// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the poozy say? It was crappy company.
| Poozy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 June 1969 | |||
| Studio | Kolinor Studios | |||
| Genre | Israeli rock | |||
| Length | 43:00 | |||
| Language | Hebrew | |||
| Label | Phonokol | |||
| Producer | Misha Segal | |||
| Arik Einstein chronology | ||||
| ||||
Poozy (Hebrew: פוזי) is the third solo studio album by Israeli singer Arik Einstein, released on 24 June 1969 on Phonokol. It is often considered to be the first Israeli rock album or one of the first, after The High Windows.[1][2][3] It has also been ranked in publication listings of the greatest Israeli albums of all time.[4]
After the release, a legal dispute between Einstein and CBS Israel Records over whether Einstein violated his contractual obligations, but the case was dropped.
Background and songs
[edit]Arik Einstein recruited composer Misha Segal to help with composing songs for Poozy, and not long afterwards, he recruited the Churchills as the main backing band for the album.[2][3]
There are a total of 11 songs on Poozy, each with its own specific musical style and genre.[2][3] Of these 11 songs, 8 were written by Yehonatan Geffen, a newcomer in the Israeli music industry at the time, and Einstein himself, while the remaining 3 were written by Shalom Hanoch, children's author Miriam Yalan-Shteklis, and Yiddish poet Itzik Manger.[2][3]
"Achinoam Doesn't Know" was a Hebrew-language adaptation of the Churchills' song When You're Gone by Robb Huxley, with the song's original composition being softened per Einstein's request.[5] The Hebrew lyrics were provided by Yehonatan Geffen, and the title came about from Geffen's own difficulties when writing the lyrics.[5]
"You're Not Pretty when You Cry" was composed by Shmulik Kraus specifically for the album, and its lyrics were written quickly by Geffen due to Kraus' oversight of his writing process.[5]
"Prague" was written and composed by Shalom Hanoch and was inspired by the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.[2][3][5] It debuted in the 1969 Israel Song Festival, where it was received poorly and finished in 7th place due to its subject matter.[2][5][6][7]
"We had Good Times, we had Bad Times" is a Hebrew language adaptation of the Beatles' song The Ballad of John and Yoko, with lyrics by Einstein himself.[1][8]
"Dwarves Scuttled & Ran" was one of Kraus' first musical adaptations of children's author Miriam Yalan-Shteklis's poems, having been composed back in 1961.[5]
"So Warm" featured a bassline inspired by Paul McCartney's basslines on songs such as A Day in the Life and Hey Jude.[5]
"Girl Drawing" featured an opening influenced by Simon & Garfunkel's 1968 song Mrs. Robinson.[5]
"Abraham and Sarah" was the first song that Einstein requested for Misha to compose for the album.[2] Originally, a Yiddish poem written for a musical by Itzik Manger, Misha composed it to the beat of the Beatles' 1968 song Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, per Einstein's own request.[2][5]
"Once upon a time" was changed during the recording of the album to be a tribute to the then recently deceased pianist Ziggy Skrabnic, who had died in 1967 due to cancer.[9][10] It is a near 8 minute long psychedelic rock song about a fantasy kingdom, wherein the king is Ziggy.[9][10]
The tile "Poozy" is the nickname of Arik's first wife, Alona Einstein.[11] Einstein's daughter, Shiri, appears in the photograph on the album cover sitting on her father's lap.
Reception and legacy
[edit]Poozy released on 24 June 1969 on Phonokol.[2] It received critical acclaim from critics, who praised its musical direction and songs.[12][13] In particular, critics praised the last two songs on the album for broadening Einstein's musical depth.[12] After its release, a legal dispute emerged between CBS Israel Records and Einstein over alleged violation of contractual obligations. During the lawsuit, CBS filed a cease-and-desist to prevent the release of Poozy, but it was cancelled after the case was dropped.[14][15]
Poozy is considered to be the first Israeli rock album and has been called the Israeli equivalent of The White Album.[1][2][3] It has also been ranked in publication listings of the greatest Israeli albums of all time.[4]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Achinoam Doesn't Know" | Yehonatan Geffen | Robb Huxley | 3:22 |
| 2. | "You're Not Pretty when You Cry" | Yehonatan Geffen | Shmulik Kraus | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Prague" | Shalom Hanoch | Shalom Hanoch | 5:07 |
| 4. | "We had good times, we had bad times." (Hebrew language adaptation of The Ballad of John and Yoko) | Arik Einstein | Lennon-McCartney | 2:40 |
| 5. | "Dwarves Scuttled & Ran" | Miriam Yalan-Shteklis | Shmulik Kraus | 2:52 |
| 6. | "Eretz Israel" | Arik Einstein | Shmulik Kraus | 3:58 |
| Total length: | 21:25 | |||
All music is composed by Misha Segal.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Warm" | Arik Einstein | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Love Life Of Aliza The Dog" | Yehonatan Geffen | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Girl Drawing" | Yehonatan Geffen | 3:04 |
| 4. | "Abraham and Sarah" (Translated by Benjamin Tene) | Itzik Manger | 3:47 |
| 5. | "Once Upon a Time (For Ziggy)" | Arik Einstein | 7:45 |
| Total length: | 21:35 (43:00) | ||
Personnel
[edit]- Arik Einstein – vocals, lyrics (Tracks 4, 6, 7, and 11)
- Stan Solomon – record engineering
- Misha Segal – piano, composing, arrangement, musical production
- Shalom Hanoch – backup vocals, lyrics (Track 3), arrangement (Track 2)
- Miki Gavrielov – bass guitar, backup vocals, arrangement (Track 4)
- Robb Huxley – guitar, backup vocals
- Haim Romano – guitar
- Shmulik Aroch – guitar solo on track 11, bass guitar
- Arale Kaminsky – congas (track 9), drums
- Ami Treibtsch – drums
- Yaakov Nagar – Hammond organ
- Ziggy Skrabnic – piano (track 11, archival recording)
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Dubnov, Arie M. (2015). "The Missing Beat Generation: Coming of Age and Nostalgism in Arik Einstein's Music". Jewish Social Studies. 21 (1): 49–88. doi:10.2979/jewisocistud.21.1.02. ISSN 0021-6704.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "המהפכה הגדולה של אריק איינשטיין: 50 שנה ל"פוזי", אלבום הרוק הראשון בעברית" [Arik Einstein's Great Revolution: 50th anniversary of "Poozy", the first Hebrew rock album.]. www.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "האלבום הלבן שלנו - וואלה תרבות" [Our own White Album]. וואלה (in Hebrew). 27 December 2009. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- 1 2 "100 האלבומים הישראלים הטובים" [100 Greatest Israeli Albums of all Time]. ynet (in Hebrew). 30 September 2005. Archived from the original on 18 June 2025. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "שיר שחלמתי - וואלה תרבות" [A Song that I dreamed up]. וואלה (in Hebrew). 28 December 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ↑ "שביבים" [Fragments] (in Hebrew). 5 June 1969.
- ↑ ""שיר שחלמתי ,, על פראג " [A Song I dreamt about Prague]. www.nli.org.il (in Hebrew). 20 August 1969. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ↑ "היה לנו טוב נהיה לנו רע - וואלה חדשות" [We had Good Times, we had Bad Times]. וואלה (in Hebrew). 29 December 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- 1 2 "שאגת האריק - וואלה תרבות" [The Arik Insanity]. וואלה (in Hebrew). 30 December 2009. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- 1 2 "חברים מספרים על זיגי" [Friends tell stories about Ziggy]. 9 January 1970.
- ↑ אריק איינשטיין: זו אותה האהבה, ביוגרפיה בראשי פרקים (בצירוף דיס), Daniela De-Nur Publishers, 2006, p. 161.
- 1 2 "הזמר שמצא את דרכו" [The Singer Who Found His Way]. 29 December 1969.
- ↑ "תקליטים" [Records]. 14 December 1969.
- ↑ "לפזמונים יש גם צלילים צורמים" [Sometimes songs have harsh sounds]. 11 December 1969.
- ↑ "צו המניעה נגד אריק איינשטיין בוטל" [The cease-and-desist against Arik Einstein has been cancelled].
