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 (nineteen years ago) link
is this anything like kraftwerk's "ohm sweet ohm"?!?
― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 5 February 2005 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link
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 (nineteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 6 February 2005 02:12 (nineteen years ago) link
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 (nineteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Special Agent Dale Koopa (orion), Monday, 28 November 2005 03:48 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 28 November 2005 19:55 (eighteen years ago) link
And yeah, hard to keep all the various permutations of the records straight.
― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Monday, 28 November 2005 20:36 (eighteen years ago) link
Walter, I won't ask to see your list of fifty bands ...
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 28 November 2005 21:53 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 28 November 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
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 (eighteen years ago) link
It's not you...it really is. It's that good.
― musically (musically), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 00:42 (eighteen years ago) link
For me it's the Beck period by a longshot but I'm curious to see what others say.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 01:51 (eighteen years ago) link
ts: "the train kept a-rollin'" vs "stroll on"!
― turboalbino (haitch), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 01:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 02:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― turboalbino (haitch), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 02:10 (eighteen years ago) link
Nobody has yet mentioned the Yardbirds hidden strength, Graham Gouldman! What a brilliant songwriter.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 02:14 (eighteen years ago) link
I *still* haven't picked up Cumular Limit or that Sundazed live thing. thread revival serves as a good reminded that i need that stuff.
when I get back from the bar I can ysi that Page live album.
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 02:48 (eighteen years ago) link
Is _Cumular Limit_ still out there? IIRC it was a grey-area release to begin with. . .
― Jeff Wright (JeffW1858), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 03:17 (eighteen years ago) link
The other great post-Beck tracks are "Puzzles," the B-side of "Little Games," and "Think About It," a classic sounding Yardbirds track with a total fucking proto-"Communication Breakdown" guitar solo. It was the B-side of their last single. I agree, of course, that Beck-era Yardbirds had more good material, but Page was a more radical player. Total ferocity - sounding like he's about to rip the string off the guitar.
"what did the Pretty Things invent?"
They invented the style of music on which the Dutch Outsiders based practically their whole sound on and which was hugely influential.
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 04:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:00 (eighteen years ago) link
but yeah, "Think About It" = "Dazed and Confused" solo .. also, Aerosmith covered "Think About It" on the pretty putrid NIght In the Ruts lp!
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― musically (musically), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 05:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 06:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 06:20 (eighteen years ago) link
Ah, I see. I knew I was missing some bit of context somewhere.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 06:25 (eighteen years ago) link
Well, For Your Love if you count that as an album.
BTW this DVD is worth watching for Yardbirds fans.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 06:37 (eighteen years ago) link
Don't forget Top Topham! Only joking..
Tim OTM re: Puzzles and Think about it. Not much to add to the debate that hasn't been said really - Beck and Page eras both fantastic. I'd say that Beck edges it for the magnificence of the BIG singles - 'Shapes..' and 'Heart Full Of Soul', although some of the blues workouts were a bit dull. I think the reason that the likes of the Yardbirds pretty much disappeared into the ether after the 60's was a combination of factors : a) no canonical album b) reputation of band itself overshadowed by the status of Page/Beck/Clapham c) uncharismatic Relf/Dreja/McCarty d)the big hits were pretty primitive sounding to fit into 70's radio playlists, so got forgotten about. The Stones, even though equally primitive sounding, were allowed in because they were the Stones.
Much of this applies to the Pretty Things too. Personally I rate them a bit higher than the Yardbirds, and 'Talkin About The Good Times'/'Walking Thru My Dreams' is THE BEST pop-psych single of the 60's from either side of the pond. 'Defecting Grey'/'Mr. Evasion' is nearly as good. The early stuff is totally punk and Midnight To Six Man a quite brilliant mod-pop development of that early snot. Great band.
― Dr.C, Tuesday, 29 November 2005 10:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― turboalbino (haitch), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 00:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link
Weird. I think Mr. Evasion > Defecting Grey > Talkin' > Walking but Happenings 10 Years Time Ago, Mr. You're A Better Man Than I, and other Yardbirds tunes trump them all.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 00:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 01:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:37 (eighteen years ago) link
I love the way Phil sneers that "day"
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 02:44 (eighteen years ago) link
No, I was genuinely confused! I've never heard the Outsiders and I thought "But the Pretty Things invented it." was a comment on the Yardbirds.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― Are you people just forgetting about it? (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jim Reckling (Jim Reckling), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 03:22 (eighteen years ago) link
EVERY live album should have overdubbed bullfight noises.
― scott seward, Sunday, 15 April 2018 16:33 (six years ago) link
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 years ago) link
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 years ago) link
and it wasn't even released on matador
― ziggy the ginhead (rushomancy), Sunday, 15 April 2018 23:01 (six years ago) link
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 years ago) link
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 years ago) link
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 years ago) link
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 years ago) link
this is a group i could be a completist of from their beginning till their end!
― xzanfar, Friday, 24 December 2021 14:56 (two years ago) link
Watching through some interviews, picked up a nugget from Angus that him and Malcolm saw the Yardbirds live with Jimmy Page and were quite impressed.
Seeing the Yardbirds live seems to be a pretty formative thing for many of the old rock and rollers - I've seen this stated in various interviews with Nugent, Iggy, Wayne Kramer and both Stephen Tyler and Joe Perry.
― earlnash, Friday, 24 December 2021 15:17 (two years ago) link
It's pretty easy to snag the more or less 'Complete' Yardbirds: the Yardbirds By Giorgio Gomelsky box on Charly for everything from the beginning up 'til early '66; a good reissue of Roger The Engineer for the rest of '66; and an expanded Little Games and that Yardbirds '68 thing for everything Page. There's also a BBC set, but IMHO those recordings (Beck & Page eras, nothing together) aren't that revelatory.
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 24 December 2021 15:26 (two years ago) link
Yardbirds discography has generally always been a bit of a basket case.
― earlnash, Friday, 24 December 2021 15:59 (two years ago) link
ultimate covers all their albums best songs and more and the ones it misses is no great loss!
― xzanfar, Friday, 24 December 2021 16:01 (two years ago) link
Oh yeah, drag with taht yardbirds Giorgio gomelski thing is that it has loads of tyakes of several songs following each other. Which I think is probably not the best way to listen to them. I think I have a copy.Shame the Ultimate set is so compressed.
& wish I could get that Roger The Engineer expanded as cd only. Or at least without Stereo following mono version which is a drag on a 3changer.
― Stevolende, Friday, 24 December 2021 16:05 (two years ago) link
the expanded for your love, having a rave up and little games might be interesting to hear anyone have these?
― xzanfar, Friday, 24 December 2021 16:18 (two years ago) link
I had an (the?) expanded Little Games years ago (mid-'90s) and was extremely disappointed. I was expecting more things along the lines of "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," but it's mostly (as I recall, it's been years since I listened to it) Mickie Most trying to smother all of the band's strengths in awful arrangements.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 24 December 2021 16:28 (two years ago) link
There's been a least a few different Little Games reissues with different extras. I've got the Tarfumes has, the '90s EMI double, which gets bogged down a bit in the bonuses mostly being alt. mixes and backing tracks. There's a newer edition on Spotify that has a bunch of Page-era BBC recordings added on instead.
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 24 December 2021 16:48 (two years ago) link
The Little Games album itself is a mixed bag, as Mickie Most really wasn't the producer that lineup needed, although there is a neat friction at times with Page throwing out these wild solos on Pop ready-mades foisted onto the band.
Another problem is that some of that era's best stuff was on singles (like "Think About It", "Puzzles", and their scary version of Nilsson's "Ten Little Indians"), so make sure that the version you're checking out has extras.
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 24 December 2021 16:58 (two years ago) link