On January 12, 1987 "Deep Purple" released their twelfth studio album " The House of Blue Light ". Following the success of their 1984 reunion album " Perfect Strangers ", "Deep Purple's" classic Mk II lineup— Ritchie Blackmore  (guitar), Ian Gillan  (vocals), Jon Lord  (keyboards), Roger Glover  (bass), and Ian Paice  (drums)—returned in 1987 with "The House of Blue Light". While " Perfect Strangers " was hailed as a triumphant comeback, "The House of Blue Light" aimed to modernize their sound for the late '80s. The result was a polarizing album that showed the band experimenting with new production techniques, but one that still retained their signature style. "Deep Purple" entered the studio in mid-1986 with high expectations after the commercial success of " Perfect Strangers ". However, the sessions were tense, with creative differences between Blackmore and Gillan resurfacing. Ian Gillan even compared it to the recording of " Who Do We Think We  Are ". Ritchie Blackmore  has said "I think I played like shit on it" and that much of the album was re-recorded. Compared to " Perfect Strangers ", "The House of Blue Light" is more polished and leans toward a slick, radio-friendly production. The album features a blend of hard rock, blues, and synth-driven rock, with Lord's keyboards playing a more prominent role. The album opener " Bad Attitude " is a driving rocker with a memorable riff and a strong vocal performance by Gillan. Lord’s keyboard work starting with the dramatic intro is superb, adding a unique flair to the track. The second track " The Unwritten Law " stands out for its unusual rhythm and dark atmosphere. The african kind drumbeat and haunting keyboard layers give it a distinct, experimental feel, showcasing the band's willingness to evolve. " Call of the Wild " is one of the more accessible tracks, it features a catchy chorus and a lighter, melodic approach. It’s one of the album's more radio-friendly songs, so no wonder it was picked as the album lead single. The forth song - " Mad Dog " is a fast-paced, energetic rocker with Blackmore's fiery guitar solos taking center stage. This track recalls the band's classic hard rock sound of their more aggressive material. " Black & White " follows with a mid-tempo and a great groove that showcases Gillan's bluesy vocals and harmonica playing . " Hard Lovin’ Woman " is a straight-ahead rocker that feels like a nod to the band’s " Machine Head " era. It’s a solid track but doesn't stand out as much as others on the album. " The Spanish Archer " is definitely one of the album’s hidden gems. This song features a more intricate arrangement and a passionate vocal performance by Gillan. Blackmore’s guitar work here is particularly expressive. The slower, atmospheric track " Strangeways " is the only "Deep Purple" song we know that starts with an A-Capella. The song beat and vibe reminded us of "Hungry Daze" from " Perfect Strangers ". The bluesy, tongue-in-cheek song " Mitzi Dupree " inspired by a real-life encounter Gillan had with a woman named Mitzi Dupree. The lyrics are playful, and the song has a laid-back feel. The closing track " Dead or Alive " is one of the heaviest on the album, with a driving rhythm and aggressive vocals, with a vibe and a guitar riff reminiscent of Ritchie Blackmore 's in "Rainbow". It ’s a powerful way to end the album, leaving a lasting impression. Upon its release, "The House of Blue Light" received mixed reviews. Critics praised the musicianship and the band’s willingness to experiment but criticized the slick production and lack of memorable hooks compared to previous album. The album also marked the beginning of renewed tensions between Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Gillan, The tensions escalated after the album release and the subsequent tour. By 1989, these conflicts led to Gillan’s departure from the band. For their next album, "Slaves and Masters" (1990), "Deep Purple" recruited former "Rainbow" vocalist Joe Lynn Turner , creating a more melodic, AOR-oriented sound that divided fans and critics alike, leading to Gillan's return in 1992 for the " The Battle Rages On... " album. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He's the main "rager" from the Fury Quartet, his lyrics are like machetes, and his rhymes are like grenades. He is a social and political activist who screams his views as loudly as possible, his name is Zack De La Rocha !!! (Photo: KEVIN NIXON/CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE) 1. He was born on January 12, 1970, in California to a family with Mexican roots. Not just roots, a fighter's roots !! 2. His father was part of the Los Four movement in the 1970s. A group of Mexican artists who brought the Chicano culture (Mexican identity in the US) to the mainstream of American culture through the art of music, painting, sculpture, and more. 3. Zack's grandfather was a Mexican revolutionary who participated in the Mexican Revolution in the early 19th century. Later in life, Zack identified with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation following his grandfather. 4. When he was 6 his parents divorced and he moved with his mother to Irvine in east Los Angeles, where he absorbed the racism in full "glory." 5. Zack's first band was Juvenile Expression where he played guitar with his friend from school Tim Commerford . 6. In 1987 he was a guitarist in a punk rock band called Hard Stance who released two EPs. One in 1988 "Face Reality" and the second in 1989 "Hard Stance". 7. After the release of the second EP the singer left the band and Zack took the vocal role. They added guitarist Vic DiCara and changed their name to Inside Out. 8. In 1990 they released their only album No Spiritual Surrender. After the release of the album Zack pushed the band towards hip-hop with more political and protest lyrics but Vic wanted to go in a completely different direction, a year later the band disbanded. 9. One of the songs that the band performed at gigs but did not enter the album, is called "Rage Against The Machine". 10. After the band disbanded, Zack went more into hip-hop and started performing in clubs as part of rap battles. He caught the attention of a guitarist named Tom Morello who offered him to form a band. 11. Morello brought in drummer Brad Wilk who was previously auditioned for his previous band Lock Up and Zack brought in bassist Tim who was with him in the band Juvenile Expression and thus Rage Against The Machine was created. (Photo: Gie Knaeps) 12. The band we know as the "Rage Quartet", recorded 12 songs on a tape bearing the band's name, and tried to get a contract with a big record company. By the way, not all the songs from the tape will be part of the band's debut album. 13. After the tape "traveled" through several offices and the band has performed many shows at various clubs in Los Angeles for a year, the quartet signed a record deal with Epic Records which was the only one that agreed to all of the band's terms. 14. In 1992, the Fury Quartet released their debut album bearing the band's name . The album was widely played on radio stations when the first single from the album "Killing in the Name" broke the waves of the radio. The album reached number one on the Billboard charts and number 45 on the Billboard 200. Just as the cover of the album captured a shocking moment, so the quartet rocked the world of music and shocked the world. 15. It is one of the few bands in history that has brought protest aggressively and blatantly and has gained commercial success and exposure in the popular media. 16. Despite many rumors about the breakup of the Fury Quartet, the quartet released their second album "Evil Empire" in April 1996. The album was a huge success and reached number one on the Billboard 200. 17. On April 13, 1996, the band appeared with the song "Bulls on Parade", the album's second single on the SNL show, and caused a great provocation with the US flags hanging upside down. The incident got the name "Flags Incident." 18. In 1999, the Fury Quartet released their third album, "The Battle of Los Angeles" . Here too the album took first place in the Billboard 200, but in addition, it also gives the band a Grammy nomination in the Best Rock Album category. The album also entered the Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums of all time, at 426th place. 19. In 2000, the band shot the famous music video for the song "Sleep Now in the Fire" which was filmed on the sidewalk at the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange. The music video was directed by famed director Michael Moore who gave them the only instruction: "no matter what happens do not stop playing". The quartet and Moore were arrested during the filming of the music video after they also tried to break into the stock exchange, they managed to stop the stock exchange from operating for several hours, a rare event! 20. Zack's goal was to channel all his anger, frustration, and social & political protest into music. He believed that with the help of music, he would succeed in making a change, and that its influence would bring a change in the fans and listeners. But that was not the case. Despite the band's insane success and the popularity of its aggressive, protesting and even deadly songs, no change took place. Zack felt he was failing to influence the fans or that he was influencing but no change was taking place and that was what ultimately caused him to "give up". 21. In 2000 Zack announces that he is leaving the band in light of disagreements. He argued that the form of decision-making in the band failed and did not allow its continued existence. 22. In the same year and after the declaration of dissolution, their cover album "Renegades" was released. On the album, they pay tribute to: Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, MC5, The Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, and Devo. 23. The rest of the Fury Quartet without Zack, continued its journey as Audioslave who was joined by Chris Cornell . 24. Zack who was broken hearted, immediately started working on new materials. He initially worked on a solo album with several artists such as DJ Shadow, El-P, Muggs, Dan The Automator, Roni Size, and DJ Premier, but he archived the materials that were not formed into an album 25. Then he met Trent Reznor from NIN and together they worked on about 20 songs that were also not published. He claimed not that they were not good enough but he did not feel it was him, something was missing from him in the songs. You can find a song from this project in the soundtrack "Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11". 26. In 2007 the Fury Quartet (which included Zack) returned for a "one-off" performance at the Coachella Music Festival. Luckily the show was not a one-off and the band has continued their performances at major festivals over the years to this day !! We are still praying and waiting for them to arrive in Israel because not all of us have experienced the historic and crazy show that took place at the Cinerama in the 90s. 27. In 2008, Zack formed the supergroup One Day as a Lion together with drummer Jon Theodore of Queens Of The Stone Age. That same year they release their only EP, which bears the band's name but they disbanded three years later. (Photo: One Day As A Lion) 28. In 2016 he released his first single "Digging for Windows" which was supposed to be the first single from his debut album but even that did not materialize. 29. On July 9, 2022, Rage Against the Machine played their first concert in 11 years at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. The show was supposed to be followed by a worldwide tour but it was canceled due to a leg injury de la Rocha sustained during a performance. 30. On January the band published a statement on social media, that they are done touring and playing live shows. 31. Zack is a definite political and social activist. He regularly attends conferences, demonstrations, and events in which he expresses support for his people and goes out against governments and political parties. He also voiced his opinion against the Israeli government in the famous performance in England for winning the Christmas song. Listen to his supergroup album with John One Day as a Lion on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 12, 1969, Led Zeppelin's debut album, one of the greatest and most influential albums in rock history, was released. This is the story of it's birth: So our story begins on March 25, 1965, the day Eric Clapton decides to leave "The Yardbirds". The departure is attributed to the band's breakthrough hit "For Your Love" and the fact that Clapton, a bluesist at heart and soul, disliked the commercial line he claimed "The Yardbirds" had adopted. Clapton joined "John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers", not long before recommending a talented young studio player named Jimmy Page as his replacement. The young Page who feared to be in the middle of intrigue and politics that cause Clapton's departure, recommended Jeff Beck as a replacement and indeed Beck made his live debut with "The Yardbirds" just two days after Eric Clapton 's departure. Although Jimmy Page politely declined to join the band, he maintained contact with Jeff Beck and the other members of the "Yardbirds". In May 1966 Jeff Beck entered the studio and recorded the instrumental piece "Beck's Bolero", which would 10 months later become Beck's first "hit" as part of his solo career. Jimmy Page , Keith Moon and John Paul Jones were present in the studio during the recordings. This recording introduces Page to the idea of ​​forming a supergroup that will include himself, Jeff Beck , Keith Moon , John Entwistle and Steve Winwood. When John Entwistle heard the idea he immediately said that this "supergroup" would fall just like a lead balloon and Keith Moon sharpened the sentence noting that they will fall like "Lead Zeppelin". Although all the musicians continued with their original bands, Keith Moon 's words were burned in Jimmy Page 's memory and they would pop up at the right time and in the right place, two years later. About a month after the recording of "Beck's Bolero", "The Yardbirds' bassist Paul Samwell-Smith abandons the show, during a performance at "Queen's College" in Oxford, while intoxicated. Jimmy Page who happens to be in the audience stepped up to the stage and replaces him playing bass guitar. After the show everyone agrees that Page will continue to play bass for the band, until guitarist Chris Dreja learns the bass roles and moves on to playing the instrument. Jimmy Page later became the band's second guitarist alongside Jeff Beck , who officially left the band in November 1966, to continue his solo career. The band continued as a quartet with Jimmy Page as the sole guitarist until July 1968, when the band made their final appearance. Drummer Jim McCarty and vocalist Keith Relf left the band due to musical disagreements, not before granting the band's name and all rights to Jimmy Page and bassist Chris Dreja. The two saw this as an opportunity to form a new and fresh lineup and they began looking for new band members. Jimmy Page first approached Terry Reid to fill the role of lead singer, but due to a recording contract he could not accept the role, but recommended a young and unknown singer at the time, named Robert Plant . Plant accepted the role and recommended his childhood friend drummer John Bonham . After Dreja left the band for a career in photography, Jimmy Page complied with John Paul Jones ' request to accept him as the band's bass player. As you may recall, John Paul Jones has played with Jimmy Page in the past, including the same famous recording session "Beck's Bolero". Thus the new lineup was completed. (Photo: Led Zeppelin Official Website) On September 7, 1968, the band made their debut in Denmark under the name "The New Yardbirds" and continued their tour in Scandinavia and later in England. At the same time, the band entered the studio to record their first album, which is the subject of our review. During the tour, the band was notified of the legal breakup of "The Yardbirds". The announcement included a ban on using the band name. Having no choice, "The New Yardbirds" members had to think of an alternative name for the band. Page recalled the sarcastic remark of Keith Moon and John Entwistle and suggested the name "Lead Zeppelin". At the suggestion of the band's director Peter Grant, the word "Lead" was replaced with "Led", thus finally determining the band's name Since the band did not have a recording contract at the time, this album was funded entirely out of Jimmy Page 's pocket. For less than 36 hours of recording and at a cost of less than 2,000 pounds, the Fantastic Four, who were just beginning to crystallize musically, managed to create a masterpiece that includes a combination of original songs alongside arrangements of songs they "borrowed" from others. A fine mix of Rock, Folk and Blues that will ignite the fire of a new musical genre - "Hard Rock". The album opens up in an explosion with " Good Times Bad Times ". A double chord strum that later aligns perfectly with the high-hat cymbals and the cowbell of John Bonham . John Paul Jones is the one who wrote this immortal riff and Jimmy Page came with the chorus. This is our first acquaintance with the crazy and groundbreaking drumming style of John Bonham , the anchor of the rhythm division on which the band is founded on. John Bonham come up with an amazing drumming technic, playing on one bass drum, but actually it sounds like he plays on two. He does this in a technique that many drummers will try to emulate later - "Triplet". He was a fan of the "Vanilla Fudge" drummer Carmine Appice and tried to emulate him with one bass drum. But what Bonham did not know, was that Carmine was using double Bass drum to produce the sound. Jimmy Page guitar connected through Leslie Speaker, which has been used mostly by organists. This is what gave the guitar a special sound and effect. Jimmy Page's production sought to give the band a live sound, as if they are playing on stage. To achieve this result Page scattered microphones around the studio and recorded the resonant live sound from the studio walls. The second piece " Babe I'm Gonna Leave You " is actually the one that created the initial connection between Page and Plant. This connection was created around Joan Baez 's version of this song, from 1962. Although the song was written by folk singer Anne Bredon in the 1950s, Baez's version was the focus of the first meeting between Plant and Page in July 1968 - both were Joan Baez 's fans. When Jimmy Page heard Baez's interpretation of the song, he immediately fell in love with it and began to develop his version, long before "Led Zeppelin" was formed, back in the days when he was a young session player. Page played the song for Plant on their very first meeting. The two put the Hard Rock part between the verses and this what gave the song the right twist and the special addition. It should be noted that the first editions of the album did not give any credit to Ann Brandon. The credits mentioned that it was a folk melody with an arrangement by Page. However, after Anne Brandon found out, this was corrected in the later releases of the album. The third song " You Shook Me " is a blues song recorded by Willie Dixon and J.B. Lenoir and performed by Muddy Waters, that Dixon was his bass player. The song was included on Jeff Beck 's 1964 "Truth" album and Beck noted his dissatisfaction of the fact that the "Zeppelin" had copied his adaptations. This song uses the "backwards echo" effect, when the echo is heard first and then the note is played. This effect was achieved in a special and innovative recording technique, in which the echo of the guitar was played backward and then the sound of the guitar note. The song features Hammond organ solos and an electric piano, both played by John Paul Jones , and a harmonica played by Robert Plant . The track that seals the first side of the vinyl, " Dazed and Confused ," is a song by Jake Holmes - an American folk singer who Page heard perform the song in an acoustic version on a live show at the Village Theater in New York, while Page performed there with "The Yardbirds". "The Yardbirds" yhemsleves used to perform the song in their live shows, but they never recorded it. Holmes did not get credit for Zeppelin's adaptation because Page thought his version was significantly different from the original. Holmes sued Page and Zeppelin only in 2010 and in a compromise reached on January 17, 2012, Holmes received credit when his name was mentioned on the album as follows: Jimmy Page, Inspired By Jake Holmes. Page's solo in this song is taken from Page's solo with "The Yardbirds" in the song "Think About It". Page makes his first use of a violin bow here. A technique that he will later use in other songs by the band, like: "In The Light" and "How Many More Times". The other side of the album opens up with " Your Time Is Gonna Come ", written by Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones about a wayward girl who will pay for her betrayals. Page plays steel guitar here. He noted that this was his first time and that in his opinion the instrument was not tuned. Jones plays on an organ that sometimes sound like a church organ. He also uses a pedal to produce the bass sounds. All four members sing during the chorus. The instrumental track " Black Mountain Side " is based on the folk "Blackwater Side" by Anne Briggsm, which was performed by the British folk singer Bert Jansch. This track is sometimes combined with "White Summer", as a quiet transition section in Zeppelin's live shows. Page also used to perform the piece in live with his band "The Firm". This is the only song on the album featuring an outside player - Viram Jasani who plays in the tabla. The third track on the other side " Communication Breakdown " is a one written by all four members, but due to the fact that Robert Plant was on a contract with another record company at the time, he could not get credit for his contribution on the album cover. The riff of the song was influenced by the song "Nervous Breakdown" by Eddie Cochran. Page used an effect he called "guitar in a shoebox". A small microphone through which the sound of Page's guitar was transmitted while playing in small cubicle. It's also one of the only songs in which Page sings background vocals. " I Can't Quit You Baby " is another Dixon song written for Otis Rush in 1956. A version of this song will also appear on the compilation album "Coda". This is a version of a live show, recorded on January 9, 1970 at the Royal Albert Hall. Some of the guitar parts here sound like the band's song "Heartbreaker". Page admitted that the recording captured some mistakes he made while playing, but he decided to leave them e and not correct them. The album is sealed with " How Many More Times ". Supposedly an original song, however the lyrics were influenced by Albert King's song "The Hunter" and the music is influenced by Howlin' Wolf's song "How Many More Years". Also in this case Robert Plant did not get credit for his contribution, because of the previous recording contract he was signed on. The song appears on the album as a 3:30 minute long, but in practice it lasts 8:28 minutes. It was a marketing ploy by Page, designed to promote the song's so it can be played on the radio. The words "I got another child on the way, that makes eleven" by Robert Plant , refer to his daughter Carmen Jane Plant, who will be born only two months later. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 11, 1971, "Pearl", Janis Joplin 's last album, was released. It's a bitter-sweet story, about Janis Joplin 's most successful album, which reached number one on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for 9 weeks. An album that won rave reviews and reached 122nd place on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of 500 greatest albums of all time. An album that produced the only Joplin 's single that became a hit and topped the charts. But it all happened too little, too late, since Janis Joplin died on October 4, 1970, three months before the album's release, and therefore did not enjoy the fruits of her hard work nor didn't witness the great success and immense love the audience felt for her. We want to start this story precisely at a turning point in Joplin's career. In June 1967, Janis performed at the Monterey Pop Music Festival , where she gave an unforgettable live show, performing "Ball and chain" twice, at the enthusiastic request of the audience. A masterful and phenomenal performance that even left singer Mama Cass who sat in the audience, overwhelmed. This amazing show brought Joplin great publicity and huge success, so from there on her career was supposed to soar straight to the top. Indeed, in 1968 Janis Joplin released the masterful album "Cheap Thrills" with "Big Brother and the Holding Company". The album included Joplin 's tremendous songs such as: "Summertime", "Ball and Chain" and of course the unforgettable "Piece of My Heart". But then something unclear happens. Janis decides to leave the "Big Brother and the Holding Company" and embark on a solo career. This decision will eventually turn out to be very fateful. Upon Joplin's departure, she took guitarist and songwriter Sam Andrew with her and the two formed a new band called "Kozmic Blues Band". Joplin and "Kozmic Blues Band" performed at the Woodstock Festival, in August 1969, But something did not work this time and the new band had a hard time recreating the "electricity" that was On air just two years earlier at the Monterey Festival. Joplin was so disappointed with her performance that she asked not to be included in the post-festival documentary. Also her first solo album, "I Got Dem Ol 'Kozmic Blues Again Mama!", which was a big promise and came out about a month later in September 1969, received very cold reviews. This led Joplin's already fragile soul, straight into the arms of drugs and alcohol, which were not foreign to her. In an attempt to solve her alcohol and heroin addiction Joplin flew to Brazil in February 1970, where she meets and falls in love with the American tourist David (George) Niehaus. For a moment things started to look good for her and she even manages to push the addictive substances out of her life. The two return to California but then Joplin returned to heroin and David decides to leave her, not before he tries to stop her from taking drugs. Of course, this move will only lead Joplin faster to the bitter end ... Shortly after the departure of David Niehaus, Joplin's destructive instinct would lead her to disband the "Kozmic Blues Band" as well. This was also involved the dismissal of her loyal guitarist Sam Andrew, who has accompanied her since the days of "Big Brother". Joplin will form a new band called "Full Tilt Boogie Band", made up of young Canadian musicians, who will accompany her on a tour in the summer of 1970. In September 1970, the band will enter to record Joplin's second solo album, and what will also turn out to be their latest album. As a producer, Joplin chose Paul A. Rothchild who produced "The Doors" albums, among others. Rothschild's production work will lead to a more refined and polished sound than Joplin's previous albums with "Big Brother and the Holding Company" and the "Kozmic Blues Band". Joplin and the band will be able to record 9 full songs, which along with Rothschild's professional production work, will highlight Joplin's vocal abilities. The last recording session was held on Thursday, October 1, 1970, during which Joplin recorded the a-cappella track "Mercedes Benz", the last song she recorded before her death. Joplin was scheduled to return to the studio on October 5 to end the recordings, but on the day of the recording of the latest song, "Buried Alive in the Blues," she did not appear in the studio. Her manager felt something was wrong and drove to the hotel room where she was staying, where a horrible spectacle unfolded before his eyes. Joplin was laying beside her bed with a syringe stuck in her hand and her nose broken, apparently from a fall. It turned out that the last song she was supposed to record - "Buried Alive in the Blues" remained as an instrumental piece, as silent and chilling testimony to the tragedy that took place. Heartbreakingly, the last love letter David Niehaus sent to Joplin, arrived at the hotel where she was staying a day after her death and it read: "Love You Mama, More Than You Know." The album released after Joplin's death was named "Pearl" - one of the nicknames given to her by her close friends. Joplin did not know that the album would become her best-selling and most successful one and that the song "Me and Bobby Mcgee" written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, in which Joplin also plays guitar, would become most identified with her. The song that was released after her death conquered the top of the US Billboard charts and became the second song in history to reach number one, after the death of its performer (the first was "Sittin 'On The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding). For Listening : Spotify , Apple M usic "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we want to tell you about musician and singer Rod Stewart (and there is also a special playlist we prepared for you at the end): (Photo: Discogs) 1. He was born in London on January 10, 1945, as Roderick David "Rod" Stewart. 2. His father was Scottish and his mother was English and they had five children, Stewart was the youngest among them. 3. Stewart was born in the house where his parents lived during World War II. 4. His first acquaintance with rock music was with the song "The Girl Can't Help It" by Little Richard, from 1956. 5. His father bought him his first guitar in 1959. The first song he learned to play was "It Takes a Worried Man to Sing a Worried Song." 6. In 1960 he joined the Skipple band at the school named "Kool Kats". (Photo: The Times) 7. He dropped out of school at the age of 15 and has since exchanged several jobs including working as an undertaker. 8. At the time all he wanted was to be a professional football player. It went on with him as a die-hard Celtic fan. 9. In 1962 he joined folk singer Wiz Jones, with whom he embarked on a tour in Europe. 10. In 1963 Stewart was part of the band that was one of the first incarnations of "the Kinks". 11. Later that year Stewart joined a rhythm and blues band called "Dimensions" as a singer and harmonica player. 12. In 1964 "the Dimensions" will become the backing band of singer Jimmy Powell and together with him the band will record one single. 13. That same year he recorded his first single as a solo artist - "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" which was originally recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson. The brother of the session players in the song recording was John Paul Jones . 14. Starting in 1964 Stewart will replace various bands, including the Baldry and Hoochie Coochie Men "Steampacket", "the Shotgun Express" and "The Soul Agents". "The Shotgun Express" line-up also included Mick Fleetwood and Peter Green who would later form "Fleetwood Mac". 15. In February 1967 Stewart joined his first significant band "The Jeff Beck Group", along with the legendary Jeff Beck where he also played for the first time with Ronnie Wood. Along with this band, Stewart would release the album "Truth" in February 1968 and later the album "Beck-Ola" but the band disbanded immediately afterward. 16. In April 1969, Stewart recorded with the Australian band "Python Lee Jackson" the immortal song "In a Broken Dream". The Australian band came to England to record an album, keyboardist Dave Bentley who wrote the song also tried to sing it but the result was not to the satisfaction of the band members and Stewart was called in to complete the task. 17. In May 1969, Steve Marriott, lead singer and guitarist of "The Small Faces", left the band. Ronny Wood and Rod Stewart took his place alongside Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones and the band changed its name to "Faces". 18. At the same time, in November 1969, Stewart released his first solo album, "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down." His backing band on the album includes Ronny Wood and Keith Emerson, among others. 19. On March 19, 1970, Stewart and "Faces" release their first album "First Step". 20. A few months later in June 1970 Stewart released his second album "Gasoline Alley". 21. Stewart continues to lead a "double life" and until 1973 simultaneously releases 2 more albums with the "Faces" and 3 more albums as part of his solo career. Stewart co-wrote the songs on all the albums. 22. Starting in 1974, Stewart will focus on his solo career and released another 25 studio albums, which will put the total studio albums he released as part of his solo career, at 30 albums !!!! 23. In 1983 he recorded a demo called "Another Piece Of My Heart" with "Queen". The song was supposed to be included on Queen's album " The Works " , but did not end up there. After the death of Freddie Mercury , members of "Queen" returned to handle the song. They removed Stewart's vocals, but Freddie's singing was not enough to fill the whole song, so Brian May and Roger Taylor added more vocals, the song was renamed "Let Me Live" and was released as part of the "Made in Heaven" album. 24. Stewart's name was associated with a supergroup that was to be called Nose, Teeth & Hair which was to include him, Elton John , and Freddie Mercury. The name of the supergroup was composed of prominent parts of each of the three members. Stewart said the three used to meet and sing together while living nearby in Los Angeles. 25. Stewart will become one of the artists with the largest number of album sales in the world, which is currently estimated at over 100 million albums. 26. Stewart has six consecutive albums that reached number one on the UK charts. 27. In 2000 he underwent surgery to remove a tumor in his throat, after which he could not sing for 6 months. 28. In 2005 his 6th son was born. Stewart was then 60 years old. 29. In 2007 Stewart was awarded the title of "Officer of the Order of the British Empire", for his contribution to music. 30. In 2008 Billboard Magazine ranked him 17th on the list of the 100 most successful artists of all time. 31. He was ranked 33rd among the 100 greatest singers of all time by "Q Magazine" and 59th in the same list compiled by Rolling Stone magazine (this list also includes singers). 32. Stewart entered the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" twice, the first time in 1994 as a solo artist, and the second time in 2006 as a member of the band Faces. 33. He wrote his famous poem "Maggie May" about his first sexual experience with someone older than him. 34. He wrote one of the first songs to support the gay community - "The Killing of Georgie". 35. He holds the Guinness record for the biggest free show ever held. It happened on New Year's Eve 31.12.1994 at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Estimates speak of 4.2 million people, but some have apparently come to watch the fireworks. 36. During his illustrious career, Stewart has collaborated with many diverse artists, including: Cher, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Brian Adams, and more. A nd now for the playlist!! "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Today we want to tell you about the virtuoso and talented guitarist Michael Schenker. (Photo: Wikipedia) He was born on January 10, 1955, in the town of "Sarstedt", western Germany. Michael is the younger brother of "Scorpions" guitarist Rudolf Schenker . Rudolph was the one who got Michael into music and influenced him to play the guitar. This happened at a very young age and rumor has it that Michael first held the guitar at the age of 4. Michael admired Rudolph, learned a lot from him, and saw him as a role model. He even bought a "Gibson Flying V" guitar similar to his brother, a guitar that would become his trademark. It was so identified with him that "Deane Guitars" created a special V-shaped model for him. Rudolph and Michael grew up on bands like "Deep Purple", "Led Zeppelin", and "Wishbone Ash". The guitarists who most influenced Michael were Jimmy Page , Jeff Beck , and Eric Clapton . Michael started out with a small band together with his friend Klaus Meine. They both joined Rudolf's band, the "Scorpions". Michael played his first gig with the band when he was only 11 years old. In 1972 they released their debut album " Lonesome Crow ". Michael was then only 16. The Scorpions were initially the warm-up band of the British band "UFO". Phil Mogg - "UFO" lead singer was very impressed with the young and virtuoso musicians and offered him to join the band. Michael agreed and left the "Scorpions" in 1973. With Michael's entry into "UFO," he began to change its sound. "UFO" was a heavy rock band with the influences of Space Rock and even Boogie and Michael changed its style from end to end combining innovative, rhythmic, virtuoso, and heavy music. Thanks to Michael, "UFO" got better from album to album and reached a peak in the form of the masterful live album " Strangers in the Night ". During his career with "UFO" Michael was part of great albums such as "Lights Out" and "Obsession" and co-wrote stadium anthems such as "Doctor Doctor", "Rock Bottom" and "Lights "Out". However, unfortunately, Schenker was addicted to alcohol at the time and did not get along with lead singer Phil Mogg . Following a conflict in which each blamed the other, Michael Schenker left the band on October 29, 1978, after the band performance in California. After "UFO" Michael briefly returned to "Scorpions" and played on the album " Lovedrive " from 1979. But even then problems began to emerge when Michael started being late to rehearsals and recordings and not showing up to the band performances. In the end, the band had enough of Michael's contempt and recruited Matthias Jabs as his permanent replacement. Later Michael will point out that he simply did not enjoy performing other people's songs, so it led him to behave as he did and eventually lead to his dismissal from the band. After his second and brief affair with "Scorpions", Michael began receiving interesting job offers from well-known artists of the time, including "Aerosmith" after guitarist Joe Perry left and even an audition for the "Rolling Stones". Later he also got an offer from Ozzy Osbourne , however, it didn't materialize, with Ozzy justifying the matter, saying that Michael was simply making unreasonable demands. Eventually, Michael decided to start his own solo project, with a lineup he would put together. At that time Michael was very popular and this gave him the confidence to go with the solo project idea forward. Thus, in 1979, the German / American / English "Michael Schenker Group" (MSG) was formed. The band's initial lineup included keyboardist Don Airey, drummer Simon Phillips, bassist Mo Foster, and singer Gary Barden. The band released their first album as early as 1980, when the one who was chosen to produce the album was none other than Roger Glover - bassist of "Deep Purple". Since then, Michael has released under various lineups another 18 studio albums, and countless live albums, collections, and cover albums. Various variations of the lineups include "McAuley Schenker Group", "Schenker's Temple of Rock" and "Michael Schenker Fest" - Schenker's "Dream Team" lineup, with which he released his excellent album "Revelation" in 2019. In parallel with his extensive solo career, Michael managed to return briefly to "UFO". This happened in 1995 for the excellent reunion album "Walk On Water", which included the band's classical lineup, with the return of keyboardist Paul Raymond and drummer Andy Parker. On January 29, 2021, "MSG" released their 14th album "Immortal. The album will also mark 50 years of Schenker's musical career. The first single from it includes a collaboration with Ralf Scheepers, the singer of the German metal band "Primal Fear". During his years of activity, Michael Schenker had collaborated with many artists. These collaborations include Graham Bonnet, John Sykes , Bernie Marsden, Stephen Stills , and many more. Michael Schenker is a gifted, talented, and intelligent guitarist who has become one of the great influential, and respected guitarists in the metal world. He knew how to take everything he learned from the founding generation of Jimmy Page , Tony Iommi , and Ritchie Blackmore and upgrade it to a unique, innovative, and daring style of music that would sweep away a generation of young musicians, who would follow in his footsteps and want to be like him. Among the guitarists who mentioned that they were influenced by him are Marty Friedman , Dimebag Darrell , Adrian Smith , Slash , Kirk Hammett , Alex Skolnick , Randy Rhoads , Mike McCready , Kerry King John Petrucci , and more. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website (Mid Photo: IMDb)

He is "the man with 1,000 faces", " Ziggy Stardust ", "Aladdin Sane", " The Thin White Duke", "Major Tom" or simply "King David" of music. (Photo: fanart.tv) Here are 75 facts about one of the greatest and most influential musicians of our generation - David Bowie. 1. He was born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947, in Brixton London. 2. He shares the same birthday as Elvis Presley who was born on the exact same date in 1935 and with Robby Krieger from the band "The Doors" who was born a year before. 3. He attended the same school as guitarist Peter Frampton . They remained good friends until the day Bowie died. 4. Peter Frampton 's father was Bowie's art teacher. 5. Bowie's two eyes are blue. The apparent different colors in Bowie's two eyes were caused by a punch in the eye he got from his friend George Underwood during a fight over a girl. The punch caused the pupil in his left eye to remain dilated all the time. (Photo: davidbowie.com) 6. Despite the incident Bowie and George Underwood remained good friends. Underwood will even design David Bowie's " Hunky Dory " and " Ziggy Stardust " album covers. 7. Bowie had another incident related to his eyes when a fan threw a lollipop on stage during Bowie's performance in Oslo in 2004. The candy cane was stuck in Bowie's eye. 8. Bowie began playing the saxophone at the age of 12, under the influence of his half-brother Terry Burns, who exposed him to music and among other things introduced him to jazz. 9. Bowie formed his first band "Konrads" when he was 15. The band played at school parties and weddings. Underwood was part of the band. 10. Bowie later formed another band called "King Bees". 11. His first television appearance was even before he released his first album, when he was 17. He was interviewed for a "BBC" program after founding an association called “Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-haired men”. 12. That same year he had already released his first single "Liza Jane" under the name "Davie Jones with the King Bees". 13. The single failed and Bowie left the band a month later and joined the band "Manish Boys". He then formed another band - "The" Lower Third" and a third band - "The Buzz". All of them were not a success until so he finally decided to start a solo career. 14. To avoid confusion with a member of the band "The Monkees" named Davy Jones, he decided to change his name to David Bowie. 15. The name Bowie was based on a commando knife that has two blades. 16. He released his first solo album named "David Bowie" on June 1, 1967. This album was also unsuccessful. 17. On July 11, 1969 - just five days before the launch of "Apollo 11" to the moon, Bowie released the hit single "Space Oddity". The single accompanied the "BBC" broadcasts covering the landing of "the Eagle" and the first man to walk on the moon, on July 20, 1969. This helped the single success. 18. The song was influenced by Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey", which was released in 1968. It tells the story of the launch of astronaut Major Tom into space. 19. Major Tom will return to star in Bowie's songs - "Ashes to Ashes" from 1980 and "Hallo Spaceboy" from 1995. 20. Major Tom's character will also appear in Bowie's clip of the song "Blackstar", from his latest album. 21. The song "Space Oddity" will be included a few months later in Bowie's second album, which will also be called "David Bowie" and was released in November 1969. The album was reissued in 1972 with the name "Space Oddity". 22. In 1970, Bowie married his first wife, Angie, an American model, actress, and journalist. 23. Angie will have an impact on the development of Glam Rock and among other things, help shape the concept and costumes of " Ziggy Stardust ". 24. That same year Bowie will release his third album "The" Man Who Sold the World", which will include a change in musical style. This was the beginning of the transition from the acoustic sound of the previous two albums, to a heavier and electric sound, led by guitarist Mick Ronson joining Bowie's backing band. 25. The album will deal with issues such as schizophrenia and paranoia. These issues were influenced by Bowie's half-brother - Terry Burns, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia. 26. Terry inspired other songs Bowie wrote during his career such as: "Aladdin Sane", "The Bewlay Brothers", "All The Madmen" and "Jump They Say" - written about Terry's first suicide attempt. 27. Sadly Terry succeeded where he failed for the first time. He was found dead in 1985. 28. In December 1971, Bowie released his fourth album, " Hunky Dory ", which was considered one of his greatest albums and was included in Time Magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of all time. The album includes the hit single "Life on Mars?" featuring Rick Wakeman on piano. Wakeman, who was then a member of the band "Strawbs", had previously played on Bowie's second album. 29. In 1972 Bowie toom on the character of "Ziggy Stardust" and released the masterpiece album " The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars ". 30. This is a concept album whose plot revolves around the character of "Ziggy Stardust" - an androgynous alien and a rock star sent to Earth as a messenger and preacher, to spread a message of hope and try to convince humanity to change its destructive nature. 31. That same year he wrote the hit "All the Young Dudes" for "Mott the Hoople". 32. Back in 1972, Bowie played keyboards, and guitar, provided background vocals, and produced Lou Reed 's legendary album "Transformer". 33. That same year Bowie came out to the media announcing that he was bisexual. 34. In 1973, Bowie produced and Mixed The Stooges' "Raw Power" album. 35. That same year he released his sixth album "Aladdin Sane" and took on one of the most iconic figures of his career. It's hard to mention this album without mentioning the amazing work of pianist Mike Garson, among other things, in tracks like the theme song and "Lady Grinning Soul". (Photo: bbc.com) 36. Back in 1973 Bowie released his seventh album "Pin Ups". A cover version album for the artists he loved. 37. The girl who appears on the album cover is British supermodel Twiggy. The photo was originally intended for Vogue magazine but at Bowie's request, it was used for the album cover. 38. In 1974 he released his eighth album "Diamond Dogs" in which he plays almost all instruments, including the guitar riff of "Rebel Rebel" which actually predicted the arrival of punk. The album was influenced by George Orwell's book "1984". 39. In 1975 Bowie released "Young Americans", which provided him with his first hit in the US - "Fame". The song was co-written with John Lennon who even sang background vocals. 40. The album also included the song "Golden Years" which Bowie initially suggested to Elvis Presley, but Elvis Presley turned down the offer. 41. Ahead of the release of his tenth album "Station to Station" in 1976, Bowie took a new persona - "The Thin White Duke" that is actually a kind of variation on the character of the alien Bowie played in the movie "The Man Who Fell to Earth" from that year. 42. Later that year Bowie moved to Berlin where he recorded the first album of what would later be called "The Berlin Trilogy". in the three albums - " Low ", "Heroes" (1977), and "Lodger" (1979), bowie will collaborate with musician and producer Brian Eno. The albums "Heroes" and "Lodger" will also feature Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew from "King Crimson", respectively. 43. In 1977 Bowie played and produced Iggy Pop 's album The Idiot. Bowie also co-wrote the material for the album, which included the song "China Girl" which would become Bowie's hit in 1983. 44. Bowie will also play and produce Iggy Pop 's next album "Lust for Life", also from 1977. 45. That same year Bowie went on a tour with Iggy Pop and served as his keyboardist and background vocalist. 46. ​​In 1980, Bowie released his 14th album "Scary Monsters and Super Creeps", which includes the theme song, "Ashes to Ashes" and "Fashion". The album will feature Robert Fripp and Pete Townshend , among others. 47. In 1981, Bowie joined "Queen" to write and perform the hit "Under Pressure". 48. In 1983 Bowie became an idol and a world-class superstar with his album " Let's Dance ". The album will also feature super guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan who will play the solo in the theme song and more. 49. In 1985, Bowie took part in the " Live Aid " show and teamed up with singer Mick Jagger in a duet of "Dancing in the Street" - a song written by Marvin Gaye in the 1960s. 50. That same year Bowie collaborated with the "Pat Metheny Group" to record the song "This Is Not America", which was written for the movie "The Falcon and the Snowman". 51. In 1986 Bowie got a role in the movie "Absolute Beginners".e also wrote and performed the theme song. 52. In the same year, he starred in the film "Labyrinth" as Jareth the Goblin King. He wrote and also was part the film soundtrack. 53. In 1989 he formed the supergroup "Tin Machine". They released two albums. 54. In 1993 he returned to his solo career with the album "Black Tie White Noise", which included influences of Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Electronic. 55. That same year he wrote the soundtrack for the movie "The Buddha of Suburbia", in which Lenny Kravitz played the theme song. 56. In 1995 he worked with Brian Eno again, on the album "Outside", which also included a collaboration with the "Pet Shop Boys". During the tour for this album, Bowie will also arrive in Israel. 57. In 1996, Bowie was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". 58. That year Bowie was the first to release a single that was available for download exclusively from the Internet. That was before the streaming era, and before "Radiohead." 59. Since the internet was still very slow at that time, it took about 11 minutes to download the song. Following this, Bowie set up his own internet provider a year later, called "Bowienet". 60. In 1997 he celebrated his 50th birthday in a huge show at Madison Square Garden. The show featured many artists such as Lou Reed , "Foo Fighters", Robert Smith, Billy Corgan, Black Francis, "Sonic Youth". (Photo: Kevin Mazur Archive/WireImage) 61. In 2003 he was offered a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth. He politely declined. 62. Bowie plays the saxophone in the song "To Know Him Is To Love Him" ​​by "Steeleye Span". 63. His name is mentioned in the song "Trans Europe Express" by the band "Kraftwerk". 64. Bowie's name is also mentioned in the song "Backside" by the "Strawbs". 65. Bowie used to paint, sculpt and write in his spare time. 66. There is a spider named after Bowie named "the Heteropoda davidbowie". 67. Slash 's mother was at one time Bowie's clothing designer. Slash surprised them once in the middle ... 68. During his illustrious solo career Bowie has released 27 studio albums, four soundtracks, eight EPs, 11 live albums, and more and more. 69. In addition Bowie has collaborated with many artists beyond those mentioned above, such as: "Placebo" in the song "Without You I'm Nothing", "Arcade Fire" in the song "Reflektor", Trent Reznor, Robert Smith, the band "Kashmir" in the song "The Cynic" and more. 70. It is estimated that Bowie sold about 150 million albums during his career. 71. Bowie's character is on every one of his albums, except for the English version of the soundtrack "The Buddha Of Suburbia", the album "The Next Day" where his face is covered, and his latest album. 72. Bowie also starred in 28 films, including: "Just a Gigolo", "Merry Christmas", "Mr. Lawrence", "The Last Temptation of Christ", "The Prestige" and 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me". He also played Andy Warhol (about whom he also wrote a song in the 1970s) in the movie "Basquiat". 73. In 2004, Bowie was ranked 39th on "Rolling Stone" magazine's 100 greatest artists of all time and 23rd on the list of 100 greatest singers of all time. 74. About a month before his death, a play called "Lazarus" which Bowie co-wrote was performed on stage. The play was influenced by the movie "The Man Who Fell to Earth", in which Bowie played. It was also one of the songs on his latest album. 75. January is "the month of Bowie". His birthday was celebrated on January 8th. On the same day, his latest album "Blackstar" was released in 2016. Two days later, on January 10, 2016, Bowie passed away at the age of 69. In addition, two of his masterpieces - "Station To Station" (1975) and " Low " (1977), were released. Is it true you need to listen to Bowie right now? Do not worry, we arranged a playlist from his entire glorious career. All you need is to follow the link: C lick Here . "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

The album "Victor" by the band "Victor" was released on January 9, 1996. Who is "Victor" you must be asking yourself? Well, "Victor" is a side project of Alex Lifeson guitarist of the Canadian trio - "Rush", who was the first to release solo material outside the band. The story of this album begins in May 1994, when the members of "Rush" finished the tour designed to promote the album " Counterparts " from 1993. Geddy Lee , Alex Lifeson , and Neil Peart agreed on a methodical short break, before starting to work on their next album. However, this break lasted longer than expected, when Geddy Lee asked his friends to take a year off, so he can spend time with his newborn daughter. Alex and Neil agreed of course and devoted their free time to personal projects. Neil Peart began work on the tribute album to legendary jazz drummer Buddy Rich - "Burning for Buddy" and took advantage of the hiatus to specialize in jazz-style playing, taking lessons from renowned drummer Freddie Gruber. Alex Lifeson took the time to work on his solo album, with the band to be called "Victor". It all began with Alex Lifeson writing demos in his private studio, where he was passing his time waiting for the end of the break taken by his two bandmates. Musically, Lifeson allowed himself to go wild and break out of the comfort zone familiar to him from "Rush". Lyrically it was much harder. Alex had to adapt abilities he had not used for over two decades. After Alex finished writing the material and recording the demos, he began recruiting a team of guest and session musicians, to help him turn the demos into an album. "Victor"'s core band included guitarist Bill Bell, bassist Peter Cardinali, drummer Blake Manning, and brass instrument player Colleen Allen. For the vocal parts, Lifeson recruited two vocalists: Dalbello, whose voice can be discerned in Geddy Lee -like howls on the track " Start Today ", and Edwin - the lead singer of "Mother Earth," who contributed his voice to five songs. Bassist Les Claypool we all know from "Primus" also appeared in one song - " The Big Dance ". Alex Lifeson 's son - Adrian Zibinovich, helps with programming and co-wrote two songs, and even Alex's wife Charlene is featured chatting with another woman in the song " Shut Up Shuttin' Up ", which is a sort of tribute to Al Bendy, who himself paid tribute to the "Looney Tunes". The album was recorded in Alex Lifeson 's private studio - "Lerxst Sound", between October 1994 and July 1995. Anyone looking for "Rush" in this album, will not find it. This album combines different styles. A strange mix of modern Hard Rock, Grunge, Alternative, and Avant-Garde with an Electric-programmed blend. The downside of the album is precisely in its excessive diversity. The album lacks a uniform musical direction, and moreover, it also does not maintain a uniform songwriting level throughout. And despite all this, this album manages to innovate and surprise, especially for those who know "Rush" and expected to get more of the same. Surprisingly, it is precisely where Lifeson chooses to come out of his comfort zone and deviate from the traditional structure of the songs, where the strengths of the album are well expressed. Recommended tracks the heavy " Don't Care ", the grunge-like " Promise ", the melodic instrumental tracks " Mr. X " and " Strip and Go Naked ", which include touches of country rock. To listen to the album: Youtube , Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 10, 1979, "Triumph" released its third studio album "Just a Game". It can be said that this is the album in which the band has formulated the sound and style that will characterize it in the future. The album that will define its DNA and the album that will bring them recognition in the Hard Rock community, even outside the borders of Canada. The Canadian trio "Triumph" began as a blues-rock band in 1975. They were a four-member band: Fred Keeler on guitars, Peter Young on keyboards, Mike Levine on bass, and Gil Moore on drums and vocals. After the band released one single, Fred and Peter left the band and were replaced by guitarist Rik Emmett who also became the band's lead singer, along with Gil Moore. Rik Emmett 's arrival brought a change in the band's musical style, with influences of progressive and classical music. The band's eponymous debut album, released in October 1976 in Canada only (later renamed "In the Beginning"), included long and complex tracks, with progressive and classic motifs called "Blinding Light Show / Moonchild". (Photo: Round Hill Records) The band's second album, "Rock & Roll Machine", released in November 1977, was the first to be released outside of Canada. It also included one long musical piece by Rik Emmett - "The City: War March / El Duende Agonizante / Minstrel's Lament", which again included progressive and classic motifs. Although the sound and style of "Triumph" were unique, a comparison with another Canadian trio - "Rush", was simply inevitable. The combination of Hard Rock and Progressive and the fact that they are a Canadian trio, leaving them no chance to escape the reference to the biggest rock band to come out of Canada. After two albums the band was ready to conquer new audiences outside of Canada. This in did happen with the album "Just a Game", which was produced by the band's bassist and keyboardist Mike Levine. Two successful singles have been released from the album, both written and sung by guitarist Rik Emmett . The first single - " Hold On " was written two years before the release of the album and was performed at the band's live shows as an acoustic song. But for the album, the band decided to rework it into a dynamic song that started acoustic and quiet and slowly developed. The single version cut the song in half, from a song over six minutes to just 2:59. This song is part of a larger concept piece that spreads on the entire second side of the vinyl and is called " The Twisted Maze ". The second single - " Lay It on the Line " is one of the band's most beautiful and favorite songs. It was also written about two years before the album's release. Rik Emmett noted that the song speaks of the sincerity and desire of the people closest to you to be open with you. The song was part of Adam Sandler's 2010 film "Grown Ups". We have already mentioned that one of the strengths of this band is that it has two leading singers, who complement each other. Drummer Gil Moore also contributed his voice to some beautiful songs he also wrote for the album, including the rocking opening song " Movin' On " and the classic blues song " Young Enough to Cry ". Rik Emmett will reply with his own blues at the Bossanova pace, with " Suitcase Blues " and he will also wrote and sang the wonderful theme song " Just a Game ". This album will also begin an almost permanent tradition of the band, incorporating a short classical instrumental section by guitarist Rik Emmett , in which he showcases his incredible abilities. In this case, it is the magical instrumental " Fantasy Serenade ". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On January 9, 1984, "Van Halen" released their sixth studio album "MCMLXXXIV", also known as "1984". It's David Lee Roth 's last studio album with the band and the last album featuring all four original members. David Lee Roth will return to the band in 2007 and release the reunion album "A Different Kind of Truth" from 2012, but the one who will play bass in the reunion and record the album, is Wolfgang Van Halen - son of Eddie Van Halen , who will replace Michael Anthony. David Lee Roth 's departure was partially due to a controversy over the band's musical line, with Eddie Van Halen seeking to make the band's sound rely on a synthesizer, while David Lee Roth sought to stay with the guitar sound that characterized the band's first four albums. As a result, this album can be seen as a combination of the two opposing styles of Eddie and David, with tracks like "1984", " Jump " and " I'll Wait " being led by synthesizer, while tracks like " Panama ", " House of Pain "and " Hot for Teacher " is based on guitar. There is no doubt that this combination of Synth-Pop and Metal Blades created an amazing crossover effect that sent this album straight to the top of the charts and sales and opened the band to a wider audience. But beyond the commercial success, this album has a solid core of amazing rock tracks with an excellent production by Ted Templeman, who presents us with “Van Halen” at its peak. It is interesting to note that this album and the debut album "Van Halen", are the most successful from the band, with sales of over 10 million copies each. This can be seen as a kind of closure for David Lee Roth , making his first and last album with "Van Halen" the best-selling in its history. Unlike all of the band's previous albums, which were recorded in less than two weeks (the debut album was recorded in only five days), the recording of "1984" took about a year. During this time Eddie Van Halen played guitar on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album, which by the way would prevent "1984" from reaching first place on the Billboard charts. He also built his home studio " 5150 ", which is the number of the section of "the Welfare and Institutions Code", which allows a person with a mental illness to be involuntarily detained for a 72-hour. Eddie Van Halen felt dissatisfied with the concessions he made being pressured by Templeman and David Lee Roth on the previous album "Diver Down", from 1982. During the sessions for that album, Roth rejected the idea of ​​developing Eddie's synthesizer riff, this riff would later become the song " Jump ". Templeman for his part pushed the band to record a relatively large amount of cover version songs included in "Diver Down", to Eddie's displeasure. Eddie's dissatisfaction led him to build his own studio and as a result, the album "1984" was recorded there where he had more influence than any other album of the band to date. The influences that Eddie brought with him are evident from the first second of the album, which opens up with the short synthesized instrumental section of " 1984 ", which is a kind of bridge to the song "Jump" with the most "bouncy" synthesizer riff we know in music. Eddie Van Halen has shown greatness and innovation here. The "guitar wizard" did not hesitate, he put the instrument he is so identified with aside, and created a song based entirely on a synthesizer riff. Would you believe it?? How much courage and what an extraordinary talent. And what a melodic, double and amazing solo we got here. It starts with a guitar solo designed to remind us that this is still one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time, and continues with a wonderful synthesizer solo, in which Eddie demonstrates insane control of the instrument he started playing at age 6. This song "jumps" straight to number one on the charts being the only "Van Halen" song to top the charts. Immediately afterward we meet with the perfect contrast to the first two tracks of the album, in the form of " Panama ", with Eddie's sweeping guitar riff, which leans on the strong rhythm of Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen . This is the third single released from the album and without a doubt one of the band's biggest hits. How beautiful the transition section of the song is with the recitation of David Lee Roth and the screaming engine sounds of Eddie Van Halen 's Lamborghini car, recorded with microphones attached to its exhaust pipe. Lee Roth's song style and recitation in the middle of the song remind us very much of what he would do two years later as part of his solo career, with the song "Yankee Rose". Next comes " Top Jimmy " which serves as a tribute to James Paul Konczek from "Top Jimmy & The Rhythm Pigs" and immediately after comes " Drop Dead Legs " which Eddie noted was inspired by " Back In Black " by "AC/DC", we also heard quite a bit of "Aerosmith" there. The other side of the album opens up with another hit with a sex-dripping video that appeals to the band's younger audience - " Hot For Teacher ". The powerful drumming in the opening was achieved through 4 bass drums played by Alex Van Halen , who also holds the rhythm here in an amazing way. What a crazy and perfect performance of Eddie playing the "Gibson flying V" guitar that allows him to transit between the quiet and noisy sections with the help of the pick-ups. By the way, his solo in this song reached 46th place in the list of the greatest solos of all time by "Guitar World" magazine, probably also due to the rhythm changes. The next song " I'll Wait " is the second song dominated by synthesizers and is the second single released from the album. It was a very controversial song that created a lot of turmoil within the band, since David Lee Roth and Ted Templeman did not want it on the album, but Eddie Van Halen refused. The song is also unique since there is no bass playing during the verses and the first chorus and it is also the only song on the album written with the help of Michael McDonald from "The Doobie Brothers". From here we come to one of our favorite tracks on the album, " Girl Gone Bad ", which showcases the amazing abilities of the band members. It just sounds like a very fine jam with a long and dramatic opening of arpeggio chords by Eddie Van Halen , with Michael's bass slowly creeping in, and then comes the part with Eddie's amazing guitar line sync with Alex Van Halen 's "dribbles" at 0:38, which surely Inspired "Dream Theater". What a great rhythm and what a groove. We even were able to hear here a little "Rush" here... " House of Pain " closes the album in high hand. It is a classic "Van Halen" song, that originated in the band's first days, dating back to the era of demos recorded with Gene Simmons , before the band signed a recording contract with "Warner". For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

He is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time and he certainly deserves to be called a "living legend". "The Rolling Stone magazine" described him as "The Pontiff of Power Riffing" and ranked him 3rd on the list of greatest guitarists of all time. (Photo: handout) His name is Jimmy Page and we want to tell you some interesting facts about him: 1. He was born as the only son to his parents, on January 9, 1944, named James Patrick Page. 2. The song that pushed him to play the guitar was "Baby Let's Play House" by Elvis Presley. 3. He started playing the instrument at the age of 12. 4. At age 13 he participated in a Skiffle young talent competition. The competition was broadcast on "BBC1" in 1957. Video footage of Page in the competition can be seen here: 5. Thanks to his outstanding talent Page soon became a highly sought-after session player in England. During the first half of the 1960s Page played for the leading artists of the time, such as "The Kinks" on their first album, "The Who" on their first single "I Can't Explain", singer Marianne Faithfull on the song "As Tears Go By", "The Rolling Stones" in the song "Heart of Stone", "Van Morrison & Them" in the song "Baby, Please Don't Go", Joe Cocker on his debut album "With a Little Help from My Friends" including the immortal rendition of the theme song, singers Tom Jones, Donovan, Roy Harper and more... 6. On March 25, 1965, Eric Clapton decides to leave "The Yardbirds" and recommends a talented young studio player named Jimmy Page as his replacement. Jimmy Page feared the politics that would cause Clapton's departure and recommended Jeff Beck as guitarist in his place. 7. In mid-1966, during a performance of "The Yardbirds" at "Queen's College" in Oxford, bassist Paul Samwell-Smith abandoned the show while intoxicated. Jimmy Page who happens to be in the audience goes on stage and replaces him playing bass guitar. 8. This case was the trigger for Jimmy Page's joining "The Yardbirds", of which he was a member from 1966 to July 1968, when the band made its final appearance. Read more about the establishment of "Led Zeppelin" here : 9. In 1968, Jimmy Page participated in the "No Introduction Necessary" superstition album, which also features John Paul Jones , Albert Lee, Nicky Hopkins, and more. 10. With the dissolution of "The Yardbirds" Jimmy Page rushed to form a new band, and already in September 1968 together with John Bonham , Robert Plant and John Paul Jones in Denmark made his first appearance under the name "The New Yardbirds". 11. On October 25, the band takes the stage for the first time under the name "Led Zeppelin" , and already on January 12, 1969, the band's first album called "Led Zeppelin" is released. 12. Jimmy Page was the one who paid for the recording of the band's debut album, which they recorded in less than 30 studio hours. Page did not wait for funding from a record company. He thought that if the band could record the album and only then go to the record companies with it, they would be able to win a bigger contract and creative independence, which indeed happened. 13. "Led Zeppelin" will become the pioneer of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, not least thanks to Page's contribution to the band's sound, both as a player and as the producer of all their albums. 14. Page's playing was bold, original, and innovative. It influenced many great guitarists who came after him. 15. One of the most prominent examples of Page's primacy is related to the recording of the song "Whole Lotta Love", which first uses the "backward echo" or "reverse echo" effect, in which the echo is heard before the note is heard. Read more about this in the review of the album Led Zeppelin II . 16. In Jimmy Page's 11 years with "Led Zeppelin" he releases 9 studio albums (" Coda " not included), including masterpieces: " Led Zeppelin III ", " Physical Graffiti ", " Led Zeppelin IV ", " In Through The Out Door ", " Presence ", " Houses of the Holy " and makes it, along with his friends, one of the best-selling bands in the history of music. 17. After the dissolution of "Led Zeppelin" in 1980, following the death of drummer John Bonham , Jimmy Page didn't play the guitar for a long time and mourned the death of his friend. 18. He returned to play only in March 1981 as a guest player in a live performance of his good friend Jeff Beck . 19. That same year Jimmy Page joined bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White from "Yes", to form the supergroup "XYZ" - the letters come to express the words ex (X) Yes (Y) Zeppelin (Z). The project did not materialize in the end, but you can find bootlegs from the same sessions online, including here: 20. In 1982 Page released the soundtrack of the movie "Death Wish II" - starring Charles Bronson. 21. In 1984 he released the album "Whatever Happened to Jugula?", with his longtime friend Roy Harper . 22. That same year he co-recorded with Robert Plant the album "The Honeydrippers: Volume 1" under the band "The Honeydrippers". His friend Jeff Beck was also featured on the album. 23. In 1985 he joined legendary singer Paul Rodgers , known from the bands "Free" and "Bad Company", to form "The Firm". 24. Along with this band he will release two albums "The Firm" in 1985 and " Mean Business " in 1986, including among others the songs "Radioactive", "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "All the King's Horses". 25. Back in 1985, Page participates in the soundtrack of the movie "Scream for Help", composed by his friend John Paul Jones . 26. In 1988, Page released the solo album "Outrider". Singer Robert Plant participated in writing and singing one of the songs on the album. 27. Page returns a favor to Robert Plant on his album, " Now And Zen " Robert Plant on his album, "Now And Zen" which was released that year. 28. In 1993 Page joined legendary singer David Coverdale known from "Deep Purple" and "Whitesnake" and released the excellent album " Coverdale/Page ". 29. In 1994 Page returned to work with Robert Plant , this time on the show " No Quarter : Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded " which was part of the "MTV Unplugged" project and spawned four new songs of the duo. Read more about the special project in the review we wrote about it. 30. This mini-reunion will lead to Page's further collaboration with Plant, reflected in the 1998 studio album "Walking into Clarksdale". 31. That same year Page collaborated with rapper Puff Daddy on the song "Come with Me", including quotes from "Led Zeppelin's" song "Kashmir". The song will appear in the soundtrack of the movie "Godzilla". (Photo: Graham Wiltshire) 32. In 1999 Page collaborated with "The Black Crowes" for a performance of "Led Zeppelin" songs. The show will be released on a double album called: "Live at the Greek" in 2000. 33. In 2005 Page received the title "Officer of the Order of the British Empire". 34. In 2007, members of "Led Zeppelin" + Jason Bonham - son of John Bonham held a reunion show at the "O2" in London. This show entered the Guinness Book, following more than 20 million requests to purchase tickets. 35. In 2008 Page starred in the documentary "It Might Get Loud" with guitarists The Edge and Jack White . 36. In 2012, Page released the album "Rising and Other Sound Tracks", which included music Page wrote for the film "Lucifer Rising" but was never released. 37. Page was a devout admirer of the theories of Aleister Crowley - founder of the religious philosophy Thelma. He also used to engage in black magic. 38. In the early days of "Led Zeppelin" Page caused a scandal when he was discovered dating Lori Maddox - a 14-year-old girl. 39. Page entered the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" twice. The first time with "Led Zeppelin" in 1992 and the second time with "The Yardbirds" in 1995. 40. He is ranked second on Gibson's list of the 50 greatest guitarists of all time. 41. He is also ranked fourth on "Classic Rock" magazine's 100 Guitar Heroes list. 42. The "Times Magazine" also ranked Page in second place in the list of greatest guitarists. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

American Folk singer/songwriter Joan Baez is celebrating her birthday today !! (Photo: PBS) Beyond the fact that she shares the same birthday as guitarist Jimmy Page (about whom we wrote a separate review today), she has a direct connection to the initial connection between Jimmy Page and Robert Plant . This connection was created around the song "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" performed by Joan Baez in 1962. Although the song was written by folk singer Anne Bredon in the 1950s, Baez's version of the song was the focus of the first encounter between Jimmy Page and Robert Plant . When Jimmy Page heard Baez's interpretation of the song he immediately fell in love with it and began to develop his own version of the song based on Baez's version, long before "Led Zeppelin" back when he was a young session player. Page played the song for Plant already in their first meeting and it become the basis for the initial connection between the two. The two integrated the hard rock parts between the verses into the song. It was the twist that gave the song the added value that made it memorable. This is not Baez's only connection to Hard Rock and Metal. "Judas Priest" decided to perform a cover version of the song "Diamonds & Rust" which she wrote about her relationship with Bob Dylan . "Judas Priest" recorded the song for the album "Sin After Sin", which was released in 1977. The song became a fan favorite in band live performances. Singer Rob Halford noted that the reason for recording the excellent cover version of the song, was to flirt with the American audience in an attempt to break into the US. But that is not all. Baez performed and released other songs that would later be adopted by well-known rock bands, including: "House Of the Rising Sun" performed by "The Animals", "Jackaroe" performed by "The Grateful Dead, "John Riley" performed by "The Byrds", "Long Black Veil" by "The Band" and more... And now here are some really interesting facts about the "Queen of the Folk": 1. She was born on January 9, 1941, in Staten Island, New York, as Joan Chandos Baez. 2. She met Bob Dylan in 1961 and helped to launch his career. 3. At the age of 41 she started dating Steve Jobs who is familiar to us from the "Apple" company. He was only 27 years old and a die-hard fan of Dylan. 4. She was a tough civil rights fighter. Already at the age of 33, she led the audience in Martin Luther King's 'We Shall Overcome' march. King knew how to give Baez his own gesture when he visited her at the prison after she was arrested due to blocking the entrance to a military base in Auckland. 5. She performed at the legendary Woodstock Festival when she was pregnant with her then-husband David Harris, who was in prison at the time following his refusal to enlist in the military. 6. She is fluent in several languages ​​and even recorded an album in Spanish, dedicated to a people in Chile who suffered under the arm of Augusto Pinochet. 7. Proof of Baez's mastery of languages ​​can be found in her rendition of Si Hi-man's song "Yoryim ouBo'Hyim" Do not believe? Listen Here: 8. In 2007 she received a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. 9. In 2017 she was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". 10. She has released 25 studio albums to date, the last of which is in 2018. "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website