Record Reviews

BLACKFIELD ~ BLACKFIELD (ISRAELI EDITION) HELICON 8199 (Barcode: 7293627819923) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2003 - 2004 Released: 2004 BlackfieldFind albums by this artist is a cooperation project between Israeli Rock star Aviv Geffen and Porcupine Tree`s leader Steven Wilson. 18 months in the making, with both of them frequently flying between Tel-Aviv & London, finally the album is out to the delight of many fans. The material is mostly co-written by Geffen / Wilson and consists of some beautiful Rock songs spiced with modern psychedelia (a la PT), sung by Wilson. Since both artists are master tune craftsmen, you know what to expect - a real treat!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

BLACKFIELD ~ II (ISRAELI EDITION) HELICON 8276 (Barcode: 7293627827621) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 2nd album by Israeli / UK group which combines the forces of Israeli rocker Aviv Geffen and Porcupine Tree’s leader Steven Wilson. The album was recorded over several months between Tel-Aviv and London and released exactly three years after their sensational debut. The two leaders spread their responsibilities, each doing what he knows best. Geffen wrote 7 of the 10 songs present here and Wilson the other 3. Wilson takes all the vocal leads, except on one song, plays guitar and takes care of mixing and production. The music is a direct continuation of the direction the group took on the debut album, with solid songwriting and concise 4 minutes long songs arranged as a continuous flow of music almost like a concept album. String arrangements and keyboards provide a (mostly) melancholic background and Wilson’s guitar tastefully fills the spaces. Geffen’s songwriting is getting better and more refined with time, loosing some of the youthful rebellion that characterized his early days, replaced by distinct bitterness and melancholy. Overall a beautiful album worthy of repeated listening and growing on the listener with time. A most welcome follow-up to the debut and as usual already making all the fans waiting for the next one. Note: The Israeli Edition is packaged in a plastic jewel case wrapped in a carton slipcase. The musical content is identical to the International Edition.

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

BLACKFIELD ~ NYC: BLACKFIELD LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY K-SCOPE 055 (Barcode: 636551505574) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 1st DVD release by BlackfieldFind albums by this artist, the cooperation band of Israeli singer / composer Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist and Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist’s leader Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist. Following the release of their 2 first albums (2003 & 2006) the band achieved wide international acclaim and became one of the most successful performing acts in Europe and the US. Geffen’s unique talent as a composer of deeply lyrical songs and Wilson’s skills as guitarist and arranger turned their music into a highly sophisticated Rock with strong ties to Prog and Alternative Rock. As good as their studio work is, Blackfield’s true forte is the power the band displays on stage, as documented here. The early lineup of the live Blackfield included sometimes Porcupine Tree’s players, but in time a steady all Israeli (except Wilson of course) lineup emerged, which is featured here. As Israel is truly blessed with a whole new generation of extremely talented musicians, this is hardly surprising. Just watch the excellent work by keyboards player Eran MitelmanFind albums by this artist, bassist Seffy EfratiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomer ZFind albums by this artist to confirm this. The music includes mostly a selection of material from the two albums, with Alanis MorisetteFind albums by this artist’s “Thank You” being the only non-Blackfield song included. The performance is overall electrifying and extremely well done, so both hardcore Blackfield fans and all newcomers to the band’s music should enjoy this DVD immensely. Bonus material includes the wonderful 3 clips filmed for the 3 singles from the debut album, directed by Lasse HoileFind albums by this artist. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS, 107 minutes. NTSC

DVD 1 Recommend To A Friend

CARAVAN ~ IN THE LAND OF GREY AND PINK (40TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION) DERAM 533316 (Barcode: 600753331613) ~ UK ~ Canterbury Scene Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2011 This is the 3rd album by CaravanFind albums by this artist, the ultimate Canterbury Scene band which defined the Prog sub-genre and laid out its musical boundaries. Guitarist Pye HastingsFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dave SinclairFind albums by this artist, bassist Richard SinclairFind albums by this artist and drummer Richard CoughlanFind albums by this artist were not only superb players but also revolutionary composers, creating music which was new and completely different from anything else on earth. Aided by flautist / saxophonist Jimmy HastingsFind albums by this artist, the band recorded this masterpiece, which remains their best effort in a long and illustrious career. The original album is an iconic singularity as far as giant steps in music development are concerned and it still is an absolutely essential listening experience. This new edition expands even further the 2001 expanded edition, including BBC sessions, previously unreleased demos and alternate versions and a DVD with 5.1 Surround Sound mixes of the album by Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (of Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist and BlackfieldFind albums by this artist fame) and TV video material. If any album deserves such a royal treatment, this is it, so enjoy every minute of it as there are certainly many minutes to be enjoyed. Beyond essential!

2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

AVIV GEFFEN ~ HOLLOWED HED ARZI 15942 (Barcode: 7293372594229) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1998 Released: 1998 6th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

AVIV GEFFEN ~ JOURNEY HELICON 8184 (Barcode: 7293627818421) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2000 Released: 2000 8th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

AVIV GEFFEN ~ LIVE HELICON 8287 (Barcode: 7293627828727) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 11th album by Israeli Rock legend Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (13th if one counts the two BlackfieldFind albums by this artist albums), and his first edition of live material, which in many respects serves as a summary of his 15 years on the scene. Geffen, much as his father Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist before him, was always at the epicenter of both the Israeli musical and political scenes. His early-days rebel behavior, anti-establishment protest and mannerisms created a huge public debate in Israeli in the early 1990s, but his popularity with the Israeli teens was sky-high. The peak of Geffen’s political involvement was reached when he publicly reconciled with Israeli Priminister Itzhak RabinFind albums by this artist, following Rabin’s dramatic peace efforts, which unfortunately happened shortly before Rabin was assassinated. In time Geffen withdrew from political involvement and public life (other than concerts) and in parallel also became more introvert as musician and lyricist. The themes of his songs changed from protest and rebellion to soul-searching and metaphysical journeys. Since 2003 Geffen lives mostly in London, where he met and befriended Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist), which led to the creation of their group Blackfield, and where he tries to develop his international career free from the restrictions imposed by the local Israeli scene. This Box Set includes two CDs recorded live during the summer of 2007. The songs – all written and composed by Geffen – span his entire career, with the older material appropriately rearranged and updated musically. Accompanied by a great band, which includes some of Israel’s best rockers, Geffen delivers his songs with passion and great stage presence. Although not a refined singer (some might even say a poor singer), his charisma and musicality transcend his limitations, as it does in many other cases in Rock music. Overall the delivery is very effective and these two disks summarize Geffen’s career to date perfectly. A couple of new songs, previously unrecorded, are also featured. The enclosed DVD is a great treat to Geffen fans, as it includes 21 video clips and live performances filmed between 1992 and 2008, none of which were previously commercially available. A beautiful booklet with the lyrics of all the songs (in Hebrew) and some nice photographs is also included. I can hardly imagine a better tribute to an artist’s career than this Box Set, which should delight all his numerous fans in Israel as well as abroad.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

2CD+DVD 3 Recommend To A Friend

AVIV GEFFEN ~ MEMENTO MORI HELICON 8213 (Barcode: 7293627821322) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2001 Released: 2002 9th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

AVIV GEFFEN ~ WHITE NIGHTS HED ARZI 64034 (Barcode: 7293372403408) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1999 Released: 1999 7th album. Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well) is the Israeli `rebel` poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not aschew any controversy, slaughtering `holy cows` by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. As of 2002 Aviv lives part time in London, where he met Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist, leading to their common BlackfieldFind albums by this artist project.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

AVIV GEFFEN ~ WITH THE TIME (SPECIAL EDITION) HELICON 8266 (Barcode: 7293627826624) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006 10th album by Aviv GeffenFind albums by this artist (son of Jonathan GeffenFind albums by this artist, who is a prominent figure in Israeli music as well), the Israeli “rebel” poet, songwriter and singer. His lyrics are provocative and sharp like a knife and he does not eschew any controversy, slaughtering “holy cows” by the herd. He is a gifted composer, able to write both rocky songs and beautiful lyrical ballads. He became an instant star with the Israeli teenagers, but as the years passed by his message sank deeply in the Israeli society, mainly due to the many political issues he touches upon. The music becomes much more refined over the years. Since 2003 Aviv co-leads with Steven WilsonFind albums by this artist (Porcupine TreeFind albums by this artist) the group BlackfieldFind albums by this artist, which managed to achieve huge international success, following the release of their debut album in 2004. Over four years since his last solo album Aviv finally unveils his new material, which is a direct continuation of his previous work Memento MoriFind albums with this title. Deeply lyrical and rather somber, but with excellent melody lines and a well developed artistic approach. Wilson provides some backing vocals and a strong cast of musicians supports the singer. The Special Edition includes a 10-songs bonus CD assembled especially for this project. Limited Edition

CD 2 Slipcase Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend