Record Reviews

SHLOMO ARTZI ~ A PLACE HED ARZI 14931 ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1982 Released: 1991 Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. It was followed up by the brilliant albums "WaysFind albums with this title" and "MidnightFind albums with this title", which were true giant steps in Artzi´s "Golden Age". This, his next album, is unusual in many respects, since it features 4 songs (out of 11) not composed by Artzi and returns to using poems as the song´s lyrics (again by Natan YonatanFind albums by this artist and Shaul TchernichovskyFind albums by this artist and a few others). As the album´s title suggest, the subject matter is the land of Israel, its vistas and people and their lives and feelings. The album is a transitional stage between the first phase of his successful career and the next one, which will be much more personal and intimate. Again brilliantly arranged and played by Israel´s best musicians, this is a delicate and wonderful album. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!

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SHLOMO ARTZI ~ HE LOST HIS WAY… HED ARZI 14718 ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1977 Released: 1991 Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of this album, which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. After several years of flirting with commercial music, Artzi decided to record an album, which was "truly him", with 7 of the 8 songs composed by him and 4 of the 8 lyrics written by him (the other being by Israeli poets Natan YonatanFind albums by this artist and Shaul TchernichovskyFind albums by this artist). He also enlisted some of the best Israeli musicians to accompany him on this album, including the excellent guitarist Gary EcksteinFind albums by this artist. The resulting album was a milestone of Israeli Rock and was met both with critical and popular acclaim. It is therefore often referred as the 1st Shlomo Artzi album, which of course is true in some sense, but not factually accurate. Of course every Artzi album from this point onward is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!

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SHLOMO ARTZI ~ MIDNIGHT HED ARZI 14822 (Barcode: 7293372482229) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1981 Released: 1991 Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. It was followed up by the brilliant album "WaysFind albums with this title", which was the first true giant step in Artzi´s "Golden Age" and remains one of his strongest to date, a definite, serious artistic statement in every respect. This, the follow up album, is very much a continuation of the style and approach established by its predecessor, with all 9 songs being composed and written by Artzi. It has a strong Jazz-Rock influence, which is emphasized by the presence of a brass section and the brilliant guitar work by Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist and exceptional (as always) flute parts by Shem Tov LevyFind albums by this artist. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!

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SHLOMO ARTZI ~ RESTLESS NIGHT HED ARZI 15150 (Barcode: 7293372151507) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1985 Released: 1991 Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. It was followed up by the brilliant albums "WaysFind albums with this title" and "MidnightFind albums with this title", which were true giant steps in Artzi´s career, and then by an intimate album "A PlaceFind albums with this title". The explosive phase in his career started with the release of his album "DanceFind albums with this title", which presented a mature and brilliant Rock singer / songwriter, unrivaled on the local scene by no other. This album follows in the steps of its predecessor and features another superb collection of original songs, all written by Artzi, which are brilliantly performed. At this stage Artzi started to perform live shows for massive audiences and was soon nicknamed "the King" of Israeli Rock, and rightly so. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

SHLOMO ARTZI ~ WAYS HED ARZI 14751 (Barcode: 7293372475122) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1979 Released: 1991 Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. This album followed up in the footsteps of the breakthrough release and is therefore often referred to as the 2nd Shlomo Artzi album, which of course is true in some sense, but not factually accurate. Here Artzi offers 9 brilliant songs, all composed by him, with 7 of the songs also having his lyrics. Brilliantly arranged and performed, the album is the first true giant step in Artzi´s "Golden Age" and remains one of his strongest to date. It is a definite, serious artistic statement in every respect. Special mention should go to the brilliant guitar work by Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend