Yesterday we attended Ninet Tayeb live show at the Barbie Club in Tel Aviv and we are still mesmerized !!! If you thought you knew Ninet because you listened to her albums or followed her on the news and social media, then let us disagree with you, you do not !!! If you did not attend Ninet's live show and experienced it on stage, then you probably do not really know her, period !!! Photo: FaceOff Ninet we witnessed yesterday at the Barbie is in our humble opinion (hold on tight !!) a combination of Bob Dylan, Lzzy Hale, Joan Jett and Arctic Monkeys, but she's mostly Ninet !!! She brings the folk the punk, and the hard rock with the loud riffs, tremendous screams and insane rhythms and she takes herself and her listeners for a trip along a changing landscape, between the sounds of music in each new song !!! And why do we say that, because we experienced exactly the same thing !! After a quick scan of the digital ticket we entered the lobby of the Barbie (redesigned) which gives a feeling of a prestigious club, well maybe prestigious it is a bit excessive but now it gives a more modern feel than a dim club in south Tel Aviv. But then, very quickly something else caught our attention, something that felt different to us compared to our recent visits to the place. The audience !! The audience was so diverse that at one point after repeated glances and rubbing eyes we felt that someone here did not quite understand what he was going to see and that included us too !! Photo: FaceOff We went inside and as soon as the sound of the tuning guitar (of Goetz, as Ninet calls him) was heard, the place filled to the brim. The stage looked like it was designed to the show (relative to Barbie) and included various and varied means of lighting and the Ninet logo that appears on squares in the center of the stage. The lights went out and only the classic chandelier in the center of the Barbie ceiling remained lit. The entire lower level picked up the cell phones and got the rock star in a live video to the stage. The band members, settle on their instruments, Ninet took the stage, pressesd her lips to the golden microphone and begins to recite a verse from the "Beastie Boys" song "Sabotage". Immediately, a nuclear sensation begins to rumble in our brains and it turns out that the whole audience felt the same, roaring their souls together to the sounds of the recitation and the sharp transition to the opening riff of the song "Superstar". A song from her latest album "Paper Parachute" released in 2017. The crowd in a frenzy state sings all the lyrics, the excitement and joy flooding everyone. She continues to the second song "ICU", a song from her third album "Sympathetic Nervous System" which came out in 2012 and we start to feel how the electricity starts to flow to us all over our body as we try with all our strength to get our dropped jaw back in place. At the end of the song she takes a break to stop for a moment and soak up everything that is happening around her. It's evident that she's excited from atmosphere and the audience and to think that only a few weeks earlier she performed at the legendary "Troubadour" club in California. A club that was a milestone for huge artists like Elton John, John Lennon, Melvins, Guns N 'Roses, Mudhoney and many others. So Ninet gets excited from the loving audience and thanks him for coming to her show and moving on to the song "Highway", a song that first came out in 2020, but will probably only appear on the next album which is on its way. Then, the show takes a turn, Ninet performs the song "Hero", a song she wrote and Dudu Tassa composed. Suddenly the sound changes from a nervous riffs and roars of vocals to a Mediterranean vibe with local curls and guitar frets. Photo: FaceOff With each song performed on stage we feel that Ninet takes us on a journey to a different place and a different time, a journey in her life that moves between Los Angeles and Tel Aviv. At times we feel like we attend an international show the Yarkon Park (not exaggerating) and at other moments we feel like at a local show. Her ability, her talent, her musicality is just phenomenal and mesmerizing. Ninet came to take the Barbie in the air and she does it with mesmerizing talent, we will repeat the word mesmerizing a lot !!! After the songs "Talk" and "Child" Ninet takes us with an electrifying version of the song "Feel The Buzz", the audience screams again and the "buzz" is undoubtedly felt in our bones and the electrifying atmosphere in the club. It continues on to another electrifying version and this time to the song "I got up to dance" and again we move from abroad to Israel and back. At the end of the song Ninet replaces her shiny blue guitar with an acoustic guitar and stands on stage in front of the microphone with her gorgeous smile, graceful dimples and plays her amazing new and awesome song "Who Is Us", just like in an audition for one of the reality shows (we did not say "Star Born"). She calms the volume down a bit and immediately afterwards she switches to singing "Just so the wind doesn't fall", this time she is completely alone on stage, with the spotlight and the audience. In an intimate atmosphere, Ninet seems to caress and soothe each of us as if she were here for us. Ninet said that on the last Memorial Day she got up in the morning (US time) and found out that a lot of teachers in Israel tagged her on Instagram with this song. She said excitedly that for her it was a circle cluser, because she herself started singing at school ceremonies, everyone knew her as "the one" who sang at ceremonies and now seeing kids around the country perform her song at the school ceremony very touched and moved her. Photo: FaceOff She continues to switch between songs in Hebrew and English, between inconceivable intensities and melancholy caresses and we... are mesmerized !!! After "Self Destructive Mind" and "Something To Say" Ninet ends the show with "She Knows". Here we have something to say, since Ninet's first appearance in "A Star Is Born" reality show, Ninet has become the "national sweetheart", the cute and sweet singer who sang cute, sweet and moving songs (see entry "Sea of ​​Tears"). Ninet's first album "Barefoot" which was produced Aviv Geffen, is the result of a singer at the beginning of her career who was thrown into the studio and required to release an album in order to materialise the expectations and potential. In our humble opinion Ninet does not hate this album but she definitely wants to put this image behind her (or rather, delete it altogether) and to bring out the all-too-talented musician she is !! And this is exactly what she does for "She Knows", she performs it in a "Led Zepplin" version taken from the song "Kashmir", a 180 degree reversal from the original performance, an amazing and powerful performance to end the show before the encore. By the way, the show was produced by Yossi Mizrahi, Ninet's husband. After a brief break from the stage she returns again alone with her acoustic guitar and shares a new song "Reborn", we have no way of describing what happened on stage. Ninet's fingers moved lightly on the guitar and her amazing voice filled the place with moving energies. Alone, exposed with body and soul, with no effects and no distortions or drums. She continues from there to "Not be afraid at all" and this time the audience takes the lead and sings the song loudly as she nibbles on the verge of tears from excitement and fails to utter a word. She recovers from the exciting experience and moves on to the poignant song "What Happened" which is followed by the all-too-perfect ending with the song "Elinor". Ninet flies through the air with the crowd roaring her soul as the distortions and drums shake the club and she is like a hybrid of Robert Plant and Mick Jagger raging on stage !! Photo: FaceOff Yes, we are still hypnotized !! Hypnotized by the diverse and different crowd that showered boundless love on his powerful rock star, who sang all the songs in Hebrew and English aloud, as if it were a cohesive group of groupies that goes with her everywhere. Hypnotized by the changing style of English songs to the transition of Hebrew songs, as if we were at Barbie and Yarkon Park at the same time. Hypnotized by the amazing musical abilities of this all-too-talented creator, musician, singer and guitarist who at one moment roars, raves and shaters her guitar and at another moment caresses, excites and melts. A complex, sophisticated and fascinating musician who not only gives in a head banging music but does so wisely, creatively and powerfully. Since the performance of the songs on the albums does not really reflect the performance on stage, it is difficult for us to send you now to listen to them, but we will do it all just to have a chance that it will make you go to her show, because you must go to a Ninet Tayeb show, otherwise you do not really know her!!! Listen to the playlist we prepared based on the show's setlist. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Here are some interesting facts about Chris DeGarmo, best known as as lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the band "Queensrÿche". He was born with the name Christopher Lee DeGarmo on June 14, 1963, in Wenatchee, Washington. Chris grew up in a struggling household after his father abandoned the family; later reflected on this in the song "Bridge" from "Promised Land". DeGarmo was raised in the Seattle area, and attended Interlake High School in Bellevue, Washington. He became close friends with future "Queensrÿche" drummer Scott Rockenfield in sixth grade. DeGarmo began playing guitar in his teens and joined local bands including "Joker" (with Michael Wilton) in the late 1970s. After being kicked out of "Joker", formed "Tempest", which later became "D-H-W" (DeGarmo-Hovland-Welling). In 1980, he joined Rockenfield and Wilton in a new band called "Cross+Fire", which played covers of bands such as "Iron Maiden" and "Judas Priest". "Cross+Fire" later renamed "The Mob" transitioned from playing covers to original material, recruiting Geoff Tate as vocalist in 1982. "The Mob" renamed it's name to "Queensrÿche", based on DeGarmo’s song "Queen of the Reich". They released their debut EP "Queensrÿche" in 1983, with DeGarmo as co-guitarist, backing vocalist, and lead songwriter writing all lyrics and most of the music. "Queensrÿche" released their debut full-length album "The Warning" (1984), DeGarmo co-wrote the 5 of the 9 songs from the album. The band released their second album "Rage for Order" in 1986 , with DeGarmo helping shape the band's progressive direction. DeGarmo was the primary musical force behind the landmark concept album "Operation: Mindcrime" released in 1988. He co-wrote the Grammy-nominated "I Don’t Believe in Love" taken from the album. DeGarmo was the sole composer of the band’s breakthrough hit "Silent Lucidity", from the album "Empire" (1990), which reached the Billboard Top 10 and earned Grammy and MTV nominations for "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Vocal Performance". He co-wrote almost of the album "Promised Land" (1994), a darker and more introspective release, including the personal acoustic ballad "Bridge". He was a part of the album "Hear in the Now Frontier" (1997), signaling a stylistic shift toward alternative rock. The song "All I Want" features Chris DeGarmo on lead vocals, the only time that any band member besides the lead vocalist had done so on a studio track. After the album's release, DeGarmo left "Queensrÿche" in late 1997, with the departure publicly announced in January 1998. He cited burnout, internal dysfunction, and a desire to focus on family as reasons for his departure. DeGarmo transitioned into aviation, becoming a certified Airline Transport Pilot. He later flew business jets such as the Learjet and Challenger 300. He toured with Jerry Cantrell in 1998 as a guitarist during the "Boggy Depot" tour. DeGarmo co-founded the short-lived supergroup "Spys4Darwin" in 1999 with Sean Kinney, Mike Inez, and Vinnie Dombroski. "Spys4Darwin" released the EP "Microfish" in 2001 and debuted live at Endfest in Seattle. DeGarmo returned to "Queensrÿche" in 2003 to contribute to the "Tribe" album; co-wrote and played on several tracks including "Falling Behind", "Doin' Fine", and "Art of Life". He wrote "Justified" for "Tribe", later released in 2007 on the compilation "Sign of the Times". DeGarmo collaborated again with Jerry Cantrell on "Degradation Trip" (2002), playing slide guitar on "Anger Rising". He assisted alternative band "Dredg" in 2005 with arrangements and production for their album "Catch Without Arms". In 2005 he performed at the Seattle Tsunami Continued Care Relief Concert, alongside members of "Alice in Chains" and other Seattle musicians. Since 2009, has made music under the project name "The Rue" with his daughter Rylie DeGarmo. "The Rue’s" released their self-titled six-song debut EP in 2015. DeGarmo played acoustic guitar on "Drone" from "Alice in Chains"’ 2018 album "Rainier Fog". He performed with Lily Cornell Silver in 2020 on a tribute to "Alice in Chains", accompanying her on "Black Gives Way to Blue". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... And this time, on the cover of Pink Floyd's album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" which was filmed on June 14, 1987. On June 14, 1987, the famed photographer and cover designer Storm Thorgerson hired 30 workers to move 700 beds rented ahead of time to Saunton Sands Beach in North Devon (where some of the scenes of "The Wall" were shot), tomuseum film what would become one of the most impressive and amazing covers in the rock world - the album cover for "A Momentary Lapse of Reason". The idea for the picture came to Storm from the sentence: "A vision of an empty bed" taken from the song "Yet Another Movie" that appears on the album. Thorgerson who read the sentence immediately saw before his eyes a river of hospital beds dragging along a beach, he thought such a picture was so insane that it would also fit the title of the album (A Momentary Lapse of Reason), hence the idea for the iconic picture. Once the idea was formulated, the fundamental problem of execution remained. We are talking about another era, before the computer effects and before the age of Photoshop. The first task was to locate hundreds of beds and make sure someone would even agree to rent them out. Thorgerson remembers asking for 1,000 but he got less. The second task was to find a way to transport them to shore and arrange them exactly the way Storm had planned the image in his ingenious mind, a move that Storm notes lasted about two weeks. The cost of this crazy project was over $500,000. So all these crazy logistics drained into one moment that happened exactly on June 14, 1987. Everything was ready, the beds were placed exactly as Storm predicted, the extras, the dogs, and made were in exactly the right places and even a glider was raised to the sky to be captured in the picture. But then the unbelievable thing happened, rain fell to the ground and forced all those involved in the craft to repeat everything all over again, until the amazing museumresult. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On June 13, 2000, "Bon Jovi's" seventh studio album "Crush" was released. So let us tell you some facts about "Crash": 1. This is the band's seventh album and first after a 5-year hiatus. 2. During the hiatus, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora released solo albums. Jon Bon Jovi planned's plan was to release a third solo album, but eventually, the two decided to work on an album as a band. 3. The name chosen for the album during the work was "Sex Sells". Posters bearing the name of the album appear in the video clip for the song "Real Life" - a song written by the band for the soundtrack of the film EDtv from 1999 and which appeared in a remix version later in the box "100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong" from 2004. 4. The album was produced by Sambora, Bon Jovi, and Luke Ebbin, but he was not the first producer selected. Bob Rock and Bruce Fairbairn were elected before him. With the first, it did not work out and the second passed away in 1999, so Luke Ebbin was the third choice. 5. Three singles were released from the album: "Say It Isn't So", "Thank You for Loving M e" and the most successful of the three "It's My Life". 6. There was a fourth single which was released only in Japan - "Save the World". 7. Bon Jovi and Sambora were assisted in writing the song by creator and singer Max Martin, who wrote hits for many artists including Britney Spears, "Backstreet Boys" and "N'sync". 8. This is not the only song on the album written in collaboration with an outsider. In fact, most of the songs on the album are like that. 7 out of the 12 songs on the album are like this, and in the expanded versions 8 of 13 songs. 9. For example, the song "Thank You for Loving Me" was co-written with Wayne Hector who wrote much Pop like, Nicki Minaj, "One Direction" and more. 10. The song "It's My Life" corresponds with Bon Jovi's 1986 hit - "Livin' On A Prayer" which also features Tommy and Gina. In both songs, Richie Sambora uses the guitar effect of the talkbox that produces the sound of the talking guitar. 11. The song has a reference to singer Frank Sinatra and the song "My Way", in the sentence "Like Frankie Said, I did it my way". 12. It was the band's sixth consecutive album to reach number one in Australia and fifth in a row in the UK. 13. Believe it or not but this is Bon Jovi's first Grammy Award-winning album. 14. The song "One Wild Night" was later released in a different version from the album version. The alternative version of the song will appear in 2001 as a single from the live album "One Wild Night Live 1985-2001" and will also be part of the collection "Tokyo Road: Best of Bon Jovi". 15. Some of the album's version releases include a bonus song - "I Could Make a Living Out of Lovin' You". 16. In the Japanese and Australian versions of the album there is another song called "Neurotica". 17. This is the band's first album that is not a compilation album, which does not include the lyrics in the attached booklet. 18. During the recordings of the album, some songs did not make it to the album, but were released as sidelines or collections such as: "Hush", "You can not lose at love", "Temptation", "I do not wanna live forever", and more. 19. The hit single "Say It Is Not So" does not include a Richie Sambora solo, but a David Bryan solo. 20. On the other hand, Sambora gives his all in the amazing solo in the song "Next 100 Years" which includes a string accompaniment arranged by the Canadian David Campbell, who has worked with Dream Theater, "Evanescence", "Muse", "Metallica", "Green Day" and more and more. Listen to the album on Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... Linkin Park's sixth album was released on June 13, 2014. The name of the album "The Hunting Party" was chosen in the sense that Linkin is the party that conducts a hunt on returning the energy and soul to rock music. We have a bit of a hard time with this statement and this style especially, in light of the album that came out after it. This is the first album since "Meteora" that is not produced by super producer Rick Rubin but by guitarist Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson. On this album the band decides to abandon (for a moment) the sounds and electronic production that characterized their previous two albums and go back to their rock roots, creating a “rock album” as Mike described it. The album served as a sort of statement against all the critics and commentators who claimed that Linkin is trying to be a different band, more digestible and mainstream not like it was in the beginning. This album, written in less than a year, was created entirely on local improvisation by the band members. None of them came with ready-made material or demos and even when they created something together it was recorded and worked on in the process, without a lot of rehearsals or preliminary preparations. One of the salient elements of the album that serves the statement we mentioned above is the collaboration with other artists, something that has never happened on the band's previous albums. There are a number of very leading and dominant artists in the rock world who have come to give the "rock" stamp to the album, including Page Hamilton (Helmet), Daron Malakian (System Of A Down), Rakim (rapper and producer) and last but not least Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine). This is without a doubt a statement of intent !! But considering the album that came out three years later "One More Light" which is the exact opposite of the above album we can't stop wondering what went through the heads of the band members after the release of the album, and how the work affected them and how they felt. Those who are unfamiliar with the band and who will play both albums will be shocked to learn that they belong to the same band and that they were released three years apart. That's why music is such an amazing thing !! Listen to the album on Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time, on "Pink Floyd's" first album without Syd Barrett - the soundtrack of the movie "More", released June 13, 1969. It's an album by a great band that the fans sometimes has a tendency to skip. Maybe because it's not really an official album, but a soundtrack, may be because of the lack of a solid musical direction, the dominance of instrumental tracks or the excess of psychedelia. But whoever enters the gates of this rare magic, will just want only "More" - as the album's title. The invitation to record a soundtrack to the movie "More" ,was received by the film's director Barbet Schroeder. This was his first film and he contacted "Pink Floyd" members, who also happened to be his friends, to record a soundtrack for the movie. This was not the band's first soundtrack. In 1967 they recorded music for the BBC's "Tomorrow's World" TV series and a year later contributed several songs to the soundtrack of the movie "The Committee". "Pink Floyd" loved the connection between the world of cinema and the world of music and thought it would be right to go "all in" this time too, especially when it involved helping a friend and a small income. The film tells the story of a hippie hitchhiker, a German student named Stefan who arrives in Ibiza with his heroin-addict girlfriend. There in Ibiza, he made a connection with a community of local addicted hippies and slowly becomes addicted to the drug himself, until his tragic death from an overdose. "Pink Floyd" members were given some scenes from the film to watch and were asked to compose the soundtrack based on the atmosphere. It was the personal interpretation of "Pink Floyd" members to the scenes they watched, that gave birth to all the magic on this album. A beautiful album with a mesmerizing and unique atmosphere, melodic folk, avant-garde, combined with psychedelia and even a taste of hard rock (yes, you read that right), a variety of effects and acoustic sections. As we mentioned in the introduction, it is the band's first album in the classical lineup of Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Richard Wright and Nick Mason, but what's more amazing, it's the band's only album where David Gilmour is the only vocalist. Waters was not yet confident enough and Wright had not yet discovered his abilities in singing. And if you're looking for more rare facts, then this album features the band's only song by "Pink Floyd" written by Nick Mason and Richard Wright ("Up The Khyber"). Most of the album was written and recorded by the band within eight days, an amazing fact in itself. Most of the lyrics were written by Waters during the sessions themselves and some of the melodies started with improvisations. The album features some of "Pink Floyd's" beautiful pieces, before their huge breakthrough. The opening track "Cirrus Minor" which begins with the birds chirping, an effect the band has reused in the song "Grantchester Meadows" from the album "Ummagumma", released later that year. The song is played only by Richard Wright with the ecclesiastical organ and David Gilmour on the acoustic. A stoned track just like the person on which it was written. The second track "The Nile Song" features distortion-filled guitars, David Gilmour's screaming and rough vocals and howling solos. A real combination of hard rock, heavy metal and acid rock. This is a rare piece by Gilmour and the band, in a style that has hardly been repeated. This song is very similar in melody and atmosphere to the song "Ibiza Bar" that comes later in the album. Immediately after comes "Crying Song" and flip the atmosphere, just like the Low that comes after the High of the heroin addict. A quiet and magical song with the caressing voice of Gilmour, which is really hard to believe sounded like a crazy "Growler" from the metal scene in the previous song. And there's also "Green Is the Color", one of "Pink Floyd's" beautiful songs before the big breakthrough, that includes playing by Lindy Mason - wife of .. on flute, and there's "Cymbaline" which tells of "Nightmare" with a reference to "Doctor Strange" with Gilmour's all so beautiful singing and Nick Mason's bongos, and more and more ... Now listen to this one-time magic: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On June 13, 1995, singer and musician Alanis Morissette's breakthrough album "Jagged Little Pill" was released. This is a classic "Cinderella" story in American or Canadian terms, depending on which side you look at it. At just 17 years old, Alanis released her first album “Alanis”. A polished pop/dance album that was a huge success in Canada. It was compared to the American Debbie Gibson and she even was an opening act for Vanilla Ace, yes ... yes ... Vanilla Ace, not Ice-T. She won many awards in the dance scene in Canada and was considered a very promising star, but her second album “Now is the Time” was a resounding failure. Barely managed to sell half the amount of the first album, and the record company that ended Alanis' contract was not interested in renewing it. The star lost all the stardust she had. Just imagine what happens to an 18-year-old girl who has had such great success and suddenly she crashes like fragile glass. Alanis collected the fragments, graduated, completed her matriculation, and decided to look for her fortune elsewhere, in the US, matched by a major music distribution company. Alanis arrived in Los Angeles and already in the first meeting with Glenn Bollard, there was electricity in the air and interesting musical pieces began to be woven for them. Alanis and Glenn did not exactly know where this whole story was going to and how things would work out, but they were confident in themselves. Rather, Glenn was very confident in Alanis, in her character, in her lyrics, and in her desire to create authentic music. She did not know exactly what she wanted to do, but she knew exactly what she did not want to do! The two entered the studio as Alanis writes the lyrics and melody and Glenn completes it with an arrangement playing all the instruments, to create a skeleton for each song. They decided that every day they would record one song... and so it was. Alanis and Glenn worked 12-16 hour shifts and all the singing was recorded in one or two takes per song. (Then in the more professional studio they used those demos of the singing with the recording of the instruments). During the demo recordings, Glenn realized that this thing did not sound like pop or classic rock, in short, it did not sound like something he had encountered in the past. Alanis wrote all the songs for the album and even learned to play the guitar during the recordings. (Photo: John Salisbury) After the end of the demo recordings, Alanis looked for a record company to release the album, but was refused by everyone. We said Cinderella ... No one wanted to mess with the failed pop star who lost her way. Only one record company was willing to believe in Alanis, Maverick Records (which Madonna is one of its founders). They realized they had something good in hand (only good) and were willing to invest in this girl. After signing a contract, the two (Alanis and Glenn) took the demo material and came in with an entire cast of musicians to record the album. Quite a few stars were involved in the recordings of this album: Dave Navarro and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Michael Landau (Michael Jackson, Johnny Mitchell), Benjamin Tank (Tom Petty), Matt Luag (Alice Cooper, Slash) and many more good ones. The album as we already know, is years away from Alanis' previous albums in terms of musical style and lyrics. The record company expected to sell enough albums to cover the production costs and save money for the production of Alanis' next album which was supposed to be the most important. The reality and the true story most of us already know, the American radio station KROQ played the first single from the album "You Oughta Know" nonstop, and the rest, how to say... is history. Crazy singles, one after the other ... "Ironic", "Hand In My Pocket", "Head Over Feet" and more and more created a rock album that was perfect to the demand of the audience that year. The album became a milestone in the development of rock in the 90s and especially in female rock. There is no doubt that a large part of the success of the album is related to the special personality of this amazing musician. Alanis managed to put into the songs her whole soul and essence and her revealing sensitive words that came out of the heart managed to penetrate deep into the hearts of the listeners. Its success was meteoric and made it one of the most successful albums of the 90s, winning 6 Grammy Awards (96-98). It is one of the best-selling "female" albums in the US, and sales of 30 million copies have also made it the tenth best-selling album ever. It is worth noting that this album also enters the list of the 500 best albums of all time, when in Israel the album also reached the 26th place in the all-time album chart of Ynet, the highest place for a female singer on the list. The album's success led to Alanis' breakthrough into the global music market and grant her incredible success. By the way, beyond the acoustic version released in 2015, there is also a musical on the album which called by that name, go check it out... You can listen to the album on: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Today, June 13, is a special day for the band "Uriah Heep" whose two albums are celebrating a birthday today exactly 5 years apart. We'll start with the first album, "... Very 'Eavy ... Very' Umble" which is also the band's debut album released in 1970. 1970 was a great good year in music. The seeds planted by the big rock bands of the previous decade, became two mighty "Sequoia" trees in the form of the "Hard Rock" and "Metal" genres. In February 1970, "Black Sabbath" releases their debut album "Black Sabbath" and reveals to the world the sharpened heavy riffs of Tony Iommi. Later that year on June 3, "Deep Purple" releases the album "In Rock" - the band's first album with lead singer Ian Gillan and bassist Roger Glover, a groundbreaking album that defined the style of hard rock and heavy metal and proved that singers do not have to sing in a gentle and clear voice, But can also roar and scream and growl. To complete the picture we will note that later that year "Black Sabbath" released their second album "Paranoid" which finally established the metallic sound that would form the foundation on which the two genres were built. For some reason, not many remember that in this magical year "Uria Heep" released their debut album, an album which also has some influence on the development of the genres. There is no doubt that the album does not reach the level of influence the other albums released that year, but it is still an album that undoubtedly has an impact on the development of the genres. The album introduces us to a band that is still looking for the sound that will define it, with songs ranging from initial heavy metal "Gypsy", through basic hard rock "Walking in Your Shadow" to progressive rock "Wake Up" and even blues "Lucy Blues" and Soft Rock (listen to the amazing ballad "Come Away Melinda" and find some "Barcley James Harvest" in it). At the same time, it is impossible to ignore the fact that this is a band that was an important part in the emerging scene that will later define the genre of hard rock and metal. Listen for example to the riffs in the opening song "Gypsy" and the song "Bird Of Pray" (which is only in the American version) and you will understand what we are talking about. "Uriah Heep" began it's career as the band "Spice" back in 1967. The band then Included four members: Mick Box on guitar and vocals, David Byron on vocals, Paul Newton on bass and Alex Napier on drums. In July 1969, the quartet entered the recording studio while it still bears the name "Spice". They added the session keyboardist Colin Wood who was a teacher, on the advice of the director of their record company. During the same session, the band records two songs. The first, the amazing ballad "Come Away Melinda" written by American folk singer Fred Hellerman and Fran Minkoff and originally performed by singer Harry Belafonte in 1963. The second, the progressive song that closes the album "Wake Up (Set Your Sights)", written by Box and Byron. This session with a keyboard player, felt right for the band and made them desire to look for a keyboardist who would accompany them regularly as a full member. Bassist Paul Newton offers the name of Ken Hensley and the band decides to invite him to join the band. It was a move that brought with it a fundamental change in the band's sound. Hensley was a member of the bands "The Gods", "Head Machine" and "Toe Fat" with whom he recorded several albums. With the addition of Hensley, the band changed its name to "Uriah Heep", after the famous character from the book David Copperfield. Ken Hensley was a talented and gifted writer who, beyond his incredible keyboard work, also knew how to play guitar and sing, thus contributing greatly to the diversity and enrichment of the band sound. However, in the specific case Hensley joined the band after most of the material for the album was already written and even recorded (the two songs we mentioned above), so his influence on this album was minor in relation to subsequent albums. Although as mentioned, Hensley was not given a chance to prove his abilities in this case, he still managed to leave a substantial mark on songs like "Gypsy" whose echoing Hammond organ with the dirty sound resonates in our ears even 50 years later ... It is unfortunate to note that this album received bad reviews upon its release. Rolling Stone magazine reporter Melissa Mills opened her review of the album with the words: "If this group makes it I'll have to commit suicide. From the first note you know you don't want to hear any more...". Luckily for Melissa Mills the paper absorbs everything. Despite that, 50 years later, you can still hear the rolling laughter of Mick Box, who continues to lead the band with a high hand, perform with it and release good albums. To date, the band has released 25 studio albums, 18 live albums and countless collections. The band continues to perform to this day and fill halls without any difficulty. Just to be clear, the band has visited Israel 4 times when sometimes each visit includes more than one performance. Before concluding, a few words about the second album celebrating its birthday today: "Return to Fantasy". This is the band's eighth album released in 1975 (8 albums in 5 years !!! and Melissa Miles did not commit suicide as promised but sure ate her hat). This is the band's first album with legendary bassist John Wetton ("Family", "King Crimson", "Roxy Music", "UK", "Wishbone Ash", "Asia" and more), who just yesterday was due to celebrate his birthday. The album continues the band's experience with the albums "Sweet Freedom" and "Wonderworld" and the search for new areas of music, but it retains a heavier common sound than its predecessors. Although the album finds the band a little after its peak from the first half of the 70's, it is still a good album that includes, among other things, the theme song. A strong hard rock song that is in the band's setlist even in its recent performances. And now let's listen to the albums: "...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble": Spotify, Apple Music "Return to Fantasy": Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... And this time ... on "Invasion of Your Privacy", "Ratt's" second album, released on June 13, 1985. If you grew up on Hair/Glam Metal in the 1980s, there is no way you are not familiar with "Ratt" and certainly not with this album. The chances even increase if you are male sex and were in your teens when this album came out. "Ratt's" origins go back to 1973, when vocalist Stephen Pearcy formed a band called "Pearedome". In 1974 the band disbanded, and Pearcy formed another band called "Crystal Pystal", which went through several incarnations until in 1977 it changed its name to "Mickey Ratt". This lineup was part of the San Diego club scene and slowly gained fans and crowds. After an exchange of several members, including guitarist Jake E. Lee who left and later joined Ozzy Osbourne's lineup, the band's classic lineup finally crystallized and includes: lead singer Stephen Pearcy, guitarists Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini recommended by Jake E. Lee, bassist Juan Croucier and drummer Bobby Blotzer. To increase their chances of getting a recording contract with a major label, the band recorded a single called "Dr. Rock" / "Drivin 'on E" in 1980, which was distributed to fans during the band's performances at clubs in Los Angeles. In 1981 the band's name was shortened to "Ratt", when in 1982 they released a self-produced EP that included a different version of the song "Back For More". The EP was a relative success with sales of 100,000 copies, which earned the band a recording contract with "Atlantic Records". The band's debut album "Out Of The Cellar" was released in 1984 and gave "Ratt" great commercial success, mainly in the US and Japan, with sales of over 3 million copies. The album included the hits "Round And Round", "Wanted Man" and more. On "Invasion of Your Privacy" the band attempted to continue with the momentum of the debut album. Although failing to replicate the success of "Out Of The Cellar", "Ratt" concocted an excellent album containing some memorable glam metal hits, superb solos, and biting riffs. Songs like "Lay it Down", "You're in Love", "Never Use Love", "What You Give Is What You Get", "Dangerous But Worth the Risk", make this album one of the biggest and most important albums in glam metal Of the 80s. If we already mentioned biting riffs, then we think that the thing that sets "Ratt" apart from other glam metal bands is the excellent guitar work and the perfect combination of guitarists Crosby and DeMartini, which sometimes reminds us of the style and sound of NWOBHM bands from across the ocean. This album eventually reached double-platinum status with sales of over two million copies, and helped establish "Ratt's" status as one of the leading bands to emerge from the L.A. Glam-Metal scene of the 1980s. And what about the album cover? Many of us discovered the band and purchased the album because of the cover, but later discovered the real wonder that is inside. The woman on the chair is playboy model Marianne Gravatte, who also participates in the clip for the song "You're in Love". The cover and voyeuristic message caught the attention of the PMRC, who wanted to label the album as "Parental Advisory", to keep it away from American youth, but of course, they achieved the exact opposite ... For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time ... the second album of the mighty supergroup "Black Country Communion", released on June 13, 2011. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this amazing supergroup, we will give you a little acquaintance with the personnel who make this magnificent lineup: We'll start with "The head of the tribe" and most experienced of them all Glenn Hughes, bassist and singer of "Trapeze", "Deep Purple" and more, the man nicknamed by Stevie Wonder - "The Voice Of Rock". He is one of the main writers of the band and the one who holds this "superstar" band called "BCC" together. Hughes will be followed by one of the great guitarists who live among us today - Joe Bonamassa, who is also the second singer in this very special lineup. The one who holds the rhythm section planted like a huge log along with Glenn Hughes, is none other than Jason Bonham, the son of .. who no doubt inherited the mighty drumming ability from his father. Jason took part in the late reunions of "Led Zeppelin" and was also part of many ensembles like "UFO ", "Foreigner", "Virginia Wolf", "California Breed" and more. Make a lot of noise now for Derek Sherinian, the talented keyboardist former "Dream Theater" and since then a member of bands like "Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian", "of Apollo" and a guest in other bands like "Black Label Society", "Alice in Chains" and more. So this wonderful quartet was formed in 2009 in Los Angeles California, with the help of producer Kevin Shirley who connected Hughes and Bonamassa. The supergroup released their debut album in 2010. This band manages to remind us of all the goodness of the late sixties and early seventies. "Good" that we were already sure is gone and would not repeat itself. Music that we always listened to with longing and that we thought was nowhere to find. Pure heavy rock combined with blues-rock, powerful and sweeping vocals, edgy and thunderous drumming, and solos reserved only for the greatest guitarists of that magical era, all wrapped in clever and intelligent keyboard work that knows when to stand out and lead and when to stay in the background. So on this album, the band returns only 9 months after the debut album with 12 wonderful tracks that do not fall short of their level from the previous and excellent album. Some of the best and most notable of which are, the opening song "The Outsider" is an edgy hard rock piece with tremendous singing by Glenn Hughes which is really hard to believe was in his sixties when the album was recorded. Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham stand out and manage to exchange solos and keep up with the fast BPM pace of this song. The mighty "Save Me" that sounds just like the successful son of "Kashmir" and which no wonder Jason Bonham was initially destined for the long-awaited reunion of "Led Zeppelin", "The Battle for Hadrian's Wall" the over-sensitive Zepp-folk By Bonamassa, the amazing "Faithless" - a huge classic rock song that is being built and developed with Hughes' divine singing, Bonamassa's "An Ordinary Son" which shows how intelligent and technical singer he can be, the bluesy ending song "Cold" with guitar sentences That just leaves you shivering in the "cold", and more ... For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Today we tell about the legendary pianist Chick Korea, one of the giants of jazz and fusion: (Photo: Paul Bergen) Chick Corea was born Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea on June 12, 1941, in Massachusetts USA. His father was a jazz trumpeter and influenced him musically. He began learning to play the piano when he was only 4 years old. The first influences on him were of classical music, especially Mozart and Beethoven. In his youth, he experimented with piano and drums and later began to take piano lessons with a professional pianist. He later explored his Latin roots, among other things, when he played in the ensembles like "Mongo Santamaria" and "Willie Bobo". He has collaborated with many artists including saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpeter Miles Davis, who invited him to their lineup and revealed the electric piano to him, an instrument which Korea will use later in his career. In the early 1970s, he formed the jazz-rock-fusion ensemble "Return to Forever", which was one of the most prominent lineups in the field during the 1970s. Which will go through great artists like Stanley Clark and Al Di Meola. During his career, Korea has released 81 studio albums. He has won 23 Grammy Awards and has been nominated dozens more times. Among his major compositions are: "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and "Windows". Korea passed away on February 9, 2021, following a rare strain of cancer that struck him shortly before his death. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

On June 12, 1995, "Paradise Lost" released their fifth studio album, "Draconian Times". By the mid-90s, "Paradise Lost" had already begun shifting from the death/doom roots of albums like "Gothic" and "Shades of God" toward a more melodic, accessible sound. With "Draconian Times", they struck gold—not by abandoning heaviness, but by dressing it in majesty. This was the album where Nick Holmes’ gritty baritone matured into a haunting, powerful vehicle, where Gregor Mackintosh’s melancholic guitar lines became as essential as the lyrics themselves, and where atmosphere and emotion reigned supreme. The recording took place at Great Linford Manor and Ridge Farm Studios, under the experienced hands of producer Simon Efemey. The band had a unified vision: to blend the darkness and density of metal with the sweeping drama of goth and even a tinge of classic rock. The result was a melancholic masterpiece filled with layered textures, anthemic choruses, and deep emotional resonance. The soft piano intro of "Enchantment" opens the album like a curtain rising in a dim, fog-drenched theatre. It’s both regal and brooding, introducing us to the soaring blend of sorrow and strength that defines the album. "Hallowed Land" and "The Last Time" are where "Draconian Times" truly roars to life. The former feels like a lament to a dying world, while the latter stands out as one of the band’s most memorable tracks—a tragic anthem that balances melody and menace in perfect proportion. "Forever Failure" is perhaps the emotional core of the album. Featuring samples of Charles Manson, it's a dark meditation on inner collapse and disillusionment, set to an unforgettable riff and a chorus that bleeds hopelessness. "Shadowkings" and "Elusive Cure" lean even harder into gothic territories, with slow-burning intensity and lyrical themes of emptiness and existential loss. Holmes sings not just as a frontman, but as a man wounded by the weight of the world. "Yearn for Change" and "I See Your Face" carry a yearning so raw it almost breaks through the confines of the music, while closer "Jaded" ends the journey with a stunning combination of fragility and defiance, like a candle flickering stubbornly in the wind. It is interesting to note that A song called "Another Desire" was written during the recording, but not released on the album or the reissues. What makes "Draconian Times" so lasting isn’t just the songwriting—it’s the emotional honesty. It’s an album that doesn’t scream to be heard but rather pulls you quietly into its darkness. Fans of "Metallica", "The Sisters of Mercy", or even "The Cure" could all find something resonant here, making it one of the rare metal albums that transcends genre boundaries. Commercially, the album was a breakthrough for "Paradise Lost". It reached number 16 on the UK Albums Chart and helped establish the band as a leader of the gothic metal movement. It remains their best-known and most celebrated work, frequently appearing on “best of the 90s metal” lists and cited as an influence by countless bands. Even decades later, "Draconian Times" still sounds timeless. It captures a band at the height of their creative powers—channeling darkness, beauty, and pain into something profoundly human. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website