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

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

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 30.05.1980 In May 1975, Peter Gabriel shocked the music world during a tour announcement when he declared: I’m leaving “Genesis”. For fans who viewed the band as untouchable, it felt like the beginning of the end for one of progressive rock’s greatest groups. But like many great rock stories, Phil Collins stepped away from the drum kit and reluctantly found himself becoming the band’s new frontman. It would take Collins another five years before he could thank Gabriel twice. First, for leaving “Genesis” and giving him the opportunity to take over the band. And second, for inviting him to perform on Peter Gabriel’s third solo album, released on May 30, 1980, the record fans later nicknamed “Melt.” Collins handled the drums throughout the album and performed on the opening track "Intruder" without using cymbals. Recording engineer Hugh Padgham was working with an SSL console that featured built-in gates and compressors on every channel. During the session, he accidentally opened the talkback microphone in reverse mode, creating an unusually heavy compressed sound while Collins played drums and spoke simultaneously. Padgham immediately realized they had discovered something entirely new. The “gated reverb” drum effect was born, a production technique that would completely reshape the sound of drums throughout the 1980s. Collins became obsessed with the sound and only months later brought it into "In the Air Tonight", the song that opened his debut solo album “Face Value”. While Gabriel’s first two solo albums largely placed the sonic direction in the hands of Robert Fripp from “King Crimson”, the third album marked a major transformation. Gabriel had developed a deep fascination with African music and drum machines, creating a sound that felt dark and mysterious on one side, yet tribal and rhythmic on the other. He achieved this with help from musicians such as Paul Weller, Kate Bush, and of course Phil Collins. Beyond Collins’ unmistakable touch, the production was placed in the hands of two rising young talents: producer Steve Lillywhite, already known for his work with “Ultravox”, “XTC”, Johnny Thunders, and “Siouxsie and the Banshees”, alongside recording engineer Hugh Padgham. Peter Gabriel himself remains something of a puzzle wrapped inside another puzzle. A musical genius, but also intensely eccentric. Sometimes that leads to strange decisions, and sometimes to pure magic. From a songwriting perspective, Gabriel developed a rhythm-first approach while writing and demoing material for the album on an 8-track recording system. Synthesizer player Larry Fast introduced Gabriel to the programmable drum system made by pAiA, which allowed complete rhythm programming during the writing process. Gabriel began constructing songs around programmed percussion patterns before melodies or lyrics even existed. Later, he also purchased a Roland CR-78 drum machine for the sessions. Gabriel felt the CR-78 sounded better overall, although it offered less flexibility than the pAiA system. Gabriel recruited his former “Genesis” bandmate Phil Collins alongside drummer Jerry Marotta for the recording sessions. He gave them one specific instruction: no cymbals. Peter Gabriel later explained to journalist Mark Blake that restricting musicians creatively often forced them to become more inventive, which was the reason he banned cymbals during the recording sessions. Collins reportedly adapted quickly to the idea, while Marotta initially struggled with the limitation before eventually understanding Gabriel’s vision. Throughout the album, Gabriel explores the darker sides of human behavior and the forces that drive people toward extreme actions. The record deals with themes such as an assassin stalking his victim in "Family Snapshot", conformity in "Lead a Normal Life", and xenophobia. According to reports from the period, executives at Atlantic Records reacted negatively after hearing the material and believed the album would struggle commercially in the United States. The label ultimately refused to distribute it there. Despite its highly experimental and revolutionary sound, the album became Gabriel’s first major commercial success. "Games Without Frontiers" turned into his first major chart hit, reaching the UK Top 10. The song examines the childish behavior of adults, particularly the kind of nationalism and competitive mentality displayed when countries compete against one another on the Olympic stage. Gabriel wrote the song before the United States officially boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, an event that only reinforced the song’s central theme of adults behaving like children through meaningless competition and political games. Kate Bush performs the backing vocals on "Games Without Frontiers", including the repeated French phrase “Jeux sans frontières.” Bush was reportedly added to the track late in the recording process. Gabriel drew inspiration for the song from the 1970s European television game show of the same name, where contestants dressed in bizarre costumes and competed in absurd challenges for prizes. A British adaptation of the show later aired under the title “It’s a Knockout.” On "I Don't Remember", featuring guest guitar work from Robert Fripp, Gabriel writes about a man suffering from amnesia who finds himself constantly questioned. Gabriel had developed a growing interest in psychiatry during this period and explored many psychological themes throughout the album. In interviews from the period, Gabriel spoke openly about his fascination with psychology and the way personal experiences influenced his songwriting. He often compared his own emotional experiences with psychological theories while developing lyrical ideas for the album. On "Through the Wire", Peter Gabriel almost feels like a prophet examining themes of isolation, self-reflection, and the struggle to maintain genuine human connection in a technological world. The lyrics paint the image of a man trapped behind a screen, desperately reaching out for authentic interaction. As the song progresses, Gabriel explores the difficulty of building real emotional connections in an increasingly artificial environment. He longs for intimacy beyond the limitations of technology, touching on the paradox of modern existence: despite being constantly connected, people can still feel emotionally distant and isolated from one another. The song’s themes feel remarkably ahead of their time, resonating even more strongly in the digital age. Paul Weller provides guitar work on the track. The album closes with "Biko", Gabriel’s powerful tribute to Steve Biko, the South African anti-apartheid activist who died in police custody in 1977 after being arrested for political reasons. When Gabriel sings “Yihla Moja,” he performs the phrase in Xhosa, one of the major languages spoken in South Africa, including by anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. Recording "Biko" had a profound effect on Gabriel personally and became one of the defining moments that pushed him toward deeper involvement in world music and political activism. In later interviews, Gabriel described the song as a declaration that he was willing to become politically involved rather than remain a distant observer. "Biko" also left a major impact on other musicians. Steven Van Zandt later recalled hearing the song in a Los Angeles cinema around 1980, which inspired him to think more seriously about how musicians could contribute to the anti-apartheid movement. That inspiration would eventually lead to the creation of the “Sun City” project. Bono from “U2” later invited Peter Gabriel to participate in the 1986 “Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope” tour, a series of six concerts that raised approximately $2.6 million for human rights causes. The introduction and ending of "Biko" were heavily influenced by traditional South African funeral music. The song marked Gabriel’s first major step into world music, a direction that would become central to much of his later career. In 1982, he launched the "WOMAD (World of Music and Dance)" festival in order to introduce global musical traditions and non-Western artists to wider audiences. Following the album’s success, "Atlantic Records" reportedly reconsidered their earlier position regarding Gabriel’s music. Gabriel ultimately chose not to continue working with the label and instead allowed "Mercury Records" to distribute the album in the United States. 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Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 30.05.1973 “I want to be aware of God. That’s really my only ambition, and everything else in life is incidental.” When Paul McCartney casually announced the breakup of “The Beatles” in 1970, George Harrison had many reasons to be angry with him. Throughout the band’s career, Paul McCartney and John Lennon often viewed Harrison through the narrow prism of a guitarist with a talent for songwriting, but never truly as an equal creative force. Harrison’s overwhelming response to the breakup arrived at the end of that same year with the monumental triple album “All Things Must Pass”, or in other words, all the songs Harrison had accumulated while Lennon and McCartney kept pushing them aside during the “Beatles” years. After finally emptying himself of enough material to create a sprawling triple masterpiece, Harrison felt freer to give more of himself to the world. Over the years, George Harrison earned a unique admiration among “Beatles” fans, who saw him as a melancholic and deeply spiritual artist, very different from the other members of the band. George Harrison first connected with spirituality in 1965 after David Crosby of “The Byrds” introduced him to Indian music. Harrison became fascinated with the sitar and soon formed a close connection with Indian musician Ravi Shankar. It was Shankar who approached Harrison in the summer of 1971 and asked him to join a charity concert for refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The two performances held in New York on August 1, 1971 brought together Harrison and Shankar alongside an extraordinary lineup including Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, and Bob Dylan. It became the first major charity concert in rock history where superstar musicians performed before a massive audience to raise money for a humanitarian cause. Harrison emerged from the project emotionally exhausted on one hand, yet spiritually at peace on the other. Afterwards, he stepped away for about a year in order to carefully reconsider his musical direction. During that period, George deepened both his Hindu spirituality and his Krishna consciousness. In August 1972, when the documentary film about the Concert for Bangladesh was finally released worldwide, George Harrison traveled alone through Europe on vacation, spending much of the journey chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Krishna scholar Joshua Greene later described this trip as Harrison’s spiritual preparation for the recording sessions of “Living in the Material World”, which was released on May 30, 1973. This time Harrison decided to create something entirely new, focusing on songs written during the Bangladesh concert period rather than returning to leftover material from his previous album. “I didn’t really care if nobody ever heard from me again. I just wanted to play, make records and work on musical ideas,” Harrison said. Some of his fans viewed this deeply spiritual album as a cry for help from George Harrison himself. He had grown weary of the materialism and overwhelming success surrounding “All Things Must Pass”. Some have also suggested that his turbulent marriage to Pattie Boyd influenced his emotional state, pushing Harrison to seek the most basic things in life: love, inner peace, and spiritual balance, themes that became central to the album’s beautiful single “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)”. Some of the songs on “Living in the Material World” were inspired by Harrison’s spiritual teacher Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. They distill the idea that the pursuit of fame, wealth, or social status ultimately has little meaning. The album reflects George Harrison’s fascination with both the spiritual and everyday worlds, while emphasizing the importance of overcoming the temptations of material life in order to remain focused on eternal truths. Several songs still address the legacy of “The Beatles”. On the title track “Living in the Material World”, Harrison portrays the materialistic world in which the band had once been trapped, while “Sue Me, Sue You Blues” openly criticizes Paul McCartney over the lawsuit he filed against the remaining members of the group following the breakup. Harrison’s clear desire to live in the present, free from the burden of his former identity, is expressed beautifully in songs like “The Light That Has Lighted the World” and “Be Here Now”. For the album, Harrison surrounded himself with musicians who completely understood his artistic and spiritual mindset, including Gary Wright on keyboards and organ, bassist Klaus Voormann, orchestral arranger John Barham, and drummer Jim Keltner, who had previously worked with him during the Concert for Bangladesh. The lineup also featured Ringo Starr, Zakir Hussain, and Leon Russell on piano. The album artwork was once again entrusted to art director and photographer Tom Wilkes. He photographed George Harrison’s hand holding a Hindu medallion using high-voltage electrical photography known as Kirlian photography, creating the glowing aura that surrounds Harrison’s hand on the cover. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

He replaced Bruce Dickinson as the "Iron Maiden's" frontman and despite stepping into his huge shoes, managed to leave a mark on the band's glorious history. (Photo: Ullstein Bild) Singer Blaze Bayley is celebrating his birthday today and we are going to tell you some facts about him: 1. He was born in Birmingham, England on May 29, 1963. His name at birth was Bayley Alexander Cooke. 2. The inspiration to become a singer came after watching Ronnie James Dio live during the "Holy Diver" tour. 3. He began his musical career a year later, in 1984, when he joined the band "Wolfsbane". 4. The band's first album - "Live Fast, Die Fast" was released in 1989. Since then Bayley has participated in three more of the band's studio albums, the most recent - "Genius" was released in 2022. 5. Together with the band he warmed up "Iron Maiden" in 1990 on the "No Prayer On The Road Tour". He even got to take the stage as a guest singer during the band's performance at the "Hammersmith Odeon" in London and perform "Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter". 6. Despite the relatively limited range of voice and the fact that he had a baritone voice as appose to Bruce Dickinson's tenor, he was chosen in 1994 as the lead singer of "Iron Maiden". He was selected from hundreds of candidates, including James LaBrie and Doogie White. 7. In 1995, "The X Factor", Bayley's first album with the band was released. Bayley co-wrote some of the album's songs, including "Man on the Edge." (Photo: George Chin) 8. The tour that accompanied the album was not a successful one, to say the least. Blaze was given a cold and chilly welcome by the crowd and there were many cancellations related to bronchitis from which Blaze suffered, all at a time when the band's popularity was declining. 9. Despite the above, we were privileged to see the band here in Israel in a series of performances held in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. 10. The band opened their tour in Israel and even shot a music video for the song "Lord of the Flies" in Masada. 11. In 1996, the band, with Blaze, released the single "Virus". It was the first single released by the band that was not included on an album, since "Women In Uniform" from 1980. 12. That same year the band got to perform with Blaze, for the first time in years, in Chili, where it was boycotted by the church. 13. During a performance in the city of Santiago on August 29, 1996, Blaze "exploded" on a fan who spat at him and started cursing and raving on stage. See the end of the video here: 14. In 1998, "Iron Maiden" released their second studio album with Blaze - "Virtual XI". Although considered one of the band's weakest albums, it features excellent songs such as "Futureal" written by Blaze and Harris and selected in a 1999 "Maiden" fan poll as one of the band's most popular songs, and "The Clansman", both of which were performed even after Dickinson's return. 15. Blaze lost his voice several times during the band's tour and this led to his dismissal from "Iron Maiden" in January 1999. 16. Two months later Blaze formed "BLAZE". The band's first album - "Silicon Messiah" was released back in 2000, with the band releasing two more albums in 2002 and 2004. 17. Following many lineup changes, Bayley decided to change the band's name to "Blaze Bayley Band", in 2007. The first album under the new name - "The King of Metal" was released in 2008. 18. In 2012 Blaze began releasing albums under his name as a solo artist. The first album released in this frame was "The King of Metal" and since then Blaze has released 4 more studio albums, the last of which "War Within Me", was released in April 2021. 19. Among the albums released by Bayley as a solo artist are the trilogy "Infinite Entanglement" - three concept albums released in the years 2016-2018. 20. In 2019, Blaze came to perform in Israel under the title "Nylon Maiden" - a show that included, among other things, classics of "Iron Maiden" and songs from his solo career in an adaptation of classical music. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

In 1997 Jeff Buckley was found dead in a mysterious drowning accident, he was only 30 years old. Here are some facts in memory of the talented singer and songwriter with an endless vocal range: (Photo: legacyrecordings.com) 1. He was born on November 17, 1966, in the city of Anaheim, California to a mother of Greek-French-Panamanian descent - Mary Guibert, and to the iconic cult and folk singer and singer Tim Buckley. 2. He grew up with his mother and stepfather under the name Scott "Scottie" Moorhead (Scott was his middle name). 3. He met his biological father the singer Tim Buckley only once when he was eight years old. 4. His father died of a drug overdose in 1975 when he was only 28 years old. 5. After his father passed away he adopted the biological name of his biological father and became Jeff Buckley. 6. Buckley grew up in a musical environment, his mother was a professional pianist and cellist, and his stepfather introduced him to "Led Zeppelin", Jimi Hendrix, "The Who", "Queen" and "Pink Floyd" at an early age. 7. The first album he purchased was "Led Zeppelin's" "Physical Graffiti," and one of the first bands he loved was "Kiss". At the age of 13, he got his first guitar, Gibson Les Paul Black. 9. He played in the school's jazz band and during this time he connected to the advanced rock genre while listening specifically to bands like "Genesis", "Yes", and "Rush". 10. Upon graduating from high school he moved to Hollywood where he studied music in college. 11. He spent six years as a player in hotels under various ensembles. 12. In 1990 he moved to New York where he played at the Sin-e Cafe in the East Village and gained a fan base. 13. Buckley also worked at the same cafe as a dishwasher. 14. The first to offer him to record an album was none other than his father Tim Buckley's producer Herb Cohen. 15. In 1995, he was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People magazine. 16. The album "Grace" was the only album Buckley released in his life. 17. The band with which he recorded the album and later went out with him for a tour to promote it, was put together only weeks before the recordings. 18. The album's theme song was written by Buckley after he broke up with his girlfriend Rebecca Moore at the airport. 19. David Bowie noted that the album "Grace" is one he would take with him to a lonely island. 20. Bowie is not Buckley's only famous fan. The voices for the song "Fake Plastic Trees" were recorded by Thom York after seeing a performance by Buckley. He admitted that he was greatly influenced by Buckley in performing the song. 21. Other artists who praised Buckley and came to his performances were Jimmy Page and Robert Plant his childhood heroes, Paul McCartney, Bono, and Bob Dylan. 22. Our Ninet Tayeb is also known as a big fan of his, performing more than one of his songs in her performances and being a guest at tribute shows in his honor including around the world. 23. Even the legendary Chris Cornell and Buckley's friend, dedicated the song "Wave Goodbye" to him from his first solo album "Euphoria Morning". Cornell noted that this is one of the most personal songs he has written. 24. The album Grace entered the list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. 25. Although this is a cover version, the song "Hallelujah" performed by Buckley entered the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. 26. This is not the only cover version of Buckley. He also performed songs by Bob Dylan, "Led Zeppelin", "The Smiths", Sly Stone, Billy Holiday, and other cover versions most of which are on the You and I album released in 2016. In all cover versions, Buckley managed to bring personal charm and added value and make the songs his own, some even surpassing the original. 27. Buckley had a relationship with Scottish singer Elizabeth Fraser known among others from the band Cocteau Twins. The two even recorded a song written by Buckley, but the song was never officially released. 28. Buckley adored Fraser even before he met her and Fraser adored him and just fell at his feet. She also adored his father Tim Buckley, and even performed a cover version of his song Song to the Siren a decade before she even knew Jeff. 29. On May 29, 1997, Buckley went swimming with his clothes in the Mississippi River, a few days later, on June 4, 1997, his body was found in the river by a boat passing by. The circumstances of his death remain mysterious. 30. Creepily the lyrics of his most famous song "Grace" include lyrics like "My time is coming .. I'm not afraid to die ... and the rain has fallen to the ground and I believe my time has come, and it reminds me of the pain I will probably leave behind ... and I feel them Imprint my name ... I'm not afraid to go but it's going slowly ... " And now let's watch a documentary about this very talented artist: "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

Do you know Britpop's Bad Boy? Here are a few facts about the - Guitarist, singer and songwriter Noel Gallagher: (Photo: Matt McNulty) 1. He was born into an Irish Catholic family in Manchester England on 29 May 1967, named Noel Thomas David Gallagher. 2. He is the brother of Liam Gallagher five years his junior. 3. Noel and his brother had a difficult childhood. Their alcoholic father used to beat them. Noel developed a speech problem as a result. 4. In his youth he and his brother socialized with criminals and hooligan gangs in Manchester. They often got involved with the law enforcement authorities, when at the age of 13 Noel was arrested for theft. 5. At exactly the same age he started teaching himself to play the guitar that his father gave him from listening to songs on the radio and watching TV, Noel is left-handed but plays the guitar like a right-hander. 6. The band that influenced him the most was "The Smiths", also from Manchester. He watched them in 1983 on the show Top of the Pop performing the song "This Charming Man" from their debut album, and immediately realized he wanted to resemble guitarist Johnny Marr. 7. He was expelled from school at the age of 15 and started working for a construction company. After being injured in the construction work, he moved to a position in the company's logistics warehouse, where he claims to have written at least three songs that will find their way to Oasis' first album. 8. In 1988 he met guitarist Graham Lambert from the band "Inspiral Carpets" during a performance of the Stone "Roses". 9. When he heard that the singer of "Inspiral Carpets" had left he tried to get accepted into the band in his place, but he did not pass the audition. He eventually became a band technician and stage performer at the age of 21. 10. In 1991 when Noel returned with the "Inspiral Carpets" from a US tour, he discovered that his brother Liam had become a singer for the band "The Rain". 11. Liam invited him to join the band and Noel agreed on the condition that he would gain control of the band's artistic side and become its sole songwriter. The band later changed its name to "Oasis". Indeed Noel is almost the exclusive writer of all Oasis songs. The desire to control the band and write all its songs earned Noel the nickname "The Chief". (Photo: Steve Double) 12. In 1993 the band managed to impress the director of the record company "Creation" who was present at their performance. He sent their tape to "Sony Records" and shortly thereafter the band had signed a contract to release six albums. 13. The band's debut album "Definitely Maybe" was released in August 1994. It received positive reviews and became the best-selling debut album in the UK at the time. Noel claimed that the first hit and single from it was "Supersonic", he wrote while recording without prior preparation. 14. Johnny Mar "The Smiths" guitarist was present at one of the band's first appearances. Noel turned to Mar after the show and asked for feedback. Mar replied that it takes him too long to tune the guitar between songs and Noel said it was because he has no money for a good guitar. It touched Mar who decided to give him as a gift a 1960 Gibson Les Paul guitar he had received from Pete Townshend. Unfortunately Noel managed to break the guitar when he pushed one of the fans off stage. When Johnny Mar heard about it, he quickly gave Noel another guitar and not just a guitar, the one he wrote the song "Big Mouth Strike Again" on. 15. Already during the band's first tour in the US, problems began to rise between Noel and his brother Liam. At the end of the band's performance in Los Angeles and after a serious quarrel, Noel simply got up and left the band without saying a word, boarded a plane and flew to San Francisco. (Photo: Stefan de Batselier) 16. In that hotel and after a wild night with a local girl he wrote the song "Talk Tonight" which was later released as a side song to the song "Some Might Say". 17. Another reason for leaving was the fact that Noel thought the American audience was soaked in grunge and metal and just did not understand them. He claims he wrote the hit "Live Forever" to give the pessimistic grunge some optimism. 18. Eventually the band director and his brother Liam convinced him to return to the band and Noel joined the band for the rest of the tour in Minneapolis. 19. Noel's return to the band heralded a tremendous burst of writing that was well expressed in the songs of the band's second album (What's the Story) Morning Glory ?, which was released in 1995 and included many hits, including Some Might Say, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, Roll with It, Champagne Supernova and more. 20. Noel returned a favor to Paul Waller when he played acoustic guitar in the song "I Walk on Gilded Splinters" released in 1995. He will return to collaborate with Waller in 2002 on the album "Illumination" where he also played drums, percussion and bass guitar, on the album "22 Dreams" There he played bass, piano on the song "Echoes Round the Sun" as well as on the album "Sonik Kicks" which was released in 2012. 21. Oasis has become the hottest thing in the UK and this album has become the fifth best selling album in the UK of all time. 22. In an interview with Select magazine, Noel stated that the song "Wonderwall" was written about his girlfriend at the time, Meg Mathews. He also wanted to sing it but Liam insisted on it and also sang it at last. 23. About an hour before the band's appearance on "MTV Unplugged" in 1996, the band announced that Liam would not be able to perform due to what was advertised as "Sore Throat". Noel performed all the singing roles in his place while Liam watched the show from a balcony overlooking the stage. 24. Later on the band continued to tour without Liam as Noel performed all the singing roles. This created a rumor mill as to the real reason why Liam did not take the stage and did not join the tour. 25. Later that year Liam joined the band during its performance at the "MTV Awards". Liam deliberately faked and spit beer and saliva on stage. 26. In August 1996, Noel and the band performed two consecutive sold-out shows at Knebworth in front of 250,000 spectators. 27. The band's third album "Be Here Now" was released in 1997 and included hits such as Stand by Me, All Around the World and Don't Go Away. Also in this case Noel wrote all the songs on the album. 28. That same year Noel participated in singing the song "Setting Sun" by "The Chemical Brothers." Noel will return to collaborate with them in 1999 on the song "Let Forever Be". 29. After the release of the album "Be Here Now" Noel began to experience anxiety attacks, depression, and paranoia, which along with drugs led him to write the song "Gas Panic!" Which was included on the band's fourth album "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants" released in 2000. On this album Noel wrote all the songs except one written by his brother Liam. The album featured electronic influences, psychedelia and Indian music. 30. Noel will release with Oasis three more albums "Heathen Chemistry" from 2002, "Don't Believe the Truth" from 2005 and "Dig Out Your Soul" from 2008. 31. In 2004 Noel will collaborate with another member - "Ian Brown" on the song "Keep What Ya Got" from his fourth album "Solarized". 32. The frictions between Liam and Noel culminated in August 2009 before the band performed at the "Rock en Seine" Festival. The quarrel between them became physical as Liam smashed Noel's guitar. The show of course did not take place, and Noel later announced that he was leaving the band. 33. Noel's first appearance outside the Oasis was held at the Royal Albert Hall on 25 March 2010. 34. At the same time, Noel was working on his first solo album "Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds" which was released in October 2011. The name of the project came from a combination of the Jefferson Airline song - "High Flying Bird". And from there Peter Green's band "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac" 35. The song that signed the album was "Stop the Clocks". A song recorded for Oasis' sixth album - "Don't Believe the Truth" from 2004, but finally did not get there. He even did not appear on the band's compilation album of the same name since 2006. 36. In 2012 Noel and his band released their first EP - "Songs from the Great White North".... 37. Noel later released two more studio albums with his project. "Chasing Yesterday" in 2015 And "Who Built the Moon?" From 2017. 38. In 2015, Noel participated in "Coldplay's" "Up & Up" song from the seventh album "A Head Full Of Dreams". 39. In 2019 Noel released with his project two EPs, the first "Black Star Dancing" And the other "This Is The Place." 40. In March 2020, Noel released the EP called "Blue Moon Rising" under "Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds" and he is releasing his 4th album "Council Skies" on June 2, 2023. 41. Noel is known as one who does not "weigh words," he simply says what he thinks. This trait led him to quarrel with quite a few celebrities, including Damon Albarn, Jay-Z and Phil Collins. 42. Despite the great conflict with Damon Albarn and "Blur", Noel was able to come to terms with it. He even appeared with him at the Teenage Cancer Trust charity show performing "Blur"'s song Tender. Gallagher later appeared in background vocals in "Gorillaz's" song "We Got the Power", Albarn's side project. He will return to collaborate with the Gorillas in 2017 on the song We Got the Power. 42. In May 2023, the Gallagher brothers announced that "Oasis" would reunite for a short tour scheduled for 2025. As of May 2025, the band is still finalizing the lineup for the tour. To be continued... "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website

"Eifo HaYeled?" second album, "it's the younger and more complicated but perhaps deeper brother of the debut album "Sugar Time" which was released on May 29, 1994. In the early 1990s when the whole world was getting rock into the mainstream with rough distortions, loud drums, bouncing bass, and roars with moving lyrics. The Israeli audience also wanted his fair share and bands like "Doctor Casper's Rabbit Show", "Eifo HaYeled", "HaYehudim", "Nosey HaMigbaat" and many others managed to make headlines, on radio and television (true, not all, and not equally) and "Eifo HaYeled?" was one of them. After the release of their debut album "Sugar Time" in 1993, produced by Yuval Shafrir, the band was already seated and belted inside the cockpit, first-class straight to the stars !! The hits from the album were played non-stop on radio and television: "Where's the Wind," "What's Happening to Me," "Her Sadness," "The Sky's the Border," "You Fell Strong," and "One God." The year 1993 saw a group of "kibbutzniks" from Givat Brenner become rock stars with fame that can only be seen outside the borders of the State of Israel. That same year the band members wrote and recorded the material for the album "Shedim" (Demons). Three lost children from the kibbutz with one ordinary Haifa resident who received a strong blow from all the fame that surrounded them mostly became very confused and could not understand what was happening around them. Their shows exploded, the media kept putting them in every possible place, and girls in minimal attire would chase the band members on the street. (Photo: Eifo HaYeled? YouTube Channel) This intense encounter with the power of fame, of course in the proportions of the country, created in the band members and especially in Hemi Rudner an allergy and side effects that to this day accompany them. The fame was traumatic for them and they felt even more lost than they were. The band members felt this, especially in various performances in several places in the country when the audience would come only because somebody told them on the news that it was the hottest thing right now or wrote in magazines that "Eifo HaYeled?" is the best band today. In these performances, the audience was bored, did not connect to the music, and even led to violence. Based on watching two music videos of the band filmed a few months apart in 1993. The clip of "What's Happening to Me", from the debut album "Sugar Time", shows the band playing on a rooftop in Tel Aviv in front of several dozen friends and family. This is "Eifo HaYeled?" a fraction of a second before the success. The clip of "Someone Hear Me", which came out as a single a few months after "Sugar Time", already looks completely different. The "Roxanne" Club is bursting with an enthusiastic crowd. A clip featuring a popular, even adored band, and its members, and especially its lead singer, behave accordingly. The band's reaction or therapy to all of this was the album "Shedim" (Demons), in response to the quest for success the band members wrote darker and more pessimistic songs than the songs on the first album. In addition, Hemi Rudner, who was marked as the band's leader following the first album, preferred to take a step back and give the rest of the band more spotlight. In five songs on the album, Hemi is not the lead singer and in one he sings with Assaf Maroz. Hemi Rudner said that Assaf was in great bloom as a composer and the two big hits of the album, "Someone Hear Me" and "White in a Black Dream", he composed. Ophir Ben Ami shone with "Little Lover" and "The Demon Gets Into You". The band members entered the studio and recorded 12 live demos. Haim Shemesh from "Hed Artzi", who is one of the most prominent figures in Israeli music in general and in the 90s in particular, felt that something was missing and the demos were not good enough, so he sent the band back to the studio to record more songs. This is what led to an album of 15 songs with more than 70 minutes of music. From time immemorial "the commitment to uniformity has been and remains far from us for better or worse" Hemi Rudner testified. Stylistically, "Shedim" (Demons) has the protest grunge ("Israeliana", "The Ballad of the Defective", "The Demon Gets Into You"), Punk ("The Green Demons"), Broken Heart Ballads ("Football", "To Who", "Horn"), unexplained gothic ("White in a Black Dream"), love of soul music ("Inside The Panties", "Someone Hears Me"), psychedelic sixties ("Mid-Summer"), eighties ("Little Lover") and blues ("Rusty Nails"). All the songs have demon-piercing and insane demons: passion, remorse, anxiety, abuse, suicide, death, and love. Yuval Shafrir once again was the one who helped the scattered group create the collective album but kept them as a cohesive band. Among the big hits on the album "White in a Black Dream" was not supposed to enter the album at all and was written out of anger. The melody of the song was created by Assaf Sarig at the request of another Israeli artist who wrote the lyrics, but when Hemi Rudner heard this he got upset and assured Assaf that the melody was excellent and that he would write better lyrics than the other artist in 5 minutes. And the song was written in 5 minutes about death at a time when there was tremendous panic over AIDS. "Someone Hear Me" is one of the band's most accurate songs according to Hemi Rudner and probably their best recording. The song was created even before the first album when Assaf brought the bass line and Hemi improvised lyrics, it's also a song that the band felt was too simple and shelved in the work on the first album. The chorus is a powerful showcase of a band with confidence and fun. The mid-90s was a time of alien craze and from there came the inspiration for the song "Green Demons" beyond a parody of aliens it was also an attempt by the band to make a loving tribute to the punk of the late 70s on which the band members grew up. This is one of the band's fastest songs and here especially but throughout the album, Ilan Green from "Revenge of the Tractor" participates on the keyboards. "Shedim" (Demons) is kept on our shelf along with the other Israeli 90s, amazing, exciting, and thrilling that take us back each time with intense longings for the Arad Festival, the Tzemach Festival, and the Rock Atzmaot. For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook / Instagram or Subscribe to our website