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On March 3, 1972 "Jethro Tull" released their fifth album "Thick as a Brick". This is probably the band's most complete and perfect album, a true classic that ranks among the best progressive albums of all time. A full concept album from start to finish, which includes a one-and-only theme piece spanning 44 minutes, divided into two parts (also due to the limitation of vinyl records of the times). The level of writing and performance of "Jethro Tull" is at its peak on this album, and the result is accordingly. Interestingly, an album intended to be used as a parody of concept albums quickly became a classic of concept albums. The original record packaging was designed as a 12-page newspaper, which folds into the album cover. The newspaper with the fictional name "The St. Cleve Chronicle & Linwall Advertiser", was in fact an imitation of a type of local newspaper prevalent throughout Britain at the time. From the "Newspaper" title it could be understood that the album is a musical adaptation of an epic work, a poem about Britain, written by an imaginary 8-year-old boy named Gerald Bostock, in which he criticizes the British people. The lyrics and music were actually written by vocalist, writer, multi-instrumentalist, and band leader Ian Anderson . Later he would even point out that there was an autobiographical element in the words he wrote. He was a bit rebellious and different from his peers as a child. Conventionality never attracted him, and he absorbed all his difference, rebellion, and uniqueness, into the character of Gerald Bostock. What brought Ian Anderson to write this epic work, was the critical reviews of "Jethro Tull's" previous album - " Aqualung ", from 1971. Anderson was surprised when the critics called it a "concept album". He dismissed the idea, thinking it was simply a collection of poems, so it was unclear to him how the critics had come to the wrong conclusion. As much as Anderson insisted that " Aqualung " was not a concept album, the media still continued to treat it as such. In response, he decided to give the critics the real thing. To write a piece of music that will be the mother of all concept albums. He concocted, conceived, and also executed! Anderson took the surreal British humor of "Monty Python" as an influence and began to write a piece that would combine the complex music of the progressive genre, along with a British sense of humor. A grandiose work, which will be a satire on "progressive rock", thinking that it will make the band, the audience, and of course the music critics laugh. Indeed, musically it is a complex and diverse album, starting with rock, through folk, jazz, classical music, and Celtic music. You will find a lot of dynamism, rhythm changes, and odd-time signatures in this album. The diversity also dominates the musical instruments which, beyond the flute, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, bass and drums including also harpsichord, timpani, violin, lute, trumpet, saxophone, and other stringed instruments, which are played by the band members (yes, yes, Anderson, for example, plays flute, acoustic guitar, violin, trumpet, accordion and saxophone). (Photo: Gijsbert Hanekroot) Although the album is reflected as one complete, perfect, and lasting work, it is composed of a combination of individual songs interwoven together. Parts of this magnificent suite combine Celtic, classical, and folk music into the framework of the band's typical rock music. The first part - " Really Don't Mind / See There a Son Is Born " opens the album and ends at minute 5:00. It opens up with the sounds of Anderson's acoustic guitar and flute playing. This is the central musical theme on which Anderson based the entire piece. We are witnessing a kind of dialogue with the listener, which aims to challenge his ability to understand music. A kind of criticism on the music critics who failed to understand the band's previous album, yet call themselves "music critics". Those "smart people", don't know how it feels to be "thick as a brick", when they just complicate simple things, precisely because they are "smart". In other words, if you are very smart, you will never be able to understand the point of view of a stupid person. The second part - " The Poet and the Painter " starts at minute 5:00 and ends at 10:29, which is a bit more rockish. It deals with the two types of people. The doers and thinkers. "the poet lifts his pen While the soldier sheaths his sword". When war rages outside the soldier fights and the poet write about the war. The third part - " What Do You Do When the Old Man's Gone? / From the Upper Class " starts at minute 10:29 and ends at 15:54. John Evan's Hammond organ works overtime here and it kind of repeats the musical ideas of the previous section. This part is about what the son will do when he loses his father. Will he try to fill his father's shoes and follow in his footsteps or will he try to develop his own identity? "What do you do when the old man's gone, Do you want to be him?" This section ends in a paradox when the son says "I'll judge you all and make damn sure that no one judges me". I can criticize you but not the other way around. A point to think about is how sometimes we judge people so easily, but underestimate and angry at people who judge us. The fourth part - " You Curl Your Toes in Fun / Childhood Heroes / Stabs Instrumental " concludes the first side of the vinyl and starts at minute 15:54 to 22:40. Anderson's side flute dominates this section, but it also leans on John Evan's keyboards and the rhythm section of Jeffrey Hammond and Barriemore Barlow, with Martin Barre's powerful riff breaks towards the end. In this part, the political views of the young boy and their utopian character are expressed. The fifth part - " See There a Man Is Born / Clear White Circles " opens the second side of the vinyl and ends at minute 5:58. It opens with the sound of whistling wind in the background of Celtic music, but quickly turns into a rhythmic and fast section that even includes some brief drum solos by Barriemore Barlow. The title of this chapter corresponds with the title of the first chapter that opens the album. If the opening section talks about "See There a Son Is Born", here already the boy becomes a man, and the title changes to "See There a Man Is Born". At this point in life, the boy who has become a man comes to terms with the world around him and accepts things as they are. The sixth part - " Legends and Believe in the Day " starts at minute 5:58 and ends at 12:25. It is Leaning on Anderson's acoustic guitar playing. The music in this section is more melancholic and heavy and it describes the protagonist's sad acceptance of the fact that his perception of his age has changed. The seventh part - " Tales of Your Life " starts at minute 12:25 and ends at 17:49. It describes the life of the elderly telling "legends" about the experiences they have collected over the years. The eighth part that ends the album is " Childhood Heroes Reprise ". Its name suggests that it is a kind of repetition of the fourth section that ends up the first side of the vinyl. This repetition symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and how the thoughts you once had when you were just a young child come back to you in the end. There is no doubt that "Thick as a Brick" has gone down in music history as one of the greatest albums in progressive rock in general. This fact is reflected in almost every possible relevant ranking list. "Rolling Stone" magazine ranked the album 7th among the 50 greatest prog albums of all time. In 2014, "Prog magazine" ranked it 5th in the list of the 100 greatest prog albums of all time, and believe us there are other lists that rank it at the top. Even great artists like Geddy Lee and Steve Harris have mentioned it as one of their favorite albums, and for good reason. On the occasion of the album's 40th anniversary, in 2012, Ian Anderson released a solo album that is a continuation of this album, and was named "Thick as a Brick 2: Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock". The follow-up album also focuses on Gerald Bostock, the fictional author and child prodigy of The original album, only forty years later. The follow-up album presents five different and hypothetical life stories for Gerald Bostock, in which he is a greedy investment banker, a homeless homosexual, a soldier in the Afghanistan war, a holy evangelist, and a married man with no children. However, by the end of the album, all five options seem to converge into an ending of bleak loneliness. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is considered one of the greatest "British Blues" guitarists of all time, alongside Eric Clapton , Jeff Beck and Peter Green . Here are some interesting facts about Rory Gallagher: (Photo: Image: Mark Sullivan / Contour / Getty Images) 1. He was born on March 2, 1948 in Ballyshannon, Ireland. His full name is William Rory Gallagher. 2. Rory grew up in a musical home. His father played the accordion in a local band and his mother was a singer and theater actress. 3. At the age of 9 his parents bought him his first acoustic guitar, on which he learned to play on his own. 4. At the age of 12 he had already won a young talent contest. He used the winnings money to buy his first electric guitar. 5. The guitar that is most identified with him is "Fender Stratocaster Sunburst 1961" (serial number 64351), which he purchased only 3 years later. 6. He formed his first band when he was only 13 years old. 7. Gallagher would stay up all night listening to music on the radio, when at first he was attracted to Skiffle music and then Folk and Blues. 8. His early musical influences included Muddy Waters, Woody Gutherie and Lead Belly. 9. In 1966, Gallagher formed the band "Taste", a power trio that played mostly blues-rock and rhythm and blues. 10. In the years 1969-1970 the band released two studio albums and two live albums, before it disbanded. 11. At its peak, the band performed at the Isle of Wight Festival from 1970 and also shared one stage with "Cream" in their farewell performance at the Royal Albert Hall. 12. Immediately after the Woodstock Festival in 1969, Jimi Hendrix was asked “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world?” Hendrix replied, “I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher.” 13. Rory Gallagher is a multi-instrumentalist in the full sense of the word. In addition to singing and guitar playing, he also plays bass, mandolin, saxophone, sitar, harmonica, banjo, dulcimer, dobro and more. 14. In 1971 Gallagher released his first solo album named "Rory Gallagher". 15. That same year he was chosen Singer of the Year by Melody Maker magazine, even surpassing Eric Clapton. 16. In 1974, Mick Taylor left the "Rolling Stones" and Rory Gallagher spent a few days with them in Rotterdam as a potential replacement. 17. During his solo career, Rory has released 11 studio albums. 18. These albums have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. 19. Off-stage, Gallagher was described as shy. On stage, he was one of the most “electrifying” artists to ever play a Fender Stratocaster, with more than three hours of each performances, night after night. 20. Rory Gallagher never married and had no children. 21. Gallagher underwent a liver transplant in 1995, but died of its complications on June 14, 1995 in London, England and is only 47 years old. 22. Rory Gallagher was ranked 42nd on Gibson's all-time top 50 guitarists list. 23. He was ranked 57th on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. 24. In 2015, Fender produced the "Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster" modelת in his memory. 25. The list of musicians influenced by him is long and varied, and includes, among others: The Edge , Slash , Johnny Marr , Janick Gers , James Dean Bradfield , Glenn Tipton, Vivian Campbell , Gary Moore , Joe Bonamassa and more. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Written By: Moti Kupfer Release date - 02.03.1973 “So what do I need? Just rhythm, flashing lights, silk trousers, a dance floor,” Ephraim Shamir once sang to the words of Eli Mohar. Funky bass and drums, a bluesy melody, and beautiful vocal harmonies. Simple Headphones music yet full of elegance. That is exactly what we get from "The Doobie Brothers" on their third studio album "The Captain and Me", released on March 2, 1973. The vocal harmonies were led by Tom Johnston, with his distinct high voice, while the rest of the band members, except for drummer Michael Hossack, provided the rich backing vocals. "The Doobie Brothers" were formed in 1970 by guitarist Charles Thomas Johnston, born in August 1948 in Visalia, California. As a child he played saxophone and clarinet, and at age 12 switched to guitar. He was influenced by artists such as Little Richard, James Brown, and Elvis Presley. Johnston also taught himself to play harmonica and piano, and became known for his unique acoustic guitar arrangements that combined distinctive picking with a simultaneously emphasized rhythm, a style that became his musical signature. He began his career in a Mexican wedding band that played soul and Latin music. His growing interest in rhythm and blues led him to join a soul band, and later to form his own blues group. Johnston moved to San Jose to complete his college studies and began playing in various local bands. There he met Skip Spence, former drummer of "Jefferson Airplane", who was then a member of "Moby Grape", a band that would greatly influence "The Doobie Brothers". Spence introduced Johnston to John Hartman, a graphic design student at San Jose State University who had originally moved to California to meet the members of "Moby Grape", whom he deeply admired. Johnston and Hartman began creating music together under the name "Pud", initially joined by Skip Spence. Later they were joined by singer, guitarist, and songwriter Pat Simmons. Simmons, who arrived with experience as a solo artist and member of an acoustic band, perfectly complemented Johnston’s rhythmic R&B style. They then changed their name to "The Doobie Brothers". And no, they are not related. The name “Doobie Brothers” comes from the slang word “doobie”, meaning a rolled cannabis cigarette. Their neighbor Keith Rosen, who saw them constantly smoking marijuana, suggested they call themselves "Doobie Brothers". After one album, "The Doobie Brothers" added a second drummer, Michael Hossack, as well as bassist Tiran Porter, who had previously collaborated with Pat Simmons and brought with him a distinctly funky playing style. Ahead of their third album "The Captain and Me", "The Doobie Brothers", who were signed to "Warner Bros.", moved to record at Warner’s studios in Northern California. The album blends country rock, folk, soul, blues, and even progressive rock elements. Bill Payne of "Little Feat" contributed piano, organ, and electric piano, including on "China Grove" . Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, then a member of "Steely Dan", played pedal steel guitar on "South City Midnight Lady" , a song written about a prostitute with a heart of gold. Production duo Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil, known for their work with Stevie Wonder, added their touch with synthesizer work. There is also the dual-drummer sound, reminiscent of the era of "Grateful Dead" and "The Allman Brothers Band", combined with the Headphones effect, vocals in one ear, instruments in the other, creating a perfectly layered harmonic experience. Opening track "Natural Thing"  was synthesized by Margouleff and Cecil with the intention of making it sound like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" by "The Beatles". The first single, and perhaps the band’s biggest hit, was "Long Train Runnin’" , built around its punchy and addictive guitar riff. The harmonica playing belongs entirely to Tom Johnston, who also sang and wrote the lyrics. However, it was producer Ted Templeman who convinced Johnston to add lyrics to what Johnston had originally described as “a typical bar song”. The rest is history. Second single "China Grove"  also opens with a perfect guitar riff by Johnston, layered with echo and fuzz effects, while Bill Payne drives the track with piano. The combination of bass, guitar, and drums, together with Payne’s electric piano, opens "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" . Fifth track "Clear as the Driven Snow" , written by Pat Simmons, addresses the band’s chemical abuse and the fear of its consequences, a fear that would later prove to be prophetic. On the album cover, the band members appear alongside their manager Bruce Cohn, dressed in 19th century Western attire, riding a horse-drawn carriage beneath an unfinished modern overpass. 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 40 interesting facts about the man and the legend: The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lou Reed: (Photo: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders) 1. Lou Reed was born on March 2, 1942 at Beit El Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. 2. Reed was a Jew. His father Joseph, who was an accountant, changed his last name from Rabinovich to Reed. 3. Although he was a Jew Lou Reed declared that his true God is rock 'n' roll. 4. In his youth he underwent treatments in electric shocks because his parents thought that this would cure him of his bisexual tendencies. He wrote the song "Kill Your Sons" from 1974 about it. 5. In his youth, Reed was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and suffered from manic depression. After his death his sister denied that the treatment in electric shocks was due to his bisexual tendencies and claimed that this was meant to treat his mental illness. 6. He learned to play the guitar from listening to the radio. 7. In 1963, Reed moved to New York and began working as a songwriter for the recording company Pickwick Records. 8. He coined the term "Ostrich Guitar" after the special guitar tuning in the song "The Ostrich", which he wrote even before "The Velvet Underground", as part of the band "The Primitives". 9. While playing with "The Primitives" he met a young Welshman who came to study music in the USA. His name was John Cale. 10. The two shared an apartment on Manhattan's East Side. They invited Reed's classmate Sterling Morrison to play guitar and Angus MacLise to play drummer, thus forming the first "Velvet Underground" lineup. 11. The band played in underground clubs in New York and attracted the attention of renowned artist Andy Warhol. 12. Warhol will be responsible for the band's connection with model and singer Nico and he will produce and paint the cover of the 1967 masterpiece album "The Velvet Underground & Nico". (Photo: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy) 13. After leaving the Velvet Underground he moved to work for his father's accounting firm. 14. Although he received credit for playing guitar and keyboards on his 1972 debut album, rumor has it that those who played were guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman from "Yes". 15. The one who co-produced with him the 1972 breakthrough album "Transformer", was none other than David Bowie . 16. The song "Walk On The Wild Side" was dedicated by Reed to the Drug Queens who came to New York and engaged in prostitution. 17. The words "But she never lost her head / Even when she was giving head" were not censored at the time by the BBC, as the censor did not understand what "giving head" meant. 18. The album "Berlin" that Reed released in 1973 is a kind of dark and depressing concept album that tells the story of a Berlin couple addicted to heroin. The album deals with difficult issues such as domestic violence, drugs, prostitution and suicide. 19. Following the commercial success of "Transformer" and "Berlin", Reed responded with a deliberate commercial failure - the double album of loops and electronic feedbacks called "Metal Machine Music". This 1975 album was probably ahead of its time with techno and industrial music. 20. His 1976 album "Coney Island Baby" was dedicated to his partner that was a transvestite. 21. Reed used to perform with sunglasses. He claimed he could not stand the sight of the audience. 22. He appeared in an advertisement for Honda's Vespa motorcycles with the song "Walk On The Wild Side" in the background and convinced the audience not to compromise on walking. 23. In 1979 he punched David Bowie in a restaurant, after Bowie agreed to produce his next album only on the condition that he be cleansed of alcohol and drugs. 24. In 1980 he played the role of a music producer in Paul Simon's film "One-Trick Pony". 25. Reed returned to collaborate with John Cale in 1990, as part of the excellent album "Songs for Drella" in memory of Andy Warhol, a sort of a musical biography of Andy Warhol nicknamed "Darla". 26. In 1989 he was featured on the song "This Is Your Land" from the eighth album of "Simple Minds". 27. The album "Magic and Loss" from 1992 dealt with "death" and was affected by the deaths of two of his close friends from cancer. 28. The 18-minute epic piece "Like a Possum" from his 2000 album "Ecstasy" includes noisy distortions and words dealing with bizarre sex, drugs and Reed's wish to be an "Opossum". 29. In 2001 several American radio stations mistakenly announced Lou Reed's death, after receiving information from an impostor that made them think he was working for "Reuters". 30. His 2003 double album "The Raven" is based on short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. The album was also accompanied by a musical called POEtry. 31. In 2007 he was featured on the song "Tranquilize" from the album "Sawdust" by "The Killers". 32. Reed was influenced by jazz and loved jazz. In 2009 he became a member of the U.S. Jazz Association. 33. He contributed his voice to the "Gorillaz" in the song "Some Kind of Nature" from the album "Plastic Beach", their third album from 2010. 34. Reed appeared with "Metallica" in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the "Rock N 'Roll Hall Of Fame", this show spawned a collaboration on a double album by "Metallica" and Lou Reed called " Lulu ", released in 2011. 35. He himself was inducted into the "Rock N 'Roll Hall Of Fame" twice, once as a solo artist and once again as a member of the "Velvet Underground". 36. In the late 90s he entered into a relationship with musician Lori Anderson and the two collaborated on songs appearing on both of their albums. 37. In 2013 Reed had already had a liver transplant but it failed and he eventually passed away on October 27th from severe liver failure. 38. In a performance of "Pearl Jam" in Baltimore on the day of his death, they dedicated the song "Man of the Hour" to him. They even performed the song "I'm Waiting for the Man" by the "Velvet Underground". 39. Reed practiced Tai Chi every day, even in his last days in the hospital, right up until the day he died. He even contributed his voice to an instructional film on the art of Chinese martial arts. 40. There is a spider named after him. It is called "Loureedia" because it is a velvety spider that lives underground. This spider has even been observed in Israel. During his musical career, Reid has released 26 studio albums, as a solo artist and as part of the "Velvet Underground". He passed away on October 27, 2013. He was 71 years old at the time of his death. 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He is without a doubt one of the most important and influential singers in Rock music. He is one of the founders of "The Who", but he also has a long-time solo career. (Photo: The Who Twitter) Here are some interesting facts about singer, producer, and actor Roger Daltrey: 1. He was born on March 1, 1944, in the Shepherd's Bush neighborhood of London. His full name is Roger Harry Daltrey. 2. He grew up next door to guitarist Pete Townshend and bassist John Entwistle , who also studied with him at the same school. 3. Daltrey was an outstanding student at the school and was even admitted to a prestigious high school. Despite this, he decided not to pursue academic studies. He was expelled from school after being caught smoking cigarettes. 4. Daltrey built his first guitar in 1957, alone, from wood parts. It was an imitation of the Fender Stratocaster. 5. In addition to playing the guitar, Daltrey also knows how to play the harmonica and flute. 6. In 1959 he joined the Skiffle group "The Detours". He served there as their lead singer and guitarist. He later also asked bassist John Entwistle to join the band. (Photo: RB/Redferns) 7. After John Entwistle joined the band, Daltrey did his best to get Pete Townshend to join it too. 8. In 1963 Daltrey who was the band leader, fired all its members except John Entwistle . He added Pete Townshend as a guitarist while giving up on guitar playing and switching only to singing. 9. Later Keith Moon joined the band as a drummer and in 1964 the band changed its name to "The Who". 10. Beginning in 1965 Pete Townshend began to stand out in writing material for the band and took the lead from Daltrey, who until then was considered the band leader. 11. Together with "The Who" Daltrey has released 12 studio albums, including masterpieces such as: " Tommy ", " Who's Next ", "Quadrophenia" and more. 12. "The Who" is one of the most influential bands in Rock music, which has sold over 100 million albums worldwide. 13. During his membership in "The Who", he has proven to be a huge performer. From the stuttering in the song "My Generation" or a scream at the end of the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" to the energetic stage performance and the iconic microphone cable twisting. 14. In 1973 Daltrey began his solo career with the album "Daltrey".Since then he has released 10 studio albums as a solo artist. 15. In 1984, Daltrey appeared on the theme song of Meat Loaf 's fourth album, "Bad Attitude." The two shared vocals. 16. In 1990 he entered the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" as a member of "The Who". 17. In 1992 he performed in the Tribute Show in memory of Freddie Mercury with the song "I Want It All". 18. In 2003 he was a guest on the song "Taking the Music Back", taken from the album "We've Come for You All" by "Anthrax". 19. In 2004 he was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire. 20. In 2006 he wrote the song "Highbury Highs", as a tribute to the "Highbury" stadium, of the "Arsenal" Soccer team. He performed the song after the last game played in the stadium. 21. Daltrey is also a film actor who has starred in about 30 feature films. 22. He also starred in quite a few series, including the science fiction series " Sliders " where he played Col. Angus Rickman, and the series " Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman " where he played one of Superman's enemies. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On March 1, 1994, "Nirvana" took the stage for the last time and played the last chord of their short career. (Photo: YouTube) The performance took place at "Terminal 1 Flughafen München" in Munich Germany in front of 3,050 people. Many believe that the band's last performance was on November 18, 1993, a performance during which the album MTV Unplugged was recorded, but this is not the case. The band went on a short tour in the United States and then continued it in Europe, with the last performance on March 1, 1994 in Munich, amid the European tour. As the European tour progressed Kurt Cobain seemed increasingly pale and sickly, and his voice could not withstand the intensity of the performances. The Doctors diagnosed him with bronchitis and sore throat and asked him to take a break, but he ignored them. The acoustics of the place was terrible, it was not a place adapted for performances of this kind. Kurt Cobain did not know this until the show started as he did not show up for the sound check. Regardless of the poor acoustics, it was clear to everyone in the audience that Cobain's voice was betraying him. The band was accompanied by guitarist Pat Smear who in this part of the tour also took on the role of background vocals from Dave Grohl as well as cellist Melora Creager. The last song Kurt ever played in front of an audience was "Heart-Shaped Box". It just hurts to hear him struggle to get to the chorus's higher notes; later, he even gave up and performs it at a lower octave. This historic moment was immortalized and recorded, and it is Kurt's last musical testimony in a public performance. It was clear to everyone that Cobain could not continue to perform in this way and the rest of the scheduled tour in the round was canceled. Kurt passed away a month later on April 5, 1994. The setlist of that historic evening: My Best Friend's Girl Radio-Friendly Unit Shifter Drain You Breed Serve the Servants Come as You Are Sliver Dumb In Bloom About a Girl Lithium Pennyroyal Tea School Polly (Acoustic) Very Ape Lounge Act Rape Me Territorial Pissings The Man Who Sold the World All Apologies On a Plain Blew Heart-Shaped Box "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On March 1, 1974, "Rush" released its eponymous debut album. The story of this album begins a few years earlier, in 1968, in the "Willowdale" neighborhood of Toronto Canada, when a young guitarist named Alexandar Zivojinovich, a drummer named John Rutsey who lives on the same street, and a bassist-singer named Jeff Jones formed the band 'Projection". The same Jeff Jones will be replaced after about a month, before the band's second show, by Gary Lee Weinrib. He was Alexandar Zivojinovich's neighbor, who also attended the same school with him. Alexander Zivojinovich chooses the stage name, Alex Lifeson . The last name chosen is actually a translation of his original last name Zivojinovich, which means "Son of Life". Gary Lee Weinrib chooses his stage name, Geddy Lee . Geddy was Gary's nickname, since his mother could not pronounce the letter R, and in her accent, it sounded like D (Geddy instead of Gerry). The three immediately change the band's name to "Rush", following the advice of drummer John Rutsey 's brother. They made their first appearance in September 1968, in the basement of a church in the suburbs of Toronto. Geddy and Alex were then only 15 years old. But slowly the band started to gain confidence and manage to perform in local pubs, events, and school parties. (Photo: therushforum.com) In 1971, the band signed a recording contract with Ray Daniels, who will serve as the band's manager until its last day. That same year they got lucky, when the alcohol law in Toronto was changed and the drinking age was lowered to 18, allowing them to perform in pubs without a problem. The Hard-Blues Rock style that the band adopts catches well and soon they found themselves performing six days a week, which helped them a lot become professional. In between, Alex, Geddy, and John also manage to write original material. At the same time, the band's manager - Ray Daniels - is trying to get them a recording contract. He fails and eventually decides to set up a private label called "Moon Records", through which the band will be able to release their debut album. To save money, the band started recording late at night, when the studios were empty and the rates were cheaper. The band gathers at "Eastern Sound Studios" in Toronto, in March 1973 and records four songs, with the help of producer Dave Stock. Two of them, a cover version of Buddy Holly's song " Not Fade Away " and an original song written by Geddy and John called: " You Can't Fight It ", will be released as the band's first single, back in 1973, with the original song being released as b-side. The two songs were not included on the debut album, which would be released a year later, but the other two songs recorded in the same session " In the Mood " and " Take a Friend " will eventually find their way to the album. It is interesting to note that " In the Mood " is the only song on the album written solely by Geddy Lee . Lee would later point out that this is the first song written for the band that he and Alex really liked. Alex added that Gaddy came to his house one day and said, I want to play you a song and he just played it from beginning to end. He claims it was about two years even three before they started recording the album. The single and B-Side released in 1973 were not a success. The band was also not happy with the results in terms of sound and production, so they decided to move to "Toronto Sound Studios", leave producer Dave Stock and produce the album themselves. Although the recordings in both studios were made with outdated 8-channel equipment, the band managed to improve the production on songs recorded in the second session to their satisfaction, especially " Finding My Way ", " Need Some Love " and " Here Again ". This album gives us a one-of-a-time glimpse of "Rush" as it will no longer be heard on future albums. Rough, immature, wild. The musical material on the album ranges from energetic Hard Rock reminiscent of "Zeppelin" - as in the song " What You're Doing ", through "Cream's" Blues Rock in " Take A Friend " to Heavy Metallic riffs reminiscent of " Black Sabbath " as in the song " Working Man ". There are some amazing tracks on this album, that are just rare in their beauty and innocence. Tracks you will not hear in any other album of the band, which will continue to evolve and change its musical style through the years. The album was initially released in a meager amount of 3,500 copies, through the band's private label, but was only a local success. Although the band received good reviews it failed to get the record companies' attention, until the following thing happened: Radio broadcaster Donna Halper of the "WMMS" radio station in Cleveland Ohio, began playing the song " Working Man " regularly on her show. Every time Donna would play the song the station would receive many calls from people who wanted to know details about the band and where they can purchase the album. As a result, copies of the album were transferred from Canada to the United States, for sale in Cleveland, Ohio. It was at this point that the band recruited - Terry Brown, who will serve as their permanent producer until 1982. He received $ 9,000 from director Ray Daniels for editing a remix album for the "Mercury Records" reissue. Following the success in the US, the band was scheduled for many performances outside of Canada, as well. Shortly after releasing the album Geddy and Alex will audition a skinny, tall guy with shorts and a short haircut that seems unrelated to the Rock style they played. The guy named Neil Peart got out of an old, battered car and pulled out a tiny set of drums that looked to Geddy and Alex like a toy system. But, when Neil Peart started playing, the jaws of the two musicians opened wide and they immediately accepted him into the band. The exact date that Neil Peart joined the band was 29/7/1974. Peart was then 21. It was exactly two weeks before the band's tour in the US. His first performance with them was in Pittsburgh on August 14, 1974, where they served as a warm-up for "Uriah Heep", in front of 11,000 people. Read more about Neil's joining here: The Day Neil Peart Joined Rush Accepting Peart to the band brought not only an excellent drummer but an intelligent and sharp guy who also knew how to write unconventional lyrics. Therefore, it was decided that Peart would also be responsible for the lyrics, with Geddy and Alex being responsible for the music. The rest is history .... For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"Camel" may have entered the progressive scene with a slight delay, but they certainly quickly bridged over that with "Mirage" - their second studio album, released on March 1, 1974. Such an amazing album. Undoubtedly one of the greatest progressive albums of all time. An album that deserves to be in line with the masterpiece albums - the pillars of the genre. The band, which started in 1971, got its first chance in August 1972, after being signed by MCA Records, which also produced the band's debut album - "Camel", released a year earlier on February 28, 1973. Although the first album showcased the amazing abilities of the band members, it did not manage to show a significant breakthrough, even though it included one of the band's greatest songs - "Never Let Go". This album sold a few thousand individual copies and the record company decided to dump "Camel". The band had to hire a management team which, after efforts, managed to obtain a contract with "Gama Records" - a subsidiary of "Decca". The band came to the recording of this album with two significant reinforcements: first, producer David Hitchcock who is in charge of producing big Prog albums like: "Foxtrot" by "Genesis" as well as "In the Land of Gray and Pink" and "Waterloo Lily" by "Caravan". The second, is the flute playing of Andrew Latimer who was absent from the debut album and will be a very important factor in the band's subsequent albums, as he contributes, diversifies, and enriches its sound. Latimer was probably more influenced by Tijs van Leer from "Focus" or Peter Gabriel from "Genesis" and their melodic flute playing, than by Ian Anderson from "Jethro Tull" and his bursting flute playing, but what does it matter? The result was wonderful and magical and became an integral part of the band's DNA in all of her subsequent albums. In November 1973, the band entered the "Air" studios of George Martin, the Beatles' producer, in London, to record the album. "Camel" arrives at the studio polished and experienced, with finished materials that have already been played at the band's performances. The album opens with " Freefall " and what sounds like a wind effect that mimics a "Freefall". The effect blends in with Peter Bardens' organ sound, which simply collides powerfully on the solid ground of Doug Ferguson's beating bass, synchronized like a Swiss clock with Andy Ward's bass drum. And how beautiful the syncopation in this song - the rhythm breaks, which are undoubtedly among the best in Progressive Rock. They lead us to Andrew Latimer's solo only to meet again with the beating bass and the syncopations. At 2:07 we are picking up the rhythm towards Latimer's crazy solo that proves what a great guitarist he is. Amazing opening to a perfect Prog Rock album, breaks, rhythm changes, virtuosity, melody, and dynamism are here all the staples of the genre. This song was written by Peter Bradens who also sang it in his slightly cheerful and robotic style, which for sure, you hear in his voice that the band members had a lot of fun there in the studio. " Supertwister " is a short instrumental section in which Latimer demonstrates, for the first time, his amazing playing abilities on the flute, which he learned to play on his own. While the flute playing here was influenced by the Dutch band "Focus", the name of the song abounds from another Dutch band from the Prog genre - "Supersister". And how delicate and beautiful Latimar's playing is here. It blends so nicely with Bradens' keyboards and the soft but yet powerful drumming of Andy Ward. A musical piece that is a kind of "tropical storm", just like its name, for a moment we whirl to the sound of the flute in the eye of the storm and at another moment we hover over it, Watching it unharmed from a distance. Then we stop for a short break to the sounds of English tea pouring into the glass and move on to the epic medley - " Nimrodel /The Procession/The White Rider " written by Latimer, inspired by Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" books, whose words are reminiscent of the magician Gandalf and his friends. An epic track of over 9 minutes, that opens with the sounds of Latimer's arpeggio chords and Bardans' synthesizer solo, which after about a minute leads us to the sounds of the noisy crowd for a kind of medieval carnival with Latimer's cheerful flute sound. Then in 1:50 minute, as if we are moving in a time tunnel to another place and time, a soft and melodic guitar playing and singing by Latimer then a short flute solo in 3:10 minutes, that merges into the melodic guitar solo, just melting!!! no other words to describe it. Then again, the song takes a turn at 3:45 and reaches its first climax with Bardens' keyboard solo on Latimer's Funky chords, and then, boom!!! The sudden pull of the "handbrake" at 5:36 is just genius!!! How clever Ferguson's bass work is in the segment that comes right after. And if you thought for a moment that this is it and it's not going to change again, then you are wrong. Because "Camel" has arranged a psychedelic ending, with vague to the heavy bass sounds, Bardens space effects, and Latimer's wild and scattered solo. "Camel" proves to us without a shadow of a doubt that even though they arrived on the Prog scene a little late, they do not in any way fall short of the founding bands of the genre and deserve every superlative. The other side of the vinyl opens up with another instrumental piece - " Earthrise ", which really makes us "shine". A "live", rhythmic, and "happy" track, with lots of groove and funk with frequent rhythm changes and alternating solo sections of Latimer and Bardens and even a short one by Ward at about 1:50, which demonstrate their virtuosic playing abilities. How sweeping the entry at about 2:20 and Latimer's bouncing chords that serve as a fertile basis for Bardans' solo. Then we come to the highlight of the album - the three-part epic track " Lady Fantasy " written by all the band members and considered by many to be its best track. Just one big "fantasy" lasting almost 13 minutes. The piece opens to the sounds of Bardens' keyboards in a kind of "build-up" led by Latimer's guitar solo and Ward's amazing drumming. A simple and perfect intro for an immortal track. Then we move on to a melodic section and Latimer's delicate singing that reminds us that this is a kind of love song after all. The song moves smoothly between the slow ballad parts to the Funk, tough, and fast Hard Rock. The sharp breaks somehow manage to blend in just perfectly and delight the listener, despite the frequent changes. Minutes of galloping at a fast pace change completely abruptly, and again the pace slows down without any warning. Apart from the frequent and dynamic change of rhythm, every part of this epic is written fluently and accurately and connects to a whole fabric of perfect creation. The solos are played with great passion and virtuosity and manage to sweep us, listeners, into this wonderful world of Camel's "fantasy" woman. And so, towards the end, the acoustic and beautiful melody that was played at the beginning of the song, returns at the end to close a circle and create a whole and perfect story with a beginning and an end. Before we finish, just a few words about the album cover, that must have seemed familiar to you. So, the cover was inspired by the cigarette pack of the "Camel" brand. During the band's tour of the United States, the American branch of the cigarette company threatened to sue the band for copyright infringement. Under these circumstances, the U.S. album distribution company began selling the album in an alternative wrapper to avoid a lawsuit. As for overseas sales, the band agreed to the cigarette company's European branch requirement, that the album cover and song list will be printed on a special edition of the brand's pack of cigarettes and that the band distributes these packs of cigarettes with 5 cigarettes in each pack, during their live performances. "Mirage" is a masterpiece that has placed "Camel" at the forefront of Progressive Rock. This album received good reviews and even sold well. After its release, the band went on tour in Europe and the US. The idea of ​​developing an entire concept album, around one overall story already, was beginning to form in the minds of the band members .... 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 - 01.03.1994 Sometimes we long for the moment when we could read the thoughts of the people around us, just for a second, just briefly, otherwise it would probably exhaust us. Sometimes I feel that way about Beck . I would love to step inside his mind during his breakthrough year, 1994, the year he released three albums. In real time, only a handful of people bothered to truly listen to the creative explosion of Beck Hansen. One of those albums, Mellow Gold, was released on March 1, 1994. In an interview, Beck  said: “I chose the material that went onto the album randomly. Some of the recordings are embarrassing and some are better than I thought. Some of them I should have just burned.” Beck compared the songs that did not make the record to airplanes on a runway, some of them waiting to take off and others that would never take off at all. He marveled at the many interesting territories his muse could have led him to. Beck David Hansen was born on July 8, 1970, to a Christian father and a Jewish mother. He is better known by his stage name, Beck . Both of his parents came from musical backgrounds. His mother, Bibbe Hansen, worked as a musical director, singer, and actress, and in her youth appeared in several films by Andy Warhol. Beck ’s father, David Campbell, is a composer, arranger, and conductor. Beck noted that while growing up he “celebrated Jewish holidays” and that he considers himself Jewish. His father worked with artists such as Carole King, "Green Day", and "Aerosmith", and also collaborated with Beck on several of his songs. Beck’s grandfather was Al Hansen, a visual collage artist. After his parents divorced, Beck adopted his mother’s surname. As a teenager, he was heavily influenced by the music around him and began playing acoustic guitar at a very young age. At 16, he dropped out of high school and moved to New York City. There, in his early twenties, he became active in the anti-folk movement, a scene that blended the sound of 1960s American folk with punk aesthetics. “The whole idea was to eliminate all the old cliches, and invent some new ones,” Beck said about his years in New York. “Everybody knew each other. You could get up on stage and say anything, there was no pressure, and nobody made anybody feel weird.” Inspired by that freedom, Beck began writing freely associative, surreal songs about pizza, MTV, and working at McDonald’s. He started performing on city buses, often creating covers of blues artist Mississippi John Hurt alongside original compositions, sometimes simply improvising. In the early 1990s, Beck decided to return to Los Angeles. He worked a variety of odd jobs while trying to perform in clubs around the city. Sometimes he would sneak onto the stage and play a few songs while the scheduled band was still setting up their equipment. Eventually, Beck caught the attention of Margaret Mittleman from "BMG Music", as well as the partners behind the independent label Bong Load Custom Records: Tom Rothrock, Rob Schnapf, and Brad Lambert. Rothrock introduced him to Carl Stephenson, a record producer for Rap-A-Lot Records. In 1992, Beck visited Stephenson’s home to collaborate. The result of that meeting was the hip hop song Loser, released as a single in 1993. The single became an unexpected hit on American radio. As a result, major record labels began chasing Beck , who eventually decided to sign with Geffen Records. His contract with Geffen was unique in that it allowed him to continue recording and releasing albums through other labels as well. The song is built around a sampled drum break, a looped sample of Beck playing guitar, and live sitar performed by Carl Stephenson. Beck delivers deliberately laid back rap verses and a chorus that would soon become iconic. He later explained: “I wanted to emphasize how weak I was at rapping, and that’s where the next line came from, ‘I’m a loser baby, so why don’t you kill me.’” The track evolved into a kind of ethos for 1990s music, closely associated with what became known as slacker culture, a term used to describe young people perceived as apathetic, cynical, unambitious, or detached from traditional expectations of work and commitment. "Mellow Gold" is a glorious hybrid of rock, lo fi country, hip hop, folk, blues, and psychedelia, wrapped in surreal lyrics. That combination created a fascinating mix of sounds, samples, and textures, all held together by truly remarkable songwriting. It is such a diverse and ambitious album that it could be considered a pop record you can play to lo fi fans, a hip hop album you can play to country fans, and an avant garde noise experiment you can play to hip hop heads. At its core, this is a work of art about jobs: working them, losing them, the cyclical ruin that comes from failing to get one, and the capitalist pressure placed on those who cling to their jobs with everything they have. Even when work is not directly in the picture, poverty defines the frame. The stories of "Mellow Gold" unfold in trailer parks, surviving on credit and cases of cheap beer. The music sounds like trash because trash is what he sees outside his window. And that is really the punchline of " Loser ." He did not lose. He simply never had a chance to begin with. The robot on the cover of "Mellow Gold" was created by artist Eddie Lopez, who also made a brief appearance in the video for " Loser ." The sculpture was titled “Nuclear Bomb Survivor.” The photograph was originally taken in Lopez’s garage studio by Beck ’s friend Ross Harris. The album was initially intended to be called “Cold Ass Fashion,” sharing its name with an earlier Beck song, but was ultimately titled "Mellow Gold", after a potent strain of California marijuana. For Listening : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On March 1, 1973, the album "The Dark Side Of The Moon" , "Pink Floyd's" eighth studio album, was released. This is one of the best-selling albums in the world... It was the band's breakthrough album, which turned it from a psychedelic-progressive rock band revered by students and freaks, into one of the leading bands in the world of rock... This is an album that has become a milestone in the development of many music artists... The "Dark Side of the Moon" by "Pink Floyd" is without a doubt and unequivocally an immortal album. An album that will never grow old. An album that whenever you play it will feel like it has just been released! This is the band's first full concept album, in which all members agreed to align with the idea of ​​Roger Waters, who also wrote all the lyrics in the album. The lyrics refer to many aspects of pressure on the person and musicians in particular. Topics like wealth in " Money ", military conflicts in " Us and Them ", madness in " Brain Damage ", existential questions in " Time " and death in " The Great Gig in the Sky ". So much has been said and written about it, that it will surely be difficult to renew anything about this exemplary album, so this time we chose to focus on a few less common facts: 1. "Pink Floyd" performed with all the songs from the album a year before its release, even in the same song order on the album. This gave them the opportunity to experiment and improve the songs at each performance, the song " On the Run " is the only one that went an extreme transformation compared to the original versions vs. the rest of the songs. 2. The album's original name was "Dark Side of the Moon", but since an English blues rock band called "Medicine Head" used that name for their 1972 album, "Pink Floyd" initially changed the album's name to " Eclipse ". After "Medicine Head's" album failed commercially, "Pink Floyd" members decided to go back to the original name. 3. Each side of the album consists of one track that is divided into five parts but with continuous playback. 4. The album was recorded on a 16-channel tape and not 8 as before, with a Quadraphonic mix, for four speakers and not for two as in Stereo. This gave the band the flexibility and ability to use many different effects, synthesizers, samples, and sounds to create the atmosphere that Roger Waters was so looking for. The one who managed all this was Alan Parsons who served as the technician for the album and from there broke into success, both as a producer and as an artist in his own right. 5. In terms of the lyrics of the songs, we mentioned above. This is the first album where the band prints the lyrics on the record sleeve. Until that album, it did not happen, maybe because they were not confident in themselves. But this time they felt they wanted the listeners to understand and read the poignant texts. This is also the band's first album Roger is the sole writer of the lyrics. 6. On 27 February 1973, a press conference was held at the London Planetarium to unveil the album, during which the album was played to journalists and other celebrities. The band boycotted the "play party" as the auditorium in the hall supported Stereo rather than Quadraphonic. Instead of the band members' presence, the members' characters made of cardboard were placed on stage, this of course did not adversely affect the party and the critics were thrilled with the new album. 7. The song opens with the rustling of coins and the sounds of the cash register, " Money ". Is of course the most successful song from the album. It is so special musically that it is a song with an asymmetrical weight of 7/4 when in a guitar solo it becomes 4/4 and at the end of the solo it returns to 7/4. (Photo: Kim Gottlieb Walker) 8. Roger wanted to have a connection between the songs in the album, so in addition to the music, he added people speaking voices. He took the band's stage staff, the Abbey Roads studio staff where the album was recorded, and recorded interviews with them, asking simple questions as well as hard and deep questions about death and insanity. Paul McCartney was one of those interviewees, but his recording did not enter the album because Roger claimed he was "trying too hard" and trying to be funny instead of being real. 9. Aside from being a dizzyingly successful album, this album is also responsible for the masterpiece "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" movie, sounds weird ?? The band members who used to watch the TV series "Monty Python's Flying Circus" during breaks during the recordings of the album, heard that Python's members were trying to make a full-length film but the production ran out of money. They took some (very small) of the money they received for the album and invested it in producing the film when they helped it to be finished and released. 10. The song " Us And Them " was originally written in 1969 for the soundtrack of the film "Zabriskie Point", but the director of the film thought it was inappropriate and chose three other songs that the band wrote for the soundtrack. 11. Keyboardist Richard Wright wrote the piece " The Great Gig in The Sky " as an instrumental piece that describes how life slowly fades, through the exit of the soul to death. In the first part, the man did not succumb to death and struggle with it and in the second quieter part he has already come to terms with the death and liberates. In the middle of the section in the transition between the first and second part, there is a whisper in which the following words are heard: "If you hear the whisper you are dying" 12. The band did not want there to be words in this segment. Alan Parsons brought in singer Clare Torry who improvised the entire piece using her voice like a musical instrument. She sued the band in 2004, demanded royalties for the writing, and won. 13. The opening track " Speak to Me " is the only "Pink Floyd" track in which the writing credit is given to Nick Mason exclusively. 14. The one who laughs at the crazy laughter in this segment is Peter Watts, the director of the "Pink Floyd" tour at the time and the father of actress Naomi Watts. 15. The section " On the Run " was written inspired by the fears and pressures that flights and travel brought with them. The whole section is performed by a synthesizer. Only 5 notes are played in it that are played in a loop and at high speed. 16. Each of the clocks heard in the song "Time" were recorded separately in an antique shop, with Alan Parsons then putting them all together. Parsons recorded the clocks to serve as a model for testing a Quadrophonic system, but eventually, the recordings were used for the purpose of the album. 17. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the album, the band released a special edition called "The Dark Side Of The Moon' 50th-anniversary reissue". The special edition includes remastered versions on CD and Vinyl and also includes Blu-Ray with 5.1 channel, Atmos, and stereo sound. A live performance at Wembley in 1974 and a book of the same name with never before seen photos and material. 18. The one who obviously had to interrupt the celebration is Roger Waters who claimed that this album was his alone and not "the band's" and he decided to re-record the whole album in "The Dark Side of the Moon Redux" released in 2023. This album broke sales records and time in the charts when in 2011 he made a re-entry into the American Billboard which caused it to cross the 1,000-week mark in the charts . Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Snare, massacre, muted strings, insane!, "seconds", calm down, no! - Nuclear armament, honeymoon, Jamaica, underground, Poland, protest song, madness!, "drowning man", violin, "Waterboys", prostitution, trumpet, "red light", this is it, "surrender", Psalms, Falkland, Lebanon, Boy, Michael Jackson - "War"! What is this? 37 words that describe and sum up one of the most important and influential albums of the 1980s - "War" - "U2's" third studio album, released on February 28, 1983. This album was recorded between September and November 1982 and was meant to reflect the feelings of the band members concerning the main events in the world that year. Britain and the Falkland Islands, South Africa, and the apartheid, the war in Lebanon, and more. Everywhere the band members looked, they saw "war". Bono stated that the intention was to get out of the pleasant and nice image they had and give people a wake-up call, a slap in the face. The boy who appears on the cover is Peter Rowan, Guggi's brother - Bono 's childhood friend from "Virgin Prunes". Bono thought that an innocent kid's face would do the job better than tanks and rifles. By the way, the boy has already appeared on the cover of the album "Boy". He has also appeared on the single of " Sunday Bloody Sunday " and later will also decorate the cover of the band's first compilation album. The Edge noted that they were aware of the risk involved with taking a position, but wanted to do it and "fly closer to the sun". This is the band's first political statement and it resonates with the same sharpness and intensity even today, almost 40 years later! The album opens with " Sunday Bloody Sunday ", to the war march drums, with the metallic and precise snare sounds of Larry Mullen, Jr., which was recorded in the stairwell of the studio in Dublin. This incredible accuracy of Larry was achieved through the "Click Track" technique - where clicks are sent to his headphones during the recording and help him synchronize with the rhythm. Larry was initially against the technique proposed by producer Steve Lillywhite, but after meeting drummer Andy Newmark who was a member of "Sly and the Family Stone" and worked with artists such as John Lennon , David Bowie , and "Roxy Music", he was convinced. This simple but accurate drumming by Larry, serves as the solid foundation on which this entire album is founded. The metallic sound of the snare and the ruff bass drum sound, served as a fertile ground for the guitar of The Edge , with the bass of Adam Clayton being the glue that sticks it all together. It is a protest song influenced by an incident that took place on Sunday, January 30, 1972, in which soldiers from the British Paratroopers Unit shot and killed 13 unarmed Irish Catholic boys, who took part in a human rights protest march in the town of Derry in Northern Ireland. For more information on the tragic incident called "Bloody Sunday" click here : Although all the songs on the album appear to have been written by all the members of the band, this song evolved from a guitar riff and lyrics that were originally written by The Edge , while Bono only reworked the lyrics. What an amazing guitar work of The Edge . The arpeggio chords, the famous palm-muted strings that play ping pong in our guts, and the melodic solo. Here is the conclusive proof that sometimes the genius is in the simplicity and the virtuosity comes from minimalism. The violin that accompanies the song and gives it an Irish scent is played by Steve Wickham who will later be part of "the Waterboys". Wickham met The Edge by chance at a bus stop and asked him if "U2" were interested in enriching their sound with violin for their next album. The Edge got excited and finally, Wickham contributed his playing electric violin on two songs from the album. In 2005 The Edge would admit that without "the Clash" this song would not have sounded the way it did. The bass drum beat puts us at the right pace for " Seconds ", another protest song against nuclear armament. The Edge is the lead singer in this song, and this is his first time doing so. At about 2:00 there is a break, during which an excerpt from the 1981 film "Soldier Girls" is played. It is a documentary describing girls' training for the US Army. " New Year's Day " was written by Bono during his honeymoon with his wife in Jamaica. The song was originally planned as a love song, but later it was influenced by the general theme of the album and became a protest song, about the Polish Solidarity movement led by Lech Walesa. This song was the band's first to chart in America and its first to enter the top ten. It's also on tRolling Stone" magazine's 500 greatest songs list. A beautiful and chilling song that has not lost its charm to this day. The piano in the song is played by The Edge which also provides beautiful background vocals. This is one of the band's most played songs live, with The Edge constantly switching between guitar and piano. Clayton's dominant and mesmerizing bass part was written by chance, when he tried to figure out how to play the bass of the "Visage" song "Fade to Gray". " Like a Song… " is meant to sound rough and "biting", to convey the message that the band's roots are still in Punk music. The track that ends the first side of the vinyl - " Drowning Man " is based on a play that Bono tried to write at the time. It includes a sentence from the book of "Isaiah" 40:31, with the words: "They will run on wings like eagles They will run and not grow weary". This is the second song in which Wickham plays the violin and the quiet atmosphere in it is influenced by the English band "The Comsat Angels". The song that opens the second side of the album " The Refugee " is the only one on the album that was produced by Irish composer and producer Bill Whelan. The song is meant to show the resemblance between Irish and African immigrants in America. It is one of the band's weakest and least-known songs and to the best of our knowledge, it has never been played live. " Two Hearts Beat as One " is led by Clayton's fantastic bass playing. It is a classic love song and is the second single released from the album. Bono also wrote this song during his honeymoon with his new wife Alison Stewart in Jamaica. You guessed it right. " Red Light " is influenced by the Red Light Street in Amsterdam, which the band visited during one of their shows in Amsterdam. What they saw on this street created a dissonance and a great contrast to the Catholic conservatism from which they came from. This song features members of the band "Kid Creole and the Coconuts", who visited Dublin while recording the album - trumpet player Kenny Fradley and three background singers. Rumor has it that during the recording of the song, the red light was turned on in the studio and one of the featured girls took off her shirt and was left with only a bra. "Coconut" band members were also featured on two more songs from the album " Like a Song… " and " Surrender ". The final song " 40 " was the last recorded for the album, during the last hours of the recording session. Tired Clayton had already left the studio leaving the three band members, who thought they needed a good song to close the album with. Bono opened the Bible and began reading from Psalm 40. The Edge and Mulan joined in the playing, thus creating this wonderful and moving song. The Edge plays both bass and guitar here. During live shows, The Edge plays bass and Clayton on guitar. For a long time, the band used to end their performances with this song, with the band members slowly leaving the instruments and descending from the stage, leaving the audience to sing: "How long, to sing this song ....." Upon its release, the album received mixed reviews, but its impact on the alternative sound of the 1980s was tremendous. "War" was a huge commercial success and became U2's first album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, kicking off "Michael Jackson's" "Thriller" from the top. The album is ranked 223rd on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. For listening: Spotify , Apple Music . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On February 29, 2000, Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes released the double album “Live at the Greek". The album documenting the explosive 1999 collaboration between Jimmy Page  and “The Black Crowes”, performing material from the "Led Zeppelin" and "The Black Crowes" catalogues, at the "Greek Theatre" in Los Angeles, on 18/19 October 1999. By the end of the 90s, Jimmy Page had nothing left to prove. As the creative force behind “Led Zeppelin”, he had already written the blueprint for heavy blues based rock. Meanwhile, “The Black Crowes” had established themselves as one of the most authentic torchbearers of classic rock spirit in the modern era, with albums like “Shake Your Money Maker” and “ The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion ” cementing their reputation. Recorded during two nights at the "Greek Theatre" in Los Angeles and later at Jones Beach, the album captures a band that sounds alive, dangerous and fully committed. The opening punch of “Celebration Day”  immediately sets the tone. This is not a polished recreation, it is raw and muscular. “Custard Pie”  swings with swagger, while “Sick Again”  feels heavier than its original studio incarnation. Chris Robinson wisely avoids imitation. Instead of chasing Robert Plant ’s phrasing, he injects his own southern grit into the material. On “In My Time of Dying” , the performance becomes a slow burning blues ritual, stretching past the ten minute mark with tension and weight. Page responds with playing that is thick, expressive and at times gloriously imperfect. His bends stretch and cry, especially during the extended improvisational sections that give the song its dramatic backbone. Beyond the "Zeppelin" catalog, the blues roots are fully exposed. “Woke Up This Morning”  and “Sloppy Drunk”  are not filler additions. They are reminders of the soil from which all this music grew. The chemistry between Page and Rich Robinson feels natural, almost effortless, as riffs pass back and forth without ego. The original 2000 release notably excluded “The Black Crowes” songs due to contractual restrictions. The 2020 expanded edition finally restored those performances, presenting a fuller and more honest picture of the collaboration. It revealed how seamlessly the "Crowes’" own material stood alongside the "Zeppelin" classics. Songs like “Remedy” , “Hard to Handle” , “Wiser Time”, " No Speak No Slave " and “She Talks to Angels”  demonstrate that this was not Page with a backing band, but a genuine musical partnership. What ultimately makes “Live at the Greek” remain relevant even today is the way it captures a rare fusion between two generations on stage. It was a meeting between one of the founding architects of hard rock and a band that grew up on those very same roots, absorbed them, and then reshaped them in their own distinctive way. The classic, timeless songs are not presented here in an imitative manner. They feel renewed. Charged. Alive and more relevant than ever. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website