario Caldato Jr., the album moves comfortably between hip-hop, punk rock, jazz, and funk, showcasing a level of musical versatility that few of their contemporaries could match. Then there is "Sabotage", the song that became the album's defining image thanks to Spike Jonze's unforgettable music video. The track began when MCA started playing the now-famous repeating bass line during a studio session, immediately capturing the attention of the rest of the band. Ad-Rock and Mike D quickly picked up their instruments and joined in, building the song around that relentless groove. According to Ad-Rock in the 2020 documentary "Beastie Boys Story", the lyrics were inspired by a fictionalized frustration with producer Mario Caldato Jr., who would regularly interrupt the band's brainstorming sessions and insist that they stop fooling around and get back to work. Since this account is a paraphrased recollection rather than a verified direct quotation, it is best understood as narration rather than an exact quote. Unlike much of their earlier work, the "Beastie Boys" did not rely on samples for "Sabotage". Instead, the track was built almost entirely from live instrumentation, a creative direction they had already begun exploring on "Check Your Head". Part of the motivation was practical: sample licensing had become increasingly expensive, making original performances a more attractive option. The song sat unfinished for quite some time because the band could not come up with suitable lyrics. At one point, they even considered releasing it as an instrumental. Eventually, the words came together, and vocals were added just two weeks before the album was completed, making "Sabotage" the final song added to the record. The iconic music video, directed by Spike Jonze, parodies 1970s police shows such as "CHiPs" and "Hawaii Five-O". Each member of the band portrays multiple characters using wigs, fake mustaches, and thrift-store clothing, creating the deliberately low-budget aesthetic that became one of the video's greatest strengths. Despite becoming one of the most recognizable music videos of the decade, "Sabotage" was nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards and failed to win a single one. The award for Best Direction instead went to "Everybody Hurts" by "R.E.M.". What followed became one of the most memorable moments in MTV history. As Michael Stipe accepted the award, Adam Yauch stormed the stage in the guise of his eccentric alter ego Nathanial Hörnblowér, complete with an oversized fake mustache. The stunt predated Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift by fifteen years and is often remembered as one of the earliest examples of a major award-show stage invasion. At the time, however, much of the audience was confused, as only dedicated "Beastie Boys" fans were familiar with the Nathanial Hörnblowér character. "Get It Together" samples the "5th Dimension" classic "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" as well as "Escape-ism" by James Brown, creating one of the album's most infectious and groove-driven moments. The album's instrumental side is equally impressive. Tracks such as "Sabrosa", "Futterman's Rule", "Ricky's Theme", and "Shambala" contribute enormously to the record's flow and atmosphere. At a time when many hip-hop artists could not offer this level of live musicianship and stylistic diversity, the "Beastie Boys" pushed the genre's boundaries, establishing themselves as innovators capable of blending hip-hop, punk, jazz, and funk into a cohesive whole. Additional musical contributions came from Money Mark, Eric Bobo, and Amery Smith, while guest rap appearances from Q-Tip and Biz Markie further expanded the album's creative palette. The band also drew inspiration from Miles Davis' groundbreaking jazz-rock albums "On the Corner" and "Agharta", influences that can be heard throughout the album's adventurous instrumental passages. One of the record's most unusual tracks is "Bodhisattva Vow". By this point, Adam Yauch had begun embracing Buddhism, and the song reflects the Bodhisattva vow, a commitment to liberate all living beings from suffering through the practice of generosity, ethical conduct, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. Yauch's serious study of Buddhism began after attending a lecture by the Dalai Lama in the spring of 1993, during the recording of "Check Your Head". Discussing the song, Yauch explained: "The general concept behind the song was to take the meaning of Shantideva's text, at least on the level that I understood it, and condense it into a modern, three-verse rhyming song." All proceeds from the song were donated to Aboriginal children's services, the Tibet House organization, and the Office of Tibet. The album cover has a fascinating history of its own. The photograph was taken by Bruce Davidson in 1964 at a drive-in diner in Los Angeles as part of an assignment for Esquire magazine. The images were ultimately never published by the magazine and remained largely unseen for decades. Although Davidson was unfamiliar with the music of the "Beastie Boys" and admitted that he did not fully understand it, he nevertheless agreed to let the band use the photograph, giving "Ill Communication" one of the most distinctive and enduring album covers of the 1990s. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He is very talented, he redefined the sounds of the guitar and he himself is a living "multi-effect"... He is Tom Morello, so Let's learn a little about the "Rage" Guitarist !! (Photo: Paul R.Giunta) 1. He was born in Harlem, New York on May 30, 1964. His full name is Thomas Baptiste Morello. 2. He is the only son of a mother of Irish/Italian descent and a father of Kenyan descent, from the Kikuyu tribe. Why is this important? Because his father took part in the Mau Mau uprising that took place in the 1950s between Kenya’s Freedom Army against British rule, after which he became Kenya’s first ambassador to the UN. 3. Not only was his father part of Kenya's leadership, but his cousin Jomo Kenyatta was also Kenya's first president, his cousin Jemimah Gecaga was the first woman to serve in Kenya's legislature and another cousin - Njoroge Mungai was part of Kenya's parliament and security cabinet. Conclusion: Tom has political, revolutionary, and militant roots !! 4. When he was in high school he sang in the school choir and was very prominent in a drama class, but he saw himself as a lone anarchist in a conservative school. He wrote for a school newspaper an article about South Africa called "South Africa: Racist Fascism That We Support" 5. After graduating from high school he began studying at Harvard University specializing in Political Science. After graduating he moved to Los Angeles to seek his future without a penny in his pocket. In one interview he said he worked on anything that made him money, even as a stripper at bachelor parties. 6. As we have already seen, politics is no stranger to Tom, he has a lot of involvement in the field so it will not surprise you that in 1987 he worked in the office of Senator Alan Cranston, an experience that made him realize that he should not engage in politics as a career. (Photo: Travis Shinn) 7. At the age of 13, he joined his first band, "Nebula", a cover band that performed songs by "Led Zeppelin", "Steve Miller Band", and "Bachman–Turner Overdrive", among others. 8. That same year Morello bought his first guitar and started playing seriously. 9. In 1982 he formed his first band "Electric Sheep" together with a friend from Adam Jones School on Bass (who later joined Tool). He wrote original material that consisted mainly of political messages and was heavily influenced at the time by "Run DMC", "Public Enemy" and "Jam Master Jay". 10. Morello was also influenced by "Kiss", "Iron Maiden", Alice Copper, "Led Zeppelin" and said that the guitarist who influenced him the most was Tony Iommi from "Black Sabbath". 11. Anyone who knows Morello knows that he has developed a unique sound, he is very diverse, he has amazing abilities with a guitar and his talent is phenomenal when it comes to creating sounds, riffs, rhythms, and solos with the guitar. 12. In 1989 Morello formed the band "Lock Up" with guitarist Mike Livingston, bassist Kevin Wood, singer Brian Grillo, and drummer Vince Ostertag. Although they were signed to the big record company Geffen but the only album they released called "Something Bitchin 'This Way Comes" was not very successful and the band disbanded. 13. In 1991 Morello decided to form a new band, he added Zack De La Rocha from whom he was impressed in one of the clubs where he saw him perform as a singer, and added the drummer Brad Wilk whom he knew from the auditions he attended for Morello's previous band. They were looking for a bassist and Zack suggested his childhood friend Tim Commerford. The quartet gave itself the name "Rage Against The Machine". (Photo: Gie Knaeps) 14. The band known to us as the "Rage Quartet", recorded 12 songs on a tape bearing the band's name, and tried to get themselves a contract with a big record company. By the way, not all the songs from the tape will be released on the band's debut album. 15. After the tape went from one record company to the other and the band has performed many times at various clubs in Los Angeles for a year, the quartet signed a record deal with "Epic Records" which was the only one that agreed to all of the band's terms. 16. In 1992, "Rage" has released its debut album "Rage Against The Machine". The album was widely played on radio stations when the first single from the album "Killing in the Name" was a big hit. The album reached number one on the Billboard charts and number 45 on the Billboard 200. Just as in the photo on the cover of the album, so "Rage" rocked the world of music and shook the world. 17. Despite many rumors about the breakup of the band, the quartet released their second album "Evil Empire". The album was a huge success and won first place on Billboard 200. The band appeared with the song "Bulls on Parade" - the album's second single, on the SNL show and caused a great provocation and as a result, was a band from the show because of the "SNL Flags Incident". 18. In 1998 the band released their first live album "Live & Rare". A year later the band participated in the famous Woodstock '99 festival. 19. In 1999, the band released their third album, "The Battle of Los Angeles". Here too the album made it to the first place in the Billboard 200, but in addition, it also gave the band a Grammy nomination in the "Best Rock Album" category. The album also entered Rolling Stone's all-time top 500 albums, at 426th place. This is the band's latest album. 20. In 2000, the band filmed the famous clip for the song "Sleep Now in the Fire" shot on the sidewalk at the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange. The clip is directed by famed director Michael Moore who gave them one instruction: "No matter what happens don't stop playing". The quartet and Moore were arrested during the filming of the clip after they also tried to break into the stock exchange, they managed to stop the stock exchange from operating for several hours, a rare event! 21. Although the band officially announced its dissolution in October 2000 after Zack decided to leave the band, they released their cover album "Renegades" two months later. On the album, they pay tribute to: Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, "Minor Threat", Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, "MC5", "The Rolling Stones", and "Cypress Hill" and "Devo". 22. After breaking up the remaining trio decided to try to form a new band and find a replacement singer for Zack. Tim called him a "crossroads angel" - Rick Rubin recognized that the trio had huge potential (not hard to spot), supported them, and pushed them to go for group therapy. Robin is also the one who invited Chris Cornell to his studio with the trio because he was sure it would be a heavenly match, and indeed it was !! 23. In 2002, the new supergroup, which went by the name "Audioslave" released their debut album "Audioslave". The combination of Chris and "Rage" was huge, a deadly combination of talented and rough musicians with a singer with a tremendous, exciting, and rough voice. The singles "Cochise", "Show Me How to Live", "What You Are", "Like a Stone" and "I Am the Highway" were released from the album. 24. In 2003, Morello created the solo project "The Nightwatchman", in which he expresses his political views in combination with folk music. Since in Audioslave he felt he could not do so, he used the character of "The Nightwatchman" as the black Robin Hood of the 21st century. 25. Together with "The Nightwatchman", Morello released 4 albums: One Man Revolution (2007), The Fabled City (2008), Union Town, and World Wide Rebel Songs (2011). In each album, he addresses social, political, and historical issues. 26. In 2005 the supergroup "Audioslave" released their second album "Out of Exile". This is the band's only album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 and also earned the band its second Grammy nomination. The singles "Be Yourself", "Your Time Has Come", "Doesn't Remind Me" and "Out of Exile" were released from the album. 27. On May 6, 2005, the band held their historic performance in Cuba, the supergroup became the first American rock band in history to receive approval to perform live in Cuba. The event was filmed and released on DVD in October 2005 and later on the album "Live In Cuba". 28. In 2006 the supergroup's third and final album called "Revelations" was released, and the album reached # 2 on the Billboard 200. The supergroup officially disbanded as a result of artistic disagreements. 29. That same year Morello with rapper Boots Riley formed the band "Street Sweeper Social Club". The two released their first album bearing the band's name in 2009 and released an EP called "The Ghetto Blaster EP" in 2010. 30. In 2007 the Rage Quartet (which included Zack) returned for a “one-off” performance at the "Coachella Music Festival". Luckily in the end the show was not a "one-off" and the band has continued their performances at major festivals over the years to this day !! 31. In 2008 a wonderful partnership began between Morello and Bruce Springsteen. Morello hosted several Bruce shows with his band "E Street Band" in 2013 and 2014. 32. Morello was also involved in two songs from the boss's 17th album - "Wrecking Ball", and in nine songs from Bruce's 18th album "High Hopes", which was released in 2014. 33. In 2016 the "Rage" trio joined another "Rage" trio, rapper B-Real from Cypress Hill, rapper Chuck D from Public Enemy and DJ Lord and they became "Prophets of Rage". "The prophets" were defined by Morello: "We're an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing." 34. That same year "the Prophets" released the EP "The Party's Over" and in 2017 they released their debut and only album bearing the band's name. 35. In October 2018 Morello released his first solo album (under his full name) called "The Atlas Underground". On the album, Morello album hosts various and diverse artists, rappers, DJs, electronic music creators, and various producers, an eclectic album containing 12 diverse songs. 36. Since then Morello released two more solo albums "Comandante" (2000) and "The Atlas Underground Flood" (2021). 37. Morello's list of collaborations with other artists is endless. Here are some of the most prominent of these at the tip of the fork. 38. He participated in the song "Big Willie" from Run-DMC's album "Down with the King" in 1993. 39. Guitar and bass production and playing on Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page's "Come with Me" from 1998. 40. Production and playing guitar in two songs from Primus' 1999 album "Antipop". 41. Playing the theme song from Perry Farrell's "Rev" album from that year. 42. Morello also collaborated with John Fogerty, "Puscifier", Dave Matthews Band, Serj Tankian," Tool", "Linkin Park" and more ... and more ... 43. Morello is ranked 40th on Rolling Stone's list of 100 greatest guitarists of all time. 44. In 2019, Morello became the first musician in history to receive the title of "Ambassador of the American Civil Liberties Union". Now you are ready and welcome to listen to Morello's latest solo album The Atlas Underground at: on Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

One of our favorite albums of the "Whitesnake" classic era, the band's third studio album - "Ready an 'Willing", was released on May 31, 1980. This album marks the addition of drummer Ian Paice to the band, who along with keyboardist Jon Lord and singer David Coverdale, complete 3/5 of the MKIII lineup of the mother band "Deep Purple". What an amazing lineup this is with duo Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden on guitars and Neil Murray on bass. A formidable album produced by hard rock & metal ultra producer Martin Birch. The band's breakthrough album that guaranteed them success outside of England as well. Legend has it that Ian Paice came to "Whitesnake's" show in 1979 drunk and declared that "Whitesnake" sounds better than "Deep Purple" has ever sounded. That statement was exactly what Coverdale wanted to hear. He was unhappy with Duck Dowle's performance on the drums and immediately made sure to replace him with his longtime "purple" friend. With "Whitesnake" becoming "Deep Purple's" mini-band, the initial expectation was that the album's musical direction would be more like the mother band. But instead of continuing the musical line that characterized Deep Purple and developing it towards heavy metal, as quite a few bands did at the time, Coverdale chose to dive deeper into the musical style of his solo career, producing a classic blues-rock album. (Photo: Fin Costello) It is interesting to note that in the same year that the album was released the new wave of British heavy metal was soaring high. Bands such as "Judas Priest", "Iron Maiden", "Saxon", "Def Leppard", and others released albums that were light years away from the style Coverdale chose to lead "Whitesnake" in. Despite that, this album is excellent and includes quite a few "pearls" and excellent songs that survived well in the test of time and the most prominent of them: "Fool For Your Loving" - The song that opens up the album, was originally written by Coverdale, Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody for B.B. King, but eventually stayed in "Whitesnake's" hands after Coverdale realized he must not give up on such a song. Coverdale's theory turned out to be correct after this song became the band's first hit, on both sides of the ocean. There is no doubt that the "Ready an 'Willing" version of the song is dozens of times superior to the "Hair Metal" version of the song, as released on the 1989 album "Slip Of The Tongue". The theme song "Ready an 'Willing" which is also the second single released from the album, features a catchy bluesy riff that allows Coverdale to improvise around it and showcase his vocal abilities. The track that seals the first side of the vinyl - "Blindman" is also the best song on the album and one of Whitesnake's greatest of all time. A melting and melancholy blues-rock ballad that demonstrates the incredible abilities and voice of Coverdale, who undoubtedly sounds better here than any other song in his rich repertoire. The song was first released in 1977 as part of Coverdale's first solo album called "White Snake", and again, without a doubt, the "Ready an 'Willing" version is much better. The opening track on the flip side of the vinyl, "Ain't Gonna Cry No More" is a dynamic song that opens soft and quiet with Moody's 12-string guitar, sounds on the verge of country music, and later includes an amazing slide-guitar solo. Other songs worth mentioning: "Sweet Talker", a bouncy and cool Cow Bell song that includes a virtuoso organ solo by Jon Lord, and the track "Carry Your Load" that sometimes sounds like "Bad Company", the traditional and mesmerizing blues of "Love Man" and the dynamic "She's A Woman" which probably includes The best solo by Jon Lord on the album. Although the sales figures for this album may say otherwise, "Ready an 'Willing" brings us "Whitesnake" at its best. After seven years and four albums, the band may reach its peak of popularity, but this success will undoubtedly come at the expense of losing its identity and uniqueness along the way. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On May 30, 1983, Elton John released his seventeenth studio album, "Too Low for Zero". This album stands as a triumphant reunion and a creative peak in the legendary musician's career. After a period of commercially underwhelming albums, this record marked a significant comeback for Elton John, delivering enduring international hit singles and reclaiming his position at the forefront of the music scene. It remains his second best-selling album of the 1980s, receiving Platinum certification from both the RIAA and the BPI. With its chart-topping success and over a year spent on the Billboard album chart, "Too Low for Zero" solidifies John's artistic resurgence and reaffirms his lasting legacy. One of the album's standout features is the reunion of John with his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin, who pens all the lyrics, marking their first full collaboration since "Blue Moves" in 1976. The album also sees the return of the core members of John's early 1970s backing band, including Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson, and Davey Johnstone, alongside the talents of Ray Cooper, Kiki Dee, and Skaila Kanga. With acclaimed producer Chris Thomas at the helm, "Too Low for Zero" was recorded at AIR Studios in Montserrat and Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. "Too Low for Zero" showcases John's musical evolution as he incorporates synthesizers alongside his iconic piano playing. Embracing the possibilities that synths offer, John felt they enhanced his ability to create fast-paced rock songs, addressing a creative concern he had previously encountered when performing such compositions solely on the piano. TThe album spawned two big hits: the bouncy rocker "I'm Still Standing" wich is an upbeat song with harsh lyrics aimed at the ex and the poignant ballad "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica. Bernie Taupin wrote this song as a love letter to his then wife, Toni Russo, who is the sister of actress Renee Russo. There is no doubt that this song demonstrates Elton John's amazing ability to wrap deep words that examine the complexity of relationships, in such a moving melody. But the success of the album is not only attributed to the big hits he produced, there are also songs like "Kiss the Bride" which shows John's ability to write a fast rock song, "Crystal" which reminded us a bit of David Bowie and corresponds with Elton's previous works, The opening song of the album "Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)" which is a personal and deep piece, describes a difficult relationship through phone calls between the couple, and more. "Too Low for Zero" is an album whose success is built on the renewed creative synergy between John and Taupin and produced some great songs that resonated deeply with the audience. While the album received a mixed critical reception upon its release, there is no doubt that it showcases John's ability to create catchy melodies that connect on an emotional level with Bernie Taupin's deep lyrics. In conclusion, although "Too Low for Zero" is not considered one of Elton John's greatest albums artistically, it represents an amazing comeback and an commercial peak of one of the greatest artists in rock. The album serves as a testament to the resilience, talent and enduring legacy of Elton John, who through his partnership with Bernie Taupin, delivers a collection of songs that combine captivating melodies, vibrant performances and deeply relatable writing themes. For Listening: Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website