Lazer Beams

Heavy Metal makes Tshuva

With Hashem's help, we try to make the weekend Beams fun and exciting. This week is no exception. Here's a sneak peek of a super-special surprise on the way.

Avraham Abutboul is Israel's Leonard Cohen, tshuva style. Recently, I discovered that he's just as versatile in heavy rock as he is in ballads. In fact, as you're about to hear, he shows just how exciting Israel's BT music can be.

David Katzav, one of Israel's finest audio technicians, a Baal Tshuva and also a Breslever that learns half-day at Rav Shalom Arush's kollel, works in the same studio that records for Avraham Aboutbul and for me. While working on Avraham's new song, "Emuna", David felt that something was missing; between the vibes, he dubbed in portions of Lazer Brody CDs. "I'm sure Lazer won't mind," David told Avraham, "we need to put some more tshuva in it...it's got to be dynamite!"

Back cover of "Ha'er Li Mishom" (Illuminate Me from There) by Avraham Abutbul, to be released G-d willing a few days before Rosh Hashanah in Uman

Yours truly makes his unwitting rock debut on tracks 10 and 11. Listen to an awesome sample of "Emuna" right here : Be patient for a minute while it downloads, and then I guarantee that you won't be able to listen to it for one time only.

Avraham Abutboul will be making a whole lot of people happier with this new CD; he'll probably be making fifty or sixty thousand Baal Tshuvas with it, too. Have a good time.

ReJewVenated

The only thing more exciting than the terrific name "ReJewVenated" and the exquisite album graphics is the music inside Lenny Solomon's newly-released CD; like fine wine, Lenny just gets better and better.

If your Yiddishkeit (Judaism) feels a little anemic and your praying, your learning, or your mitzva observance lacks zip, you have to get this CD - it's ReJewVenating for sure.

Oftentimes, musicians put out a CD with a shlagger (hit tune) or two, but on ReJewVenated, everything is quality. "The Shaliach Song" is Lenny's poignant tribute to the Chabad emissaries around the world. "Samson's Flowing Hair" and "I'll be Sending out the Dove" will keep you humming all day long. "Promised Land", a parody on the Allman Brothers' "Ramblin' Man", is special for us Jewish down-homers. Lenny put Bob Seger's "Mary Lou Gettin' Out Tonight" through an orthodox conversion, and she became "Every Jew's Gettin' on the Flight" - it boogies!

Track #4 is a special surprise.

Lenny's website has a special going on all his disks - $10.99 instead of the over-the-counter $12.99. For ReJewVenated, I twisted Lenny's arm into knocking off another special discount for LazerBeams readers - only $9.99! Go for it, you won't regret it.

Keep smiling, keep singing, and keep those feet tappin'. Hashem loves when we're happy and having a good time, so let's get ReJewVenated now!