Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 26.01.1973 One of the simplest musical styles on the surface, yet one under whose banner immensely talented musicians and melodies have flourished, is folk rock. It is a genre that combines direct, melodic songwriting with the basic rhythms of rock and roll. In the early 1960s, folk rock began to take shape in the United States with artists such as "The Byrds", Bob Dylan , Janis Ian, and Joni Mitchell. By the late 1960s, folk rock had also developed in Britain. This British variation blended ancient traditional folk with rock music, and unlike the guitar driven harmonies favored by American artists, its British counterpart leaned toward richer arrangements of acoustic instruments, at times hinting at what would later be identified as progressive rock. Among the first artists to create British folk rock were bands such as "Pentangle", "Steeleye Span", and "Fairport Convention", led by the London born singer Sandy Denny. An exception during those years was the band "Strawbs", whose songs were fronted by a male vocalist rather than a female one. Their fifth album, "Bursting at the Seams", was released on January 26, 1973. "Strawbs" were formed in 1964 under the name "Strawberry Hill Boys", as the founding members Dave Cousins, Tony Hooper, Arthur Phillips, and John Berry were students at St Mary’s College, a teacher training college located in Strawberry Hill, London. In their early days, they played bluegrass, a style combining musical traditions brought by immigrants from the British Isles with elements of jazz and blues. As the years progressed, the band’s lineup changed frequently. Even Sandy Denny and Rick Wakeman, later famously associated with Yes, were members of "Strawbs" for a short time. Still, every serious band needs at least one anchor, and for "Strawbs" that figure was Dave Cousins, one of the group’s founders who endured through the many lineup changes across the band’s long career. From their bluegrass beginnings, the music of "Strawbs" gradually evolved toward prog folk and folk rock, and eventually into the inevitable connection with progressive rock. After a live album and a third studio release, Rick Wakeman exhausted his partnership with "Strawbs", citing what he described as “artistic differences”. He was replaced by Derek “Blue” Weaver, formerly of the Welsh rock band Amen Corner. Weaver contributed keyboards and mellotron, beginning with the band’s fourth album "Grave New World", an album that pushed "Strawbs" step by step away from folk and closer toward rock. Another move in that direction came with the band’s fifth album, "Bursting at the Seams", where guitarist Dave Lambert joined the group, replacing founding member Tony Hooper. Lambert brought electric guitar into the mix, but if you expect him to come in swinging hard, not quite. This is still very much Dave Cousins’ band, driven by his songwriting, although there remains space for compositions by Weaver, Richard Hudson, and John Ford across the album. The single intended to promote the album and target chart success was "Lay Down" , but it was the second single, "Part of the Union" , that achieved major impact. Fueled by the line “You don’t get me, I’m part of the union, till the day I die”, the song later became a working class anthem worldwide. These two tracks remain the band’s most successful singles. The album opens with "Flying" , featuring a beautiful electric guitar picking pattern, and continues with a blend of banjo, mellotron, and vocal harmonies that lift the listener on wings of imagination right from the outset. That sense of flight continues with "Lady Fuschia" , a masterful folk song written by Richard Hudson and bassist John Ford, before landing abruptly with "Stormy Down" , carried by Cousins’ trembling vocal delivery that vividly mirrors the storm itself. After "The River" , which functions as a brief intro, comes what is perhaps the album’s most impressive and darkest composition, "Down By The Sea" . It opens with a guitar riff that feels strikingly ahead of its time, one that would sit comfortably within mid 1980s rock. The music itself is ominous, but the lyrics are even more unsettling, telling the story of a massive northern wind tearing an entire building apart, followed by vivid imagery of a violent sea storm, a swirling maelstrom, and lifeboats sinking beneath the waves. After such darkness comes "Soup For Lunch" , a song that always brings to mind early English lessons on educational television. Despite its relatively upbeat mood, the lyrics stand firm in their message. An anthem, perhaps we already said that. The album closes with "Thank You" , carried by piano and a children’s choir, serving as a reflective ending. Its lyrics express gratitude for the simple things in life, offering a thoughtful and gentle conclusion to the album. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He will be remembered as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists in the history of music. (Photo: Larry Marano) Let's tell you some facts about Eddie Van Halen, the man, and the legend: 1. He was born on January 26, 1955, in Amsterdam, Netherlands as Edward Lodewijk Van Halen. His middle name was inspired by the classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven. 2. He entered the world of music with the influence of his father who played the clarinet, saxophone, and piano. 3. He's the younger brother of drummer Alex Van Halen . 4. In 1962 his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Pasadena, California. 5. Eddie and Alex started studying piano at the age of six. 6. Although they were educated on classical music, Eddie never learned to read notes and used to play by listening and improvising. 7. He was so good at playing the piano that he won the "Long Beach City College Pianist Competition", for three consecutive years from 1964 to 1967. 8. Eventually when the instrument was not challenging enough for him, he started playing drums which he purchased with his own money, while his brother Alex started playing guitar. 9. When Eddie would leave the house Alex would sneak into his room and play the drums. One day Eddie came home and saw Alex playing a drum solo. Out of frustration after realizing he was not as good as his brother, he decided to switch to guitar when Alex switched to drums. 10. He devoted many hours to playing the guitar while shutting himself in his room and practicing, sometimes walking around with the guitar hanging around his neck at home and playing. 11. Eddie and Alex formed their first band "The Broken Combs" when Eddie was in fourth grade. He said that by then he already realized that he wanted to be a musician. 12. The most influential guitarists on Eddie were Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. He noted that he learned all of Clapton's solos on "Cream" by heart. 13. "Genesis", the band that would become "Van Halen", was formed by Eddie and Alex in 1972. Later they changed the name to "Mammoth" and two years later they changed the name to "Van Halen". 14. They began to gain an appreciation and an audience in the Los Angeles pub scene, when in 1976 Gene Simmons (Kiss) discovered them and decided to produce a demo tape for them. 15. Simmons passed the tape with a recommendation to Kiss' record company, but they foolishly replied that the band had no chance of succeeding. 16. By the way, Alex and Eddie played in the demo for the song "Christine Sixteen" from Kiss' "Love Gun" album. 17. Eventually in 1977 "Warner" decided to sign them on a recording contract. 18. The debut album " Van Halen " was released in 1978. Already then Eddie's virtuoso abilities were discovered, including in the solo "Eruption" which featured his amazing playing and especially the great technique with finger tapping, which became very popular thanks to him. 19. The album became one of the most successful debut albums, whose impact on the hard rock and heavy metal scene was substantial. 20. In 1984 Eddie Van Helen demonstrated his playing abilities on keyboards with the " MCMLXXXIV (1984) )" album, and especially the solo keyboards on the hit "Jump", which became the band's first and only hit to reach the number one on the Billboard Hot 100. 21. The album " MCMLXXXIV (1984) " earned the band a Grammy nomination and only reached number two on the Billboard 200, when it failed to take Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album off the top. 22. Eddie played an amazing guitar solo in Michael Jackson's song "Beat It", from the same album. See here: 23. Eddie and his band managed to conquer a first place on Billboard with their next album - " 5150 " which was the first album that the band released with the singer Sammy Hagar . The number "5150" refers to the name of Eddie Van Helen's private studio and also to the California law section that allows the arrest of a person suspected of being mentally ill and a danger to the public. 24. The band finally managed to win a Grammy for their 1991 album " For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge ", which is an acronym for the word "fuck". 25. The sound of the guitar whistling in the opening of the song "Poundcake" from the album was achieved by an electric screwdriver that Eddie Van Halen operated very close to the guitar's pickups. See here: 26. In 2001 Eddie announced that he had cancer of the tongue. A year later he announced that he had recovered after cutting a part of it. He claimed the cancer was due to him holding metal guitar picks in his mouth for years. Later cancer will return, this time in the throat. 27. After he heard in 2004 how Dimebag Darrell admired him, he made sure that one of his guitars (the famous Bumblebee guitar with the stripes in yellow and black) that Dimebag loved, will put in Dimbag's coffin. Eddie intended to make a copy for Dimebag but after his murder, Eddie noted that Dimebag Darrell's playing was so original, that he only deserves the original guitar. 28. In 2006 Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen joined "Van Halen". He replaced Michael Anthony playing bass. 29. The term "Brown Sound" was coined by him. The term describes Eddie's unique guitar sound which tried to sound like Alex's snare drum, hot and big. Eddie defined it as a brown sound. 30. Three patents in the field of guitar are registered in Eddie's name. "musical instrument support", "stringed instrument with adjustable string tension control" and "guitar peghead". 31. Eddie and Alex co-wrote the song "Humans Being" with Sami Hagar for the soundtrack to the movie "Twister". In addition, Eddie and Alex wrote the instrumental section "Respect the Wind" for the film. 32. Eddie was a guest on one of the episodes of the series "Two and a Half Men", see here: 33. Eddie also participated in Brian May 's "Star Fleet" Project. 34. He also co-wrote and even played the song "Evil Eye" from Black Sabbath's " Cross Purposes " album, but Eddie did not receive credit for it due to opposition from Warner Bros. Records. (Photo: Wordpress.com) 35. Eddie has released with "Van Helen" 12 studio albums that have sold over 80 million copies, placing the band in 20th place on the list of best-selling artists of all time. 36. During their careers Eddie and the band managed to shoot 13 songs to first place on Billboard. 37. In 2007 the band was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame", with Eddie receiving separate recognition for his guitar work. 38. The band is ranked 7th on VH1's 100 Biggest Hard Rock Bands. 39. Van Helen entered the Guinness Book of Records for the amount paid to her for one performance at the US Festival in 1983. She received $ 1.5 million for an hour-and-a-half performance. 40. In 2007 Eddie was placed in the Guitar World magazine readers' poll in fourth place out of 100 different guitarists. 41. Hs solo piece "Eruption" was selected as the second of the 100 greatest solos of all time by Guitar World magazine. 42. Eddie Van Helen passed away on October 6, 2020, after a long battle with cancer, and is only 65 years old. 43. On November 16, Wolfgang Van Halen - Eddie's son released the song "Distance" under the name "Mammoth WVH". The song was dedicated to his father and the video clip includes exciting family footage of the two. 44. In September 2021 "Red Hot Chili Peppers" released a single called "Eddie" dedicated to Eddie Van Halen. Guitarist John Frusciante commented on his love for Eddie and noted that he really liked guitar players like Eddie because of the way they could make the guitar explode through playing techniques. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

We were willing to give everything just to be a fly on the wall in the recordings of this wonderful album, we are sure that magic happened during the recordings... This album was issued on the 25th of January 1994. It seems to happen a lot... especially in the world of music, when you do not intend or plan, when things are done spontaneously and without pressure, amazing things are created. This is exactly the story of this album, which in the band's history is defined as an EP but it exceeds the 25-minute rule set for EPs. If we mention the definition of EP then we should just mention that in 1994 this album was the first EP in history to reach number 1 on the Billboard 200. How "lovely" it is to return from a long, crazy, and exhausting tour when you have incredible momentum in terms of success just to discover that you have no home. Some technical failure in the system caused the band, if until now we did not write its name... "Alice in Chains", to forgot to pay rent, and when they returned from the tour they had nowhere to live. Since they booked in advance the London Bridge Studio they decided to stay there until they reset themselves and find a place to live. (Photo: Chris Caroll) Internally for the band, it was not so easy period, despite the success of the album "Dirt" . During the tour, they lost their bassist Mike Starr to drugs and added Ozzy 's bassist Mike Inez . He fitted in amazingly with the band and even recorded with them two songs for the soundtrack to Arnold Schwarzenegger's film "The Last Action Hero", but they have not yet worked with him on the creation of an album. On top of that, the intense and powerful tour took a piece of them and they came to the studio pretty worn out and fed up with distortions and drum beats. Turns out that, that was exactly what they needed at that moment and it was an important moment in the band's history. The test of Mike's dynamics with the band members and the test of everyone's ability to create something new now after the masterful album "Dirt". Before the end of the tour, the band members planned to record an EP and they asked Jerry Cantrell not to write anything, they wanted it to be everyone's joint work. Although there was no plan to release these materials on an album, but only to record them as demos for future material. So without a place to sleep, bored, worn out from the tour and with a new bassist they added producer Toby Wright just to help a bit, they went into the recording studio and... ...Boom !!! After a week, this exemplary album was done !! The album opens with the song "Rotten Apple" when already in his first note Mike gives the stamp that he belongs to this amazing band and integrates into it wonderfully. Cantrell with the "wow wow" feels like he is crying before the harmony of the two enters and the atmosphere becomes gloomy and melancholy. These were 7 minutes. The opening song of the EP just proves they did what they wanted and what makes them feel good. So you had a full 7 minutes to prepare for one of the band's most beloved and moving songs "Nutshell" . The opening of the guitar causes a kind of irrational sense of happiness and sadness mixed together as if neither of them is willing to leave and leave the other alone. We've had a lot of discussions about which song is the most moving, whether it's Pearl Jam's "Black" or "Nutshell" but we'll leave that for another post. Layne Staley as always puts his soul and sincerity into the lyrics, if in the first song, we learned how the guy becomes addicted to drugs and becomes a rotten apple, here he discovers how superficial his new reality is and everything is artificial when he is left alone trying to fight his demons. Here in "Stay Away" our hero has already won and cleaned himself of all the drugs but he tries to keep fighting and avoid those drugs and demons that haunt him and do not give him rest. The combination of Cantrell with the touches of the electric guitar and the extra violins creates a very dramatic atmosphere here that seems to have been taken from a Hollywood movie scene. Layne's amazing opening in "No Excuses" puts us in a slightly more encouraging and less gloomy atmosphere but the meaning is still difficult and it relates to Layne's return to drugs and the deal he's had most of his life. By the way, this is the only song of the band with Layne that took first place in the charts. The next section "Whale & Wasp" is a beautiful instrumental section, Cantrell's talent as a guitarist rises above and beyond and sweeps us without words. The song "Don't Follow" gets a slightly folky southern vibe with David Atkinson's collaboration on the harmonica and is calm and slow, apparently here our drugged hero no longer returns home and asks not to be followed physically as well as mentally. The song that closes the album "Swing On This" is very different in its blues style from the other songs, finding its distant protagonist asking to be left alone even though his family and friends are calling him back home. (Photo: Frank Micelotta) Layne said it was a very exciting and nurturing experience to create this album, he said that he sat on the top floor of the studio waiting nervously to get the song structure from the rest of the band. After the band members assembled the structure they brought him the demo, he wrote the lyrics and melody and with that, he went down to the other members to record the song in full. This is how they worked for a whole week for more than 15 hours a day. The album was recorded on the famous Neve console in a completely analog manner without the use of Pro Tools, Layne specifically demanded that no software be used during the recording of the album. The name of the album was taken from an experiment that Cantrell performed as part of a third-grade school project, where he compared two jars of flies each under different conditions. Layne said the experiment left a great impression on Cantrell so he asked to use it as if some message was hidden in it. The album earned the band two Grammy nominations in 1995, Best Recording Package and Best Hard Rock Performance. Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

This is the controversial album "AMO" by the British band "Bring Me The Horizon" so lets open with a quote from Oliver Sykes, the singer of the band: “Everything boils down to love in the end" In accordance with this controversial sentence, the album is also like this, Oliver and keyboardist Jordan Fish take the experimental and electronic line that began in 2013 with the album "Sempiternal" which was strengthened in 2015 with the album "That's the Spirit" to new territories and give it a much larger volume and variety than before. The two guys here take the concept of "love" and break it down between the songs, as it moves on the line between pure romance and toxic passion and what happens between them. Oliver said that the source of this is his divorce in 2016 and his second marriage in 2017. He said that he felt as if he had lived an entire life in one year and everything was centered around love. He had many difficult and stressful moments and also many good and happy moments and this is what brought him to write about love (it does sound a bit tacky on paper but less so on the album). If in the two previous albums, the electronic elements were present to serve the power of the drums and guitars and were incorporated in a dose that did not give it excessive dominance, here the situation is the opposite and the direction is different. There are songs such as the opening "I Apologise If You Feel Something", "Nihilist Blues", "Ouch", "Why You Gotta Kick Me When I'm Down?", "Fresh Bruises" in which the electronic element clearly dominates and is the one that leads The song itself. (Photo: Pretty Puke) It's not for nothing that the first single released from the album was "Mantra" which is without a doubt the definitive metal on the album, the band wanted to show its fans that it is still faithful to the original, but it completely does not give a glimpse of everything the album contains. It was also accompanied by the singles "Wonderful Life" with guest star Dani Filth, "Sugar Honey Ice & Tea", "In the Dark", "Medicine" and more. There might be an excuse for fans to be angry or upset because what started as a predatory lion, today takes more the form of a Dalmatian dog! Sounds bad, but this is our perspective and this is despite or actually in accordance with the fact that the album went straight to first place in the British charts. In every album that the band released, it underwent a certain transformation, one of the beautiful things about this band (beyond the fact that they are extremely talented and brave) is that each of their albums is different from the previous one. If you take "Count Your Blessings", which was released in 2006 and fits the deathcore genre, and compare it to "Amo", you won't believe it's the same band. Let's just say that even its DNA has undergone a bit of a transformation itself. It cannot be denied that these talented members are brave and do not give a damn about anyone and their creative freedom is most important to them. They push and challenge themselves in everything related to the creation and you can clearly see this in their performances, which until a year ago looked like a completely normal rock show and today it looks like a colorful combination of "Slipknot" mixed with Justin Bieber, without a doubt it should be an experience. It's not for nothing that Oliver sings in the song "Heavy Metal": "I'm afraid you don't love me anymore 'Cause a kid on the 'gram in a Black Dahlia tank Says it ain't heavy metal" So don't listen to a word from anyone. Listen to the album and judge for yourself, by listening on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 25, 1975, a brawl was held between members of "AC/DC" and members of "Deep Purple" crew. How and where did it all happen? Stay tuned and find out. (Photo: Violet Hamilton Collection) This quarrel took place at the "Sunbury Pop Festival" - an annual agricultural festival held northwest of Melbourne, Australia. This was the third year in a row of the festival, which has been held since 1972 in the so-called "Long Weekend", during Australia's independence celebrations. The guest of honor at the festival that year was "Deep Purple"ת who came especially to Australia for a one-and-only performance. "Deep Purple" has just released their "Stormbringer" album, which was released about two months before the show. No one imagined that the name of the album would be a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, as far as what went on that show. Let's start with the fact that January in Australia is a summer month, but on the day "Deep Purple" was supposed to go on stage, there was a huge rainstorm that turned the farmland into one big mud bath. This affected the number of tickets sold that day to only 16,000, compared to the many tens of thousands, at festivals held in the past three years. Now add the fact that tickets price were $ 20, twice as much as they charged in the past year. The high price was set to cover the high costs of the "Deep Purple" show - a total of $ 60,000 which is equivalent to a sum of about half a million dollars in today's terms. It was the highest payment by large, any of the bands in the festival got, with the band management demanding that this sum will be paid regardless of the number of tickets sold for the festival. In the end, due to the poor sales of the tickets, the festival organizers had to pay the entire profits to "Deep Purple", while the other artists and stage workers were paid nothing. But the weather and the small number of tickets that were sold, were not the only things that will be badly remembered from that festival. During the festival, a brawl broke out on stage between members of "AC/DC" and "Deep Purple" crew. Opinions are divided as to why the brawl broke out, but everyone agrees unanimously that it actually happened. The prevailing version in the "Deep Purple" camp, as quoted by David Coverdale , was that after "Deep Purple" finished their show, an "Australian band" took to the stage and used Deep Purple's equipment without permission, which led to the brawl between Deep Purple's crew members and "AC/DC". Compared to Coverdale's memory from the event, drummer Ian Paice gave a completely different version, according to which "AC/DC" appeared before "Deep Purple", but substantially exceeded the time allotted to them and thus not leaving "Deep Purple" enough time for a full performance, as they were scheduled to leave to the airport, immediately at the end of their show. Paice said that the band manager simply turned off the "AC/DC" amplification system to get them to end the show, and as a result the brawl broke out. (Photo: Guitar Interactive Magazine) On the other hand, in the "AC/DC" camp the versions were much different. It was alleged that "Deep Purple" was the one that substantially exceeded the time allotted to their performance, only to prevent "AC/DC" from performing after them and as a result, a brawl broke out between the two parties. Another version says that the members of "Deep Purple" did not want to take the stage, whether due to the extreme weather or they did not want to perform before "AC/DC". Under these circumstances, the members of "AC/DC" took the stage and played with the amplification equipment of "Deep Purple", which eventually caused the quarrel. Whatever the reason for the brawl, what's certain is that the big winner among the two hard rock giants was actually "AC/DC", a band only in its infancy back then, that took the stage about a month before the release of their debut album "High Voltage". This incident gave of the young band good publicity, at least in the eyes of the Australian audience, who greatly appreciated its daring and the fact that they were not intimidated by the “purple” giants. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

What does an artist who sees the musical reality change before his eyes? If you ask Matt Johnson, the driving force behind "The The" and its only regular member, he will answer: "reinvent himself." On January 25, 1993, "The The" released its fourth studio album "Dusk" and completed its musical transformation from the 80's synth-pop to the 90's alternative. Towards the end of the 1980s, Matt Johnson realizes that his approach in the last decade simply does not work anymore. He realized that if he continued in the line of the New Wave and dance-pop albums, "Soul Mining" and "Infected", it would simply be a commercial suicide. He looks to the right, turns left, and sees before his eyes the Alternative genre raising its head, he sees how the guitars replace the keyboards and how the drums take over the samplers and sequencers. He understands that in the existing musical landscape, there is no longer room for one-man "bands" and that the audience eventually demands to also see a full band playing the songs it records in the studio, on stage. In short, Johnson realized he needed to change his approach and produce something abstract and raw, completely different from the early material of his 80s albums, with an emphasis on a basic rock of bass/guitar/drum format. So what does Matt do? He starts forming a band. He brings in Johnny Marr , the former "The Smiths" guitarist, whom he has known since the early '80s. Matt tried to recruit him to join an early version of "The The" at the time, but it did not succeed because Marr chose to found "The Smiths", which in the meantime disbanded and allowed the "reunion" between the two old friends. Johnson also joins bassist James Eller and drummer David Palmer. He even tries to recruit keyboardist Steve Hogarth, who played on his "Infected" album, but found out that he was a bit late, since Hogarth has already joined "Marillion", replacing Fish . Along with this band, Johnson entered the studio and released "Mind Bomb", his most ambitious album to date and the first to record with a full band, in 1989. There is no doubt that on this album Johnson went a long way from the New Wave/Dance-Pop of previous albums, but his musical upheaval will only be completed with "Dusk". (Photo: uncut.co.uk) If "Mind Bomb" was interpreted by the audience and critics as a temporary deviation and a one-time experience, then with "Dusk" Johnson has already won the "kosher certificate" and the embrace of the alternative community. Johnson chooses to continue with the same band that accompanied him on the previous album and the tour designed to promote it and produces one of the magical pearls of the 90s. A unique musical mix that combines Alternative, Rock, Pop, Blues, Gospel, and more. Each song on this album is painted in a different color of atmosphere and style. The feeling you get when listening to "Dusk" is like a trip to an unfamiliar region, where the changing landscape never ceases to excite and surprise you. Our journey begins at "Dusk" with " True Happiness This Way Lies " and Johnson's statement of intent, which tries to distill the very essence of his credo in a few sentences. Even before the train locomotive moves, Matt Johnson makes us sit down and listen to his preaching and pathos-filled recitation. Johnson explains to us that "The only true freedom is freedom from the heart's desires". Why? Because every time we achieve what we want, instead of stopping for a moment and enjoying our achievement, we immediately turn our attention to the next thrill. The locomotive driver warms up for the ride and in the background, we are accompanied by " Love Is Stronger than Death ", one of the most beautiful and moving songs in Johnson's entire repertoire. A song written following the sudden death of his younger brother Eugene, in the middle of the tour to promote "Mind Bomb", in 1989. To the melancholy organ and the sounds of Johnny M arr's r's acoustic guitar, Matt conveys to us a positive message of "love" - ​​free love that does not depend on anything. A love whose power is "stronger than death". Matt Johnson found therapy in the writing process that helped him overcome his brother's sudden death and his cracked singing reflects the ability of love to blossom in the shadow of mortality. The title of the song comes from the greatest song ever written. A song full of secrets, clues, and holiness. "The Song of Songs" written by King Solomon. The verse from which Matt took inspiration is: "Place me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm. Indeed, love is strong as death itself". The sounds of Johnny Mar's harmonica which opens " Dogs of Lust " sound like the steam passing through the locomotive chimney. Matt Johnson informs us that "the heat is rising slowly...", The driver adds coal to the boiler, the locomotive blows, snorts, and whirls and the pistons move the train wheels to the monotonous sounds of Johnny Marr 's guitar, whose influence on the album's style is especially felt in this excellent track. This mesmerizing bluesy song has been rotated on MTV. A song "dripping with sweat" just like the fat and hot locomotive, in which Johnson manages to explain to us, with great success, the total nature of "passion". The varied and colorful journey continues with the "honky-tonk" piano of " This is the Night " - a ballroom piano ballad that serves as a dark tunnel through which our steam train gallops towards the bright and shining light of " Slow Emotion Replay "- such a pure and refined beauty and perhaps the band's most famous song. Johnny Marr 's harmonica playing is a school of arts. The bouncy rhythm and the sweet and catchy melody, sometimes sound contrary to the lyrics, with words like "don't ask me about, war, religion, or God, Love, sex or death"... The landscape continues to alternate throughout the journey with the " Helpline Operator ", whose trumpet and violin sound like the creaking of train wheels on the tracks, but then comes gets Johnny Marr 's guitar line and again we pick up the tempo as James Eller's beating bass and David Palmer's steady drumming keep That train right on track. We speed up the pace with " Sodium Light Baby ". This time, Johnny Marr enlists the Hendrix Wah-Wah effect, to push this heavy train up the mountain and Johnson takes care to explain to us that it is "the strangest feeling I ever had"... The last third of the album is quieter. As if adapted itself to accompany us in the final stages of the journey, with an almost mesmerizing "ambient" atmosphere. The tired locomotive slows its gallop with " Lung Shadows ", which sounds almost like an excerpt from an album of "7 Zero". It approaches a full stop to the melancholy trumpet sounds of " Bluer Than Midnight " and then ... the doors open at the final station and the last picture we see is of " Lonely Planet ". This "Lonely Planet" leaves us with a strong and "green" message that sums up our journey: "If you can not change the world. Change yourself"... For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

The album "Nude", the eighth studio album by "Camel", was released on January 23, 1981. This is the first album of "Camel" in the 1980s, and it's last with drummer Andy Ward. After this album, the band will actually become a one-man band, with Andrew Latimer being the only original member of the band. This album comes a little over two years after the legendary keyboardist Peter Bardens left the band, in 1978. During the recording of "Breathless", Bardens expressed his intention to leave the band due to disagreements with guitarist, flutist, and singer Andrew Latimer. Bardens agrees to end the recording of the album, however, he refuses to go on a tour to promote it. Bardens's departure was a shock for "Camel", as he was one of its main writers and leader of its musical direction. Bardens' departure left the "Ship of the Desert" in the hands of Latimer, who chose to steer it in the mainstream direction. Thus, Latimer and his friends produced the band's most commercial album to date - "I Can See Your House From Here" from 1979, which will host Phil Collins and Rupert Hine, who will later produce two of "Rush" albums. But Latimer's brief flirtation with mainstream did not go as planned since the album was not as successful as he had hoped, prompting Latimer to "return to the origins" with a progressive concept album filled with instrumental pieces. The concept album is based on the true story of a Japanese soldier named Hiroo Onoda, who was stranded on an island for years during World War II, and returned years after the war ended. Onoda initially held out with three other soldiers, not believing the war was over. They survived on fruit, hunting, and stolen rice, and occasionally engaged in gunfights with locals and the police. Onoda, was declared dead by the Japanese government in 1959, but after being located and convinced that the war was over, received a hero's welcome upon his return to Japan in 1974. And this is the plot as it appears from the album: Amid World War II, in 1942, Hiroo Onoda found himself living in a harsh imperial regime and in a society governed by strict laws, which changed the way he should live his daily life (" City Life / Nude "). One day Hiroo receives an envelope containing a draft order requiring him to serve in the Japanese army and contribute to the national war effort. Knowing the cruel regime, Hiroo does not hesitate for a moment, and immediately fulfills the draft order (" Drafted "). Shortly afterward, Hiroo finds himself next to other young soldiers on a ship that is making its way to the battlefield (" Docks "). The ship finds itself in battles in the Pacific Ocean. In one of the battles, the ship got hit and sunk, when Hiroo manages to escape, while being swept away to a lonely island (" Beached "). When Hiroo wakes up he finds himself alone on the island. He clings to the hope that he will soon be rescued by his unit and is not at all aware of the fact that he is left behind with the island's landscapes, all alone, and that no one is looking for him (" Landscapes "). Time passes and the years go by. Hiroo gave up on searching for more deserters on the island. He lives in a cave near a lagoon, and constantly tours the jungles (" Changing Places "). Occasionally Hiroo climbs to the top of a high mountain recites the national anthem of Japan and shoots a bullet into the sky (" Pomp & Circumstance "). One day a plane flies over the island and Hiroo receives a large content of leaflets, letters, and photographs indicating the end of the war and urging him to return to his country (" Please Come Home "). Hiroo, however, doubts the truth of the documents and assumes that Allied forces are fooling him. But over time Hiroo feels a change and he concludes that the war is over (" Reflections "). Years later Hiroo was captured and thrown into a boat taking him back to Japan (" Captured "). When Hiroo returns to his homeland, he is greeted by crowds of people with great joy and excitement (" The Homecoming "). Despite the warm welcome, his years of loneliness and lack of communication with civilization lead Hiroo to collapse. At the same time, he is also experiencing a wave of false publications about him (" Lies "). Hiroo's brief fame is quickly converted into a distinction from society and life (as if he had returned to the island). On his 50th birthday, a small group held a party for him and gave him a cake. Hiroo excited by the gesture is left alone to reflect on his past (" The Last Farewell: The Birthday Cake / Nudes Return "). Although this album does not match to the masterpieces of "Camel" from the '70s, it is definitely a worthy. The combination of the vocals and the instrumental sections on the album, is perfect. The rhythmic opening song "City Life", the melancholic track " Drafted " with the melodic classical guitar sections of Latimer, and the "Pink Floydish" section " Lies " are perfectly intertwined with the drama and atmosphere produced by the instrumental parts. This combination creates a sweeping sound image that musically illustrates the story of the act fantastically. Melodic and quiet musical parts to describe the mental state of the protagonist or the landscape while ethnic rhythms illustrate the jungle in which he lives. All these linked passages merge with the lyrics and complete a whole weave of the action story. The comparison to the immortal "The Snow Goose", at least in terms of idea and concept, is just requested. 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Editor's Choice... This is the third album by the band "Of Mice & Men" which was released on January 24, 2014, it can be said that it is the band's best album before the transformation and the big change. After the release of their second album "The Flood", in 2011, the band underwent a significant change. The band members saw their clean vocalist and guitarist/bassist Shayley Bourget break down to pieces in front of them as a result of depression and alcoholism. In an emotional appeal to the band's fans on YouTube, he announced that he was leaving because he felt he was degrading the rest of the band. The band added Alan Ashby as another guitarist who also served as bassist and intended to turn the formidable roaring Austin Caralile into the lead singer. During the album promotional tour, he was joined by a "nerd" bassist named Aaron Pauley who will soon turn from a cute little lion cub into a crazy roaring beast on steroids to become the band leader. After completing a tour to promote the second album, the band entered a recording studio in New Jersey and began work on the third album. Pauley very quickly took a significant part in writing, creating, and singing on the album, what started during the tour became official at the end and Pauley took on the role of the Clean vocalist. (Photo: Rise Records) This album is very high on our list of exploding materials!! It is deadly, powerful, uncompromising, and aggressive like the Vikings on their way to Valhalla !! It starts with a hydrogen bomb as Austin announces "Public Service Announcement" it continues with the first combination between the two singers, Austin and Pauley, an amazing combination in "Feels Like Forever" . We have not yet taken a breath and we are already breaking into the most powerful song on the album "Bones Exposed" , a school of dynamics, an exploding melody, and a sound of drums and guitars that will break your "exposed bones". The album continues with the excellent "Would You Still Be There" , and the strong "Glass Hearts" and then we get the soft part of the rising star, Pauley, in the song "Another You" and continues one after the other, each song is a cluster bomb that is part of a big thing!! This is the penultimate album of Austin who falls ill with a rare disease and leaves the band after the next album "Cold War". From there Pauley takes the reins and becomes a dominant singer and leader who takes the band to two more powerful, aggressive, and heavier albums than anything the band has performed up to that point. You are welcome to listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 23.01.1981 "Girls have got balls. They're just a little higher up, that's all". ( Joan Jett) Have you ever asked yourself why, when people talk about musicians who were seemingly born with a guitar in their hands, the conversation has almost always revolved around men? The very term “guitar hero” was shaped around that closed circle. Into that space stepped Joan Jett, rewriting the rules entirely. Her debut album "Bad Reputation" was released on January 23, 1981, and with it came a new definition of what a guitar hero could look like. When speaking about uncompromising artists with the raw power to move things, to challenge norms and push boundaries, Joan Jett sits right at the top of the list. Or, as she once described herself, “I think I was born strong-willed. That's not the kind of thing you can learn.” Joan Marie Larkin was born in September 1958 in Wynnewood, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a Protestant family. Although she attended church, her personal relationship with faith never matched the strict devotion practiced by the rest of her family. In 1967, her family relocated to Rockville, Maryland. At the age of thirteen, young Joan received her first guitar and began taking lessons. That experience was short-lived, however, as her instructor insisted on teaching folk songs. Joan had bigger ambitions and far more electrifying dreams. After her parents divorced and the family moved to California, Los Angeles proved to be a turning point. Joan immersed herself in the music that truly spoke to her, changed her surname from Larkin to Jett, and became a regular at Rodney Bingenheimer’s nightclub, a hub for the glam rock sound she loved so deeply. At just sixteen years old, she co-founded the all-female glam rock band "The Runaways" alongside Sandy West. The lineup also included Lita Ford and Micki Steele (later of “The Bangles”). Over the course of four albums, Jett wrote songs, sang, and played guitar, shaping the band’s rebellious identity. “The Runaways” toured extensively, opening for acts such as "Van Halen", "Ramones", "Cheap Trick", and "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers", before eventually disbanding in 1979. During her time in the band, Jett adopted a visual identity that became inseparable from her presence on stage: a black leather jacket, heavy black eyeliner, and a sharply layered haircut. She later openly acknowledged that both her iconic look and her sound were deeply inspired by Suzi Quatro. Jett admitted that Suzi is the one who made her realize that girls could succeed at playing rock and roll. In the spring of 1979, Jett traveled to England, where she recorded three songs with drummer Paul Cook and guitarist Steve Jones. One of those recordings was an early version of what would later become her biggest hit, " I Love Rock 'n' Roll ", originally recorded by "Arrows". Afterward, Jett returned to Los Angeles to complete a feature film, the final obligation remaining from her contract with her previous band. It was during this period that she met producer and lyricist Kenny Laguna, who was brought in to help her write the film’s soundtrack. Once the project was completed, the collaboration between Jett and Laguna continued naturally into the creation of her debut album. The record incorporated the three songs she had already recorded in England, alongside new material that moved freely between classic 1950s and 1960s rock and roll, punk rock, glam rock, and even touches of new wave. Roughly half of the album consisted of cover songs, reflecting both Jett’s roots and her defiant reinterpretation of rock history. Among the musicians who participated in the sessions were drummer Clem Burke and guitarist Frank Infante from "Blondie", alongside Steve Jones and Paul Cook from "Sex Pistols". Additional contributions came from members of "Roll-Ups", who served as Jett’s backing band before the formation of the “Blackhearts”. Initially, every major record label rejected the project. Undeterred, Laguna and Jett independently released the album under Joan Jett’s name, selling it directly through record stores and live performances. Only after the album proved successful in its original independent form did Jett secure a deal with "Boardwalk Records". The album was then officially reissued under the title “Bad Reputation”, a phrase that had already been attached to Joan Jett during her years with “The Runaways”. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

What happens when you shut down the electric power of a strong and powerful metal band? Its outcome is simply called "Aurora" , a special compilation album by "Breaking Benjamin" released on January 24, 2020 !! And let's start with a slightly long but worthwhile quote: "This album is a celebration of our incredible fans; for those who have been there since hearing ‘So Cold’ for the first time in 2004, and the new ones who have joined us on this amazing journey along the way. We’ve always shared a unique emotional connection to our music with our fans, and this album attributes to those dark times and euphoric ones. From wherever you joined along the road to Aurora, this one is for you. Thank you." (Hollywood Records) So what's really going on here? What happens is that "Breaking Benjamin's" album called "Aurora" takes 9 songs, most of which are prominent singles from previous albums, and simply turns them into acoustic performances. Sounds pretty ordinary and simple but actually not !! The cheerful friends did not take these good and famous songs and gave them a different interpretation or a melancholy and endearing acoustic performance. no no no!! They took the songs and just performed them with acoustic instruments, you probably tell yourself that it also sounds simple, even simpler than before and there is no "patent trick" here !! So it's not !! It is very difficult to take powerful music with walls of distortions and immense heaviness and just play them with acoustic guitars. It's pretty obvious it's going to sound anemic, shallow, and soulless. Here the band did something beautiful and special and in order to support the acoustic guitars that lack the power of the distortions, they combined it with various strings and wind instruments. And that sounds absolutely amazing !! In the parts you expect the power of the guitars or in the breaking and opening sections that need to reach the heaviness, the strings go in and make it powerful but in another dimension !! Exactly !! This album is "Breaking Benjamin" in another dimension! And there's another beautiful thing on the album, The Drums! Usually, in acoustic ensembles, the drums take one step back, with the drummers using light / thin brushes and the drums themselves change in depth and tone to give a flatter sound and less deep and strong in order to match the acoustic and low sound of the guitars. But not here !! Drummer Shaun Foist works with the same set and tone of drums, with the same sticks, so it gives everything that needs to be given according to the original performance and it sounds just huggggge!! Aside from the nine tracks that are a performance of previous songs, there is one new song called "Far Away" featuring "Cold's" singer Scooter Ward. Five of the ten songs feature other artists. (Hollywood Records) The album opens with the song "So Cold" which is the second single released from the band's second album "We Are Not Alone" which was released in 2004 is without a doubt an amazing opening to the album. It is followed by one of the band's strongest and heaviest songs, "Failure" . It's the first single from the band's fifth album "Dark Before Dawn" which came out in 2015 and it's the band's first album with the current and new lineup that came out after 5 years of hiatus and a lot of fights. The song features singer Michael Barnes of the American Christian rock band "RED" and the combination of both is simply amazing. The third song on the album is "Far Away" and as we mentioned it is a new song written for the album featuring Ward. The fourth song is "Angels Fall" which was released as a second single after "Failure" from the album "Dark Before Dawn" . It is followed by the song "Red Cold River" which was the first single released from the band's latest album "Ember" which was released in 2018 and is one of the hardest songs to perform with acoustic guitars, because of the power of the guitars in the original song. This song features "Underoath" singer Spencer Chamberlain. From the same album comes the next song, "Tourniquet" which is the third and last single from the album and is also one of the most beautiful songs on the album. In the seventh song "Dance With The Devil" you feel the power and influence of the strings especially in the opening, a song that starts with the sound of Burnley and the acoustic guitar and immediately goes into the strings, just a great performance. The song is from the third album "Phobia" which was released in 2006, the song features the singer who was previously on "Three Days Grace" and today is in a kind of American Canadian supergroup called "Saint Asonia". Here we must say that it is very intriguing and lacking in the performance that the album is missing the song "The Diary of Jane". The next song is "Never Again" from the album "Dark Before Dawn" and immediately after that comes "Torn in Two" with a fatal opening of acoustic bass and drums, the song from the band's latest album "Ember" . The song that closes the album is "Dear Agony" , an amazing song from the band's fourth album bearing the same name and the first album Burnley wrote when he was completely sober after a hard and extended period of intoxication. The song features singer Lacey Sturm who formed the band "Flyleaf" and today she is conquering the charts with a solo career. The band's fans will have an amazing gift that will take them between the band's albums and give them a different and special feeling, a completely different dimension of the band. For those who are unfamiliar this is a good opportunity to listen to something that is a little different in terms of its acoustic composition and provides a special experience. Do not miss this album, even if you are not a fan of the band, listen on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He was a childhood friend of Slash and rose to prominence with "Guns N 'Roses", but was fired from it following his heroin addiction problems. He tried to return to music and even released several albums as part of his various ensembles, but without significant success. Today we will tell you about the Jewish-American drummer and musician Steven Adler: (Photo: Marc S. Canter) 1. He was born Michael Coletti in Cleveland Ohio, on January 22, 1965. 2. His father Michael Coletti was Italian-American and his mother Diana was American-Jewish. 3. After his father left the family, his mother moved with Michael and his brother to Los Angeles, California. 4. Since at birth Michael was named after his father, which is not common in Judaism, his mother changed his name to Steven, when she returned to live with her parents. 5. He received the surname Adler after the marriage of his mother to Melvin Adler, who also adopted her two children. 6. Adler grew up in the San Fernando Valley until the age of 13, when he was sent to live with his grandparents in Hollywood, due to his problematic behavior. 7. In "Bancroft" middle school, Adler befriended Saul Hudson, later known as the Slash . They met when Adler had a skateboard accident and Slash stopped to help him. 8. After finishing ninth grade, Adler returned to live with his mother and stepfather, in the San Fernando Valley, where he stayed until the end of high school. During this time Adler learned to play the drums. 9. In 1983 Adler returned to Hollywood and co-founded "Road Crew" with Slash and Duff McKagan. The band did not last long as the three members were unable to find a lead singer. 10. After the band disbanded, Adler became part of the "Hollywood Rose" band, which included members Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose . 11. The band went through several incarnations until June 1985, then it became the classic line-up of "Guns N 'Roses", which included Steven Adler, Slash , Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin , and Axl Rose . (Photo: Paul Natkin) 12. After only two days of rehearsals, the band began its journey with performances in small clubs in Los Angeles. 13. In 1986 the band signed a recording contract with Geffen Records and released their first EP called "Live ?!" @ Like a Suicide" 14. In July 1987 the band released their debut album " Appetite for Destruction " which became the best-selling debut album of all time in the US. Adler records all the drum roles on the album in just 6 days. 15. Legend has it that the sounds of moaning and sex during the song "Rocket Queen", are by Axl Rose making love with Steven Adler's girlfriend, Adriana Smith, in the studio. 16. In November 1988, the band released the album " G N' R Lies ", which also reached the top of the charts and took the 2nd place. 17. In the early 1990s "Guns" began working on their next album, which would become the quadruple monster " Use Your Illusion I & II ". Adler was still part of the band and even participated in the recording of one of the great songs from it "Civil War". 18. Moreover, on April 7, 1990, Adler performed the song on stage with the band, as part of the "Farm Aid IV" festival. Unfortunately, after the band's last appearance with Steven Adler, as he was fired shortly afterwards, due to his drug problems. 19. Guitarist Slash said that Adler would come to rehearsals and stare for hours at the refrigerator that stood in the studio, sometimes filtering between his teeth "butter tray" or "spaghetti". He later found out that Adler was hiding his heroin there. 20. Singer Axl Rose said the band gave Adler countless opportunities to solve his drug problem, and that only after nothing helped did they have to fire him. 21. Guitarist Izzy Stradlin said in a November 1992 interview, that he would have preferred to continue with Adler, but they just could not wait for him to "fix himself". 22. After his dismissal from "Guns" Steven sued Axl for his allegedly illegal dismissals. He won the lawsuit and received 2.5 million dollars in damages and 15% of song royalties. 23. During the trial Adler's lawyer asked "Guns" members to comment on the "spaghetti incident", as Adler claimed this was a code name for his drugs. This question will become the title of the album " The Spaghetti Incident? ", the band's fifth album from 1993. 24. Later, Adler re-formed “Road Crew” with a new lineup that included Davy Vain from the band “Vain”. They recorded an album and attracted the attention of several record labels, but due to Adler’s ongoing struggles with drug addiction, the band eventually dissolved. Material from that lineup, including Adler’s drum tracks, later surfaced on “Vain” albums, among them the 2011 album “Enough Rope”. 25. Adler's drug problems only got more complicated. In 1995, Adler was arrested at his home for possession of heroin. 26. In 1996 he had a stroke which led to temporary paralysis of the left side of his face, resulting in a speech impediment. All this happened after Adler took "Speedball" which is a combination of heroin and cocaine by intravenous injection. (Photo: whatsmyscene.com) 27. In 1998 he formed "BulletBoys", together with DJ Ashba. The band recorded an album, but again due to Adler's problems was unable to realize its potential. This time Adler was charged with violence and sentenced to 150 days in prison and three years probation, provided he goes through a year of mandatory drug and domestic violence counseling. 28. In 2003, Adler formed "Suki Jones", which later changed its name to "Adler's Appetite". The band played songs from "Guns" debut album "Appetite for Destruction". 29. Together with the band, Adler released two mini-albums, the first "Adler's Appetite" from 2005 and the second "Alive" from 2012, including original songs. 30. In 2010, Adler was featured on Slash 's solo album, alongside Flea , Alice Cooper , and more. 31. In 2011, Adler formed a new band simply called "Adler". The band released the album "Back from the Dead" in 2012 which featured Slash . 32. That same year, Adler was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" with members of "Guns N' Roses". 33. In 2016, Adler joined the reunion "Guns" - "Not in This Lifetime Tour", in Ohio and played the hits "Out Ta Get Me" and "My Michelle". "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we will tell you about the well-known virtuoso bassist John Myung, known from "Dream Theater". (Photo: Dream Theater Official Site) 1. Myung was born on January 24, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. His full name is John Ro Myung. 2. He is a Korean-American and the founding member of the "Dream Theater". He's one of the two members of the band that has been in it since its inception along with guitarist John Petrucci . 3. He played the violin from the age of five, until he was asked at the age of 15 to play bass guitar in a local band. 4. After graduating from high school he enrolled with his guitarist friend John Petrucci to Berklee College of Music , where they met drummer Mike Portnoy . The trio formed the band "Majesty", to which they added keyboardist Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. 5. The band will change its name to "Dream Theater", shortly before the release of their first album. 6. In the band's first album - "When Dream and Day Unite" from 1989, Myung still played a standard 4 strings bass guitar. Later Myung will switch to a 6-string bass guitar, thus expanding the range of sounds he produces from the instrument. 7. From the second album, Myung participated in writing the band's songs, including: "Learning to Live", "Lifting Shadows Off a Dream", "Trial of Tears", "Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy" and more. 8. Although "Dream Theater" is at the center of Myung's musical activities, he has collaborated and appeared on a number of other projects during his career. One of them is the supergroup "Platypus", with Rod Morgenstein, Ty Tabor and former "Dream" friend keyboardist Derek Sherinian. 9. After "Platypus" disbanded in 2000, Myung, Tavor and Morgenstein recorded four albums as part of the band "Jelly Jam". 10. In addition to his membership in these bands, he has appeared as a guest on several albums such as: Sean Malone's Band "Gordian Knot" and "Raising the Mammoth" of "Explorers Club". 11. On the "Dream Falling Into Infinity" Tour, Myung served as the keyboardist of the "Nightmare Cinema", a fictional band that features "Dream" members playing musical instruments other than their original ones. 12. Myung was influenced by bands like "The Beatles", "Black Sabbath", "The Who", "Iron Maiden", "Rush", "Yes", "Jethro Tull", "Genesis". 13. He noted the following bassists as influencing his playing: Geezer Butler , John Entwistle , Chris Squire , Steve Harris , Geddy Lee and of course Jaco Pastorius. 14. Myung's wife was the bassist of the female metal band "Meanstreak", which also starred the wifes of John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy , his friends in "Dream Theater". 15. Myung released 15 studio albums and 9 live albums as part of "Dream". 16. In 2010 he won the "Music Radar" readership poll as the best bassist of all time. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website