Roger the Engineer

An early example of blues mixing with psychedelic rock n roll. This album is most notable for the single 'Over Under Sideways Down', one of the first explorations of psychedelia within British rock, and for being the Yardbirds' only album with Jeff Beck as guitarist, in between Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page's tenures. But the rest of 'Roger the Engineer' is also pretty strong. More boldy experimental and hard hitting than most other music you'd have encountered in the mid 60s. They even beat The Beatles to the punch a few times. This one keeps getting better the more I listen to it.

Rip Becky

Very good! I liked it!

This album started okay, but I thought it wouldn't get past that and stay as a 3 star album. But this is one of those albums that get stronger with each passing track. Also Jeff Beck is a fucking alien on guitar

I think this album is fine, even good, but I don't think it is as good as say The Kinks, so I can't see myself going back to this often. However, I recognize the musicianship and influence, and I do want to check out more Yardbirds, now that I've listened to one of their albums all the way through.

I do like the sound of the album, it seems a bit more lightweight than the Stones but its playfulness is part of the appeal. Beck's playing seems forward looking and the wilder passages something American bands would point back to in the next decade.

Funny that it was up right after that album by the Byrds. Also, it is springtime. Good album. There was one track I really liked but I was driving.

This album didn't blow me away, but I'd say it's a cut above most of the blues albums so far, if only because it managed to avoid the trap of sounding too uniform from song to song. Not incredible from start to finish, but it did the job, and it had some arguably psychedelic rock-esque elements that pretty significantly enhanced the project.

Very good album

That was good

Loved how bluesy this is. The beginnings of Jimmy Page

Bonus points for an awesome cover. I enjoyed the music, but there is something weirdly unnerving about British blues music.

Recorded in under a week, this is a gem among the many, many mediocre albums of the 60s. Blues, Boogie, Blues-rock, Psychedelia, and a bit of Country all rolled into a refreshing sound that was fun to listen to.

This was almost pedestrian until the Hot House of Omagararshid, which is such a fun track that the rating for this album goes up by a clear 2 stars.

Nice tunes, but I should NOT have stayed around for the stereo versions. Yikes. Yes, technical constraints and all that. Still awful. Four stars for the music nevertheless.

Like it. Some guitar riffs sounded like they might have been things Jack White pulled directly from.

I really enjoyed this album. I checked the year and was shocked to see that it was from 1966. The guitar work is amazing and the singing it okay too. Sounds amazing at loud volume.

I enjoyed this very much. There were hints of the doors, glimpses of the monkees, peeks of The Moody Blues, etc. Jeff’s boogie was the weakest song of the album for me, but still solid.

While familiar with a couple of songs and the guitar pedigree of the group, I have never actively listened to the Yardbirds before this. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised by how psychedelic and wild this album is — only because I had no idea what to expect. This tread into adventurous territory, which was kind of thrilling. I wouldn't say it was all a hit, lyrically there were some awkward moments and "Jeff's Boogie" likely made Scott feel justified for bashing Jeff Beck all those reviews ago (it wasn't the highlight). But I got a chance to spin this twice, and where I was at a solid 3.5 the first time around, it creeped upward on the second listen. Great guitar work and the band as a whole are all in. Where some efforts from this era and inclination may have aged into something of a parody, this adept tightrope walk between the blues and psycho English '60s still sounds relevant.

Yeah, it's a good album! Some early punk, some blues.

Catchy rifts

Classic Yardbirds....lots of songs and some better than others but it's a good listen

An institution in psychedelic rock. Jeff Beck really was a guitarist's guitarist.

(Approx. 93 mins) Upbeat, Brits giving blues, punk, and rock sounds. Seem way ahead of their time for some of the sounds. Standout song - "Shapes in My Mind". (8/10)

Really cool! Early blues rock

I had never heard of the Yardbirds, but read about their history. What an awesome incubator of talent. Album was an easy listen although a bit long.

Excellent, not much else

Lemmy is God

Bien. Es el grupo de Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page en sus comienzos.

The distorted tone with reverb associated with psychedelic rock and be heard throughout the album by Jeff Beck. Quite an innovative album for the 60s and alot of cool tracks.

I really really like this

Enjoyable jam band rock

Great album. Really enjoyed it. 🙂 👍👍

No Clapton, No problem. This album is a great showcase of the Yardbirds' blues and psychedelic rock sound, with Jeff Beck's guitar work being the highlight. The songs are catchy, energetic and diverse, ranging from hard rockers like "Over Under Sideways Down" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" to mellow ballads like "Turn into Earth" and "Ever Since the World Began". The album is not flawless, as some tracks are less memorable than others, and the production is a bit dated by today's standards. However, it is still a very enjoyable and influential album that deserves recognition as one of the best of the 60s. I give it 4 stars out of 5.

Fun and rocking time. Jeff Beck makes this a great album and it makes me want to lisren to more from him. Of the 3 Yardbird guitarists, I am least familiar with his work.

Beck led yardbirds. 4.1

Tons of great guitar work by Jeff Beck. Songs are fine, but this is really just a vehicle for Jeff Beck to shine with a little psychedelia thrown in.

This album, while overall a bit underwhelming, still holds up well as a sample of R&B transition into rock and roll. A few classic Jeff Beck tracks are always a pleasure.

The Yardbirds’ finest musical hour, anchored by the fluidity and inventiveness of the late, great Jeff Beck (perhaps the best guitarist the group ever produced?). A fun departure from the beaten path of the more well-known British Invasion artists.

60s rock, blues, some Beatles, stones, doors sounds. Overall good

Very 60's and dated to be honest but still enjoyable. Rock with a Blues tint on some tracks.

I liked it. I've played out this sound out a bit over the years but credit where credit is due!

A must listen to anyone who loves the guitar… a glimpse of future music, in all genres, to follow in the late 60’s and early 70’s!!!

Great album with typical 60s vibes. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: probably Favourite Song: Jeff’s Boogie or He’s Always There

This album is overlooked by me. And it is absolutely fantastic! I mean what a band this was. I must've listened this about 5-6 times and it just reeled me in. Can't wait to dive in their other albums! 8,5 out of 10

Decent.

This is a really interesting album, if not a perfect one. A diverse and innovative take on the Yardbirds' classic American blues influences, played with a whimsy and adventurousness you can only get from the best British bands of the 60s. I love the conciseness of these songs, most clocking in at barely 3 minutes or less. That allows Jeff Beck and company ample room to pack a punch without ever getting tedious or jammy. The weak link here is probably Keith Relf, whose vocals tend to fall a bit flat. Fave Songs: Over Under Sideways Down, What Do You Want, Lost Woman, Jeff's Boogie, The Nazz Are Blue, Ever Since the World Began. It's worth seeking out later editions of the album, which include the brilliant tunes "Psycho Daisies" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago."

The song that features Jeff Beck the most is the best one on the album, go figure. Seriously though, enjoyed this one. My thing has always been melding different styles together cohesively, and they do so here with rock, country, and folk. So much so that they even border on psychedelic rock for a bit. Could have done without the album being on there twice, but I can't complain too much about listening to a good album back-to-back.

Quite enjoyed this! Was expecting some Beatles-lite drab pop, but it was surprisingly good for me. I imagine it was quite progressive for the time too, especially the more distorted guitars. Started off very strong, especially with the bluesy/rnb’ier sounding tracks, but tired in the middle before picking up again. Highlights: Farewell, Happening Ten Years Ago, Over Under, Hot house.

It doesn't get much better then Jeff Beck on guitar.

Assez cool, très brute, blusy rock & roll, j’aime bien

Vette nummers, en je hoort de invloeden op latere bands.

Accessible psychedelic rock album from the 60s. I have a copy of the 12-song UK version, and the review is for that version. Highlights: I Can't Make Your Way and Turn Into Earth. But most of the other songs are also very good. A little too inconsistent for 5 stars.

The overall psychedelic rock sound feels a bit dated, but I liked the energy and great guitar work on this album.

Sounds fresh and energetic, nice surprise.

Not so good as I experted....

Good Stuff, I like the Jeff Beck era of the Yardbirds a lot.

Over Under Sideways Down, May have been the only song I really knew on this record, but I really liked the whole record. Psychedelic but not TOO psychedelic. Plus some straight up blues, 50’s style rock guitar,… really a lot to hear here!

Better then I had expected. Worth another listen.

I didn't know what to expect since I had never listened to this album before. But I quite enjoyed it. I liked different types of guitar Jeff Beck brought to this album, psychadelic, blues, surf, and straight up 60s rock. Good stuff, I'll keep this one in rotation.

I mean Jeff Beck makes anything great. This is a strange album that just does flow super well for me. It really shines at times and then at other times it's just a little "off". But overall I did enjoy it and would listen to most of it again. Jeff Beck is also just a god and that helps pull it together.

Прикольний рок 60-з на послухати на фоні, одну пісню додала в плей-лист

Weirder & a bit more fun than I expected, pretty cool 60s rock record. 3.5/5

Reminds me of king crimson

Pretty solid

Not bad. Held back by recording equipment of the timr

It's all about the hot licks that connect blues and psychedelia, but the rumblin'-stumblin' drummin' is good, too, and some bass lines sound like world domination. One gets why YB's were generally considered the next big thing, even if it never quite fully worked out for them, a function of exaggerated expectations perhaps.

More going on than I was expecting. Not just bluey 60s rock. Still doesn’t really have the songs to back up the legacy for me though.

While there were several songs that were just meh for me, the ones that I like are so good I couldn't possibly justify giving this any less than 4 stars. Top tracks: Happenings Ten Years Time Ago, Farewell, Ever Since the World Began, and Over Under Sideways Down

Sounds like the Rosetta Stone in terms of the link between blues and psychedelia, with undeniably hot and groovy hooks to spare (very much including "Over Under Sideways Down"). Beck blisters throughout and there's much that's cool and catchy, with "I Can't Make Your Way" and "Farewell" and "Jeff's Boogie" adding pleasant variety and even a touch of unexpected fun and levity. One senses that the Yardbirds are under-appreciated as manifestation of deep '60s hipness.

Rock psicodélico sesentero. Un 4.

Bien. Es el grupo de Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page en sus comienzos.

Some of the guitar work is crazy here. Clapton and Page became bigger names, but Jeff Beck is possibly the best guitarist the Yardbirds had. I’m glad that I got to see him before his passing. The band didn’t have the best songwriting compared to the Beatles or Who, so that’s why they don’t come up that often from this era. But there’s some really good stuff if you’re willing to listen. B+

Very good. Reminiscent of The Beatles' Revolver and some of their other earlier work.

Nice blues inspired rock. Loud, rough, good lyrics, nice rhythm and excellent guitar play.

3,5! Ganske fete greier. De spiller alt og albumet er variert.

4.0

There are only 12 tracks on the original album. Stop with the extended version crap...

I liked the sound of it but only had it playing in the background. I'll have to add it to my "return to" list.

I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, but even in the blues numbers they manage to keep that garage vibe which makes the whole thing rather exciting.

Great musicianship and awesome collection of riffs for 1966.

For the time is was product, it's really rough and loud. Nice album

Always loved the raw and powerful sound of the Yardbirds. They were incredibly heavy for their times. Also, it's one of the only band that can craft interesting blues-rock music, which is very rare for me.

Chamou atenção a variação da intensidade em que a simplicidade equilibra os traços de psicodelia.

Great rock and roll, The Nazz Are Blue was a highlight. RIP Jeff Beck -- what a guitar tone!

Something you should listen to before you die? I mean, you'll be okay. It is a fun album, though. Best track: Over Under Sideways Down

Classic 60s rock vibes!

Some good bluesy/classic rock guitar rifs, but not the most riveting album overall

I enjoyed it. The sound of the time but bluesy

Lustigt när fellazz masserar Eric Clapton i recensionerna på denna skiva ... hur som helst, för 60-tals blues rock/psych så gick de hä ganska hårt! Cool cover också

Probably a low 4, but has a lot of depth and is smooth

Liked! Would listen again

A very well crafted album if a bit self indulgent at times

A fun psychedelic twist on some standard 60s blues fare. Lost Woman, Over Under Sideways Down and of course Hot House of Omagararshid are all highlights

Great bluesrock album with Jeff Beck doing his thing

Quite the variety of styles! Listened to it twice as it was good.

Krazek z 66 od bandy ktora byla prawdziwa wylegarnia muzycznych talentow, ale akurat tego wydania od nich wczesniej nie slyszalem, Roger the Engineer byl nagrywany w skladzie Keith Relf na wokalu, glowna gitara Jeff Beck, Chris Dreja wspierajaca rytmicznie, Paul Samwell-Smith na basie i Jim McCarty drumujacy, jak przystalo na nagrania z tamtego okresu jest to 35 minut mocno jamujace w klimatach psychodelii rokowej, no i tak jak wiadomo jedyna sluchalna wersja takich nagran jest mono, bo stereo brzmi jak cos zupelnie pomylonego, 12 trakow w ktoych ciezko sie doszukiwac czegos wiecej niz przepelnionego pozytywnym wajbem jamowania, od trakow o luznym zyciu na spokojnie, przez giberiszujace yehowania po stonerskie rozmyslania o wszystkich i o niczym, o ile jakosc miksa nie powala, to jednak plyta kupuje czlowieka samym klimatem, ktory sie wrecz wylewa z nagrania, jesli chodzi o instrumenty to hajlajtem jest zdecydowanie Beckowa gitara, pewnie ze wzgledu, ze jest to najglosniejszy instrument prawie kazdego utworu, wiec najbardziej zapada w ucho, ale nie zmienia to faktu, ze slychac bande ktora mocno jamuje, a nie gra czegos xx razy dla uzyskania brzmienia ktore pan inzynier klepnie i sprzeda, bo ten projekt chyba nie mial wiekszego komercyjnego sukcesu, biorac pod uwage jak dziwnie byl wydawany w poszczegolnych regionach, na plejke leci i cant make your way i over under sideways down

Really like this.

This might be the platonic ideal of psychedelic rock. Not necesarily my favorite, but about as core as it gets to that sound in my mind as possible.

What a launchpad of a record. Do I think I would have followed their career closely? No. But I absolutely would enjoy this while it is on, and would not be shocked by the follow up of the solo careers.

I found this album very original !

Yes. Ill comeback to this. Maybe

This is real nice psychodelic bluesy rock, a very early one, It's great Favorites: What do you want

A great find on this list. The Yardbirds were known to me as the vehicle for numerous would-be legendary musicians and on this record it’s Jeff Beck on guitar duty who steals the show. The track sequencing is a bit of a mess (I ended up listening to it in both the US and U.K. order) but these songs are just so catchy and ultimately stand as a very strong representation of 60s garage rock.

7/10. Liked it slightly more than I expected to.

Pretty cool

Interesting sound, very 60s rock feel to it. Enjoyable

solid rock album

excellent

Bluesy and not overproduced. This was a great listen. I love Beck's guitar sound.

Good album, enjoyed pretty much every track.

great band, great guitarists

Enjoyed this album very much, nice and bluesy with some elements of psychedelia

Not super familiar with The Yardbirds, other than it being the starting place for Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, the latter being the only one present on this album (and it shows). It's clear this album serves as the bridge from blues roots to more psychedelia rock. I'm not sure I think any one track is stand out, nor even the album as a whole, but it's a great listen to see how music was very much evolving into new sounds in 1966.

I was actually surprised by this one. I had never even heard of this group but it was a nice change. Rating: 7.3/10

Solid early Clapton album

Surprisingly good

took me a while to get into the groove but a solid album with some great tracks. my personal favs were farewell, I can't make ur way, ever since the world began, he's always there not to forget the small instrumentals in between which were great as well.

Ihan jepa rokkenrollia, tykkäsin surffimeiningistä. Ehkä 3.5/5, mutta pyöristetään ylöspäin.

Curious

Not listened to a Yardbirds album at length before but glad I have now come across Roger the Engineer. It's an exciting listen and feels like the work of a band that is transitioning from pop and blues towards psychedelia and something heavier. Some blistering guitar courtesy of Jeff Beck (no Clapton or Jimmy Page), especially on the Nazz (one of the more traditionally bluesy tracks), Jeff's Boogie and Lost Women. The singing isn't particularly strong and the other weakness is that the eclecticism of the material hints at a group unsure of its direction. Having said that there is something raw and unpredictable here and I would imagine they would have been a great live band at this time.

The choral singing is annoying, but the guitar parts are fantastic.

Un disco muy bueno de blues y psicodelia que nos deja ver un poco de la importancia que tuvo esta banda, no solo por los miembros que pasaron por ahí, sino también en cómo influyó el sonido que vino después. Lamento que la versión que encontré tiene 40 canciones porque complica ponerle en loop y hay que hacer un poco de depuración de los tracks que no me interesan. De todos modos, sin pedos saca las 4 estrellas.

Many more good jams than I was expecting!

A really great album again. It's almost as if this list is full of really great albums! I really enjoyed the experimental and creative nature of it but I know the members went on to much greater things and there wasn't any particular track that really stood out to me so don't think it's quite a 5*.

quite an odd sounding mix of skiffle and prog

Loved it! I felt the album had a nice range. Solid rock. Some occult sounding shit. Some folksier stuff. Really fucking solid album.

I actually loved this album so much. Classic rock and roll! I didn't have much to do with the yardbirds in the past to be honest. I guess this is another one of those where it might be a band your parents would introduce you to and my parents don't listen to anything other than Jesus music. Obviously there was a lot of cool cats in the band and you can tell the talent levels are peak! Love it. Particularly I Can't Make Your Way and Rack My Mind.

Bello

Fun rock album. Love how bluesy it feels.

What a weird album. The tracks keep ALMOST being jams but then wander off in some other directions. Really good stuff!

This was pretty cool, if a little indistinct

Mehr mut zu Walking basslines Hat mir spaß gemacht zu hören auch wenns iwie ein bisschen seinen welcome overstayt hat Gegen Ende wird die Stimmung ein bisschen random fand ich nicht so wild nur auffällig

Nice cheery indie vibes

What is this here rock and roll that the kids are listening to goodness gracious korean war etc etc

Ironically, after Eric Clapton's departure and his subsequent replacement with Jeff Beck, the Yardbirds sound trended toward the blues inflected and more psychadelic/experimental. The vocals are great, the bass is forward and melodic, and Jeff Beck's guitar playing is phenomenal. I prefer Jeff Beck to Clapton on most cases and in 'Jeff's Boogie,' you can hear him experimenting with harmonics and a virtuosity that would characterize his later more jazz/fusion influenced work.

Good band, Jeff Beck & others ( Claption, Page et al) good sound but, times preferred another bands as iconic.

Really has the 60s vibe and I liked the Yardbirds growing up. I love the 2nd track but is it good enough for 4* ?

4.5/5 , Classic. Essential listen.

Really solid psychedelic rock. Not one song I would label as bad. The worst thing I can say about it is that it's a bit "generic music your dad plays" at times.

The Yardbirds are getting a 4/5, mainly due to how much they influenced Rock'n'Roll. Did enjoy the album generally though!

This takes me back to when I was 16. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album on repeat whilst walking through town. Good vibes

By coincidence this album came just after the debut album of Led Zeppelin. So it was nice to see where Jimmy Page was coming from. I think it makes even more credits for Led Zeppelins debut album as it's quite different than Yardbirds, more bluesy, less rock'n'rolly. Anyway: about this album: it sounds like a breeding ground of good ideas. It seems to have not really a concept but there are a bunch of very nice and likable ideas. It's played by immensely talented musicians, I'm not sure I like the singing much though (but that's typical 60s, e.g. Hendrix has terrible singing too). Highlights: He's Always There, Ever Since the World Began.

Always loved the yardbirds since I started listening in college but that was more singles like "over under sideways down". It was a nice blast from the past. "Jeffs Boogie" even though short and sweet still sounds amazing and Jeff Beck on the guitar would have made any band stand out. I also loved "what do you want".

3.7 - enjoyable psychedelic rock with solid guitar and vocals.

there was a time in my life i would have been all over this.

Great stuff. Great writing. Great musicianship. Fun/witty songs.

## Notes: This is a group I always heard about but never listened to. A VERY pleasant surprise, this is blues infused early rock. Flawlessly executed with lots of great ideas and a superb sound. Don't know if the original is like this, but the one I'm listening to has 31 songs, 14 of those are mono and sound great! I see myself coming back to this album, too bad the cover is really awful, like something a bored high-school pupil will draw in it's notebook in class. I like to get vinyl that is both great to listen to as a whole piece (this album is like that) and to see at the same time, as a complete object. Sadly that part is not well executed.

The singer's voice is coming from a lake, can't understand a s***.

Fun

Excited about this one. And it doesn't disappoint. Like 60s psychedelic pop with more edge/proficiency. Takes some of the elements of love from Pink Floyd's first two records and focuses them more concisely. So, the lineup of this band changed a lot, I think. Right? I gotta check out more of their records. Feels like the UK equivalent of Buffalo Springfield. Like, a breeding ground of talent before artists went on to start their Big projects. The build on "Lost Women" with the harmonica and feedback is really great.

As far as average rock goes, this is pretty good.

Bit of a raveup, this. A mix of blues, pop and raw garagey rock - of it's time, and you can see it as a precursor of how music would change radically over the next 18 months. A lot of fun.

Bien. 4. Es el grupo de Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page en sus comienzos.

enjoyed this, interesting glance at non Beatles 60's. 3.8

More enjoyable than I had expected.

Quite enjoyed this album. First accidentally had a very long version. I like how the actual album is short and sweet.

Damn good album! Really neat progression of songs into one another and super interesting guitar work. Big fan.

I love the blues/pop blend, and "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" is so good!

fun blusey different 4/5

Leuk! En het klinkt ook niet zo oud als het is. Ik ga hier meer van luisteren.

I liked roughly half the songs on this album. Felt like I enjoyed every other or so. They do the blues really well. I know they were pioneering Brisish psychadelic rock but their songs in thay realm don't grab me much. My favorite moment on the album is during The Nazz Are Blue when during the guitar solo (at 1:25) Jeff Beck umexpectedly holds a note and it turns into this monstrous feedback siren sound.

Eric Clapton is a legend

This was fun! Liked it a lot more than the Jeff Beck Group album that came up on here previously. More experimental, more all over the place, less just straight up ripping off the blues. Fave track - "Ever Since The World Began", I reckon, but have a soft spot for "Over Under Sideways Down", "Hot House of Omagararshid" and "Jeff's Boogie" too...

Jeff Beck....Wow!

very catchy tunes, playful songs

Classic

well made album, but I found it kind of boring/repetitive

Good tracks all round.

Surprisingly good for something from this era. Really enjoyable album.

Old western vibe, reminds me of red dead redemption

Really cool guitar work, especially when you consider that this came out in 1966.

Music history lessons are always cool

A solid '60s rock album. 8.0/10

Pues no lo escuché todo, not even sorry. Y no es que estuviera malito, solo que es rock clásico y así. Una fórmula muy probada porque sí funciona(ba?) pero pues es eso

weird punk, feels very creative lyrics are nore important than music

Adorable. Way more interesting than one would expect, despite no songs I was familiar with going in.

Every song rolled into the next

Rock psicodélico sesentero.

Fresh rockandroll style, with lots of progressive touches

Guitar at its best

A great band, underappreciated. Never heard the full album but I enjoyed it all the way, especially the blues.

Great 60s album that covers all sorts of sounds and vibes that ended up evolving into many other genres. Farewell in particular touched me a lot.

Another solid classic!

What a fun album, totally a mix of The Beach Boys, Beatles, and the clash.

Good variety from more traditional blues to more modern sounding songs. Doesn't really work as a complete album.

Real good, nice, rock sound

This is one of my favorite albums so far.

The wobble board sound in Hot House or Omagararshid is hilarious if you think about the dude playing it through the entire track. Jeff's Boogie is great, the stereo version of Turn Into Earth is psychedelic and very trippy with headphones on.

good, but short

Nice album full of psychodelic songs that work well as a whole album

Really good, see the influence to so many things

4.5

Solid entry. A bit pretentious at times but what do you you expect? It's The Yardbirds. Fun listen, though.

Groovy man as the kids used to say. You can tell Jeff Beck’s playing at this point was so developed that you knew that he was moving on as the confines of this white blues played by Englishmen had largely run it’s course at this point. Overall it is a pretty competent approximation of psychedelic influenced blues but it does come off as rather unemotional and cold - possibly because of the composition of the band. Overall it is an interesting artifact of a certain time and place but not among the 1091 albums or more you should hear in your lifetime. 3/5

Never heard of it, yet I get the feeling that it provides a nice snapshot of the era.

Jeff Beck is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Thank God he was on this album, because without him, it would probably have been a 2. There’s a very good reason why people look back fondly on this band for the sole reason of making Beck, Clapton and Page famous. It was always just a pipeline for them, and not anybody’s favorite part of their careers. Unfortunately, a big reason for that is that this album is just overwhelmingly boring and lifeless. The other reason is because Keith Relf wasn’t a great singer. He was always carried for the entirety of his Yardbirds career by the vastly superior talents of the aforementioned Beck, Clapton and Page, who all went on themselves to be some of the most well respected and talented musicians of all time. Each era of the Yardbirds is fun to listen to, if only to hear what they sounded like so early in each of their blossoming careers. What I don’t want to listen to, however, is the singer. If The Yardbirds ever had a legendary singer, I think people would view the band in an amazing light, rather than the stepping stone that it actually is today. Hell, ironically, I gave Jeff Beck’s solo album on this list a 4 due to the singer their, Rod Stewart, also taking some getting used to, being the weaker part of that album which was also being overwhelmingly carried by Beck and the bassist. The funniest part of all of that is that the best song on his solo album is his solo song. It seems as if a good bit of the site agrees that the best song on this album… is also a solo by Beck, appropriately titled “Jeff’s Boogie”. While it was a close second for me, I rather enjoyed the song that came after it the most, “He’s Always There”. The singing for the most part doesn’t bother me at all, I think he’s fine myself. Completely and deeply unrelated to the review, but did you know he was actually electrocuted in his basement at 33?? It’s a very weird story. Before he went though, he got to work with some immensely talented people. This album is way too long for what it is, it’s pretty boring, and it’s not going to stick with me. But the guitar playing is immaculate, and for that I’m going to give it a medium-low 3.

Overall solid … feel like if I grew up with them I would’ve loved them 3

Fun, wild, early rock and roll.

This was an interesting mix of all sorts of genres - blues, psychedelia, rock, and one awesome boogie song. Great guitar work by Jeff Beck early in his career. I enjoyed most of the songs, a good listen.

The sound is dated to the 60’s when the album was created, but the Rock & Roll is great. Lots of guitar and drums in every song. A good collection of tunes.

Groovy blues rock is always a good listen, but the jazz element is the highlight here. The tracks with that touch of jazz really shine. Interesting to hear a young Jeff Beck kick off his career, you get a nice hint of his talent and creativity. Overall a fun album.

Fun album

i am not wowed but it is not bad!

꽤괜

Perfectly fine British psychedelic rock. I know at the time this blew peoples minds and the sounds of a sitar was the most interesting thing in existence; but it’s good not great. Nothing super exciting, perfectly functional, and easy listening not worth remembering.

Pretty sweet

Raro, arrancó entretenido y después me aburrió un poco. Nao queda guardado

One of the songs The Nazz are blue, def a rock blues song cause the repeating refrains of talking about troubles of daily life. Thats really cool though. A lot of the songs on this album are actually really good while listening. Mr. Zero a song I could daydream a whole contemperary animation to. I do like Keith Relf singing :D.

Classic rock/blues album.

Evokes an era for sure. The more experimental elements moving away from the poppy sounds make it more intriguing.

Old

#416 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ✅ - maybe This sounds very much like the pre-psychedelic era of rock music, some of it sounds very conventional, but there are also some strange instrument choices. British invasion rhythm and blues bands sounded pretty much all like this, well, the core of what this record is about. I feel like Yardbirds was more about the very technically able players, compared to many other ones of the era. Bluesy rock 'n roll, many familiar riffs and overall sound, except for the weird instrumentation choices here and there. Some of those stranger sounds work quite well with the material, but on some tracks it feels quite... superficial. While I like the bands psychedelic era, this is not it. Barely reaching 3/5

A nice ride, good music, generally the kind of thing I enjoy.

This was fine, nothing special though. Ever since the world began was cool, almost proto-metal for the first part, then the transition to jangle pop was unexpected but fun.

Jeff Beck's guitar is the star of the show here. Quite enjoyed it, but it did run out of steam imo.

About what I expected from a Yardbirds album. A perfect mix of the styles of the time.

It's fine

charming, but probably an album i'll forget about.

Solid I guess. Great hearing Jeff Beck's stuff. Lost Woman and The Nazz Are Blue were my highlights of the album

Early rock pioneers.

very very very okay

Knew of this band but hadn’t heard this album. Did they borrow from the Beatles or was it the other way around? Or was it just the sound of the British Invasion?

Significant influence on guitar bands that followed, bluesy but also reminiscent of Beach Boys in parts.

Nothing too special about this album. The version I listened to has a few bonus tracks at the end by Keith Relf and those are the best songs on the album IMO. Mr. Zero, Knowing, and Shapes in My Mind. If the whole album was that, I would've liked it more.

Guitar playing, thumbs up. Song Writing, thumbs down. Every other aspect of this album thumbs sideways. Album art!? Double thumbs up! Woulda been a 2 without it.

It’s interesting music—bluesy—but for some reason, half the album isn’t available in Germany. Plus, the songs repeat in the second half. Overall, a few of the songs are interesting, but it’s hard to judge the album as a whole.

Почався альбом дуже яскраво, є класна гітара. Далі трохи пішов на якісь стежки, де багато чого відбувається в пісні, але мені вони не сильно подобаються. Загалом досить приємні враження.

На диво альбом більш-менш сподобався, враховуючи що цю гараж\психоделік сцену 60х я не дуже люблю. Тут ще звісно Джеф Бек (до того як він став тим самим Джефом Беком), але вже нема Джиммі Пейджа. Коротше ок альбом, послухав не без задоволення.

This was more fun than I thought it would be. I listened to the mono version and that 60s studio sound really cut through

Mediocre Blues is what this is. The draw is Page, Clapton & Beck but apparently not all at the same time. Beck is just here. It's fine, instrumentally. Its the lyrics & the singing. Just mediocre. 3

3/5

All I really know about the yardbirds is they employed Page, Beck and Clapton and that may be all I need to know. Sort of a Rosetta Stone of British Invasion rock. On its own never blew my socks off, but a few tracks sounded pretty great, a few big swings production wise. Shout out to the live version of Lost Woman by James Gang.

I am not sure I appreciate Jeff Beck enough to love this album. There is some cool psych stuff on here - Lone Woman, Ever Since the World Began - but alot of this sounds like generic blues. Fun but not ground breaking.

Solid psych rock

Wild album. The songs are clearly from the mid-60’s, but Jeff Beck’s guitar work is a decade ahead. I would give this a 4 because the guitar work is great and so obviously influential. But many of the songs are children’s-lullaby simple (lots of runs with “do-dah”, “yah-yah” sounds) and the lead singer can’t sing. A 3.

A descent album, but not one I would likely listen to again.

Roger the Engineer was fun, but it was nothing groundbreaking!

This is one of those that’s just on here because it’s old.

Pretty dated sounding. Nothing particularly standout

Rv

I liked

Главный плюс альбома - он идет всего 30 минут

Good

A classic display of classic rock. This album was interesting because it was before the psychedelic craze, and had a more Blues Rock sound. Clearly a lot of talent on the album. Some hits, a lot of easy listening. Overall- good album

A fun album with some really great guitar work (see "Jeff's Boogie"). It seems Jeff Beck was the guitarist, so not very surprising, then. I love the goofy cover sketch and the music isn't bad either. Favorite track: "What Do You Want"

Decent

Good jams aye, not my favourite genre

Interesting rock music

Fairly decent 60s jangly rock album, can’t complain really!

A bit more fun than the rest of the blues slop in this list, there’s a fun intensity. Still not amazing though, there’s better 60s stuff out there 4 me!

Pretty solid for the most part but eventually became a chore. RYM: N Saved a song: N

Pretty okay stuff. Extra star for the box art.

Good background music but I haven’t heard anything jaw-droppingly awesome. Yet?

***An ok album

Kinda fun? 3.3/5

About what I expected. Good music, good guitar, but petty sounding of its time.

Some sick blues riffs

Blues-rock of the British 60s sort, but on a few songs it pushes harder, gets weirder, fuzzes out noisier. Some good ones, but some, or kinda a lot of, uh, not good ones.

I get it pero no me encantó

An interesting inclusion on this list, and I've got to say that the album cover alone is worth it - I love it. It's a really fun jam, but I'm not blown away by the album as a whole. Still a really good listen. The alternate versions are very quirky, and the song 'Ever Since the World Began' is itself an interesting phenomenon. Favourites: Lost Woman Over, Under, Sideways, Down The Nazz are Blue What Do You Want

Somehow, through many, many, many, lineup changes, and name changes, this becomes, the far superior, "Honeydrippers."

Fav- over, under, sideways, down 3/5

Hay Rocanroles muy interesantes.

This is kind of a charcuterie board of popular music styles of its time: pop, blues, blues-rock, psychedelic, and annoying forgettable trash. Most of it is in the first several categories, and they're passably good. I find myself enjoying the blues-oriented stuff more than anything else. I have to admit, I got more into the wobbly sheet metal thing on Hot House than I would have thought possible ⭐⭐⭐.5

This one started off kinda interesting for me, with some slight psychedelic rock (Which normally I wouldn't be into, but for some reason was enjoying here). But whether is just lost steam or I wasn't paying much attention, the rest of the tracklist didn't really wow me. It was fine, but not attention grabbing.

I think we let too many British invade in the 60s. This one sharks have stayed on the boat.

Had never really gotten the chance to listen to Jeff Beck, so I really appreciated the chance here. He has some great riffs. This album is nothing spectacular but really solid. Happy I listened.

Swing placeholder but alright. nice cover

I was expecting way more from this. Jeff Beck is an exquisite guitarist, of course, but otherwise I was quite disappointed. The blues songs aren't doing it for me - too formulaic, and I'd rather listen to original blues, e.g. Elmore James' Dust My Broom rather than The Nazz Are Blue. The singing isn't the best. Some songs are rather The Kinks-like (e.g. Farewell) and have that children's songs-like character I don't fancy.

6/10

Legendary band but this is really basic old school. Not ahead of its time...

In the past week I've been subjected to three separate projects featuring Jeff Beck and/or Rod Stewart. Faces, Jeff Beck Group, and now Yardbirds. And it all sounds pretty much the same.

It's a yardbirds album. It slaps. It's not my favorite but it slaps.

Some tame Brit pop rock from the early days. Has a comfortable sound and is easy enough to listen to. Not exactly my favorite tunes, but it’s pretty good. I’d listen again.

Over Under Sideways Down

Cool array of sounds. Definitely the cusp of genres where some old meets new. Newer stuff is pretty cool.

Fairly generic but solid 60s British invasion fare. Top tracks: "Over Under Sideways Down," "He's Always There"

It's fine. Pretty much a bog standard 60s rock album with folk influence and tons of talent. Very 3.

Not really for me, but obviously there's some impressive playing, and it's right at that confluence of blues and rock-'n'-roll and psychedelia, so lots of interesting things to hear along the way.

more a fan of the stereo album. my favs were happening ten years time ago and mr. zero.

aparentemente é uma banda que lançou bons guitarristas e um eric clapton. não dá pra acertar sempre esse aqui eh sem ele, pelo menos. rockzinho psicodélico regado a guitarrada, mas mei xoxo. nada demais

мягенький рокнрол, не моё)

I enjoy this era of this band.

I had a nice time listening to it, although maybe it doesn't reflect all that well on the songwriting that my favourite things about it are the extreme panning and the sound of the reverb

There’s interesting things going on here, blues, heavy rock and psych being combined. A sound that would dominate the following decade. However unlike LED Zeppelin it’s not as cohesive and the drums and vocals aren’t as strong- but the guitar playing clearly shines. Ironically it’s the more basic blues rock that is the strongest but you can hear the bones of much bigger bands

I knew this would have blues influences, but I didn't realize that it would be more blues than rock. I also didn't realize it was going to be the lame white people trying to be cool type of blues not the cool booze and sex type of blues. Some of the songs here like Farewell and I Can't Make Your Way wound like rejected Wiggles songs. All and all this album is lame but fine. Low 3.

Mid

I’m ambivalent about this one. It’s fine. Didn’t hate it. Sounds like a number of other records of this era

Really enjoyed the Blues playing - the songs were alright overall.

Would be a five star album without the vocals…

Solid album from legendary band highlight is lost woman

-this album has variety and is chill -I don’t think I’m in the right mood for it today -I will probably check it out again another day -

Definitely going to come back to this one in the future!

I have heard of that band but not all that familiar with their music but I do remember some of their better hits including Baby Please Don't Go, For Your Love, Happenings Then Years Time Ago and Turn Turn Turn. A good album overall.

The rock and roll minor leagues. A mixed bag, albeit, a good mixed bag. Giving this an enthusiastic 3 and will likely revisit.

Has some pretty decent guitar moments. Possibly one of the better mid 60s albums on here (that’s not the Beatles). Could be a 4 upon more listens.

Not bad but nothing sets it apart from all the other 60’s British bands on this list.

They nailed what an engineer looks like

This album is fine, but I still don't get the hype of the Yardbirds. We're just supposed to like them because they pushed out some amazing guitarists? Despite this album having Jeff Beck on it, it's still pretty mehhhh.