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Shame on you all. So, what do you guys think? Is there anyone at all who can say they don't like them? Why does Jeff Beck's work in this band blow away both Clapton and Page? How was their performance in that one movie they were in?

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:31 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

If you mean their scene in "Blow Up," it's pretty cool. My take on it is that Antonioni didn't get rock 'n' roll at all -- he liked it (or maybe hated it, can't tell) because it was noisy and (he thought) angry, and he filmed the scene that way. A bunch of swinging London types standing around like zombies, being bombarded by this crazy white noise. But of course, the Yardbirds weren't just noisy and angry, they were also fun, and they were tapped into a whole blues thing that (I'm guessing) just completely went over Antonoioni's head. So you get this weird scene where the music is being presented one way by the filmmaker and a totally different way by the band actually playing it.

As for the band, I got an anthology out of the library once and decided that "For Your Love" was, in fact, their best song. Nothing against 'em, and the Beck/Clapton/Page pedigree is impressive -- but guitars aside, I'll take the Animals.

― Jesse Fox (Jesse Fox), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:40 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

Is it just me, or is "I'm a Man", like, the GREATEST fucking song ever?

― Evan (Evan), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:43 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

they do tend to be one of the "seminal" sixties bands that tends to get overlooked, aren't they? including by myself -- don't know much about them except the big songs.

"for your love" and "shapes of things" are both really interesting, musically -- "fyl" for that harpsichord and the drums that sound almost middle-eastern or indian, then the chunky mid-section where jeff beck just riffs like a motherfucker, then back to the more delicate harpsichord-and-drums; "shapes of things" with its really pompous almost-martial beat -- and the "freak out" guitar in the middle and end (though it's marred by really clunky lyrics). both must have sounded really weird to people when they come out and compared to everything else on the radio (which may be why they have a reputation?) i also vaguely remember "you're a better man than i."

that's about it afa the yardbirds go.

― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:47 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

Is it just me, or is "I'm a Man", like, the GREATEST fucking song ever?

No, it's not just you. Lester Bangs thought so, too.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:48 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

I've tried, but I can't go any deeper into their repetoire than the hits and still be impressed.

I almost feel like I'm being kept out of an exclusive club. "How come everyone else likes it and I don't?" kind of thing...

― paul cox (paul cox), Monday, 31 March 2003 03:50 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

I heart the Yardbirds in general, but I've been digging on the Page-era four-piece line-up for awhile. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor" is a terrific pop song.

That guitar break in "Happenings Ten Years Times Ago" is still amazing.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Monday, 31 March 2003 05:05 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

They still play in the Eeel Pie club, and elsewhere. I think McCarty and Dreja are still in them.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Monday, 31 March 2003 06:07 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

They were fucking amazing; the tops. I need to go to bed but it needed to be said. I'll contribute more later. "Still I'm Sad" was just audacious. Their version of "Train Kept A-Rollin" was a total paean to electricity. All the guitarists were great, but the Beck era was definitely the best. Keith Relf was pretty technically inferior to most of his contemporaries, but he had a personality and sense of humor that they couldn't match. Anyway, strange and interesting band; weird trajectory; great records.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Monday, 31 March 2003 06:33 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

If the Beatles didnt invent (re-invent) it then the Yardbirds did. few finer bands exist.

― girl scout heroin (iamamonkey), Monday, 31 March 2003 11:31 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

Probably the most inaptly named band ever, I can't imagine J Page shanking someone or fighting off shower-room booty bandits. Notice he stopped behaving himself soon after hiring J Bonham and P Grant

― dave q, Monday, 31 March 2003 12:22 (fifteen years ago) Permalink

one year passes...

The Yardbird's discography has been a mess, which is probably one reason they are not as heard as some other 60s bands. Their albums came out in multiple versions, were reissued with poor masters and until recently compilations never covered the entire part of their career.

The Rhino 2cd collection called The Ultimate! is quite good. You can really tell when Page starts playing guitar in the band in the collection. The early blues tracks sound as much like the prototype for Nuggets garage rock as The Stones.

The Animals were great up until Alan Price left the band. The psychedelic Animals are pretty corny, you have to wonder what Burdon was thinking with those songs like "Monterrey" and "SF Nights".

― earlnash, Thursday, 29 April 2004 19:00 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

'Probably the most inaptly named band ever, I can't imagine J Page shanking someone or fighting off shower-room booty bandits. Notice he stopped behaving himself soon after hiring J Bonham and P Grant'

Errrr...so what does it mean *exactly*?

― Worried ilXor, Thursday, 29 April 2004 21:52 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

nine months pass...

revive!

i completely forgot that i inherited the "little games" single (b/w puzzles) from my mother and was digging around in my 7" collection today. this band rules. can someone tell me where to go from here?

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 5 February 2005 16:41 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Wow, this isn't really the only Yardbirds thread on here is it? If you like the Little Games single, might as well get the Little Games album but if you really have nothing, start with Roger the Engineer.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 5 February 2005 16:46 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

cool, thanks!

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 5 February 2005 16:47 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

don't know what's currently available, but...
Roger the Engineer LP for the best of the Jeff Beck Years
Greatest Hits Vol. 1 for the earlier classix
first disc of the Beck box set has a nice Yardbirds selection
avoid the early 90s Sony Special Products double-CD sets.

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Saturday, 5 February 2005 16:50 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Actually, if you can find it cheap (and if you didn't already have the LP) the Little Games double CD is a good way to get that album plus some other really good tracks.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 5 February 2005 16:55 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

the only thing i have of the yardbirds is the aforementioned 45 with "little games". so i think ill check out that single's full-length [perhaps the double cd version] first and then go from there.

everyone's been really helpful so far!

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 5 February 2005 17:10 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Beware that the original Little Games album is spotty, though. Like I say, the double CD, if you can find it cheap, is good because you get all of the good tracks from the Page era. Roger the Engineer was a better album than Little Games, though.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 5 February 2005 17:15 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

excellent.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 5 February 2005 17:18 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I don't know if a double CD of Little Games is where I would start. Even the single CD is full of lots of skippable bonus tracks.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Saturday, 5 February 2005 17:51 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Interesting...I think that their reputation was maybe higher in the late '60s and early '70s, as they were one of the first true psychedelic-type blues bands..."Shapes of Things" was a pretty revolutionary single for its time, all that. I don't know why they're somewhat overlooked these days. Certainly better than the Pretty Things--a '60s-beat-group-obsessed pal of mine burned me pretty much all their stuff recently, and I can't really get into it...a few things are nice, but it just seems unfocused to me, and "SF Sorrow" has got to be one of the more overrated so-called "forgotten '60s classix" I can think of. So I guess there were a lot of bands like them and the Yardbirds who did some cool stuff but overall, spotty--the Pretty Things seem deficient in both pop sense and in power, somehow, whereas the Yardbirds seem a bit diffuse to me, except for maybe a half-dozen great tracks...but "Shapes of Things" is sure great, I just heard this new Chris Stamey record with Yo La Tengo on which they cover it, and it's pretty much impossible to screw up...

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:04 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

"the Pretty Things seem deficient in both pop sense and in power"

YIKES, sorry, no way. did you listen to their earlier pre-psych stuff as well. (not that i don't think s.f. & parachute and all the singles and b-sides from that period aren't plenty catchy/poppy and powerful as well, i do, but the early daze as beat/r&b powerhouse is when they truly made a name for themselves and were ripped off by everyone and their mother.)

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:08 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

oh, and i love the yardbirds too.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:13 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Yeah, like I said Scott, I got pretty much all their '60s stuff, even that "Electric Banana" material they did for some movies or something. Some of it, yeah, I like; from "Electric Banana" I do quite like "It'll Never Be Me." And some of the Fontana stuff like "Rosalyn" and "Death of a Socialite" and their take on Ray Davies's "House in the Country." Their version of the Solomon Burke song "Cry to Me" is nice. So, maybe I need to go back and give it another listen or three, it's funny how sometimes this kind of '60s stuff hits me differently depending on mood/caffeine comsumption...in fact, I'm enjoying "It'll Never Be Me" right now, it's as good as I remember it. I love the description Nik Cohn gives of Phil May in his "Rock from the Beginning," a "maimed gorilla."

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:16 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

they were gorillas live too. i dunno, i'm probably not very objective when it comes to the pretty things. i just think they were amazing. the production and sound and songs on s.f. sorrow and parachute...that stuff just stuns me. In a way that say, The Who never stunned me. And, you know, I like The Who. I can't think of too many American groups from the 60's that were better than the Pretty Things. I don't know if that means anything. Stormy would say The Byrds! cuz he has to. If I were drunk I would say the Raiders cuz they are a sentimental favorite of mine. (But I would have to admit that it's probably not true.) Maybe you need to hear a nice minty vinyl pressing of S.F. Sorrow instead of a CDR. Even a Rare Earth pressing will do.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:25 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

And besides the Electric Banana stuff they had a slew of singles and b-sides, like i said, that I think are as strong as a lot of the album stuff during that whole late period. Heck, I even like the 70's stuff, but that's for another thread. (I actually don't listen to the 70's stuff that much.)

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:27 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I have a huge fondness for that kind of stuff, like the Pretty Things, Scott. But for me, I mean there's no comparison between the Byrds and the PTs, none at all. Because the Byrds are probably the one '60s "classic rock group" I can listen to any time at all and still love; I can't say that about anybody else, you know. I think Moby Grape were far more skilled than the Pretty Things, they just couldn't keep it together at all. So I don't know. I do know this thread inspired me to put on that Electric Banana CD and I'm really enjoying it, and "Parachute" has its moments.

Next: The Marmalade...

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:34 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

No, I know, there is no comparison to ANYBODY for a Byrds fan. I like the Byrds and Moby Grape. But I do tend to align myself with the bands that were inspired by the punk aspects of pretty things, yardbirds, animals, them. in other words, all those snotty garage-rockers. anyone, basically, who didn't want to be the beatles or dylan or the dave clarke five. (though i love all of them too!) I just really love the viciousness and loudness of U.K. punk/R&B/Beat/Psych and the bands they spawned in the U.S. The Byrds and their crowd are a whole different bag. They had very different aims.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:50 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

The Byrds were "classier". Being a big Raiders fan though, my true hero is just Terry Melcher.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:51 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I still need to get that new Clapton-era live thing that Sundazed unearthed. Don't know if it's really supposed to be demonstrably different from Five Live Yardbirds but, you know, I have to have it. I also never did get that Cumular Limit thing of late-stage stuff that was supposed to have a version of "Tangerine" on it which apparently got pulled at the last minute. Guess ol' Pagey didn't want folks knowing that he'd gone a-plagiarizin' yet *again*! From himself in this instance, so what's the big deal. I'm waaay behind in my archival Yardbirds collection.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 5 February 2005 22:53 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

You better get with it, Stormy! ( I should talk. I can't keep up with anything.)

Hey Eddie, do you have this record? (I wrote it up on my blog after I bought it out in Oregon during the holidays):

Charley D. And Milo - S/T (Epic) Gentleman pot-farmers unite! This record is a warm breeze of a thing. And again, I must have missed the Mojo that hyped it cuz this is right up their King Parsons/Beechwood Sparks alley. Lovely harmonies, lotsa guitars, acidic baths of twang. Great cover of Richard & Mimi's "Pack Up Your Sorrows". It ends with the weary drug traveller's mantra "Om Sweet Om". Brain-fried C&W fans need this now.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 5 February 2005 23:14 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

"Om Sweet Om"

is this anything like kraftwerk's "ohm sweet ohm"?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 5 February 2005 23:32 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

"I just really love the viciousness and loudness of U.K. punk/R&B/Beat/Psych and the bands they spawned in the U.S."

Not to mention the amazing Euro groups whose main influence was the PTs like the Dutch Outsiders.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 6 February 2005 00:01 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I think there are two big reasons why the Yardbirds get overlooked. First is the typical canonizing critic's desire for Albums which were not really the Yardbirds' strong point. They never had a great "conceptual masterpiece" like SF Sorrow so they don't get on the lists. The other reason I hate to mention since I really like Keith Relf. But let's face it, the Yardbirds might have been huge if they had a frontman who was a little better looking, more charismatic, and had a stronger voice. Alongside singers like Mick Jagger, Roger Daltry or Robert Plant, Relf didn't really match up. Neither of these issues bothers me personally but it's not really surpising that the Yardbirds don't get put up on the pedastal with the Stones/Kinks/Who/etc. by the general public.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 6 February 2005 02:12 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

"Albums which were not really the Yardbirds' strong point."

The Yardbirds were let down by their management and record labels who probably didn't know exactly what to do with them. If their manager would have pushed them towards putting out LPs and playing up the acid guitar hero stuff, they might be looked at somewhat different.

That being said, I still can't figure why "You're A Better Man Than I" wasn't a big pop hit. I think that song had hooks out the yin yang and it wasn't even released as a single in most places.

Jeff Beck could never quite put and keep together a proper rock band. For such a great guitarist, he doesn't have too many good songs with his name attached other than some of the fusion mid 70s matierial. The first Jeff Beck Group album and parts of the second are really impressive. If he could have let Rod Stewart and Ron Wood write the tunes and just wail on top, that could have been the biggest band of the early 70s. Beck even got another chance with the Cactus/Vanilla Fudge rhythm section, but again no songs or singer of note. It's all listenable and interesting, but one has to wonder what could have been.

The Pretty Things' "Balloon Burning" is a great song. I love that one.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Sunday, 6 February 2005 02:41 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

nine months pass...

can't think of too many American groups from the 60's that were better than the Pretty Things. I don't know if that means anything. Stormy would say The Byrds!

I say the Byrds too, but I also say Blue Cheer. And maybe The Shadows of Knight if only cuz they had an album called "Backdoor Men"

― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:40 (twelve years ago) Permalink

and as fer the yardbirds, they're good sommatheime. i don't own any of their LPs though. just a few singles.

― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:44 (twelve years ago) Permalink

i always see bizarro live albums around. flimsy sleeves and shoddy packaging. text unreadable--written in foreigner.

― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:48 (twelve years ago) Permalink

"can't think of too many American groups from the 60's that were better than the Pretty Things. I don't know if that means anything."

It means a lot.

And the Yardbirds weren't just good some of the time, they were THE BEST some of the time.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 28 November 2005 19:51 (twelve years ago) Permalink

that double disc Ultimate Yardbirds thing Rhino put out is a pretty nice collection, if you have limited interest/desire to own a bunch of Yardbirds stuff, Dale....it hits all the highlights pretty much...some junky keith relf solo shizz at the end though....

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 28 November 2005 19:55 (twelve years ago) Permalink

I think Jim McCarty is underrated as a drummer. I saw them live a few years back with him, Chris Dreja and some ringers and they were reallly pretty good. It was great to see them do the patented rave-up, where McCarty would pick up the tempo and then bring it back at the end.

And yeah, hard to keep all the various permutations of the records straight.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:00 (twelve years ago) Permalink

I can think of probably 50 american bands from the 60s that are better than the Pretty Things. Not much of a contest really.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:32 (twelve years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I like SF Sorrow but as far as their earlier more rock and roll/white R and B material, I prefer the work of others, such as their Dutch pals, the Outsiders.

― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:36 (twelve years ago) Permalink

But the Pretty Things invented it. And Phil May was the coolest singer.

Walter, I won't ask to see your list of fifty bands ...

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 28 November 2005 21:53 (twelve years ago) Permalink

The bonus singles tracks on Get The Picture are amazing.

Yardbirds discography is very confusing. I only have an appallingly mastered compilation CD. I have a few things on mp3 though and they sound much better, so I need to get some remasters I guess. My favourites are the hits really - For Your Love, Heart Full Of Soul, Evil Hearted You.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Monday, 28 November 2005 21:57 (twelve years ago) Permalink

"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is the ultimate Yardbirds song.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 28 November 2005 21:58 (twelve years ago) Permalink

after seeing the rock and roll circus, i have had a glimpse of why people used to say clapton was frightening, but i think i need to see/hear some more of the early yardbirds stuff to get it...their train kept a rolling is still my favorite..

this thread is a good reminder to try and remember to look for some yardbirds..

theres a good description of the shooting of "Blow Up" in that kinda crappy "Ready Steady Go" book. 'course i can't recall what the story was exactly. ill look it over tonight and report back in the morning.

― bb (bbrz), Monday, 28 November 2005 22:07 (twelve years ago) Permalink

Wait, what did the Pretty Things invent? I think I missed some crucial element of the discussion here. I read that the Pretty Things were better than any American band of the 60s and then Shadows of Knight were mentioned. Strange stuff.

I can't think of any British bands from the '60s that I would place above the Yardbirds though.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 00:17 (twelve years ago) Permalink

Skipping 38 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Thanks for the info and thanks for posting the song. Cool stuff! Makes them sound like the MC5.

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Tuesday, 3 February 2009 21:36 (nine years ago) Permalink

I love the Yardbirds but when they crap out they really go all out. "Pafff...BUM that's a sound called LUUUV!"

― Brio, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:02 (nine years ago) Permalink

damn that velvets cover rocks

― crackers is biters (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:06 (nine years ago) Permalink

i think there's some story about the Velvets and the Yardbirds playing on the same bill ... Jeff Beck carrying a gun around or something ...

― tylerw, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:20 (nine years ago) Permalink

Are we sure that's really the Yardbirds? This seems too good to be true.

― Alex in SF, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:22 (nine years ago) Permalink

Definitely sounds like the Yardbirds right at the end of the song, wouldn't have known otherwise.

Did a search and turned up this bootleg:

(Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 31/05/68)

1. The Train Kept A Rollin'
2. Mr. You're A Better Man Than I
3. Heart Full Of Soul
4. Dazed And Confused
5. Shapes Of Things
6. I'm A Man
7. Smokestack Lightning
8. Beck's Bolero
9. I'm Waiting For The Man
-Bye Bye Bird
-Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
-Drinking Muddy Water
-New York City Blues
10. I Wish You Would
11. Hey Gyp

The Yardbirds Featuring Jimmy Page Live At The Shrine - Another show featuring Jimmy Page with The Yardbirds. This show, a bit more complete has an over exuberant taper in spots however, the sound quality get's pretty good in places. Another nice document of Jimmy Page

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:38 (nine years ago) Permalink

yeah, dunno if these links will still work, but that show is over here: http://musictravellerstwo.blogspot.com/2008/12/yardbirds-with-jimmy-page.html

― tylerw, Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:41 (nine years ago) Permalink

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kTObUFWzaKA/ST_5z5hQo4I/AAAAAAAABs4/w5fcygnxfsc/s1600-h/Fillmore+Poster.jpg

^ I'm liking the look of that gig.

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:47 (nine years ago) Permalink

Oops, no picture. The one with Cecil Taylor and It's A Beautiful Day anyhow.

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Tuesday, 3 February 2009 22:47 (nine years ago) Permalink

Bumping this for Tom D. The idea of that Velvets is still amazing me. Know anything about it?

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Thursday, 5 February 2009 10:31 (nine years ago) Permalink

oops, should read 'that Velvets cover'

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Thursday, 5 February 2009 10:32 (nine years ago) Permalink

They might have played with them!

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 February 2009 10:38 (nine years ago) Permalink

Also, Page something of an aficionado of US underground music, yes?

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 February 2009 10:39 (nine years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I guess he was. Wasn't he a big Spirit fan or something?

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Thursday, 5 February 2009 10:40 (nine years ago) Permalink

And Kaleidoscope, and Buffalo Springfield et al

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 February 2009 10:41 (nine years ago) Permalink

Not to go all off-topic, but: "Psycho Daisies"!

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Thursday, 5 February 2009 11:10 (nine years ago) Permalink

Kinda like that engineer album. Not too keen on the early blues stuff.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 5 February 2009 12:31 (nine years ago) Permalink

Yeah, Roger the Engineer is great. And Psycho Daisies too! B-side of Happenings Ten Years Time Ago, what an amazing single.

― Frank Sumatra (NickB), Thursday, 5 February 2009 12:57 (nine years ago) Permalink

Not a big fan of the Yardbirds, beyond the famous songs

― Vicious Cop Kills Gentle Fool (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 February 2009 12:59 (nine years ago) Permalink

Somewhere I have an old Rolling Stone wherein it says, in the Random Notes section, that The Yardbirds changed their name to Led Zepplin, which in hindsight, is a pretty terrible name for a band.

The hook that follows the chorus of "Heart Full of Soul" always (still) gets me.

― factcheckr, Thursday, 5 February 2009 14:18 (nine years ago) Permalink

Full circle for this thread: the VU book Uptight says the Velvets were originally slated to be the band in Blow-Up, but it went to the Yardbirds instead.

Anyhow, Yardbirds are classic. Clapton never topped his work with them, by my reckoning.

― dad a, Thursday, 5 February 2009 14:51 (nine years ago) Permalink

always thought the riff @ 2:35 of this stooges track

sounded like happenings ten years time ago

― eman, Thursday, 5 February 2009 15:18 (nine years ago) Permalink

made me a edit recently. loop madness.
yardbirds-train kepta rollin (ettiem kepta editin)

― andrew m., Thursday, 5 February 2009 15:52 (nine years ago) Permalink

Eman, Iggy was a big Yardbirds fan, so you are probably onto something.
In some interview he talks about listening to "Heart Full of Soul" and thought to himself "Well, what's my heart full of?" (Napalm, obv)

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 5 February 2009 16:02 (nine years ago) Permalink

I guess I mean he IS a big YB fan.
I love their psych shit, some of the early "rave up" stuff is great, too.
Especially "Here Tis"

― Trip Maker, Thursday, 5 February 2009 16:03 (nine years ago) Permalink

also "i'm not talking" and "i got a right"

― eman, Thursday, 5 February 2009 17:53 (nine years ago) Permalink

For that matter, the MC5 version of I'm A Man on '66 Breakout owes more to the Yardbirds than to Bo Diddley.

― dad a, Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:13 (nine years ago) Permalink

Woah! Never saw the Stooges link before!

The archetypal Freakbeat band. I really need to upgrade from my crappy beat-up Vinyl greatest hits.

― Soukesian, Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:17 (nine years ago) Permalink

one year passes...

Sundazed dropped the news on Facebook today that they'll be putting out the Little Games lp in mono on cd & vinyl in December. Only two bonus tracks tho: "Puzzles" & "I Remember The Night".

― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 22 September 2010 22:54 (eight years ago) Permalink

two years pass...

are there any bootlegs of the brief beck & page lineup? paging tyler

― baby beluga (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 January 2013 19:44 (five years ago) Permalink

not that i know of? this one is tricky -- http://vivalesbootlegs.blogspot.com/2009/02/yardbirds-feat-jimmy-page-jeff-beck.html
i think there are two shows though, one w/ beck, one w/ page.

― tylerw, Monday, 28 January 2013 19:48 (five years ago) Permalink

in case anyone missed it, i wrote a little something about the VU/Yardbirds thang (along with mp3) here: http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2013/01/15/the-yardbirds-im-waiting-for-the-man-vu-cover-live-1968/

― tylerw, Monday, 28 January 2013 19:49 (five years ago) Permalink

here's the high point of the beck/page y-birds recorded output
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S47NPJQq8h8

― tylerw, Monday, 28 January 2013 20:30 (five years ago) Permalink

actually a pretty rockin' milkshake commercial tbh.

― tylerw, Monday, 28 January 2013 20:31 (five years ago) Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpcyWKKY9-s
and here they are playing in 1966 -- page on bass, I think?

― tylerw, Monday, 28 January 2013 20:43 (five years ago) Permalink

five years pass...

jim mccarty + whoever is playing as yardbirds in my town but tickets are like 40 or 50 bucks so screw that. i got ghostface tickets and they were only 30! anyway, i fuckin' love yardbirds and i have listened to their (post-clapton) records a TON in the last 5 years or so. hoo boy, so addicted. so great. i could rave about them all night.

― scott seward, Sunday, 15 April 2018 01:06 (six months ago) Permalink

This, from last year, is really awesome, especially the live disc: https://www.discogs.com/Yardbirds-Yardbirds-68/master/1269951

― brimstead, Sunday, 15 April 2018 02:01 (six months ago) Permalink

I would skip the McCarty-birds and get that killer Yardbirds '68 comp. I think it's my fave reissue from last year.

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 15 April 2018 04:36 (six months ago) Permalink

Roger the Engineer was pretty much the shape of hard rock to come.

― earlnash, Sunday, 15 April 2018 08:13 (six months ago) Permalink

Reviews say Yardbirds '68 has the Anderson Theater set that's been available before, but it's fixed up to sound clearer. Question: does it sound *that* much better to justify the premium price?

― Josefa, Sunday, 15 April 2018 15:02 (six months ago) Permalink

Sounds quite good, finally heard it yesterday. But not compared it with anything. Just been shared on torrent sites. But I'm still thinking of buying it.

― Stevolende, Sunday, 15 April 2018 16:21 (six months ago) Permalink

Haven't heard it yet, but the original issue had overdubbed crowd noise (from bullfights), so presumably this reissue sounds better.

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 15 April 2018 16:26 (six months ago) Permalink

EVERY live album should have overdubbed bullfight noises.

― scott seward, Sunday, 15 April 2018 16:33 (six months ago) Permalink

the new ugly things claims that they are not actual bullfight noises, the myth beginning with a misinterpreted jimmy page quote.

― Thus Sang Freud, Sunday, 15 April 2018 17:28 (six months ago) Permalink

It was actually Jake Holmes who said it had bullfight noises.

(and Scott otm)

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Sunday, 15 April 2018 19:20 (six months ago) Permalink

and it wasn't even released on matador

― ziggy the ginhead (rushomancy), Sunday, 15 April 2018 23:01 (six months ago) Permalink

What's the deal with "Knowing That I'm Losing You" being released without the vocals (as they'd already been on Cumular Limit)? Is Pagey afraid of being sued by Relf's estate for not acknowledging Keith wrote the lyrics to the second verse?

― Lee626, Monday, 16 April 2018 04:51 (six months ago) Permalink

FWIW, I have the original issue of the Anderson Bullfight show and the new remaster completely smokes it.

― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 17 April 2018 10:32 (six months ago) Permalink

Fun stories about the Anderson:

http://bedfordandbowery.com/2018/01/the-anderson-theater-forgotten-forerunner-of-the-fillmore-east/

― Josefa, Tuesday, 17 April 2018 14:00 (six months ago) Permalink

that was the anderson, huh? i was actually in there! when it was the "cbgb theater" in the late 70s. saw the jam. mick jagger was in the house that night w/ jerry hall.

― Thus Sang Freud, Tuesday, 17 April 2018 14:49 (six months ago) Permalink

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