Released on November 21, 2019, "Sundowning" marked the official arrival of one of the most enigmatic and emotionally intense bands of the decade. This debut album by Sleep Token was not just a collection of songs—it was a ritual, a spiritual offering, and an artistic revelation. It was unveiled slowly, track by track, every two weeks at sundown, mirroring the album’s immersive, twilight-soaked atmosphere. The origins of Sleep Token are deliberately obscured by a carefully crafted mythology. The group first emerged in 2016 with the release of their debut EP "One", followed by "Two" in 2017. But behind the masks and cryptic messages, a concept began to take shape—a collective of anonymous musicians led by the vessel of a deity known only as "Sleep," with the frontman known as Vessel acting as its earthly mouthpiece. Vessel, who sings, writes, and performs much of the music, "reportedly" had classical and jazz training and began shaping the band’s sound in secret, blending genres as diverse as R&B, post-rock, ambient, metal, and pop. The intent was never fame, but devotion—to love, to pain, to Sleep itself. From the beginning, the band's visual and sonic identity was inseparable from its mystique. Their members have never revealed their identities. On stage, they appear in robes and masks, creating a sense of ceremony. Even interviews are rare, often written as cryptic testimonials or philosophical musings. This commitment to anonymity and ritual isn't just aesthetic—it reinforces the band's central themes of worship, surrender, and transcendence through sound. Photo: Sleep Token By the time "Sundowning" was recorded, Sleep Token had already begun to cultivate a devoted underground following. The album was produced by George Lever at G1 Productions in Somerset, UK. Lever’s work on Loathe's albums helped bring a polished, emotionally resonant depth to the mix, and with "Sundowning", he helped the band achieve an ambitious sonic range. The album is spacious yet dense, heavy yet soft, often within the same track. Guitars erupt and then recede into oceans of ambient synth. Drums alternate between restrained minimalism and explosive power. Vessel’s voice, capable of both angelic falsetto and visceral growls, anchors the entire experience. What sets "Sundowning" apart is its pacing and structure. The album was released gradually over several months, each track arriving at sundown accompanied by evocative visual artwork and minimal explanation. This created a serialized listening experience, encouraging reflection on each piece before hearing the next. It wasn't just music—it was an unfolding ritual. The opener "The Night Does Not Belong to God"  introduces the record with restrained piano, electronic textures, and Vessel’s haunting vocals. There’s a vulnerability here that builds slowly, until it shatters under waves of distortion in the following track. "The Offering"  unleashes one of the album’s most aggressive moments—a fusion of djent-influenced guitar work, electronic drums, and soaring vocals that feel both pleading and defiant. The contrast is striking, and it establishes the duality at the heart of the album. "Levitate"  and "Dark Signs"  draw from R&B phrasing and melodic restraint, but beneath the surface there's tension and anguish. The dynamics are constantly in flux—melodies dissolve into silence, then swell into crescendos of reverb and layered harmony. "Drag Me Under"  offers a powerful emotional climax, its rhythmic pulse growing increasingly urgent before giving way to a silence that feels almost holy. Later tracks like "Take Aim"  and "Blood Sport"  opt for intimacy over grandeur. These are quiet, confessional pieces, carried by Vessel’s fragile voice and the echo of keys and pads that sound like distant memories. There’s a sense of loss, of letting go, that permeates the second half of the album. But the music never collapses into despair—it floats, drifts, and breathes with aching patience. Thematically, "Sundowning" is about love, sacrifice, submission, and transcendence. It’s a spiritual record, but not religious. It uses the language of devotion and ritual to explore human vulnerability and desire. Vessel sings not to a lover, but to a higher force—to Sleep, or perhaps to the very act of surrendering oneself to something greater. The lyrics are poetic, abstract, and open to interpretation, which only deepens their emotional impact. Critically, the album received widespread acclaim. Distorted Sound gave it a perfect 10/10, calling it “a redefinition of heavy music” with a “dense palette” of sound. Kerrang! gave it 4/5, praising the emotional weight of the songs and the band's ability to balance melody and menace. Fans online hailed it as one of the most innovative metal-adjacent albums of the year, even though its genre-defying nature often places it outside easy categorization. Looking back, "Sundowning" was not just the beginning of Sleep Token’s journey—it was a bold artistic statement that laid the groundwork for everything that followed. It didn’t seek to conquer the metal scene through aggression or extremity, but through intimacy and atmosphere. It dared to be soft in a genre obsessed with volume. And in doing so, it carved out a sacred space all its own. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 20, 2020, Iron Maiden released their live album "Nights Of The Dead, Legacy Of The Beast: Live In Mexico City. The album was recorded during the band's sold-out performances in Mexico City in September 2019. Well, we really have already stopped counting how many live albums this band has, but they have at least 13 of these, and you're probably wondering why we need another one? Why? Because "Iron Maiden" is one of the best live acts that exist on this planet, one that burns the stage, unusually excites the audience, spreads insane energies everywhere, and the audience of course returns with a lot of love and madness, that is well expressed here in the recordings from their performances in Mexico City. Bassist Steve Harris noted that after the massive cancellations of performances for the summer of 2020 following the covid-19, the band felt it needed to compensate their fans, and this album is a kind of consolation for those who expected to see them on stage but were disappointed. And how did it all start? So, on July 5, 2016, "Iron Maiden" released the "Legacy of the Beast" video game, set in a fictional world inspired by the band's album covers and songs. The game follows the band's mascot Eddie, in a quest to find and locate his shattered soul in order to bring it back. Later the game also became a comic book series, first released on October 31, 2017. Two weeks later, on November 13, the band announced the world tour of "Legacy of the Beast", which began in Estonia on May 26, 2018. The concept and scenery of the stage on this tour, was even more powerful and grandiose than the previous ones and you already know that with "Iron Maiden "Size does matter". The set was inspired by the various "worlds" that Eddie went through in the various stages of the game. As for the musical material, it's a "hits" setlist that goes over the band's crazy history. It included several songs that were not played live by the band for many years, most notably "Flight of Icarus", which has been absent from the band's setlists since "Somewhere on Tour" held in 1986-1987. It was the first tour since the 2000-2001 "Brave New World" tour, which featured two Blaze Bayley songs ("Sign of the Cross" and "The Clansman"), and the first to include any song from that era since the tour that was intended to promote the album "Dance of Death" in 2003-2004, when "Lord of the Flies" was played. It is interesting to note that the album includes the first official live release of the song "For the Greater Good of God" from the album "A Matter of Life and Death" from 2006. The album features over 100 minutes of energetic and sweeping performance and all that remains to be said is how the hell did we lose all that good that was supposed to land in our backyard in May 2020? Song listם: 1. Churchill’s Speech 2. Aces High 3. Where Eagles Dare 4. 2 Minutes To Midnight 5. The Clansman 6. The Trooper 7. Revelations 8. For The Greater Good Of God 9. The Wicker Man 10. Sign Of The Cross 11. Flight Of Icarus 12. Fear Of The Dark 13. Iron Maiden 14. The Number Of The Beast 15. The Evil That Men Do 16. Hallowed Be Thy Name 17. Run To The Hills Enjoy: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 20, 2015, "Rush" released their "Swan song", their "final chord". A triple and Live album and DVD Which sums up the band's career over its forty years and is called "R40 Live". At the end of the tour that accompanied the album "Clockwork Angels", the band's drummer Neil Peart expressed before his friends his desire to retire from live performances. The problem of tendinitis that afflicted him and the heavy load on his body made him fear that it would impair his level of playing. As is well known, the band's performances lasted about 3 hours and included a complex and massive drumming that weighed heavily on the body of a Peart who was 63 years old at the time. His friend's guitarist Alex Lifeson and bassist and singer Geddy Lee had one last request, to embark on one final grandiose tour. Alex mentioned in detail the arthritis he suffers from which may also affect his playing, and begged for a final round. Peart agreed but on the condition that it will be limited to a small tour and restricted to North America only. This agreement between the band members spawned its latest tour which included only 35 shows. The setlist was composed by the "Fantastic Three" knowing that this was probably going to be their last tour, so it included songs from all the band's eras, with the band returning in a reverse chronologically while playing songs from all their albums, beginning with " Clockwork Angels " to songs from the first album and then to 16 bars from the song " Garden Road " that the band recorded even before the release of their first album. During the performance, the entire set and setting change and also go back in time, with stage workers spinning throughout the performance on stage, assembling and disassembling amplifiers and instruments to suit the spirit of the period of the song being played. At the end of the show, the set includes only two guitar amplifiers placed on chairs with microphones aimed at them, just like at the beginning, at the school basements of Willowdale, Toronto. After the release of the live album and the DVD simultaneously, our friend Moshon Bash wrote a comprehensive review of the album. This review, written after the release of the album and before the death of Neil Peart , is presented to you here in its entirety as originally written. _________________________________________________________________________ In May 2015 the veteran "Rush" band began a short tour that focused more on North America. The band decided to film their 2 performances in Toronto, their hometown, which took place on June 17, and 19 of that year, to issue a new DVD (hereafter R40) - a very important event for all band lovers and especially for 2 main reasons - one, marking 40 years since its inception. Second, this is probably the last tour of the band. (Drummer Neil Peart 's tendon problem as well as guitarist Alex Lifeson 's arthritis have made headlines over the past year, and in fact, Peart recently announced the culmination of his musical work and a final and gradual retirement that is expected to happen right now). Not to mention the troubled voice of the band's lead singer/bassist Geddy Lee who has been eroded slowly from one tour to another, if we compare to the DVD from last decade (hereafter R30) and its predecessor "Rush in Rio" (where Lee's vocals sounded much more refreshing and young) - then probably age does its thing. In light of the above, this is indeed the last chance for all the band lovers (and all those in particular who actually got to be there at one of the shows out of this tour), to have a decent taste of this band in action when it comes to its live performances. The band built the course of the show by deciding to start the song sequence with their latest album "Clockwork Angels" from 2012 and thus slowly descend in reverse chronological order with stops at important musical time stations in the band's career, during which the band's instruments (including the giant drum set) change on stage In the same old models that the members played in the relevant periods, until their first album somewhere in 1974. A kind of progressive journey into the past. First Set It is not easy to put a career of over 40 years and 20 albums into a performance of fewer than 3 hours. Thus, some of the band's albums from their less important years did not get to enter the interesting musical journey (which contains several particularly interesting surprises), which I will discuss below: The DVD begins with a cartoon, a cute video that shows the band members at different times during their career with short excerpts from the band's songs that appear in chronological order of the years they came out. The end of the video leads to the lifting of the stage curtains with the band already opening the show in the background with the heavy " The Anarchist " and " Headlong Flight " from " Clockwork Angels ". A bit too noisy to start a show with 2 such heavy songs but considering that this is "Rush" that has chosen the order of the songs - we trust that they know what they are doing. A few words of thanks from Geddy Lee to the audience and we move on to 2 songs from " Snakes & Arrows " from 2007. The next song on the DVD is " How It Is " from " Vapor Trails ", their 2002 comeback album released after a 5-year hiatus, due to personal tragedies in Peart's life. I should note that this is a song I never knew and it was actually nice to discover a light and cute rock song like this. A few more songs in the "time tunnel", including the great " Between The Wheels " from " Grace Under Pressure ", and then for the first surprise of the evening: a live performance for the first time ever of the excellent and underrated piece " Losing it " from the great album from 1982, " Signals " (the band never performed This track live, not even in the tour that accompanied the release of the aforementioned album). The song is about a dancer whose whole body hurts and can not continue to dance, and about a writer who begins the process of dementia and the words do not flow to the page as they once did. Peart in his wit writing concludes that even though you "lost it" and you are not the great artist you once were, it is sadder to see your abilities fade, than not having them at all. "Sadder still to watch it die than never to have known it" (which takes on a completely different meaning in light of Neil Peart 's tendonitis who agreed to Alex and Geddy's last request to go on one last grandiose tour, which as mentioned at Peart's request was limited to north America only) Special thanks to David Bar-Tal from the Facebook page Face/Off for enlightening my eyes on this matter. Before performing the song, Geddy Lee introduced Ben Mink to the audience - the one who was behind the violin playing in the song on the original album. nothing to say!! It was great and exciting to see the band together with Mink perform this piece together. (Although the current performance which just did not quite reach the perfect tightening level as originally - nevertheless, it was a good performance and a pleasure to hear this track today in a live version). " Subdivisions " from the same album (always sounds great on gigs and the band never gives it up on their setlists), symbolizes the end of the first part of the DVD. In this part of the show, there was a short break before the start of the second set. Second Set In this part which is the highlight of "R40" (in light of the bombastic list of songs in this set), the band chose not to miss out on any album they created during the important and classic years 1974-1981. After the opening video of the second set, the stage curtains come up with the band starting to play " Tom Sawyer " in the background, followed by " YYZ ". Two prog bombs from " Moving Pictures " from 1981. The band never gives up on these 2 pieces in their performances. Neil Peart said a few years ago in an interview that to this day for him " Tom Sawyer " is a very difficult song to play and after he finishes playing it in live performances, he feels great satisfaction ... (I wonder how he felt drumming the song on the current tour with his tendon problem in the background). Immediately after the timeless and bouncy " The Spirit of Radio " comes the classic " Natural Science ". One of the band's finest pieces if not among their best in my opinion, and also a track that always gets a decent and adrenaline-filled live version. (The above songs are taken from " Permanent Waves ", their classic album from 1980 and one of the best they have ever created). Now Geddy Lee presents the next song that the band is going to perform from the same album: "A song rarely played ... This is a classic" " Jacob's Ladder ". Amazingly the song has not been performed since 1980 and is a real prog-rock gem of the band. Peart somehow tried to keep up with the studio version, but it came out a bit of an abstract rather than a tightened version like the original. However, definitely an important and very enjoyable moment in the show. A few seconds of silence and we continue with the grandiose opening of the piece " Hemispheres " from their classic album from 1978, bearing the same name. Another surprise after " Jacob's ... " because the last time the band performed this opening was over 20 years ago. Geddy's voice does not allow him to reach the same heights in certain parts of the song - for example in the phrase "Every soul is a battlefield" (but it's okay because even in their 1994 tour, the last time the band played this piece, Geddy gave up trying to reach To the original height in the above track). After the opening of " Hemispheres ", the bells herald the beginning of a familiar sound, and then Geddy begins to play the classic and tricky bass riff that opens the " Cygnus X-1 " (and in Hebrew "swan"). This is where the band's tribute to their 1977 album, " A Farewell to Kings " actually begins. The band continues to jam on the classic piece that suddenly stops and moves to an exhausting drum solo by Neil Peart . The end of the solo leads us in a smooth and perfect transition to the last part of the "Swan" song. This part of the song is also performed here for the first time since the early eighties, the last time the band performed the entire piece live... Immediately after a light break with the beautiful " Closer to the Heart " and perhaps the band's most mainstream song, we turn to the piece " Xanadu " which for the first time since the early 1980s is fully performed in this show, which is yet another surprise in our "advanced backward" journey. You cannot end such a comprehensive performance without returning to " 2112 " (the concept album from 1976). As with every tour of the band, even in the current round "Rush" did not abandon the tribute to the parts " Overture / The Temples of Syrinx " from the main work. Geddy and Alex are even seen mimicking the standing of the "Star Man", (the iconic logo that is one of the symbols of the band and of the aforementioned album) just before the famous opening chord. For the first time since 1997, the band performed the piece in full in live, we get to hear other important tastings from the piece (in fact the piece here is played almost in full), and immediately after the band finishes playing " Temples ", Neil signals to his friends when to start playing and suddenly the band enters The power into the rock section from " Discovery " which is immediately followed by the band moving on to episode two " Presentation " (the episodes are played one after the other just like in the original order on the album). The band decided to end the "presentation" with a sharp jump into the last part of the musical piece, which is the "Grand Finale" (this part of the work has also been performed live on previous tours of the band). After the trio "Have assumed control ..", the members get off the stage, and after a short comedic video in which the actor Eugene Levy appears, the stage curtains come up for the last time, with the drum opening of Zeppelinish " Lakeside Park " in the background (from " Caress Of Steel " from 1975,) who opens up the encore dedicated to the band's first three albums (from the end to the beginning). "Lakeside" connects with " Anthem " (the opening track from the second album " Fly By Night " from that year). The track " What You're Doing ", a fun and amusing rock song that connects to the heavy "Working Man" which gets a slightly abbreviated version here (both from the debut album " Rush " from 1974), closes "R40". Geddy Lee thanks the audience for the last time and adds: "..we hope maybe one day we will meet again": From my acquaintance with previous performances of the band, in the end, he has never used these words, which definitely implies along with a slight sadness about the end of an era .. After a short farewell video from the band featuring excerpts from the end moments of Rush's performances throughout the years with pictures of the band parting and Geddy saying thank you at the end of each show with the cheers of the audience accompanying them over the years, the thought remains whether this was really the last time? Or maybe and just maybe there is a small chance anyway that "Rush" will surprise us in a few years with a show like this ... This is a great performance with half of the setlist built only from old materials from the band's golden age (hereafter the classic period 1974-1981). Not to say it was not a walk in the park for 62-year-old Geddy Lee to return slowly in the time tunnel, 40 years back with stops at relevant time stations while having to adjust his voice to each period (and the classical period in particular where screams took a major part) and at least try to give a decent performance that will cover up his aging voice. Neil Peart did not exactly demonstrate the feeling of lightness that we are used to seeing and hearing in the band's performances, but please do not be mistaken !!! This is an excellent drummer who, despite the tendon problem, managed to catch up and be true to the original versions almost throughout the entire performance. I was a bit lacking in hearing the sound of his high-pitched tam-tams (the same sound familiar for example from classical drumming transitions in tracks such as " YYZ " and " 2112 "). My personal feeling is that he puts on special skins that produce a slightly different sound from those high-pitched tam-tams we are used to hearing, to help dampen shocks to his hands and thus make it easier for him to play in light of his problem. In conclusion, no real fan would want to miss this DVD. "R40" is a nostalgic progressive experience that tries to sum up 40 years of "Rush" on one stage in just 3 hours. Of course, there are plenty of other classics of the band left out of the setlist, because it is impossible to give it all in a performance of a little less than 3 hours. Do not forget that this is also a setlist with many classics surpassing previous videos of the band. (We would not expect at least that on the occasion of the double event of 40 years and a farewell tour...). It is likely that if the band still decides to return to activity (which at the moment does not seem at all on the horizon) then in ten years we will also have an R50 - and another fun experience but also the performance level will be much lower (not to mention vocal performance), so sometimes it's really better to retire When they still at their top and the band can give a live performance at a sufficient and respectable level. "Rush" did it definitely. With an extensive activity of over 40 years with 20 studio albums behind them and many tours attracting both old and new audiences who are just thirsty to hear his idols and experience all this energy erupting on stage, they no longer have to prove anything .... Moshon Bash - 2015 For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"Presto", the 13th album of "Rush" was released on November 21, 1989. This time we want to start with a small confession. Despite the perfect melodies, despite the beautiful lyrics, and despite the long-awaited return to a more "analog" sound, for years we thought it was one of "Rush"'s "least good" album. Today we understand that there is simply no such thing. Can an album that includes songs like " Show Don't Tell " and " The Pass " be called a less good album? Yes, yes, you read that right. "Rush" has no "less good" album, it has good albums, it has better albums, it has great albums and it has masterpieces !!! Write it down, internalize it, you can also quote us, because we are definitely standing behind this statement and ready to defend it before any quorum, any tribunal, and any forum. There is no cliché here and we have not distributed any superlatives to those who do not deserve them. This statement comes to this mighty band by right and not by grace, period! Fine, and now that we've straightened things out, we can finally get started. With this album "Rush" entered the fourth era of its musical career. Remember, each of the musical era's included four albums, with after each period the band released a live album. And now that the 90s are around the corner, "Rush" has decided to greet them with a new style, a different rhythm, an updated sound, and a change in musical style. The band began a process of cleansing themselves of the New Wave influences and disengaging from the synthesizer sound that characterized the third musical period of the band. But with all this they did not forget their roots along the way, the ones thanks to which they were able to remain relevant, despite all the changes and upheavals the music market went through over the years. The change described above was not just musical. After 15 years with "Mercury", "Rush" terminated the contract with them and was free to do things their own way, without time pressure and without dictates. After completing the tour to promote the album " Hold Your Fire ", the band members worked on the production of their third live album "A Show of Hands" and after that decided to take a half-year break. At the end of the break, everyone gathered at Neil Peart 's home to talk about their musical future. They unanimously agreed that the core sound, emotion, and energies of "Rush" come from the guitar and they decided to go back there, back to base. Geddy Lee said this album was a counter-reaction to all digital technology. At that time he was already tired of computers and synthesizers and at that meeting with Peart he and his friends agreed not to use them on the next album. He noted that in the end they could not resist and used them but only for "color", so he defined it. Another decision the members made was that this album would be an album where the singer would lead while the rest of the instruments supported and assists him. With these agreements, "Rush" enters the studio to write the material for the album. They worked in a method familiar to them in which Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson write the music while Neil Peart works separately on the lyrics and arrives at the studio in the evening, so the three share what each of them achieved during the day. They even surprised themselves as the writing process progressed faster than expected, and soon they began looking for a producer to enter the studio with them. Peter Collins who had produced their previous albums was not available and they eventually decided to work with Rupert Hine, whose range of styles and bands he had previously worked with attracted the band members. Indeed, Rupert Hine introduced the band to a different and innovative sound and led them to use different arrangements and new techniques. He also pushed Alex Lifeson to sing background vocals in some of the songs, which he rarely did until then. Similar to the writing process, the recording phase also progressed faster than expected, and although British Rupert Hine demanded, as a condition of working with him, that the recordings will be made on British soil, these were completed within two months, four weeks ahead of schedule. After completing the recordings, the band felt confident in finding a new record company to accompany them and eventually managed to sign an attractive, long-term contract with "Atlantic". This album is considered one of the most lyrically powerful albums of "Rush". Neil Peart has written here some of the most beautiful words of his career. He noted that he came to writing this album more mature and experienced and he took a lighter approach while writing. He did not try to choose one motif that would be a connecting factor between the songs as was done in previous albums, but treated each song as a separate story. This album definitely breathed new and fresh spirit into the band in many ways and this is evident in the first sounds that open up the album. Neil Peart 's percussion cut after four bars with the " Show's Do Not Tell " guitar-bass-riff, takes us back in time to the band's early days and the distance between Alex Lifeson 's distortion effect in this song and his chorus effect from - " Hold Your Fire " is much more than a few foot pedals. But 40 seconds into the song we are already in another world, with a different rhythm and different sounds with the acoustic effect on the arpeggio chords of the electric guitar. This "swing" that continues throughout the song actually characterizes what is happening on this album. A nice balance between two worlds that manages to bridge the different era's that this band went through beautifully and interestingly. This balance is clearly maintained between the power chords in the opening song and chorus and the hipster riff in the song " Chain Lightning ", between the opening riff and synthesizers during the " War Paint " verses, and between the piano and the eighties synthesizers of " Red Tide " to the rock riff of " Superconductor ". This album also includes one of the most beautiful songs on all of "Rush" glorious catalog - " The Pass ", the second single released by the band from the album, which deals with the phenomenon of youth suicide. The line "All of us get lost in the darkness / Dreamers learn to steer by the stars / All of us do time in the gutter / Dreamers turn to look at the cars" in this song is influenced by the play "Lady Windermere's Fan". Written by Oscar Wilde. Other recommended songs on the album are the theme song led by Alex Lifeson 's simple acoustic chords, which are combined and perfected by Geddy Lee 's bass notes, "(Anagram (for Mongo)" which is one of the album's energetic and interesting surprises and includes word games and a lyric puzzle of Neil Peart and of course " Available Light " which ends the album at a slow and calm pace, with minimalist piano chords and excellent vocals by Geddy Lee , which again manages to excite, especially at the climax of the chorus with the shout "Bring Me Available Light ..." True, there are also some weaker points on this album, like the obscure " Scars " with the African drumming that was influenced by Neil Peart 's visit to the continent and " Hand over Fist " which sounds like an unsuccessful attempt to produce a poppy "hit", but these points are few and absolutely an exception. 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On November 20, 1981, "AC/DC" released their eighth studio album "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)". This is the band's second album with lead singer Brian Johnson , which was issued right after the greatest comeback album of all time, the masterpiece, " Back In Black ", "The Black Phoenix" ... After the meteoric success of the album " Back In Black ", "AC/DC" became one of the most sought-after, popular and leading rock bands in the world. In December 1980, the film "Let There Be Rock" was released with excerpts from the tour that accompanied the album " Highway To Hell " and interviews from the Bon Scott era. "Atlantic" which previously refused to release the 1976 album "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" on U.S. soil, was suddenly happy to do so. "Red Bus Records" suddenly released recordings of "Geordie", Brian Johnson 's mother band, under the name "Brian Johnson and Geordie", in an attempt to "milk" the yielding cow to the end, and even "the Rolling Stones" invited "AC/DC" to open one of their stadium performances in North America in exchange for a fantastic sum of one million dollars. "AC/DC" politely declined and leaped forward to focus on the next album. In July 1981, the band entered the EMI studios in Paris to begin work on the album. They continued their fruitful collaboration with super producer, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the magician, who began working with the band on " Highway To Hell " and was one of the main causes of their meteoric breakthrough, which only intensified on their next comeback album " Back In Black ". If you have not yet read the review on the process of creating the " Highway To Hell " you must stop here, click on the link, read it and get back to us, we promise to wait ... So if you read the review you should know that Lang was a perfectionist, a very meticulous producer. He had an absolute hearing. An unstretched snare drum, an untuned guitar string or even a wrong breath were repaired immediately. This time, too, the recordings were influenced by Lang's perfectionism, only this time the band was already tired of this way of working after three consecutive albums. Lang took it a little too far this time too. For long days he tried to reach the ultimate drum sound. He thought this was the basis for the album's sound and refused to go ahead with the recordings until he reached the drum sound he wanted to achieve. The recording technician said that for the first three days of the recording, Lang focused solely on the sound of the snare drum, which reached a point where the Young brothers had already lost patience. They were smeared for long days on the couch in the studio, bored to death and waiting for Lang to have already finished his preoccupation with the sound of the drums, so that they could start playing. After ten days Lang concluded that he was not going to get the desired sound in the studio and he made the band wander to some warehouse outside Paris with a recording van, to record the basic channels there. "As you probably already understand, the above story illustrates and explains why the end result was an over-production album and it probably also explains why the band eventually decided to break up with Matt Lang, return to the roots, to the immature and rough sound they had at the beginning and produce their next album " Flick Of The Switch " by themselves. But the Young Brothers' dissatisfaction with Lang's production did not affect the success of this album which jumped straight to number one in the US, an achievement that the band failed to replicate until 2008 with the release of the album "Black Ice". The theme song "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" was and still is considered one of the great songs of "AC/DC", with which the band used to end their performances, to the sounds of the roaring cannons. The idea for the song was given by Angus Young who read a book on the Roman Gladiators that was called "For Those About to Die, We Salute You". We must note that Angus Young was not the first to use the above title as part of an album. The progressive rock band "Colosseum" released in 1969 their excellent debut album called "Those Who Are About to Die Salute You". It's interesting to note that Gary Moore was in 1975 part of the second incarnation of the same band, which was called "Colosseum II". The imperfection of this album does not just fall on Matt Lang's shoulders. Apparently, after two perfect albums, the band ran out of fuel and failed to produce enough high-level and uniform songs to hold throughout the album. It turns out that alongside songs like " C.O.D. " And " Snowballed " which shares the same DNA of the classic "AC/DC", or " Let's Get It Up ", " Put The Finger On You " and the excellent " Evil Walks ", we get slightly less good songs like, " Breaking The Rules " which sounds to us like a filler or " Night Of The Long Knives " in which the riff sounds to us like what "Aerosmith" is capable to produce (and we certainly do not make a comparison here or intend to insult). Despite the lack of uniformity as described above, and although the album has always been in the shadow of its two predecessors, it is still a very good album by the band, which has also become one of its best sellers (of course only relatively and not compared to its two meteoric predecessors). For Listening (and this time with earplugs so you be deaf due to the sound of the cannons...) : Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

This time we decided to hold ourselves back and not spill out our gusts but just share with you some facts in order to avoid total adherence !! This fantastic, moving, and simple album was released on November 21, 2011, so here are some facts about an album we had the opportunity to experience in real life: 1. This is Chris Cornell 's first LIVE album of his solo career. 2. The album is a collection of 16 songs performed as part of the "Songbook Tour" the tour that took place in 2011 in the US and Canada. 3. The songs changed from show to show and covered Chris's glorious musical career. Songs from his solo career, "Soundgarden", "Temple Of The Dog" and "Audioslave". In addition, Chris also performed covers of Led Zeppelin and John Lennon . 4. The album features three more songs... 5. The song "The Keeper" written for the soundtrack of the movie "Machine Gun Preacher". 6. The song "Cleaning My Gun" which was part of Cornell's acoustic performances in the past but was not released on an album. 7. The song "As Hope and Promise Fade" which came out as a hidden track on Chris' solo album "Scream" . 8. In 2016, Chris performed two acoustic performances in Israel, one on May 6 at the Tel Aviv Hall of Culture (we were there!!!) and the other on May 7 at the Caesarea Amphitheater. The performances were very similar to the structure and style of the songs on the album. (Photo: nme.com) 9. There is no shadow of a doubt that Chris has a phenomenal singing talent and his ability to convey emotion in singing is just amazing, one can experience this at every stage of his diverse career. This album highlights and reinforces Chris's amazing talent, since his voice is so dominant, it is much more moving than the electric performance we are familiar with. 10. It just makes us think about what would have happened (and also ask why it did not happen) if "Soundgarden" were also performing an "MTV Unplugged" show. 11. There is not a single song here that will not wet the tip of your eye or at least make you shiver slightly but the most prominent are: "Call Me a Dog", "Can't Change Me", "Wide Awake", "Fell on Black Days ", "Like a Stone" and "The Keeper". 12. ** Bonus fact - back in 2006 he released a good quality bootleg called "Unplugged in Sweden" which included some of the songs that will appear later in the songbook with similar performances as well as other songs including covers in acoustic versions of songs like "Peace, Love, and Understanding" by Elvis Costello, "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Now take a glass of wine, hit a few sips, and press play (maybe you better wait for the kids to fall asleep). Listen to the album on: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 21, 1983, "U2" released their live EP "Under a Blood Red Sky". The album captures "U2" at a pivotal moment in their career, cementing their reputation as a dynamic live band. It's a historic document that captures "U2’s" meteoric rise. The title, drawn from the lyrics of “ New Year’s Day ,” evokes the album’s themes of political struggle and human resilience. The album and its accompanying concert film, "Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky", immortalize the band’s fiery performances and their evolution into a global phenomenon. Recorded during the " War " tour, this eight-song live album is not just a collection of performances but a testament to the band's fiery commitment to their music and message. The album exudes raw energy, with the band sounding unpolished yet impassioned. "U2’s" early post-punk sound is amplified through Bono ’s heartfelt vocals and The Edge ’s signature guitar work. Tracks like “ Gloria ” and “ I Will Follow ” demonstrate their ability to create anthems with emotional weight and a driving rhythm. The rhythm section, powered by Adam Clayton’s bass and Larry Mullen Jr.’s precise drumming, is tight yet expressive, giving songs like " 11 O'Clock Tick Tock " and " The Electric Co. " a sense of urgency and momentum. The live rendition of " Sunday Bloody Sunday " is the standout track. Bono 's iconic introduction: "This song is not a rebel song..." and his impassioned plea for peace is complemented by The Edge ’s cutting guitar riff, will forever be remembered as the moment that catapulted "U2" to worldwide fame. The crowd’s participation only adds an emotional resonance to this eternal. Another highlight is " New Year's Day ," where the band’s interplay creates a powerful soundscape, underscoring themes of hope and resilience. The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine, who captures the rawness of "U2’s" live performances without over-polishing them. He even left small mistakes like on The Edge 's solo in " Party Girl " as they are, adding to this live album's authenticity. The audience's contribution, such as in the closing section of " 40 ," and Bono ’s spontaneous stage banter enhance the experience of listening to the album, and make the listener feel an integral part of the performance. The concert film, "Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky", filmed on June 5, 1983, at the dramatic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, complements the live album with stunning visuals and an iconic performance. Despite torrential rain and logistical challenges, the band delivered a career-defining set of 13 songs (17 songs on the 2008 DVD version), complete with a fiery torch-lit stage that added a mythic quality to the footage. "Under a Blood Red Sky" showcases "U2" on the cusp of greatness, bridging their formative years with the global stardom they would achieve with " The Joshua Tree ". It captures "U2" in their element—on stage, performing with passion and conviction. The album’s success helped to solidify their reputation as a must-see live act and expanded their fan base beyond Europe and into the United States. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Joe Walsh is celebrating his birthday today. (Photo: Andrew Macpherson) He may be best known for his membership in the "Eagles" but he is definitely not only that, he has a glorious solo career, he was part of the bands "James Gang" and "Barnstorm" and he also has quite a few collaborations with other artists, including "Foo Fighters", Where he participated in the song "Outside" from the album " Sonic Highways ". He was born on November 20, 1947, in the city of Wichita in the state of Kansas USA, named Joseph Fidler Walsh. His mother was a classical pianist so from an early age he absorbed music. His father was killed in a plane crash when he was 3 and at the age of 5 his mother remarried and he was adopted by his stepfather. At the age of 10, he started playing the guitar and he said that even then he knew that he wants to be a professional guitarist. One of the first bands he was a member of was "the Nomads", he played bass guitar there. In 1965 he formed the band "The Measles" where he was also the lead singer. The band even released two singles. "And It's True" and "I Find I Think Of You". In 1968 he joined "James Gang" which started with five musicians and shrank into a power trio where Joe Walsh sang, and played guitar, keyboards, and percussion. With the band, he released three albums, and among the band's great songs are "Funk # 49" and "Walk Away". Walsh reunited this line-up for performances in 2022 including the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert . Walsh left "James Gang" in December 1971. He was invited to join the band "Humble Pie" alongside Steve Marriott after Peter Frampton left it, but he chose to form a band called "Barnstorm" with whom he released an album of the same name in 1972. Walsh later embarked on a solo career during which he released albums that included the songs "Rocky Mountain Way" and "Turn to Stone", when in 1975 he joined as a full member of the "Eagles", right to its peak era with the album "Hotel California" released in 1976. While being a member of "The Eagles", Joe Walsh continued to strengthen his solo career, in between he served as a guest player and studio session player for many good artists like "REO Speedwagon", "Foo Fighters", Ringo Starr , Steve Winwood, John Entwistle , and more. Walsh is the brother-in-law of Ringo Starr . Marjorie Bach who is married to Walsh is the sister of Ringo's wife - Barbara Bach. This time we decided to compile a playlist that moves between major stations in his career. So click play, listen and discover some beautiful things in his repertoire: Spotify "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

"The Diamond in the Crown" of the "Queen", "A Night At The Opera", was released on November 21, 1975, and on the occasion of its anniversary, we would like to tell you some interesting facts about this masterful album: 1. This is Queen's fourth studio album in two years. 2. The name of the album came from a Marx Brothers film of the same name from 1935, which the band watched during the recordings. 3. The album was recorded in six different recording studios across England. 4. The duration of the recordings lasted about three months from August to November 1975. 5. At the time of its release, "A Night At The Opera" was considered an album with the most expensive production cost in the world. 6. The album features a wide range of influences from different musical genres: Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Pop, folk, Opera, Skiffle, and Jazz. 7. The album also features a wide variety of instruments beyond the band's traditional instruments, such as harp, ukulele, and koto (Japanese strings). 8. The album does not include synthesizers, which the band members were very proud of and noted on the album cover. 9. All four members contributed to the writing of the materials for the album. 10. This album produced the band's biggest hit " Bohemian Rhapsody ". 11. Freddie Mercury began writing The song in the late '60s. The name he gave it during the writing process was - "The Cowboy Song". 12. He also wrote all the roles of the various instruments for the song. The piano, bass, drums, and even the guitar. 13. The recordings lasted about three weeks and were held in August and September 1975. During the recordings, the band used no less than four different studios. 14. The vocal harmonies were the hardest to record, the band members testified that they would sometimes repeat the vocal parts for 10-12 hours a day. 15. The recording of musical instruments also took a long time and included a large number of channel uploads. 16. The piano that Freddie Mercury played on during the recording is the same piano that Paul McCartney played during the recording of the song "Hey Jude". 17. Despite the length of the song (about 6 minutes) and despite the record company's opposition to its release as a single, the song was very successful on radio stations and reached number one on various charts around the world. 18. Very ironically, the song with the title "Mama Mia" by "ABBA", managed to knock "Bohemian Rhapsody" from the top of the British chart. 19. The word "Scaramouche" in the song, refers to a clown in Italian literature. 20. The word "Beelzebub" in the poem, is attributed in Christian literature to the devil. 21. The word "Galileo" Mercury used in the song was a tribute to guitarist Brian May who is a doctor of astrophysics. 22. The name "Figaro" appeared in Rossini's opera "The Barber of Seville". 23. The word "Bismillah" is the first word in the Qur'an. 24. The famous video for the song was the band's first ever. It was created because the band did not want to appear on the British TV show "Top Of The Pops" live, since the song was too complex to perform live. 25. How complex was the production of this song? It had layers upon layers of musical and vocal channels, some say there were about 180 different overdubs to create the wonderful harmonies and the rich sound. 26. The video clip for the song was based on the "Queen II" album cover. 27. The "Queen II" album cover was based on the famous photograph of Marlene Dietrich. 28. The director of the clip was Bruce Gowers, it took him 3 hours to film it for 3,500 Pounds. 29. Freddie Mercury noted that the song "In the Lap of the Gods" from the album "Sheer Heart Attack" is the prologue to the song "Bohemian Rhapsody". 30. Following the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991 the song was released again as a single and this time too it reached number one in the music charts. 31. The song returned to the charts a year later following its inclusion in the soundtrack of the movie "Wayne's World" from 1992. This time it jumped straight to second place on Billboard. 32. The song reached the top of the charts for the fourth time in 2018, following the success of the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody". 33. In 2002 the song was voted in the "Guinness Book of World Records survey" as the first of all singles released in the UK ever. John Lennon's " Imagine " and the Beatles' "Hey Jude" came in second and third. 34. In 2012 the song was selected at the top of the list of songs with" the best vocal performance in rock" by "Rolling Stone magazine". 35. It also ranks 166th on the same magazine's "500 greatest songs" of all time list. 36. In 2000 it was selected in England, Israel, and other places in the world, as the Millennium song. 37. At the time of its release, "A Night At The Opera" was the band's most successful album, shooting straight to number one on the UK charts and holding the top spot for 4 weeks. 38. " Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to) " is a Freddie Mercury letter of hatred to the band's previous manager Norman Sheffield, who managed the band from 1972-1975. 39. Sheffield denied all the band's accusations against him, in a book he published in 2013 called: "Life on Two Legs: Set The Record Straight". 40. During the band's performances, Freddie Mercury used to open the song with an introduction by calling Norman "a real motherfucker of a gentleman." 41. " Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon " was written by Freddie Mercury about his love for the day of rest (Sunday) and what he likes to do on it. 42. This is the shortest song on the album. Only 1:07 in length. Mercury plays on piano and sings all vocals. 43. Freddie Mercury 's voice sounds like he's singing through a megaphone, but that's not the case. This effect was achieved by recording Mercury through headphones that were put inside a bucket and placed in a remote part of the studio, then recorded again for the vocal channel. 44. " I'm in Love with My Car " written by Roger Taylor , is one of the most famous in his entire catalog. 45. The song was written for Queen's stage worker Johnathan Harris, who was in love with his "Triumph TR4" car. This was also noted on the album cover with the following words: "Dedicated to Johnathan Harris, boy racer to the end". 46. The engine sound heard in the song is authentic. It's a recording of Roger Taylor 's Alfa Romeo car engine. 47. Taylor insisted that the song will be issued as the b-side for the " Bohemian Rhapsody " single and he locked himself in the closet until Freddie agreed. 48. Roger Taylor 's insistence paid off greatly, when he finally received royalties almost equal to those of Freddie Mercury for the hit "Bohemian Rhapsody." 49. " You're My Best Friend " was written by John Deacon to his wife Veronica Tetzlaff. 50. Deacon plays a song on an electric piano on which he learned to play right before to writing the song. 51. “ 39 ” was written by Brian May and was influenced a bit by Skiffle The song tells the story of a group of space explorers who set out on a one-year journey in space, but when they return to Earth they discover that 100 years have passed and that their loved ones have aged or passed away. 52. Brian May sings the song with background vocals by Freddie and Roger. John Deacon plays the double bass, which he learned to play on following a joke by Brian May who asked him to play the instrument, but did not really mean it. 53. The song " Sweet Lady " was written by Brian May who wanted to write a song with a strong riff on the rhythm of the typical 3/4 waltz. Roger Taylor noted that this is one of the songs he has the hardest time performing live due to the rhythm. 54. The (seemingly) instrumental piece starting at 0:51 in the song " Seaside Rendezvous " is performed entirely by the vocals of Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor , it does not use any instruments. 55. " The Prophet's Song " composed by Brian May , was influenced by a dream about the great flood in the days of Noah. 56. He wrote the song while he was ill during the recording of the album "Sheer Heart Attack". 57. This is Queen's longest song of all of its albums and is over 8 minutes long. 58. " Love Of My Life " was written and played by Freddie Mercury , with the addition of guitar by Brian May . The song was written for Mercury's girlfriend Mary Austin. May plays the villain harp in the song. 59. The jazzy song " Good Company " was written and sung by Brian May . He wrote the song on a banjo, but during the recording, he plays on the ukulele. 60. The cover of the British anthem " God Save the Queen " was first recorded by Brian May in 1974, before the tour that accompanied the album "Sheer Heart Attack". The recording was reworked with the addition of the guitars for the album. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On December 10, 2007, the three remaining members of "Led Zeppelin", Robert Plant , Jimmy Page , and John Paul Jones , accompanied by drummer Jason Bonham , son of John Bonham , went on stage at the "O2" in London for a one-off reunion show, in memory of Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun who signed the band and passed away a year earlier. It was the band's first full-length concert in over three decades, since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980. This show broke the Guinness record for the concert with the "highest demand for tickets for a single musical concert". Tickets were put up for sale via a lottery system on a website at £125 / £250, with all proceeds going to Ahmet's charity. As soon as the website was opened for sale, it has collapsed due to excess demand reaching 20 million requests for only 18,000 tickets. During the show, the band performed 16 songs, including the two encores, from the band's entire repertoire, with the exception of their latest studio album, " In Through The Out Door ". Two of the songs performed that night were played live in their entirety for the first time ever by the band: "Ramble On" and "For Your Life". In October 2012, the film "Celebration Day" documenting the event, was released. The film gives viewers who were not included among the 18,000 lucky ones, a chance to see the brilliant performance in the closest way to how it actually happened, since the band members wanted to make as few edits as possible and intervene as little as possible in the sound mix or the song list. The band members look and sound precise and cohesive, considering the fact that almost 40 years have passed since they last played a full show together on the same stage. Jimmy Page 's guitar work is amazing, despite the effect of age on his voice Robert Plant screams his soul into the classic songs and pushes them forward, and the quiet force - John Paul Jones as always amazes with his playing both on bass and keys. But above all, the crazy chemistry of the three with Jason Bonham should be noted. Jason stepped into his father's huge shoes and even challenged himself to raise the bar with some interesting and unique drum fills he concocted himself. Rumor has it that Jason listened to gigs and quite a few bootlegs, trying and emulate his father's versatile and powerful playing. This show was also released on a double album on November 19, 2012, to critical acclaim. For listening to the album: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

On November 19, 1982 "Led Zeppelin" released the album "Coda". It is the ninth and final studio album—and their first compilation album of "Led Zeppelin", released two years after John Bonham ’s tragic death in 1980 and the band’s subsequent dissolution. "Coda" is a passage that ends a musical piece following the main body, and therefore was chosen as the album title. The original album contains a collection of eight rejected and live tracks spanning their twelve-year career that were not released before. it offers fans a chance to explore the band's lesser-known material while providing a retrospective glimpse into their stylistic evolution. Guitarist Jimmy Page explained the motivation behind the release as related to the popularity of unofficial "Led Zeppelin" recordings: “Coda was released, basically, because there was so much bootleg stuff out. We thought, ‘Well, if there’s that much interest, then we may as well put the rest of our studio stuff out.’” While not a cohesive studio album, "Coda" serves as a posthumous celebration of "Led Zeppelin's" immense talent and creativity, even if it doesn’t reach the heights of their classic records. The album opens up with "We’re Gonna Groove" (live) and a punchy, high-energy performance. Originally written by James Bethea and Ben E. King in 1960, this track captures "Zeppelin" at their live best. Originally recorded for " Led Zeppelin II ", it showcases John Bonham 's dynamic drumming and Jimmy Page ’s fiery guitar licks, making it an exhilarating introduction. No wonder the band used to open their shows with it in the early of 1970. "Poor Tom" (outtake) comes right after with a folky, acoustic-driven number recorded during the " Led Zeppelin III " sessions, this song highlights the band’s softer, blues-inspired side. Robert Plant ’s plaintive vocals and harmonica playing and Bonham’s nimble shuffle on the drums make it a hidden gem. "I Can’t Quit You Baby" (Soundcheck Recording) is not a live rehearsal take and was actually recorded live in 1970. This Willie Dixon classic emphasizes "Zeppelin’s" early affinity for raw, bluesy jams. Page’s solos and Plant’s impassioned delivery evoke the spirit of their formative years. "Walter’s Walk" (outtake) was recorded during the " Houses of the Holy " sessions, this hard-rocking track combines a propulsive rhythm section with Plant’s charismatic vocals. This track started as an improvisation part during "Dazed and Confused" on the band performances. The second side of the vinyl opens with "Ozone Baby" (outtake). A playful rocker from the " In Through The Out Door " sessions, with boasts infectious riffs and an upbeat vibe. "Darlene" (outtake) is a piano-driven boogie tune that reflects "Zeppelin’s" versatility. It was also recorded from the " In Through The Out Door " sessions. John Paul Jones shines on keyboards, while Bonham’s drumming adds a steady groove, creating a track that feels both fresh and nostalgic. "Bonzo’s Montreux" Is a drum solo piece recorded by John Bonham in 1976 layered with effects by Page. This track serves as a tribute to his unparalleled skills. "Wearing and Tearing" (outtake) closing the album with a furious punk-inspired energy. Recorded in 1978 during the punk revolution it proves "Zeppelin" wasn’t afraid to embrace the changing musical landscape of the late '70s. It is interesting to note that the 1993 compact disc edition has four additional tracks. " Baby Come On Home " (outtake from " Led Zeppelin " sessions), " Travelling Riverside Blues " (live), " White Summer/Black Mountain Side " (live) and " Hey, Hey, What Can I Do " (B-side of the "Immigrant Song" single). The deluxe 2015 super deluxe edition feature bonus material containing alternative takes and previously unreleased songs like: " If It Keeps On Raining " ("When the Levee Breaks", rough mix), " Sugar Mama " (" Led Zeppelin " outtake), " Four Hands " ("Four Sticks", Bombay Orchestra), " St. Tristan's Sword " (rough mix, " Led Zeppelin  III " outtake), and " Desire " ("The Wanton Song", rough mix) and more. Coda is, at its core, a patchwork of material from various points in "Led Zeppelin’s" career. As such, it lacks the cohesion and thematic ambition of their studio albums. However, it succeeds as a testament to the band’s versatility and mastery across genres, from blues and folk to hard rock and experimental percussion. As it's name implies it is a final farewell from a band whose influence continues to shape rock music and serves as a fitting epilogue to a legendary career. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website

A Sneak Peek... And this time .. "Joe's Garage" Frank Zappa 's Triple Studio Album which was released on September 17, 1979 (Act I) and November 19, 1979 (Acts II & III). This is a concept album, a kind of rock opera, which tells a crazy and imaginative story that includes harsh criticism against American culture, the pursuit of money, consumer culture, censorship and restriction of freedom of speech, especially in music, church, Scientology and more. The lyrics express protests on topics such as the phenomenon of Groupies, fetishism, youth bands, sexually transmitted diseases, American "junk" culture and "wet T-shirt" contests, the attitude of music companies towards artist and more. The plot tells the story of Joe, a good US boy mowing the neighbors' lawn, who suddenly discovers rock music. At the beginning of the album, in the first act, we are introduced to the narrator of the album, who tells us of the bad effects of music on man ( Central Scrutinizer ). We meet Joe, a singer in a band who spends hours in the garage and plays the guitar to the displeasure of the neighbors, who have often called the police to his house ( Joe's Garage ). Joe becomes a talented guitarist, he falls in love with Mary, a ( Catholic Girl ) who becomes a groupie of the rock band "Toad-O", she queues after them and sleeps with all the band members on the band bus ( Crew Slut ), until they leave her in Miami exhausted and destitute. In her attempt to raise money to return home, she participates in a "wet T-shirt" contest ( T-Shirt Nite ) and when Joe hears about her exploits he sleeps with a waitress named Lucille ( Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up ) and contracted a sexually transmitted disease from her, but claims he contracted it from the toilet seat ( Why Does It Hurt When I Pee? ). Joe turns to "Appliantology" (Scientology only one that worships appliances) ( A Token of My Extreme ). To achieve his sexual satisfaction he comes to the "closet" club where people have sex with home appliances. He falls in love with an expensive robot ( Stick It Out ) Joe is unable to stop himself and in a sex climax, he destroys the expensive robot ( Sy Borg ) and cannot pay for the damage. He is subsequently thrown in jail and meets other inmates, some of whom are in jail for music-related offenses ( Dong Work for Yuda ). Among them he meets John the bold - "King of the Plookers" and then he is raped in prison ( Keep It Greasey ). When he comes out of prison ( Outside Now ) he discovers that the music has been banned. He starts dreaming about playing guitar but then his neighbor interrupts his dreaming ( He Used to Cut the Grass ). Joe also sees in his dream his girlfriend Mary giving a lecture ( Packard Goose ). He deals with his depression in a kind of guided imagery of a guitar solo he hears in his head ( Watermelon in Easter Hay ), with the piece serving as a sort of farewell to the music as Joe chooses to move on with his life. In the epilogue song ( A Little Green Rosetta ), Joe gives up music, plays his imaginary guitar, and gets a "good job" at the "Utility Muffin Research Kitchen" (a reference to Zappa's personal studio). Later The "Central Scrutinizer" gives up the megaphone. He sings the last song on the album in his usual voice and joins a long musical number, when the song becomes chaotic we get the proof that music is dangerous ... There is no doubt that one of the mesmerizing tracks on this album is " Watermelon in Easter Hay ". An amazing segment of over 9 minutes in length, which although relatively repetitive and almost monotonous is particularly moving and absolutely not boring. The full name of the piece is "Playing a Guitar Solo With This Band is Like Trying To Grow a Watermelon in Easter Hay" and at least according to Dweezil Zappa Frank Zappa 's son this is the best solo his father ever played. It is interesting to note that Zappa planned a cinematic version of the concept album in light of the success of the cinematic adaptations of the rock operas " Tommy " and " The Wall ", but this did not materialize. For Listening: Spotify , Apple Music "Face/Off" - Israel's Rock Blog Follow us on Facebook  / Instagram  or Subscribe to our website