On February 10, 1978, a miraculous thing happened in the Metal world. On the very same day, two masterpieces albums that redefined the concept of Metal music were released. One is Van Halen 's amazing debut album and the other is "Stained Class", Judas Priest's fourth album. This review focuses on the less "shiny" album of the two, whose impact is no less important. This is of course "Stained Class" by "Judas Priest". We have written and spoke much about the year 1970, the year in which in our humble opinion the genres of Hard Rock and Metal were born, with the release of the debut albums of "Uriah Heep" and "Black Sabbath", as well as the "debut" album of the MKII lineup of "Deep Purple" - "In Rock", All three were released within a few months of each other. These trio of bombs dropped in 1970 one after the other, completed the mighty and heavy blitz that had begun a year earlier with "Led Zeppelin's debut album , effectively establishing the existence of a new style of music. So if 1970 was the founding event in which the Hard Rock and Metal genres were forged and formed, then on February 10, 1978 two albums were released and in our opinion redefined the genre, breathing fresh air into it, becoming a very important milestone in the further development of these music genres. Keep in mind that in 1978 the Hard Rock and Metal genres were in retreat. The bands that belong to the founding generation have faded or disappeared from the world. "Deep Purple" fell apart, "Led Zeppelin" has not released any new material in two years and was a year before the softest album of it's career - In Through The Out Door . "Black Sabbath" has not released anything since " Technical Ecstasy " in 1976 and was one step away from the release of their last album with Ozzy Osbourne , an album devoid of a uniform musical direction that moved away from the classic metal that defined the band. What’s more, on that year Punk has established itself and threatened to swallow the Metal dinosaurs, with the virtuoso musicians making them archaic, outdated and irrelevant. Then, just like in a Hollywood movie, right before it's all over, the superhero comes out of nowhere and saves the day. This time there where two superheroes, coming from both sides of the ocean, simultaneously and well coordinated, managing to perform a wonderfully synchronized reviving procedure saving the fading genre, breathing new and fresh air and even redefine them, Literally! If we stay in the movie world, then Judas' first three albums were just the promo for the glorious film series that will follow. In the first three albums Judas was still searching for her musical identity, K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton honed their playing style and Rob Halford explored the boundaries of his voice. What’s more, Judas’ all-too-famous twin guitar sound was still thin and unpolished. Then come "Stained Class" and "Judas" undergoes a kind of upheaval, an external and internal change, which not only established its musical identity, but also was a millstone for all the metal bands that would follow. In terms of external change, Judas abandons their jeans and T-shirts in favor of leather clothing, studs and accessories reserved only for S&M lovers, with Rob Halford adopting the famous leather hat and whip in his hand. (Photo: Fin Costello) In addition, the band changes it's logo with the gothic font that accompanied it in the first two albums in favor of the diagonal classic logo, with the jagged writing that accompanies the band albums to this day. At a later stage the band members will admit that this change was their answer to the growing Punk scene. In terms of the inner change, the band moved away from the blues and prog influences that accompanied their first albums, while Tipton and K.K. thickened and hardened their dual guitar sound, Halford sharpened his screams and the new drummer Les Binks brought a fast and wild drumming style, that added tremendously to the end result. The lyrics have also become darker and the song titles like " Saints In Hell, Savage " and " Beyond the Realms of Death " will proove it. But the change the band went through was not only reflected in all of these. The writing process was also different, with all the band members, including the new drummer, contributing to the creation process. It is interesting to note that this is the only "Judas" album where all the band members participated in writing the material. In addition, K.K. claimed that this album was the first time he had taken a different approach when it came to solos. If in the previous albums K.K. came to the studio with a written solo and only polished it during the recordings, then in this album he wrote them all during the recordings. It's just amazing to think that solos of songs like " Exciter ", " Savage ", and " Beyond the Realms of Death ", were written live, in the studio. What's even more amazing, is that this particular album, that redefined metal both in terms of sound and looks, was produced by Dennis MacKay who came from genres of Jazz and Prog. Dennis MacKay worked with bands like "Curved Air", "Brand X" and "Mahavishnu Orchestra", before working on this Judas' album. It's interesting to think what would have happened if "Judas" had worked with a hard rock producer, Like Martin Birch for example. What's beautiful about the story of this album is that even though it's not a perfect one, it's still managed to create a huge explosion, a supernova that has spread everywhere, in terms of geographical location time, dressing style, attitude, sounds, rhythms, and melodies, that will reshape the Metal world and become a model for the bands that came later. The opening song " Exciter " is probably one of the first Speed Metal songs ever written. The crazy opening of new drummer Les Binks with the double bass drum, was accidentally written during the band's sound check on the tour that accompanied the album "Sin After Sin". And this crazy drumming blends in with the fast riffs of Tipton and K.K. and raises the average BPM threshold, in a way that will challenge future generations and force them to work harder on technique and speed. The solos in this song are just mind blowing. Great playing and composition, wild technique and beautiful melody. As if the guitars make background sound to each other and create insane harmony (3:35 min). The main riff in the theme song " Stained Class " is led by the galloping rhythm, which was later adopted by "Iron Maiden". Similarly, the bass line in the song " Saints In Hell " resonates through the strings of Steve Harris ' bass guitar in the song "Wrathchild". The melody in Rob Halford 's vocals on the track " White Heat, Red Hot " corresponds with the melody in Hetfield 's vocals in the song "The Four Horseman" and the falsetto vocals in the opening song " Savage " undoubtedly inspired King Diamond 's whistling voice. And the guitars, oh the guitars, just about every metal band that came later and includes two solo guitarists, adopted the song structure and style that allows two guitars to conduct difficult solo battles, on the one hand, while on the other hand blending harmoniously and melodically, without losing identity and uniqueness of each one of the musicians. This album also features one of Judas Priest's most beautiful songs in their entire repertoire. " Beyond the Realms of Death " is simply an amazing masterpiece that sets new standards for all the metal ballads that will follow. And it is impossible to end this review without a few word " Better by You, Better Than Me ". It's a song dated back to 1969, originally known from "Spooky Tooth". "Judas" simply gave it a new identity, with an amazing performance that surpasses the original. This song was the reason for filing a lawsuit against the band, claiming it included covert messages that encouraged suicide. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed but until then the band had stopped performing it on live gigs for several years. It is interesting to note, that this song was the last to enter the album. There is no doubt that this album helped shape the face of the metal map and served as a role model for the bands that came after it. Although not as famous and successful as his co-starring brother "Van Halen" debut who came out that day on the other side of the ocean, it is still a very important album whose contribution to the development of the genre is enormous. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

February 10, 1978 is a very important date for Metal. On the very same day, two influential albums which in a sense saved Hard Rock and Metal, were released. The first, is " Stained Class ", the fourth album of "Judas Priest", and the other is the amazing debut album of "Van Halen", which is the subject of our review. In a simply cosmic and unplanned way, these two albums acted as catalysts that breathed new life into metal, on both sides of the ocean, redefined Hard Rock and Metal and becoming a very important milestone in the further development of the genres. They came out at a time when Hard Rock and Metal were in retreat, a year when Punk had established its status and Disco and Pop ruled the music world and at a time when "Rock" had become a dirty word. Before you continue, we encourage you to read the review of the album " Stained Class ", which was released on the same day and that year, only on the other side of the ocean. If you have read, then you already know that in 1978 the "founding generation" Hard Rock and Metal bands faded or disappeared from the face of earth. They became less and less relevant and were considered old, heavy and outdated. Then, came a talented young guitarist named Eddie Van Halen . He takes the Hard Rock and Metal of the veteran dinosaurs and sticks an adrenaline syringe straight into their hearts. He replaces the sensitive finger touches on the guitar fret with brutal hammer blows, filters out the bluesy playing style and replaces it with a unique and innovative playing that redefines the electric guitar and combines tapping, quick fingering and harmonics. Now add to that the energetic appearance, the virtuosity and the sheer charisma, and you will understand why "Van Helen" saved Rock, just like that, literally. Do not get us wrong, the revolution created by the band's debut album is not only attributed to Eddie Van Halen , absolutely not! But it just would not have happened without him. So how do you create such a revolution? To understand this we have to go back in time, to 1972, Southern California, where the band originally called "Genesis" was formed, by brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen . The Dutch-born brothers were the sons of jazz musician Jan van Helen who played clarinet, saxophone and piano. They started learning classical piano at the age of 6. When they started playing rock and roll, Alex played guitar and Eddie on drums. But as soon as Alex heard his younger brother pick up the guitar and play more naturally, he forced him to change instruments and became a drummer himself. In 1974 they hired an amplification system from David Lee Roth and he was soon invited to join them as the band's lead singer. Roth accurately answered the definition of a "rock star." He was unusually charismatic, his appearance, attire, movements, manners were just what the band needed to become a successful. He may not have had a great voice, but his screams blended perfectly with the band's energetic sound. Bassist Michael Anthony was later recruited, to replace the band's original bassist. They immediately recognized his talent as bassist and lead singer of the band "Snake" and invited him to join them. After the lineup was completed, the band began plowing the stages. They began to gain appreciation and audiences in the Los Angeles pub scene, when Gene Simmons from "Kiss" discovered them in 1976 and decided to produce a demo tape for them. Simmons passed the tape with a recommendation to "Kiss" record company, but they foolishly replied that the band had no chance of succeeding. Eventually in 1977 Warner decided to sign them on a recording contract. In mid-1977, Ted Templeman of "Warner Bros. Records" was present at one of the band's performances in Hollywood. He was so impressed and within a week they had already signed a recording contract. Not only that, but Templeman also became the producer of their debut album, which was recorded in just three weeks, back in the fall of 1977. Templeton who really liked the way the band sounded Live, made sure the production would convey in the best way how the band sounded on stage. Indeed, the production was minimalist with a minimum of overdubs and effects. (Photo: music.fandom.com) The album opens up with " Running with the Devil ", to the sound of passing cars. The idea to record the horns was by Gene Simmons ' and they were already included in the demo tape he produced for the band. These were the car horns of the band members. They disassembled them, put them in a box and connected them to a battery powered by an external foot switch. After recording, they slowed down the sound to produce the "Doppler effect" so that the horn would sound like a passing car. The lyrics of this song were influenced by the song "Runnin' from the devil" by the funk band "Ohio Players". It apparently talks about the difficulties of a young band on stage and in ways caused "Van Halen" much trouble associating them with the cult of Satan. It has often been voted as one of the greatest Heavy Rock songs in history. The second track " Eruption ", is in our opinion the best to represents the hysterical revolution that this album has created. This short instrumental track that was the b-side of the opening song, made Eddie Van Halen and the band legends. This piece, which appears as an intro to the song " You Really Got Me ", got a life of its own and bought Eddie a place at the guitarists' Olympus. It demonstrates Eddie's perfect playing technique and the sound that was then considered so innovative and unique. Not many know, but this piece is based on the intro to the song "Let Me Swim" by "Cactus" and it was not supposed to go on the album at all. It was a piece that Eddie had been playing in live shows since 1976. Eddie did not think it was good enough for the album but he rehearsed it in the studio and the recording device kept working. Templeton who heard the result insisted that it will be a be part of the album, although Eddie claims he made a mistake there that every time he heard the piece he would get upset that it had not been corrected. This mighty track, which introduced Eddie Van Halen's two-handed tapping technique to the world, became a cult piece in performances when Eddie manages to perform it even more impressively. We have a small confession. we just can not listen to " You Really Got Me " without the introduction of " Eruption ". For us, this is one song, special and unified, and it is no wonder that it's clip connects the two tracks. It's a song originally written and performed by the "Kinks", back in 1964. It is considered one of the first songs to feature a rough guitar riff, with Dave Davies achieving that sound by piercing the membrane of his amp, creating a buzz sound. It was the first single the band released. Eddie Van Halen did not like it because he thought the first single should be an original track, but the record company's bet was great, since the "Van Halen" version even surpassed the original, which was perfect in itself. Amazingly this song was the "Kinks'" first hit, and fourteen years later it also became Van Helen's first hit. It's a bouncy song with a perfect riff, and to this day whenever David Lee Roth releases this "wow" at 0:06 to the song, our body starts to twitch in involuntary movements. The lyrics to the song " Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love " were written by David Lee Roth about "casual sex", that David was suspected of, as part of his "rock star" character. The music was written by Eddie and it is amazing that he thought it was not good enough and did not even introduce it to the band, until after a year. He wrote it with the aim of sounding like a parody of the Punk style that was spreading around the world at the time. Whoever makes the effort will hear in this song a recording of an electric sitar on which Eddie plays. Eddie's guitar riff in this song was sampled by "Apollo 440" in their song "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Dub". The first side of the vinyl ends up with the fast-paced " I'm the One " with David Lee Roth 's amazing vocals and Alex's edgy "Double-Kick" drumming. It is interesting to note that the band "4 Non Blondes" performed a cover version of this song in 1994 and the band's drummer had to learn the "double-kick" technique a few days before the recording. Although the other side of the album does not reach the level of the first perfect side, there are still some memorable anthems like " Jamie's Cryin '" written about a girl who regrets a one-night stand with a guy and wants a more serious relationship. The riff of the song is sampled in the song "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc. And there's the amazing " Atomic Punk ", with the palm muted strings at the opening, " Ice Cream Man " which is a cover of John Brim's 1953 song and of course the surprising " Little Dreamer " with the blues scents, Michael's beating bass and the two harmonic vocals that accompany David Lee Roth . "Van Halen" became one of the most successful debut albums of all time, whose impact on the Hard rock and Heavy Metal scene was substantial. It became a big hit around the world, when just five months after its release it had already sold a million copies in the US only. The album continued to sell like crazy until it entered the prestigious "Diamond Albums", with sales over 10 million copies. And if that's not enough, this album is included in the "Rolling Stone" Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, as well as that magazine's 100 Greatest debut Albums of All Time. The instrumental track " Eruption " is at the top of every possible greatest solos list and among other the second place at the list of the greatest solos of all time by "Guitar World" magazine. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 24, 1986, Ozzy Osbourne 's fourth studio album, "The Ultimate Sin", was released in the US (February 10, 1986 in UK). This album was released 3 years after the previous album " Bark At The Moon ", the longest gap compared to Ozzy's first three albums, which were released between 1980 and 1983. The reason for the long time it took to release the album, was mainly because Ozzy was not fit to work on a new album for a long time. His drinking problems worsened and culminated in entering the Betty Ford Rehabilitation Center, from which he was released in 1985. Ozzy said he was so stoned that he had no idea which institution he was in and that Sharon was able to persuade him to go there, only after she promised him that they will teach him how to drink like a gentleman there. It did not end there, because as soon as he entered the institution Ozzy asked the manager where is the bar. While Ozzy was busy rehabilitating, the talented guitarist Jake E. Lee managed to write enough material for an entire album. But after what happened on the previous album (" Bark At The Moon "), he demanded that Ozzy will sign a contract protecting his rights, before he even share one note with him. This demand will lead to Jake E. Lee 's dismissal. As well known, bassist Bob Daisley and guitarist Jake E. Lee wrote the vast majority of the material for the previous album, but in the end, they did not receive any credit for their work, when Ozzy Osbourne got all the writing credit. Moreover, the contract presented to them at the end of the recordings of " Bark At The Moon " was the opposite of what they were promised, this caused a great deal of resentment on the part of Daisley, who had experienced such behavior from Ozzy on the first two albums as well. Disagreements between Daisley and Ozzy eventually led to Daisley's dismissal, with Phil Soussan being brought in to replace him. Despite that, it did not stop Ozzy from re-inviting Daisley to return to the band and assist him in writing the lyrics for the reviewed album and surprisingly Daisley, once again, caved in and re-joined the band. Jake and Daisley went into the studio with drummer Jimmy DeGrasso to record demos for the material they wrote, but this band did not survive in light of Ozzy's commitment to the "Black Sabbath" reunion show, as part of Live Aid . Eventually, Degerso and Daisley were replaced before the recordings by drummer Randy Castillo and bassist Phil Soussan, who even co-wrote the biggest hit from the album " Shot in the Dark ". This song was written by Phil Soussan, Ozzy Osbourne and Steve Oberland, who did not get credit for writing it. It's the only song on the album not written by Jake and Daisley. It was originally written years earlier for Soussan's previous band "Wildfire" and was performed in 2012 by Soussan with the band "FM". The title of the song refers to the 1963 film " The Pink Panther ". Soussan who was a fan of "The Pink Panther" film series, originally wrote lyrics influenced by the film, but Ozzy changed them a bit to something a little darker. This song that ends the album has become one of Ozzy's big hits. This album was originally supposed to be called "Killer of Giants" like the name of the song on the second side of the album, but Osborne changed it at the last minute to "The Ultimate Sin", after the album's opening song. Those two mighty songs competed for the album title, are probably the best of it. The theme song " The Ultimate Sin " opens with the drumming of Randy Castillo, whose rhythm reminds us of the opening of "Run To The Hills" by "Iron Maiden". The resemblance is so high, that every time we hear this opening we are sure that the guitars of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith are about to enter. But make no mistake, we are not at all disappointed by Jake E. Lee 's heavy and catchy riff. What a beloved and amazing gifted guitarist who makes sure to pad the heavy and monotonous riff with intelligent guitar licks. These little ones like in the 3:07 to song and 3:16 of it just blow our minds over and over again and make us long for this great guitarist. " Killer of Giants " is simply a tremendous masterpiece. The opening of the arpeggio with the reverb and the sudden transition to classical guitar with Ozzy's vocals is simply ingenious. What an amazing melody in Ozzy's singing, absolutely one of his best moment. The bridge before the chorus that begins with the words "Giants Sleeping" starting at 1:49 melts us down every time again. Written by him or not, gave credit or not, Ozzy is just a great singer worthy of all the superlatives! But this album is definitely not just those three great songs we mentioned. " Secret Loser " features a very catchy guitar riff and is one of the fastest and most beautiful songs on the album, with amazing chords that soak up a very strong atmosphere to Ozzy's emotional and melodic vocals. " Thank God For The Bomb " features a cheerful and cynical chorus influenced by the Cold War that took place during the recording of the album and manages to sweep us over and over again with its insane energies. " Fool Like You " with the sound of the palm-muted strings in the intro, simply takes off starting from the bridge at 2:58 and continues to evolve with Jake's crazy solo and Castillo's beautiful drum passes. The first few seconds of " Lightning Strikes " remind us of the immortal riff of "Crazy Train" a bit, but we have absolutely no problem with that, just give us more of this amazing guitarist. This album became Ozzy's most successful album to date, with sales of over a million copies in the US alone, within three months of its release. The album was also a success on the charts and immediately after its release the band went on a successful tour. After the tour, the band began working on the next album, but the tensions between Jake E. Lee and Ozzy Osbourne eventually led to his dismissal by Sharon Osborne via telegram, without any justification. Due to his dismissal before the recording of the album, Bob Daisley, again, did not receive credit for his contribution in the first prints of the album, but this was corrected in the later prints, to prevent a lawsuit. Despite all that, Daisley will return to collaborate with Ozzy on the next album, as well as a young guitarist that replaces Jake - named Zakk Wylde . Despite the album's success and the fact that it includes at least two of the greatest songs in his repertoire, Ozzy noted that it is his least favorite album from his solo career. Ozzy explained that he had no problem with the songs, but he thinks that the production, made by producer Ron Neusson, is not good enough. Ozzy pointed out that if there is one album of his that he wants to remix, it is "The Ultimate Sin". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about The Rev - who was, among others, the drummer of "Avenged Sevenfold" and one of its founders: (Photo: Ethan Miller) 1. He was born in Huntington Beach, California on February 9, 1981. His full name is James "Jimmy" Owen Sullivan. 2. The musical influences on him were Frank Zappa and "King Crimson" on one side and "Pantera", "Metallica", and "Slayer" on the other. 3. He noted that the drummers who influenced him the most were: Vinnie Paul Abbott , Mike Portnoy , Dave Lombardo , Lars Ulrich , and Terry Bozzio. By the way, he also noted that drummer Tommy Lee had a visual influence on him. 4. Jimmy got his first drum set (a toy kit) already at the age of 5. His mother stated that they purchased the set for him to prevent damage to the furniture on which he was drumming around the house. 5. From an early age he was a prodigy in drumming. He transcribed and taught himself to play particularly difficult metal tracks, including "Pantera", "Metallica", and "Slayer", when eventually he played tracks of "Dream Theater" and "Rush", all on the amateur drum set he got as a child. 6. His parents took him to see a live performance of "Metallica" when he was 12 years old. 7. He received his first serious drum set only at the age of 11, when by the age of 13 he was already able to play complex solo pieces he had written himself. See in the video below: 8. Already in high school he started playing in several bands, but the first serious band with whom he also recorded an album named "Origin Edition" in 1999, was "Suburban Legends". 9. In the same year he also co-founded "Avenged Sevenfold", with M. Shadows who was his neighbor. 10. He released his first album with the band - " Sounding the Seventh Trumpet " in 2001, when he was only 19 years old. (Photo: My Space) 11. At the same time The Rev was a part of a side band called "Pinkly Smooth", along with guitarist Synyster Gates, his friend from "Avenged Sevenfold". 12. The band released one album in 2001 called "Unfortunate Snort". Jimmy was also serving as the lead singer and keyboardist of the band. 13. Jimmy developed a unique playing technique called "the double-ride thing" or "the Double Octopus" as he called it, which involves a quick double of the tempo between the double bass and two ride cymbals simultaneously. The technique can be heard in songs such as "Critical Acclaim", "Crossroads", "Dancing Dead" and more. Want to see why he called the technique "double octopus"? watch here for example in seconds 25 and 2:14 min. of the song "Almost Easy": 14. Beyond his amazing drumming Jimmy was also a singer and pianist in the band. His singing can be heard in a number of "Avenged Sevenfold" songs such as: "Afterlife", "A Little Piece of Heaven", "Almost Easy", "Scream", "Critical Acclaim" and more. 15. In addition, Jimmy was also a full partner in writing the songs in the band. He brought ideas for piano, lyrics, guitar riffs, and more. For example, he wrote 4 of the 10 songs on the album "Avenged Sevenfold", including the ingenious and perfect masterpiece "A Little Piece of Heaven", which Rev wrote alone and also contributed to singing, piano, and orchestral arrangements. 16. Jimmy noted that over the years he received guitar lessons from Synyster Gates. He also knew how to play bass guitar. 17. He loved the 1990 film "Jacob's Ladder". The film would later be the inspiration for the video clip for the song "Nightmare". 18. His partner Leana "Silver" Mcfadden appears with him in the "funeral" scene in the video clip for the song "Seize the Day". 19. Jimmy had a drum set that included three Bass drums. At one point the system also included 11 different cymbals and 7 toms. (Photo: Unknown) 16. Sullivan passed away on December 28, 2009. At first, the cause of his death was unknown and investigators were unable to reach an unequivocal determination. But a year later it was announced that his death was the result of the use of a large number and variety of drugs and dangerous substances at once. It is not known if the drug use was done unintentionally, as a suicide attempt, or simply excessive consumption. 18. The band's fifth album - "Nightmare" was released about six months after his death and includes a number of tributes to Rev. 19. The moving ballad "So Far Away" was written entirely by guitarist Synyster Gates. Originally the song was supposed to be written as a tribute to Syn's grandfather but after Rev's death, he changed the lyrics and dedicated the song to the legendary and beloved drummer. 20. The video clip of the song takes place in Huntington Beach, exactly where the band was formed and from there it moves to the studio where the rest of the band plays, with pictures and videos of Rev in the background. 21. The songs "Victim" and "Save Me" are also lamentations and mourning for Rev. 22. Rev wrote the song "Fiction" only three days before his death. The song was originally named "Death", but the band members changed it during the recordings. The last sentence he wrote in the song and is also the last he wrote before his death, is simply chilling: "I know you'll find your own way when I'm not with you". 23. On the cover of the album there is a tribute to the legendary drummer, and there is the caption of the word FOREVER with the letters Rev highlighted and prominent, on the tombstone that appears on the front cover. 24. The one who recorded the drum roles that Rev did not manage to finish for the album, is none other than Mike Portnoy who was then a member of "Dream Theater" and whom Rev admired. 25. After his death, Rev won the Best Drummer Award in the "Revolver Golden God Awards" competition. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 9, 1961, The Beatles made their debut at "The Cavern Club" in Liverpool, England. (Photo: Beatles Random Facts Facebook) The band has already made quite a few appearances at nightclubs in Hamburg, but this is the first time they have performed at the mythical club in their hometown. The one who managed to get the Beatles members the show is Mona Best, the mother of the band's drummer at the time, Pete Best. Rumor has it that she even had to beg the owner of the club to allow the band to perform there, and even then it was a lunchtime performance. The Cavern Club, located on Mathew Street in Liverpool, was founded in 1957 as a club where jazz music was played. John Lennon played there in 1957 with his band "The Quarrymen" who played mostly Skippel. At the time the club banned playing rock 'n' roll music and when at one of the shows Lennon sang a song by Elvis the owner simply resented him. However the 1960s brought with them winds of change, the owner changed the policy and in 1961 the Beatles settled into the iconic club and played raw tough rock and roll there. (Photo: Dick Matthews) George Harrison said that during the band's breaks they ate sandwiches on stage and drank tea. They received only £ 3 for the show. Paul McCartney noted in the Beatles' 1995 anthology book that the band's first appearances were barely attended by people, but later the rumor spread and it was not long before the band moved on to perform at night when the club exploded to capacity. Beginning with the same historic performance held on February 9, 1961, the band performed at this club close to 300 shows, in a period of only about two years. Then the club became already "small on them". For a performance at the club exactly 9 months later, on November 9, 1961, Brian Epstein will arrive. During a customer's random visit to his record store Brian was asked if he had Tony Sheridan & The Beatles' "My Bonnie" single. This was enough to pique the curiosity of Brian who came to the Cavern Club to watch them perform. After the show he will meet with The Beatles members and soon after he will become the band's organizer. It is interesting to note that a year later on February 5, 1962 Ringo Starr would make his debut with The Beatles at the exact same club. That was the day Pete Best was sick and Ringo joined the lunchtime show. Later that evening he joined the band for a performance in the city of Southport located north of Liverpool. We jump 6 months forward to August 14, 1962 this is the day Ringo accepted John Lennon's invitation and officially joined the band. He would make his first appearance with them on August 18, 1962. This performance was also held at The "Cavern Club". Four days later, a similar performance will be partly recorded there: February 9 is probably a "cosmic" date for The Beatles 'since on this day in 1964 they made their first live appearance on American television' as part of the "Ed Sullivan Show" program. It was a "historic" and hysterical performance that swept an entire nation into the madness of The Beatles. During the program, the band members played 5 songs to the screams and roars of the audience. The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein managed to hide well the fact that George Harrison was ill that day with tonsillitis. He had a fever, was shaking and could not reach the sound check at all. Despite that, this show conquered America and turned the band into a meteor. Since then, February 9 will be remembered as a very special date in the history of The Beatles. Moreover, the number 9 will become a kind of obsession of John Lennon and below is only a partial list in which the number communicates with him: 1. He was born on October 9th. 2. Lennon Sean's son was also born on October 9 and shares a birthday with him. 3. The first house he lived in was at 9 Newcastle Street. 4. The first performance at Cavern as we wrote here on February 9th. 5. Brian Epstein first saw them as we wrote exactly 9 months later on November 9th. 6. The band's contract with EMI was signed on May 9, 1962. 7. The song "Dream # 9". 8. The song "Revolution # 9". 9. The song "One After 909". 10. Lennon and Yoko lived in apartment 72 in the Dakota 72 building multiplied by 9 and 7 + 2 = 9. 11. Lennon passed away on December 8 but at the time of Liverpool it was on December 9. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Editor's Choice... And this time... "Fire Down Under", Riot's third studio album, released on February 9, 1981. We have written and talked many times during our show about the "pendulum" in the global music market, moving over the years between the two sides of the ocean. Between England and the US exporting and importing influences and musical trends from side to side. So our recommendation today, is a great album by an American band, that could easily be at the forefront of the new wave of British heavy metal in the UK, or in short (NWOBHM). This is an album, that in our humble opinion, every Metalist must have in his album library, if only to understand in depth the development of the Metal genre and to acknowledge the fact that the American continent was also a part of it. This amazing album is a School for Heavy Metal. It features great riffs and songs, including one "mega-riff" that would be "borrowed" by "Accept" a year later in the song " Flash Rockin' Man " and later on would be "borrowed" again by "Iron Maiden" In the song " 2 Minutes To Midnight ". Can't believe it? Watch and listen to the video: Curious? So for those unfamiliar, "Riot" is an American Heavy Metal band formed in New York in 1975, by guitarist Mark Reale and drummer Peter Bitelli. The two added bassist Phil Feit and singer Guy Speranza, to complete the band's initial line-up. They recorded a demo that included four songs and that was enough to get the attention of the private label "Fire Sign Records", who immediately signed them on a recording contract. The band released their first album "Rock City" as early as 1977, but the album failed commercially and the band thought of breaking up. But then something wonderful happened !!! The NWOBHM was rising in the UK and sent tsunami waves that reached as far as the other side of the ocean, managed to breathe fresh air into the band and cause them to release their second album "Narita", which was released in 1979. The reviewed album is the band's third and probably also the most successful for "Riot", which has gone through several incarnations since then and is called today "Riot V". To date, the band has released 16 studio albums, the most recent of which is "Armor of Light" from 2018. It's amazing to think that "Capitol" record company refused to release this album, because it was "too heavy" (and we are talking about the year 1981 in the US). Eventually, after much pressure from fans and the band's management, "Capitol" gave up the rights to "Electra" and the album was eventually released. On this album, the band continues with the line that started with their first two albums "Rock City" and "Narita", only this time they found the ultimate combination of perfect writing, cohesive and tight playing and accessible production, that will make this album the band's most successful. There are no weak songs here. This album flows wonderfully throughout and sounds fresh and relevant even today. The opening song " Swords and Tequila " invented the mighty mega-riff which as we mentioned will be "borrowed" by "Accept" and later by "Iron Maiden". A dynamic song with a sweeping rhythm and catchy chorus. " Fire Down Under " boosts the rhythm with a huge burst of energy on the verge of Speed Metal. The song features amazing guitar work and frantic solo exchanges by the duo Mark Reale and Rick Ventura. " Feel the Same " puts us in a dark atmosphere with a riff that corresponds with Doom Metal, and a solo that in part reminded us of the work of Uli Jon Roth in his time with "Scorpions". " Outlaw " is one of the most bouncy and fun on the album, with a riff so simple and catchy that immediately makes you jump out of your chair and shake your head. Here, too, the solos in part reminded us of the "Scorpions" of the 1970s and early 1980s. " Don't Bring Me Down " seals the first side of the album with another fast song on the verge of Speed Metal, until the bluesy solo where the rhythm get slower. " Don't Hold Back " opens the other side of the vinyl with another amazing riff and excellent work by the rhythm section and especially by bassist Kip Leming. The epic track " Altar of the King " opens with a quiet instrumental intro that reminded us of "Rainbow". Guy Speranza, who co-wrote 8 of the ten songs on the album, is a powerful and tremendous singer. He is inspiring and it is clear that he gives everything he has. " No Lies " opens quietly with arppegio chords, and later develops with a riff that is very reminiscent of "Paranoid" by "Black Sabbath's", but still manages to excite and innovate. " Run for Your Life " takes us back to the Speed Metal Punk-Rock area, with a distinct "Iron Maiden" riff from the Paul Di'Anno era. The album ends up with an interesting outro called " Flashbacks ", consisting of feedback, part from live shows and interviews, presented on a bed of "Van Hellenic" solo guitar which later develops into a rhythmic and cool instrumental piece that ends in a fade out and leaves us with a taste of more of this wonderful thing called "Riot". The album cover includes, as with most of the band's albums, a p[icture of a seal, that has become the bands "mascot". This album is one of the few American responses to NWOBHM which in some ways is ahead of its time in relation to the development of the genre on the other side of the ocean. It's an excellent album that is important for any "metalhead" to recognize, if only to acknowledge the existence of an excellent American alternative to the revolution that will emerge in Britain shortly thereafter. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 9, 1970, "The Doors" fifth studio album, "Morrison Hotel", was released. So, "Morrison Hotel" is a real hotel in downtown Los-Angeles, where the front cover of "The Doors" fifth album was also shot. The album is also known as "Hard Rock Café" - as the name of the first side of the vinyl record, where the back cover was also shot - in the "Hard Rock Café" chain located on East 5th Street Los Angeles. after being criticized following their previous album " The Soft Parade " released in 1969, the band left the psychedelia influences almost completely and returned to its roots, back to the blues. This sound change of the band really paid off, since "The Doors" got both critical and commercial success, when the album reached the top 5 in the US album chart and also became the band's highest charting album in the UK. However, these impressive results were not reflected from the creative process. It can be said that on this album the band began it's "disintegration" process. Jim Morrison was involved in composing all the songs on the album and actually wrote about half of the album's songs on his own. However, the rest of the band could no longer bear him at that time. Rehearsals and recordings were not easy. Jim Morrison and guitarist Robby Krieger even got into a fight because Morrison insisted on giving writing credit for one of the songs to his friend from his film school days, since he helped him write it. No singles or big hits were released from this album. However, although the album did not include any "hits", it had some good songs, in particular the amazing opening song, " Roadhouse Blues ", which is undoubtedly holds a very high score in the band's rich repertoire. The song opens with the rough, sweeping and catchy guitar riff, accompanied by session bass player Lonnie Mack, playing over Ray Manzarek's piano bass. John Sebastian's from the band "Lovin 'Spoonful" plays harmonica on this song that undoubtedly sets the tone for the blues-rock style that dominates the rest of the album. True, " Roadhouse Blues " is probably the highlight of this album, which only gets weaker as it progress, but still this is one of the band's classic albums. The album also includes two songs recorded during the sessions for band's previous albums: the first, " Indian Summer " which is one of the first songs the band recorded back in 1966 - while recording their debut album. The song was influenced by a car accident that Jim Morrison witness as a four-year-old, when he was on his way to Mexico with his family. A number of Indians were killed in the accident and Morrison was quoted as saying that their souls left their bodies and jumped into his soul. The second song, " Waiting for the Sun " was recorded while recording the album "Waiting For The Sun", which was released in 1968, only the band did not like the way it sounded at the time and this time returned to work on it with more vigor and desire. Other interesting songs: The fourth track " Peace Frog " with Robbie Kreiger's funky guitar riff, written in the studio and includes the words "Blood in the streets of the town of New Haven" referring to Morrison's arrest on stage in New Haven in 1967. The fifth track is " Blue Sunday ", which is a pure ballad with the light organ by Ray Manzarek and the beautiful guitar sentences emanate from Robby Krieger's guitar. The eighth song " The Spy " that takes the band as far as possible in terms of style, straight to the jazz nightclub scene. This song is just great. It's different from anything else "the Doors" have ever recorded. Jim Morrison's singing is beutiful and powerful, while the lyriucs walk the fine line between love and manipulation. For Listening to the album: 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 - 09.02.2004 “I don’t dance, I don’t dance when I’m sad. I don’t dance, I don’t dance when I’m sad,” sings Arkadi Duchin to lyrics by Micha Shitrit and Alon Olearchik. So how is it possible to be sad, especially with rock songs that make you want to tear up the dance floor? Yes, yes, songs like those of “Franz Ferdinand”, whose debut album was released on 09.02.2004. People always claim that Scots are serious and gloomy, and that even when guitars are slicing through the night in their hands, melancholy still coats the overall picture. But that could not be further from the case with Alex Kapranos, Nicholas McCarthy, Bob Hardy, and Paul Thomson. The beginning of this war was ridiculous to the point of absurdity, with tragic consequences, and that is exactly the story. A ridiculous, illogical, tragic, and deadly war. It all began on a beautiful day with six members of a Serbian underground group who decided to assassinate the Austro Hungarian heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand. Or more accurately, they were chosen because they suffered from tuberculosis, a terminal disease at the time, which made this suicide mission seem almost trivial to them. Franz Ferdinand’s motorcade passed through the streets of Sarajevo. The first assassin who was supposed to shoot him did not do so because he could not find a good position. The second threw a stick of dynamite at the convoy, jumped into the river, and swallowed a cyanide pill. The pill did not work. He was pulled from the water and beaten severely. Franz Ferdinand emerged completely unharmed from the explosion and continued to his destination. On the way back, his driver made a wrong turn and entered a dead end street. As the driver attempted to reverse, Gavrilo Princip pulled out a pistol and shot the heir to the throne and his wife at close range. The bullet that struck Franz Ferdinand was the opening shot of an event that would change the face of the world, World War I. Ninety years later, a friendly Scottish quartet from Glasgow decided that the story of the heir to the throne was important enough to name their band after him. “One of the things that brought us together was a shared hatred of elitism,” says singer and guitarist Alex Kapranos. “I loathe elitism in music. It’s one of the ugliest things. Even thirteen-year-old girls deserve to hear decent music.” “I love subversion and I love pop music. Put them together and you get moments of magic.” “We’re basically just four guys making music and having a laugh,” Kapranos says, proving that life can have a positive vibe even for rock stars of his kind. “Franz Ferdinand” arrived with plenty of harmonies and humor inspired by Britpop, slightly reminiscent of 1990s Blur, along with fun, funky guitars and a lot of groove tailor made for the dance floor. The album is bursting with potential and packed with lyrics that carry surprising satire, sharp wit, and shameless romance. None of these tricks were new in 2004 when they released their debut album on "Domino Records". Still, few used these devices better than Kapranos, Thomson, the only Scot in the band, Bob Hardy, and Nick McCarthy. Alex Kapranos and Paul Thomson met at a party, struck up a close friendship, and played together in “Yummy Fur”, later beginning to write songs together. Around the same time, Kapranos taught his friend Bob Hardy how to play bass after Hardy received a bass guitar from Mick Cooke of the band “Belle and Sebastian”. Kapranos met rhythm guitarist Nick McCarthy, who had returned to Scotland after studying bass guitar and playing in a fusion and ethnic world music band in Munich, Germany. He also played double bass, cello, and the Arabic oud. After the members came together, they settled on the name “Franz Ferdinand” for the band. The name was originally inspired by a racehorse called Archduke Ferdinand. After seeing the horse win at Northumberland Plate in 2001, the band began discussing Archduke Franz Ferdinand and thought it would make a good band name because of the sharp sound of the name and the implications of the Archduke’s death. By mid 2002, “Franz Ferdinand” had recorded material for an EP they intended to release themselves, but word of mouth about the band spread quickly and they signed with Domino in May 2003. Shortly afterward, the band headed to Malmö, Sweden to work with Swedish producer Tore Johansson, who had successfully produced all the albums by the Swedish rock band “The Cardigans”. After a restrained start with the debut single "Darts of Pleasure" , the second single "Take Me Out"  arrived and changed everything. It opens like a fairly standard post-Strokes indie rock track, then suddenly shifts gears. The tempo drops unexpectedly, a funky rhythm takes over, and the song locks into a fantastic chorus and an unforgettable guitar riff that makes your body move side to side almost automatically. Songwriter Alex Kapranos explained that the idea for the song’s theme came from watching a sniper duel in Enemy at the Gates, directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, and that “it felt like a really good metaphor for the kind of romantic situations we sometimes find ourselves in.” The call-and-response guitar riff and the vocal melody were inspired by blues musician Howlin' Wolf. “That image of the two snipers really stayed with me,” Kapranos said. “It felt like a really good metaphor for the kind of romantic situations we sometimes find ourselves in. You know, where you both know you’re into each other, but neither of you wants to reveal your vulnerability and make the first move, to let the other one know how you feel.” With the third single, "The Dark Of The Matinee" , they delivered a massive radio hit centered on the “utopian environment” of an afternoon theater performance. Meanwhile, "Michael"  is a love song directed explicitly at a man. Frontman Alex Kapranos stated in an interview with the British magazine "Boyz" that the song was written about two of his friends. “It was one night when the band and I went out with friends from Glasgow, and we went to a warehouse dance party called Disco X. And those two friends really connected in a very sexy way.” The song contains a hidden message between 1:35 and 1:39 that says (if played backwards), “She worries about you, call your mother,” as a nod to bassist Bob Hardy’s concern, after he insisted he urgently needed to call his mom. The album’s opening track "Jacqueline"  was inspired by a story told to Kapranos by a friend about an encounter with an older man. He recalled, “When she described it, I could see the embarrassment and rejection he experienced when he realized how she actually saw him, as opposed to how he thought she saw him.” Although the album is made up largely of upbeat music, it closes ironically with a reflective look toward the future. The ominous references to blood and forty feet in "40'"  have often been interpreted as transparent allusions to suicide. The band has stated, however, that the song is more about throwing yourself into a difficult situation than jumping from a railway bridge. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 09.02.1984 “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.” On February 9, 1993, Mick Jagger  released his third solo album, “Wandering Spirit”. The 1980s were not kind to Mick Jagger and "The Rolling Stones". As the decade progressed, the band increasingly struggled to find its place. Internal tensions escalated, particularly between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards , eventually reaching a point that was close to a complete breakdown in communication. This strain was clearly reflected in their albums from that era, which delivered fewer and fewer standout moments. The decline was especially noticeable on “Undercover” and “Dirty Work”. By 1988, with the 1980s nearing their end, a conflicted and frustrated Mick Jagger received a phone call from his bandmate Keith Richards . The two talked and reconciled.“Breathing space is a blessed thing, but I tried to keep the band together,” Richards would later say. Jagger, who had taken several blows to his ego during the 1980s, failed film roles and two solo albums that left only a minor impression, was now in a different place, calmer and more at peace. Following their reconciliation, “The Rolling Stones” released the album that firmly put them back in control of the wheel in 1989, “Steel Wheels”. At the same time, “The Rolling Stones” embarked on a massive world tour. After its conclusion, bassist Bill Wyman officially left the band in January 1993. Once the tour was over, the remaining members took a break in order to focus on individual solo projects. Entering the 1990s, Jagger was already a more mature and grounded artist. He was looking to reestablish himself as a solo performer, and he set his sights on Rick Rubin as the producer for his next album. Rubin, an American Jewish producer who co founded the record label “Def Jam” in the early 1980s, became a key force in bringing rap and hip hop into the mainstream, working with artists such as “Beastie Boys”, “Public Enemy”, and “Run D.M.C.”. At the time, he had just completed the successful production of “Electric” by “The Cult”, followed by the meteoric success of “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”, the album that transformed “Red Hot Chili Peppers” from a relatively small funk rock band into a major rock act. During that same period, Rubin was also working on the debut album of the bar band “The Red Devils”, who looked to his label “Def American Recordings” as their home. Rubin persuaded Jagger to sing together with “The Red Devils”, recording thirteen old blues songs, all performed live with Mick singing in real time. After listening back to the recordings, Rubin realized that Jagger was thriving vocally and sounding especially strong within a blues framework. Although Jagger himself did not enjoy the connection with “The Red Devils”, and none of those recordings made it onto his third solo album “Wandering Spirit”, the direction had been set. Rubin guided Jagger toward an album largely rooted in funk (“ Sweet Thing ”), blues (“ Don’t Tear Me Up ”), gospel (“ Out of Focus ”), country (“ Evening Gown ”), rockabilly, and straight ahead rock and roll (“ Wired All Night ”). Rubin assembled an impressive group of musicians in the studio, elevating the album’s overall sound. Some were well known names, including Lenny Kravitz , who sings alongside Jagger on “Use Me” , a cover of the Bill Withers classic, Flea from “Red Hot Chili Peppers”, and Billy Preston. Alongside them were less widely known players, such as saxophonist Courtney Pine, who delivers several outstanding moments on “Sweet Thing” , “Use Me” , and “Think” , as well as Benmont Tench from “Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers”. Jagger himself sounds as if he had deliberately worked on refining his voice. This is especially noticeable in the vocal acrobatics he displays on the album’s opening single, the groove heavy “Sweet Thing” , where he effortlessly drops down and climbs back up through different registers. The track carries a clear echo of “Miss You”  by “The Stones”, both in feel and rhythmic swagger. The second half of the album shifts into a more intimate space, presenting a lonelier Mick Jagger, searching for love, pleading with his partner, and confessing how deeply he misses her when she is gone. This emotional core is most clearly expressed in the beautiful ballad “Angel in My Heart” . The album then closes on a surprising note with a short, rustic Irish folk tune titled “Handsome Molly” , a piece inspired by a song written by Mike Seeger. The album’s cover artwork was created by American portrait and celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. Her body of work includes iconic album covers for Bruce Springsteen , MC Hammer, and Cyndi Lauper, as well as the deeply intimate photograph of John Lennon  and Yoko Ono, taken on the very day Lennon was murdered. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 9, 1972, "Scorpions" released their debut album "Lonesome Crow". It's a different and special album that did not sound like anything else at the time it came out. A mix of Heavy Rock, Progressive and Psychedelia, a kind of musical salad that probably lies in the fact that the band was still in its infancy and had no musical direction yet, but hey, who cares? It is a great salad. "Scorpions" was formed by Rudolf Schenker in the industrial city of Hanover, western Germany, in 1965, but the hard core of the band only began to form in 1970 with the joining of singer Klaus Meine and Rudolf's brother, guitarist Michael Schenker , who was only 15 at the time. Later on, Lothar Heimberg on bass and vocals and Wolfgang Dziony on drums, percussion and vocals joined as well. In 1972 the band won a young bands talent contest and as a result they got to record a single that included the songs " Action " and " I'm Going Mad ". Although the single was not eventually released, the recording was sent to the record company "Brain", a company from Hamburg that specialized in underground, experimental, progressive music, known as the "Krautrock" genre. The same "Brain" has worked with bands that have become leaders in the genre, such as "Neu!", "Cluster" and "Guru Guru". This label, which was known for the free hand it gives to their artists, was enthusiastic about the wild and unique style that the members of "Scorpions" brought from Hanover and the fact that they chose to sing in English, so they decided to fund an album for them. They paired them with producer Conny Plank who also produced "Cluster" and "Neu!" and thus the craft of creating the album that will bring "Scorpions" into the world has begun. It is interesting to note, that producer Conny Plank was an esteemed and well-known producer in the krautrock, prog and psychedelic scene in Germany, but not only. Later he will also produce albums for bands like "Kraftwerk" and even "Killing Joke", "Eurhythmics" and "Ultravox". So as we mentioned above, the musical salad in this album is very hard to define, but who cares about genre definitions if it sounds great. The album opens up with " I'm Goin' Mad " and the thunderous rolling drums accompanied by Wolfgang's percussion, joined after about 20 seconds by Rudolf Schenker 's rhythm guitar and Lothar's beating bass. It's not clear to us why, but this opening that combines the drums and percussion, reminds us of another amazing opening to Deep Purple's third album with the song "Chasing Shadows". But the real magic of the song begins precisely when Michael Schenker , Rudoloff's younger brother who was only 16 at the time of the recordings, comes in with the first guitar solo and the guitar sound that is so reminiscent of Tony Iommi's early days. From there we continue with the monotonous rhythm and the ecclesiastical background vocals, accompany us to Michael's second solo and the feeling that this young guy is only getting better as we delve deeper into the song. And what an amazing bass work by Lothar, taking care of breaking the monotony and vocal chorus from time to time with interesting lines. Only in 2:30 minutes into the song we finally get to hear Klaus Meine 's singing, that makes it clear to us that he is walking in the arid desert, in the hot and scorching sun and he just "goes crazy ..." and another amazing solo by Michael Schenker and another one and this song is just an amazing psychedelic trip rock. In the second track " It All Depends " we are already picking up rhythm and taking off gloves ahead of a two-second drum guitar fight, that is interrupted by Klaus' scream "Yeahhhhhhh" and the guitar-drums return for the second round of the battle. When Klaus starts singing, jazz elements get mixed into his singing that mix with Michael Schenker's metal riff and it just does not sound like anything else, we already said that, right? And Sorry, but Rudolf's guitar chuckles at 0:45 into the song reminds us again of the third "Deep Purple". From there we get into an instrumental section that may sound like improvisation, but it's just accurate and wonderful and the bass work there is just brilliant. At 2:45, suddenly, out of nowhere, a break, and another pause, and Wolfgang's crazy rollers on the drum set comes right after, shake and resonate even five decades later. " Leave Me " opens with the blowing wind effect and the sounds of the obscured strings. A psychedelic atmosphere that is amplified with the sudden moaning of the guitar and the bass guitar line that comes right after it. But from there everything turns upside down and the song becomes a kind of German chanson with jazzy guitar sentences, bluesy vocals and sweet background sounds planted somewhere in 1950s pop, with psychedelic guitar noises continuing in the background. Towards the middle of the song Michael marvels at his playing with a bluesy solo and a dirty guitar sound, with the psychedelic guitar noises constantly lingering in the background. In the 4th minute of the song or so, a break, a change of rhythm and everyone takes a lot of air towards the crazy run that will accompany us until the end of the song. The fourth track that also closes the first side of the vinyl - " In Search of the Peace of Mind " is perhaps the most prog-rock song on the album. It opens with a marsh rhythm and guitar solo and then downshifts with Klaus Meine 's vocals accompanied by bass guitar, and the song suddenly becomes quiet and melancholy with arpeggio chords and an electrifying solo. The song gradually develops, but just when we are sure that there's a climax coming up ahead, we are sucked through a black hole into a calm and melancholy section, with the wind blowing in our ears at the background. But in Prog, as in Prog, it's not over 'til it's over and Klaus' singing changes from soothing to screaming and now it is clear that the search for peace of mind has been crowned a great failure ... And if that interests you, then at the beginning of 2021 Michael Schenker had a closer when he included a crazy rendition of this song he had written almost 50 years earlier, in his album "IMMORTAL". The other side of the vinyl opens up with " Inheritance " and continues the formula of short vocal sections with lots of guitar solos, pounding bass lines and precise jams. And yet again the young Michael Schenker sounds to us like Ritchie Blackmore when he was young in the first lineup of "Deep Purple", in the first solo set off in the 1:35. What an amazing playing and it just was not perceived that this kid was only 16 when the album was recorded. Then again we witness dynamic changes in rhythms and style, which accompany us until the end of the song. " Action " opens up with a jazz style and more or less at 1:20 it makes a conversion to blues. Then another style change and another change of rhythm and the soft chords are replaced by a crazy solo and the relaxed singing is replaced by "Ian Gillanish" screams. Then, another frantic guitar solo that accompanies us until the end of the song. The album ends up with the theme song " Lonesome Crow ", which is a long musical journey. It starts with weird sounds and effects produced from the guitars of Rudolf and Michael and it stretches over thirteen minutes, with a psychedelic Prog section that features a long jam session full of reverb and delay effects and a weird vocal section with no words. The jam evolves and intensifies with Michael Schenker 's mighty solo that simply launches us into outer space and leads us to another vocal section of Klaus Meine . The song ends, of course, with another short solo. After the release of the album, the band went on a tour, during which they where the warm-up show of the British band "UFO". Phil Mogg - "UFO" lead singer, was very impressed with the charismatic performance of the young and virtuoso player, Michael Schenker , so he offered him to join his band. Michael agreed and left "Scorpions" as early as 1973, even before the band began recording their second album. Michael Schenker will be replaced by another giant guitarist, Uli Jon Roth, with the help of whom the band will design its style and formulate it for the big breakthrough that is yet to come. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Well, now it is already been clear! Since the development of the new decade our heroes have decided to challenge us musically: "Pearl Jam", "Incubus", "Foo Fighters", "Smashing Pumpkins" and also "Stone Temple Pilots" the subject of our review. All have released different albums, different from their "comfort zone"! Bands that drove with us for years on the highway took the exit out of it and got off Highway 6 at the "Magic" interchange. Those of us who lingered, blinked and were not quick to make a decision, missed the exit and will have to wait for the next exit to join the musical journey of these artists and others, who have undergone a process of change in recent years, some will say blessed and some will say misfortune. On February 7, 2020, Stone Temple Pilots released their eighth studio album - "Perdida". We admit, this time we were not among those virtuous individuals who got off the highway on time, maybe it's the taste, maybe it's the age that works negatively on our musical reflexes, but we must admit that at first hearing it sounds detached, unconnected, "lost" just like the translation of the title Perdida from Spanish. But as we listened more to this album, we felt we were able to recover from the initial shock and slowly align the range towards teaming up with the band and the album, and slowly joining those virtuous individuals, quick to make a decision that never cut off contact. Photo: Michelle Shiers The friends from San Diego have been through quite a few upheavals over the years. The addictions, the quarrels, the problems of behavior, the parting not one song but two. But in 2018 things seem to be getting more connected for the grunge scene veterans, with the album bearing the band's name and with the new singer coming out of "X Factor" Jeff Gutt. It seems that the choice to label the 2018 album with the band's name was not a random decision, and it marked a kind of new beginning for STP. Later we got them to perform here in Tel Aviv and witnessed with our own eyes the growing connection and the chemistry that is being formed between the old friends and their new frontman. But just when we thought we would continue to get more from that old and familiar STP, "Perdida" arrived, preying on the cards and making it clear to us how right John Lennon was when he wrote that life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans. In this album we found no trace of the raw and biting STP of the 1990s. It's not even quite the same band we knew in the acoustic tracks from the album " Purple " and the like, and it created a certain disappointment for us. But then suddenly a miraculous thing happened. In the third or fourth listening we were able to understand what they wanted to tell us. We were able to hear the acoustic Chris Cornell of " Euphoria Mourning " and " Higher Truth " to the tune of " Fare Thee Well " and the guitars and percussion of " Three Wishes ". We recognized Steve Howe 's classic and unique playing style in the theme song " Perdida ", and we got deja vu from the album "Led Zeppelin III" upon hearing the opening of " She's My Queen ". We brought up fond memories of the sounds of the violin solo on the waltz " Miles Away " that managed to take us back to another immortal violin from Bob Dylan 's song "One More Cup of Coffee", from the masterful album "Desire", and the flutes? Yes, yes there are also flutes that sometimes hover over the music and are reminiscent of "Camel" or "Focus" as in the " I Didn't Know the Time " and sometimes aggressive and cheeky reminiscent of "Jethro Tull" as in the song " She's My Queen ". The melody and vocals on " Years " sounded to us like Lenny Kravitz and the saxophone solo there threw us into progressive tracks from the 1970s. And there's even a not-so-bad instrumental piece - " I Once Sat at Your Table ". So true, it's not a typical "STP" album and you will not be able to hear here even one rough riff or a small power cord for the cure. True, there is nothing different or innovative here, but there is still an album here that manages to make us miss past and beautiful times, manages to elaborate on the capillaries of emotion and reminds us how much fun it is to suddenly press the brake, just halfway, and break out into a side road, Seeing the scenery, smelling nature and living the moment, a magical break, in the middle of all the hustle and bustle around. So let's hit the brakes for a moment, stop the demanding routine for three quarters of an hour and listen to this magical album at: 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... about the first time "R.E.M." Entered the studio. On February 8, 1981, singer Michael Stipe , guitarist Peter Buck, drummer Bill Berry and bassist Mike Mills entered the recording studio for the first time. It happened at the "Bombay" studio in Smyrna, Georgia, USA, and the goal was to record their first single that would start their wonderful career: "Radio Free Europe". Three songs will be recorded during the sessions: "Gardening At Night", "Radio Free Europe" and "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville", with "Radio Free Europe" being released as the band's first single and gaining local success on student radio stations. In the area. (Photo: Soundonsound.com) This local success will attract the attention of the "I.R.S. Records" company, which will sign the band on a recording contract, under which the band will release their first EP "Chronic Town", in 1982. Later, in 1983, the band released their debut album "Murmur", which was praised by critics and even won a "Rolling Stone" Magazine Critics' Album of the Year album, bypassing Michael Jackson's "Thriller". For Listening to the song: Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website