Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Lost Women - 4/5 Over, Under, Sideways, Down - 4/5 The Nazz Are Blue - 3/5 I Can't Make Your Way - 4/5 Rack My Mind - 4/5 Farewell - 2/5 Hot House of Omagararshid - 2/5 Jeff's Boogie - 3/5 He's Always There - 5/5 Turn Into Earth - 4/5 What Do You Want - 4/5 Ever Since the World Began - 4/5 Average score: 3.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ while the last few tracks were pretty nice, i don't think they made up for the weak tracks in the middle
Classic
Meh
I liked about half of it. The rest was blues rock, but less objectionable than usual.
First time listening to a full album from them. And it was really good honestly. Very surprised to find out The Pussycat Dolls sampled them lol 3/5
Compared to other sort of British blues obsessed 60s bands I think this is pretty good. Nothing’s really blowing my mind. However, I like I can’t make your way which is kind of like them doing the kinks or something which is another band that dabbles in this that kind of stuff.
50% Psychedelic and 50% Blues. Would have preferred more of the former but an interesting mix!
A really strong 3 songs to start but then the energy dropped and it felt like diminishing returns afterwards for most of the rest of the album. Another I found perfectly fine to listen to but very little hooking me in for further exploration.
Kul ändå! Men känns inte helt färdigt, och produktionsteknikerna gör ju enorma framsteg på kort tid efter detta. Men man hör vartåt det barkar, på ett bra sätt!
Yardbirds>Cream. Jeff Beck är king. Så jävla härligt riff i ”Over, under, sideways, down”. Nosar på 4an.
Även om Jeff Beck inte nått final form här så är han alltid värd en lyssning. Genomgående ganska trevligt album.
Det här var ju riktigt bra. Många roliga idéer. Visste ni att The New Yardbirds spelade en gång på Ängby Park i Knivsta? De bytte senare namn till Led frekkin Zeppelin
les beatles si ct pas fou
Aside from a few songs I've gotten familiar with over the past 1/2 century, this was no too appealing.
Not bad, with some incisive lyrics on spurned love and greed. But just a bit too boring for me.
Happenings and Over Under are the big ones and they are both amazing. Solid album cuts as well
Sometimes everyone else is spot on. The guitar is incredible, the rest is boiler plate.
Overall Rating - 3.32/5 (6.64/10). The guitar work is uniformly excellent, but it's Jeff Beck, so that's pretty much expected. Some albums sound like the time they're from. This is definitely one of them.
Solid album. It seems a little weak compared to other albums or artists in the decade.
Very 1960's psychadelic with elements of Pink Floyd and the Beatles. Not quite as weird as some similar albums of the genre. Pretty good to listen to, probably helped by Jeff Beck's guitar playing, although arguably he went on to play better tracks in his future.
I mean, it's still decent, just not quite as exciting as I expected.
If I'm understanding correctly, The Yardbirds were the band of the legendary blues-rock guitar god Eric Clapton until he left. They replaced him with Jeff Beck, one of the most critical psychedelic guitarists of all time, and Roger the Engineer was Jeff Beck's first full album with The Yardbirds. It's fascinating because you can hear blues-rock and psychedelic music smashing into each other here, but they never really integrate. Still, this was pretty fun. I couldn't help but compare this to The Who, who are obviously contemporaries doing something similar, but who have them beat on both the songwriting and arranging fronts. It reminded me of Pearl Jam's Ten vs. Stone Temple Pilots' Core: two bands that sounded almost the same, but Pearl Jam had a style so nailed down that they could play in it like a big sandbox, trying different things out. In contrast, STP sounded like they were trying to write Pearl Jam songs (and occasionally succeeding). I'd be interested in where this partnership could have gone if those two sides had integrated better, but it sounds like Beck left to form the Jeff Beck Group not long after this was released. And then, famously, Jimmy Page and Roger Plant came along and did what Jeff Beck was doing, only with better songwriting and arranging. He truly was the Salieri of psychedelic blues-rock in the late 60s/early 70s.
I gave this multiple tries and I think in the end I quite liked it but I can't figure out why it doesn't stick. not keen to listen to it again but this may be a mistake...
Musically more interesting than I thought it would be. Beck is an inventive guitarist and the influence on other guitarists of the era (and competition that must have generated) is clear. The issue with lots of proto records from this era is the production is very thin and the songs veer towards being insipid. This is why its an influential but not essential album, for me
I like the album cover more than any of the music. Favorite track: Over Under Sideways Down
290423 19:16 3.5
6/10
eh
Interesting mix of rock and blues from the 60s . I knew the name but wasn't aware of the sound
Donnerstag, 29.01.2025 ~ von früh bis spät ~ im Superfit Europacenter, im Seitensprung-Café, auf dem Weg nachhause - vom Berliner Ensemble (David Bowie - Heroes).
Donnerstag, 29.01.2026 Vormittags in der U9 auf dem Weg ins Fitnessstudio am Zoo. Im Studi-Café "Seitensprung".
Meh
Standard white boy blues/psych rock.
I feel like I need to start busting out the "nowhere album" moniker again because, man, I have no idea where I am. I also have no idea what this album could be aside from a pop rock album. The cover makes me feel like I'm in for something psychedelic, but more the byrds/the kinksy than something Beatle-esque. Anyways, 'ere goes. What the hell is going on with this album? The tracklisting on streaming jams two songs which weren't even on the original release onto the beginning of the album. I hate when that happens. Anyways, this album is perfectly fine. I listened to the mono mix. The instrumentation on the stereo mix sounded better, but the tracks alternate between having the vocals come from either the right or left ear, which is very, very strange. Again, I ask. What the hell is going on with this streaming release? Okay, I'm getting too distracted. I got some enjoyment from this album. Most of the first side didn't hook me, but from about "Farewell" to "What Do You Want" I was getting down with this. The album fell into a nice middle ground between having some campy instrumentals and some nice, earnest songwriting, all without sounding too dated or alienating. It's difficult for me to single out what I liked most about this stretch of the album since the music alternates and changes a lot, but it ultimately boils down to the songwriting. The vocals aren't particularly outstanding, but the lyrics have a fun bounciness to them, and I like the quirky subject matters. The guitars are usually the strongest aspect of the tracks where they feature, especially on "Jeff's Boogie". Overall, I liked most of this album, I'm tempted to revisit it later down the line, I greatly appreciated the brevity and, above all else, I'n happy to be leaving an album with a positive opinion for a change. Thank you, music. Book time. A belaboured release. Many influences. A precursor to bands which popularised blues rock. Wikipedia says that this album was the only one from this English band to release in the UK. That's strange. Mild critical acclaim. My saint, my true hero Todd Rundgren named one of his bands after "The Nazz are Blue". Sure, this appears to be a respectable pick. I cosign this inclusion.
Not particularly engaging or memorable. It has some good tunes and guitar solos, as expected, though
Rock and roll
The 60s are such an infectious time to me and this record embodies the time very well. Still, the album had a couple of fantastic tunes and a fair amount of forgettable stuff to pad it out. I found the first half (I listened to the standard 12 track version) to be more enjoyable. The second half sort of trailed off, but in the end I found it to be a unique listen.
Some neat stuff, mostly forgettable though
For the quality and quantity of fantastic musicians this band always seemed to keep in stock, I don’t believe they ever succeeded in translating it in the studio into a proper album. I have a feeling seeing this live would have been much more interesting.
It’s okay I suppose
Decent album. I enjoyed Farewell
++: Lost Woman, The Nazz Are Blue, Rack My Mind, Jeff's Boogie, Turn into Earth, What Do You Want, Ever Since the World Began +: Over Under Sideways Down, Hot House of Omagararashid, He's Always There +-: I Can't Make Your Way, Farewell 7,3/10
I liked it got distracted a lot so I couldn’t properly pay attention to the songs
Absolutely stellar guitar work, slightly let down by the fact the songs themselves feel like little more than vehicles for it. They also feel quite unfocused and inconsistent. Like some are real blues rockers and then some are quite (and in the case of Hot House of Omagararshid very) psych tinged. I enjoyed it well enough, but, like starting watching Line of Duty halfway through series four, it raises more questions than answers.
Listening session: january 10th, while fixing up a wooden cabinet at my parents house Listened to before: no Thoughts: I didn’t pay a lot of attention to this album because I was busy doing a chore while listening, but this was nice as background music Favourite track: Lost Women & Hot House of Omagararshid
кажется что вот-вот песня сильно зацепит и заесться, однако такого не происходит. возможно если переслушать альбом и вчитаться в текст, то проникнуться получится. но пока так
Nice
not my style but still great for its decade
Rack My Mind is such an unpleasant song to listen to but this is otherwise fine, reasonably forgettable music to spend an hour with. This album list is making me (correctly, rightfully) racist against the white british but this one slides ever so slightly into a three. might be a little generous. rhymes are bad.
Yet another boring, mediocre 1960’s rock album. No wonder all the kids were doing drugs if they had to listen to uninspired crap like this. This is the sound of unseasoned, bland, mashed potatoes in musical form.
This was okay. I have heard so much about how great the Yardbirds are and influential. This was a little underwhelming based on the hype.
I may not know enough music but I do not see/hear their influence
The strength of this album is principally Beck, who is in top form. And by this point The Yardbirds had moved beyond blues standards into a combination of blues, pop, and psychedelia, making the record interesting if uneven. There aer some great track and some mindless blues filler, but on the whole its enjoyable and hints at the adventurous and boundary pushing theatrics in Jeff Beck’s future.
5/10 Ok, yeah sure, why not. 12-18-2025
Classic rock, a bit rambly
first listen it was alright
The one with Jeff Beck. Not bad listening. You can definitely hear the British Invasion taking place here. And while it’s not blues itself, the influence is definitely strong. Some of these songs really rip. And some are…of a time.
Good guitar playing, not that enamoured by the rest
2.5 Seriously, just add it to the list with all the others. I don't know how many times I've discussed 60s psycadelica pop on here now, they all blend into one now.
Had a good time with the music and the album cover.
I mean, I'unno. It's like ... I've got these two problems that're keeping me from enjoying this album as much as I should. And they're both more personal problems than anything having to do directly with the album. For one, I hafta wonder if I've been spoiled by all of the 60's music I've heard before now. I've grown up ingesting shit like The Beatles and The Beach Boys and Jimi Hendrix ... y'know? Some of the absolute best of the absolute best out there. And I guess when you spend so long taking in stuff of that magnitude and quality, it can be a little difficult to appreciate anything that's even a notch lower. Like, this 60's psych blues thing this album is doing: I get it, and I can even understand why it's sort of important. If you argued at me that this laid the groundwork for albums like 'Are You Experienced', I'd understand it entirely. But then, I kinda like 'Are You Experienced' better? Like, I'm not even trying to put this thing up against shit like 'Revolver' and 'Pet Sounds', necessarily, 'coz that's obviously not what it's aiming for. But, I'unno, I still kind of hear and think to myself, "Yeah, it's fine, but why exactly **is it** so special when stacked up against others of its ilk?" Then there's the other thing, which might play into why I can't hear it as being so special. It seems to me that the appeal of The Yardbirds is that, at various points, it's had three of the most legendary guitarists in history: Eric Clapton (ewwww), Jimmy Page (**I** like him, but I know others go "ewwwww"), and Jeff Beck. And it seems to me that whichever one of these guitarists you like best, that's the incarnation of The Yardbirds that you're gonna gravitate towards. This album is the Jeff Beck show, and, like ... it's listening to this album that I realize I have no opinions on Jeff Beck. Like, whatsoever. It's not like with Clapton, where (racism aside) I can comment on his "dusty blues licks," or with Jimmy Page, where I could probably find some way to tie things back to Led Zeppelin. No, Jeff Beck is like ... a name I know, for sure. I might've even seen one of his album covers at one point? But I don't know if I've ever heard a single song that he's on. Really, there's Spinal Tap's "Break Like The Wind" and that's it (if that's even the one he's on, and not "Short And Sweet"). So, you have an album which seems to have gotten its legacy off of Jeff Beck as a guitar player ... and, sure, he's a good guitar player. He does stuff on this where I'm like, "Damn, this came out **when** in the 60's?" But on the whole, due to my lack of awareness about Beck, I find it sort of hard to get engaged. And even putting aside all of that ... like I said, it's mostly just fine psych blues. It's far from bad, but just as well it's far from anything I'm all too "WOW"ed by. It just never does anything that reaches above that level for me, y'know? Honestly kinda jus' came and went. Maybe one day, when I better familiarize myself with Jeff Beck I might enjoy this album more ... or maybe one of these songs'll catch me on a better day and I'll go, "Damn, I should rated it higher." But as of right now ... yeah. Wasn't exactly a rave-up to me.
some cool stuff but nothing super special. i can see these guys getting some success back when they were making music but not sure there’s any reason to keep their legacy strong
Kinda Psychadelic rock, Kinda Rock, Kinda Blues. Probably would have preferred if they went any of those directions instead of wandering back and forth.
Good. Almost a four, then I realized I’m never listening to it again.
not what i expected
A fine rocker and and blues album. As the only studio album of The Yardbirds and featuring Jeff Beck's impeccable guitar playing on all the tracks, I am inclined to agree that it belongs on the list as a pivotal album in the 1960s even if it is less relevant now.
Fun, jangle folk music. Formative. Catchy. Behind a lot of other albums from that era that scratch this itch much better.
Yardbirds were at the beginning of all this new music.
Good guitar! Mediocre on the rest. Thanks Jeff Beck! Understand that the Yardbirds were in the first class of this RnR wave, but the better talents prevailed.
I've not listened to much Yardbirds and this doesn't seem like the right album to have started. Some of this was ok, when it got a bit psychedelic. But other bits were irritating and tt vocals were terrible, especially on the very "English" tracks, the kind that ruin the otherwise majestic sounds Cream make. I didn't hate it though.
i know elvis was referred to as “the king of rock and roll”, but you could probably make more of an argument for that title belonging to either little richard or chuck berry. elvis didn’t really do anything groundbreaking, honestly other than bringing music that already existed to a wider whiter audience. the upbeat songs on this album were ok, but the slower ballads kind of fell flat to me. if this album was an example of how “great” elvis was, you lost me.
This came out the year I was born, not that has any bearing on the quality. To be fair the Stones have had a 60+ year career out of music like this but actually not as good!
Pretty great blue rock but I didn’t think it was anything incredible. Jeff Beck sounds amazing though and this band really kickstarted some amazing careers but yeah, I thought this album was fine.
conflicted about this one. they can obviously all play, but it sounds to me like 30 minutes of ringo songs. somewhere between 2 and 4.
Light 3,5
This was Ok. Some of the tunes were groovy, such a cool 60s sound. But not a 4 for me.
Decent variety. Quite an abrupt end.
nice sounding album.
#773. Aside from the terrible album cover, its pretty fine otherwise. Its decent overall, but not particularly interesting to me in particular. 3/5: acceptable
Not for me, again
(66/100)
Jeff Beck really carried this album.
Way ahead of it's time
If I was a teenager in 1966, I would have been a Yardbirds fan.
Very dad vibes. Very '60s. Fun, but I don't need to hear it for too long.
3.4 Nothing really stood out to me except for Jeff becks guitar playing.
for sure man
A very messy, badly recorded album which nonetheless has some really good blues rock tracks on it. In all honesty, the most interesting aspect of The Yardbirds more generally is hearing the humble beginnings of three people who would go on to become some of the most revered guitar gods of the century (Page, Beck and Clapton).
Not unpleasing, but I won't be listening to this again. The guitar playing was good, but the vocals weren't great. Three stars seems fair.
Kansi on niin härö että ihmettelin mitäköhän kökköä tämä on mutta osoittautuu Eric Claptonin alkupään bändiksi. Myös muita kuuluja kitaristeja ja kyllähän tuon kuulee että makeaa menoa ja tuttuja biisejä, olisiko elokuvista tai mainoksista. Kuuntelee mielellään.
It is absolutely fine.
This one was around when I was a yewt. A solid foundational rock work.
Just pure 60s rock.
Yesterday, I mentioned how Napalm Death was more deserving than a lot of 60’s psych rock records on this list. I should know better by now, this generator works its magic and summons a 60’s rock record. Not quite psych, more down the middle rock than anything but still psychedelic adjacent. “I Can’t Make Your Way” was pretty well done, the ‘ahhhhh’ vocals were just as catchy as the first lyrical bit of the song. I felt similarly about “Farewell”, with its cyclical vocal melody and aaaahhh’s in the background once again. I didn’t need songs like “Jeff’s Boogie” to lower the experience with some more typical, unoriginal ideas (even if it was admittedly well performed). All my kvetching out of the way, this album is pretty solid for what it is. Strong 3/5, maybe a hit song or experimental song away from a 4/5.
Pivotal in the blues
True hit or miss album. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
ive heard this album before and didnt enjoy it. its been many years but looking on spotify i see a mono version and a stereo version. im guessing i listened to the mono version back then. i listened to the stereo version this time and i enjoyed the album way more. production is still pretty rough around the edges compared to what their contemporaries were doing at the time. the instrumentation is great, especially guitar which makes sense given jeff beck played on every track. overall not a bad listen.
I’d never heard of the Yardbirds before, I enjoyed elements of this album
I only knew one Yardbirds song before this, and going in, I expected Jeff Beck’s guitar work to steal the show. While it’s certainly inventive for its time, I wasn’t exactly blown away. The album sits in that fascinating in-between space - blues roots giving way to early psychedelia - and you can hear rock evolving track by track. Nothing truly grabbed me, but it’s a fun, energetic listen, and a glimpse at how the genre was reshaping itself in the mid-’60s.
Alright
A lot of fun and wildly all over the place.
Good record
This album made me feel nothing. Even after a couple listens, still nothing. Sometimes it sounded like The Who, the last song sounds a lot like Black Sabbath before Black Sabbath existed. I'm pretty neutral on those bands as well.
This is pretty cool. The Yardbirds are a band most well known for generating iconic guitarists, with links to Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and On Roger The Engineer, Jeff Beck. Due to this alone, The Yardbirds have a space carved out in rock history, but this album is also pretty interesting. I'd say that, broadly, this is another mid '60s psych band, but The Yardbirds have a slant that's just a little lo-fi and earthy, for lack of a better word. The tone is a little darker and less colorful than the '67 summer of love stuff that would follow. Although I think it's made up for through this album's focus on texture. It comes across as accessible and enjoyable rock music, but with something a little arthouse about it. And the songs are good enough to carry it. This one is at least worth a listen, even in a sea of psych records from the time.
Ehhh nothing really stood out.
A brisk and fun time capsule!
Jeff Beck was amazing!
Low 3? Wasn't bad but didn't stick with me
нямам конкретна критика ама не можах да се закача
That was alright.
Roger is actually an Optometrist.
This was just alright. Not my favorite from the 60's psychedelic era but not bad.
I don’t know. Sounds very much of its time and not really special to me. Great album cover tho.
This is one of those classic history albums that set the foundation for a lot of rock bands to come including Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck and everything that Clapton did. On its own,it feels a little bit like a dated time machine bridging the 1950s rockabilly with the late 1960s rock and heavy metal movement. From historical context this is a pretty cool and important album. Jeff Beck’s guitar work definitely set the stage for his own solo careers coming up starting with the album truth which is a great album. We see an example of that with Jeff’s Boogie. The song Farewell almost has a Beatles sound to it and Turn into Earth definitely set the sage for a psychedelic rock. Favorite song was probably What Do You Want, which almost feels like a Who song. Overall summation: this album is definitely important from musicologist.
Random thoughts: * I listened to this album twice through. While fine, I wasn't blown away by anything here. Perfectly fine music. * It kinda sounds like Chuck Berry filtered through 60s British psych rock. * While this is Jeff Beck across the album and he is known for being an amazing guitarist, I didn't particularly notice while listening.
The vocals suck which is a shame because Jeff Beck can shred.
?? ok spannend, wiki: ??Jeff Beck Bandleader und Sprungbrett für Clapton und Page und Yarbirds werden dann Led Zeppelin...Brit Blues inspired early pop psychodelic rock, neben Beatles und Stones. c
Mid 60s rock. Not bad, by any means, and at least it's post-Clapton, but no standout tracks
I liked this. Cool little blasts of creativity.
Most interesting song here was Jeff's Boogie for sure, followed by What Do You Want. The rest was kinda meh.
It was fun to listen to some Jeff Beck guitar playing, but overall this record kind of just blends in with other rock music of the era. Best Track: Over Under Sideways Down
Možda je čudno s obzirom na bogatu povijest benda nikad nisam posluša ni jedan album yardbirdsa
Musically, great stuff. But the ‘60s is strong with this one. Think I’ve moved on from 1966 (when I was two).
i mean pretty good overall. Old rock and roll that is a good vibe! hight 3 stars
Wolt commercial music.
This is a good fun blues album, but that's all it is
Great Songs: Lost Woman, Jeff's Boogie Good Songs: Happening Ten Years Time, Psycho Daisies, Over Under Sideways Down, The Nazz Are Blue, I Can't Make Your Way, Rack Your Mind, He's Always There, Turn Into Earth, What Do You Want, Mid Songs: Farewell, Hot House Of Omagararshid, Ever Since The World Began Bad Songs:
It’s fine - Jeff Beck was so good. I have been listening to so much psychedelic/blues rock from this era, that I’ve become a little tired of it though
interesting
Not many loveable songs on here, but a spectacular blues/rock guitar is there subliminally as well as featuring on some tracks - Jeff Beck.
Good, but not terribly memorable
Great early Jeff Beck guitar work, Over Under Sideways Down being a standout song.
Ya' know, I don't think I've ever actually listened to The Yardbirds before today, or at least nothing from this album. I find this hard to believe, but I'm listening to this and it's not anything I remember. I'm liking what I'm hearing. Solid rock-blues. "Ever Since The World Began" is insanely reminiscent of Ozzy Osbourne, and seemed out of place, but was a great track. I think I would have liked this album more if it was just the original album tracks and not the extra 30 minutes of alternates and demos that were included in the Spotify album, I assume from an extended CD release.
Not what I was expecting. More blues based, which makes sense given the lineup. Very young Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, and the playing shows that.
Nothing about this screamed "I must listen again"
One very VERY good song
Rock dos anos 60, eu gosto muito. Mas essa banda, Yardbirds, eu nunca me aprofundei apropriadamente. Sei que ela é composta de um trio fantástico de ótimos guitarristas que tiveram carreiras brilhantes depois do fim deste grupo. Ao ouvir o disco é fácil entender porquê. A musicalidade é ótima, o arquétipo de ingleses se fantasiando de americanos e tocando um blues grosseiro. As guitarras certamente roubam o show aqui, ainda mais porque o vocalista deixa um pouco a desejar. Sua presença nessas canções é minguante, e sendo assim, muitas das faixas do álbum nunca passam para além de medianas. Uma grande pena, mas como eu já havia dito, não há desperdício quando pensamos nas carreiras que esses músicos tiveram depois do desmembramento dos Yardbirds. Com efeito, é um bom disco. É interessante, é passável como mais um Rock-Blues da década de 1960. Têm seus momentos verdadeiramente fortes, e outros um tanto quanto esquecidos. Poderia ser bem melhor, e poderia ser bem pior! 3.5/5
A clear example of the older R&B tradition with the more modern electric rock vibes. Is there any other band where the vocalist is essentially an after-thought to the production line of guitarists? Anyway, I've already listened to way too much "white blokes play R&B" and this barely registered.
good ol' British blues
Meh. Clearly technically skilled people, but not sure the it worked as an album for me.
The track listing here is so weird on streaming platforms, it puts two singles that weren’t included in the original release up first. They’re fine singles on their own, short and simple, but ultimately don’t leave me wanting for more. These weren’t accounted for when rating this album, but rather for added context as others are bound to see something similar when first listening to this album. Tangent aside, the album really begins with Lost Woman, and sets the tone really well for what to expect for the rest of the album. That being said, if you’re not a fan of this song, there’s a good chance you won’t like the rest of this album. All the songs are short and get right to the point, really not wasting too much time. Farewell stands out here, being a great palette cleanser for the middle of the album. It’s short, sweet and honestly adorable, and on a Vinyl it’d mark the end of Side A on a rather tame note. By the halfway point of almost every single one of these songs however, you get a sense of “ok I get it, now what’ll they do to switch things up?” And the answer is mostly that they won’t do much to blow your mind. Songs feel repetitive as a result, and it doesn’t leave a lasting impression whatsoever. This album is solid, and for being one of the pioneers to psychedelic rock, it sets the groundwork for artists to come. Still, the album feels like it lacks the substance it needs to distinguish itself from its contemporaries, making it feel dated while still being a fine enough album.
I love a bunch of Yardbirds tunes, but I've found that whenever I look into the deeper cuts they don't do as much for me as I'd expect. This album was a bit like that. The music wasn't bad, but almost none of it really stood out. Jeff Beck's guitar playing isn't nearly as prominent as you'd expect, and a fair number of tracks have little to write home about in that department, which is strange. Don't get me wrong: there's some cool ass playing in there, but with a fucking wizard like him you'd think most songs would be a lot more centered around the guitar. "Rack My Mind" and "Jeff's Boogie" are two obvious exceptions there. Yeah, I liked this album enough to give it some more time, but the first listen and a half didn't do much for me.
Jeff beck is a solid guitarist. This album is think and lacking otherwise. Tasty morsels on white toast without any sauce.
Maybe it's just the Magilla Gorilla pose, but this album cover reminds me of the doodles in my dad's old board games (or, alternatively, the art on the "Navigator" card in Dominion). OK, time to (re)learn about who the Yardbirds are (I know they're historically significant because my friend took a 60s music class in college and was always talking about the Yardbirds, but not enough for me to learn anything about them). Ah, it's Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page (plus other less famous dudes, sorry to those guys). Though only Jeff Beck is on this album. Eric Clapton also did like 50 other things, none of which I've liked. I know nothing about Jeff Beck. I wonder if Beck is named for him. Jimmy Page may have been involved with starting Google. Or Led Zeppelin. Two great evils. The music, you say? The music is fine. A lot of guitar stuff. The songs are pretty short, which is a plus. I still don't know what a Nazz is, but I don't think it's a nickname for Jesus as Google suggests. Ultimately, this doesn't stand out. A Beatles-ified 70s rock supergroup (in 1966). Someone should make a 'I'm Henry the VIII, I Am' x 'I Can't Make Your Way' mashup. Highlight: 'Farewell' (but confusingly, not the last song)
Pretty fun album, I can dig it.
straightforward decent rock
Pretty good
Way more interested in the Yardbirds who left the nest.
I loved a few songs and would have given it a 5 for Jeff Beck's guitar skills, But the vocals on many of the tracks warranted a overall 3 rating.
Better than I thought it would be - very good, riffy, early example of garage/psych rock. First four tracks are great, but it fades a bit in the back half.
It wasn't bad actually. I thought it'd be terrible, but there's some really good riffs, also references to other styles of music. Like the guitar in Over Under feels a bit Turkish music like. A good listen overall.
Some okay stuff on here and some really cool stuff too. Lost Woman was high energy and catchy, Hot House of Omagarashid had some really interesting sides and a nice driving beat, and the guitar (?) in Over, Under, Sideways, Down (mono version) was really awesome. 2.5/5 stars.
could i write poetry to this? n
One of the iterations of the Yardbirds that doesn’t have the wow factor. Clearly the guitar work is next level, but the song choices and vocals are mediocre.
Seemed OK, if unspectacular.
This record is not really what I expected. I've never listened to Yarbirds, but I know Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page all came from this group, so I'm not really sure what I expected. But, it wound up being somewhere in between psychedelic rock and blues and brit pop. Really strange, but parts of it work. This record kinda has a rough start, but as it gets going, it gets better. And honestly, I always thought Jeff Beck was kinda boring as far as legendary guitarists go, but Roger the Engineer set me straight. Not only can he shred, but the tones he employs are pretty forward-thinking for 1966. I really enjoyed this record when they let him go nuts. All in all, this was a lot better than I expected, and I might actually revisit it at some point. 3.6/5
not bad
A bit bland in places. But I can see why they're important
Pretty cool. Great guitar but the vocals aren’t great on many songs.
Not what I expected. Not terrible Just not particularly memorable. 2.5/5 #152
Ok
First album with Beck and Page on finds a collection of tracks which don't quite hold up to the singles that came earlier. Some great blues/rock on Over, Under, Sideways, Down and He's Always That and some psychedelia on Happenings Ten Years Time Ago. Just not consistent enough to be a great album but definitely worth a listen.
Enjoyed this took me back.
I understand why this was impactful, and some points are enjoyable, but on the whole it is a bit too noodly and goofy for me. The guitar is impressive but a bit hollow.
Great guitar playing. Otherwise very basic.
Enjoyed the overall blues-rock vibes and generally a good listen but I also thought it was a bit incoherent and all over the place at times, lacked consistency and the feeling that you're listening to an album, rather than a set of rock musicians playing around.
The music was good. The lyrics, though... They are not memorable. Still, not bad.
From the Adventures of Thomas the Wank Engine
nice, too bluesy
Some toe tappers, some blah. No real bops.
I like the Yardbirds, but wasn't really feeling the psychedelic stuff on this one. They are a much better band when they are playing blues. Jeff Beck cooks on a few of these songs, which is certainly the highlight.
I always hesitate slightly when I get more psychadelic rock, but luckily this one is actually okay. It's certainly no Hendrix, but at least it's not pointless annoying bullshit, which is what 99% of late 60s psych rock feels like at this point.
The Yardbirds are a strange case. Three members of this band are now considered the some of the best, most influential guitarists of all time... but for music they wrote with other bands (Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck). Their later work really overshadowed The Yardbirds... and i kind of get why based on this album. It's not bad, it's just not distinct. It feels like generic 60s blues/psych/hard rock. It feels sooooo 60s, unmistakably 60s. In my mind, there's a huge pile of bands that sound just like this. The piss off is for the yardbirds is that they were the originators of this sound if i'm not mistaken... but then it was so influential and copied that it became cliche. I think this hurt their ability to become timeless like other more unique bands of the time (many of whom ripped them off, i'm looking at you The Doors). If you wanted to pick a cartoonishly 60s song for a movie scene, you could go with the Yardbirds. I could see Austin Powers dancing like a buffoon to their music. Anyways... enough about them in general... is this album any good? Ya, it's pretty good. I listened in Mono as the Beck intended. They're all great musicians (the bassist especially rocks... some really cool bass lines). The generic 60s vocalist guy works ok (maybe that's why they're not well remembered, they don't have a distinct vocalist). Over Under Sideways Down is one of those generic 60s songs I referenced, but it's a great one. I can't make your way is just a fun sing along with some harmonica... maybe? Hot House of Omagararshid is a cool rave up track. Love that drum beat. Jeff's Boogie is some fun Jeff Beck guitar wankery... it works cus it's under 3 minutes. The outro of Ever Since the World Began is super fun, great bass... too bad the first half of the track kinda blows. I'm probably at a 2.5 for this... but i'm going to round up. I feel bad for The Yardbirds, sorta being forgotten, stranded in the 60s... overshadowed by their guitarist. You can feel their influence in a lot of other bands, yet they are largely forgotten. I hope this 3 star rating makes up for things.
This is fine. It sounds the same as most of the rock music during that time. It's not bad, it just doesn't stand out to me at all
Jup. Dit is een blues album. Ook duidelijk een stokoud blues album! Het rockt, je hebt veel blues melodietjes en vooral Over Under Sideways Down heeft een heerlijk riffje dat door het nummer klinkt. Sowieso zijn de riffjes hetgene wat er uit springt op dit album. Msischien is dat sowieso wel een beetje waar je aan denkt bij de blues, maar het is voor mij de eerste keer dat het zo 'duidelijk' is. Nummers zijn super kort, hele album klokt denk ik nog geen 35 minuten. Maar het word wel een beetje samesy voor mij na een tijd. Daarnaast is de recording kwaliteit gewoon matig, logisch ook hoor. Album komt uit 1966, maar toch even benoemen. Prima album, heb me zeker niet geirriteerd en er waren een paar heerlijke riffjes die er best wel uitsprongen, maar overall vind ik het zeker niet goed genoeg voor 4 sterren. Het is gewoon een prima 3 sterren. FAVO: Over, Under, Sideways, Down, Hot house of Omagarashid,
Mmm. a lot of variety, kinda beatlesy but also slightly psychedelic
Considering the Yardbirds had half of the top ten guitarists of all time on the band, you would think this would have some awesome guitar. It doesn't.
I had to double take on the closer, really thought it was Ozzy for a second. Good listen, though I know Beck is a revered guitarist and nothing here stood out to me too much.
Se ha quedado desfasado, pero fue un buen disco.
Klassischer 60er-Jahre Rock, zu verspielt und anstrengend. Jeder Titel ist gleichzeitig zu simpel und zu komplex. Jedes Instrument scheint unabhängig vom Rest sein eigenes Ding zu spielen. Ein einzelner Track ist perfekt für eine Tarantino-Tanzszene, aber ab 2-3 Titel in Folge nicht mehr fein.
Really old-school rock with a sound to match the time it was made. I get the feeling it probably influenced a lot of later bands with their sound.
This was a pretty good blues album. I think it starts and ends very strong, but there is a small part in the middle of the album where it loses momentum for a bit. The guitar playing was most definitely the standout. The album itself doesn't quite match up to other albums by similar bands in this generator, but I thing it was still quite good.
Some great guitar work and interesting songs. Some bland parts to start and round out the album
Well, after reaching what is likely my upper-most limit of words to write for an album with System of a Down yesterday, I think it'd be nice to go a bit lighter for today's album. This is a good one to do it with, since I don't really have that much to say about Roger the Engineer. This is another solid 60s rock album. Not much more than that. The Yardbirds are perhaps most famous for being an early point of success for three of the most acclaimed guitarists of all time, with Eric Clapton being in the band early on and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page being the guitarist later on in the band's career. But in between those two is perhaps the most underappreciated of the three and the guitarist for this album in particular, Jeff Beck. I've listened to an album of his before, and between that and this, I can see why he's a beloved guitarist. He had a considerable amount of talent with the instrument and his guitar work on this album simultaneously feels right at home in the 60s and also ahead of its time. Great stuff. Of course, the rest of the Yardbirds aren't to be slept on, but none of them really stand out as much as Beck. Wouldn't it be funny if I got an album from Beck tomorrow? The other Beck, not Jeff. We'll see! The songs here are good. They're pretty standard blues rock affairs, but not bad ones at all. This is just a good album. Solid 3/5.
Yawn. Sounds very 60's and British (just listen to I Can't Make Your Way and Farewell) - not timeless in any sense of the word. For sure there is good guitar work here because it's the Yardbirds (Jeff Beck on this album); good bass work too. Best examples were Lost Woman, Over Under Sideways Down, The Nazz are Blue, Rack My Mind, He's Always There, and What Do You Want. Not a big fan of Jeff's Boogie even though it was a big feature for him. Felt forced. Honestly, I was bored just as often as I was excited listening to this album.
Interesting
Fine
A little long in the tooth 60 years on. Yardbirds were/are obviously a massively influential group, being Ground Zero for a trio of legendary British guitarists (of which Jeff Beck - here - was miles beyond the other two yet probably had the lowest profile of them) It's just not filled with great - or sometimes not even good - songs. Hell Beck's guitar playing for 1966 is awesome (and still even if/while he was placed in the pantheon of guitarists this guy was forever underrated right to the end), but it's mostly just subjecting him to playing over (on/under) mediocre songs (mostly rote blues or simple folky arrangements) and extremely uninteresting vocals. Best and even recommended to listen to this once for historical purposes then move to Beck's next group and solo albums. Personal note on "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" - have heard this song in passing since forever but never knew the title, thanks 1001+. Feels rough giving this a 2 - I have no desire to listen again, but it's mostly not *bad* - am fine hearing a track or three...rounding up for historic purposes and Jeff's Boogie. 5/10 3 stars.
Unfortunately this is very dated, definitely an album of its time. However for its time it was a great album. It's no surprise that Led Zeppelin originally were (or wanted to be) called The New Yardbirds. There were so many bit where I could hear the influence they would have on later bands. That said it still stands as a piece on its own. Definitely worth a 3
Every track seems incomplete; almost like I'm hearing a free trial of the album instead of the Platinum subscription. It's still decent Blues Rock, but it needed a little more spark. In a way, I can see why they sunk like a lead balloon. Favorite Track: "The Nazz Are Blue".
Fun jam songs, nothing special but a solid listen.
So I was reading the band explanation on Spotify and what I got was so different. They said they rose from the Blues and R&B scene, maybe the British version is very different then the American version because that is not at all what I got (except Jeff's Boogie). I like the majority of it, but it was also a little all over the place, fitting more with pop and psychedelic.
This grew on me the second listen around, some fun arrangements but it sounded like a christmas album in places 😂
the album art looks like schizophrenia
Despite hearing of them for many decades, I had not listened to the Yardbirds before this. This album is full of the sounds which came to represent the sound.
An interesting album but not something I would listen to often. 3 stars or C.
British Invasion oldies. Ok.
First one I listened to, and I didn't listen to this one as attentively as I hoped because I was doomscrolling about Iran, so that might've impacted the enjoyment a bit. I sometimes have trouble taking the 1960s singer voice seriously and that was definitely an issue with this album, but there was still a lot to like here — mostly in the first half of the album, which I thought was a lot more interesting and had some killer guitar playing. The second half was a bit slower and felt more like an of-the-era 1960s album, which just isn't really my music at all. Lost attention towards the end for sure. Enjoyed this overall though, fun to listen to while looking out the window in the Eurostar and feeling like you're in a train scene in a movie. Favourite tracks were probably Lost Woman and Psycho Daisies, didn't enjoy Shapes in My Mind or Mr. Zero very much.
Cerramos otra semana corta con una banda que ubico de nombre, más no recuerdo haber escuchado sus canciones de manera consciente. Blues rock, psicodelia y muchos ritmos y búsquedas de esa época, de la mano de las bestias del rock que pasaron por los Yardbirds. Hasta el lunes
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland Ganz nett, mehr aber auch nicht.
It is ok.
3/5. This band is the launching point for many guitarists, and Beck really shines through here. I did enjoy many of the songs here, they are still enjoyable for sure, even if dated a bit. It's a solid rock album, I was not finding myself from skipping any songs but I don't think these stand as great songs but still much better than other albums around this time. Best Song: Lost Woman, He's Always There, The Nazz Are Blue
Groovy and fun, especially for the 60’s.
Some real catchy elements in this record, and I find the production interesting. Found it hard to maintain interest in it the entire way through however.
Never listened to the Yardbirds before, always wrote them off as being another the Who but with one racist guitarist, one overated guitarist, and one nonce guitarist (Oh I guess that last one is like the Who too). Oh how I was wrong. Not about the guitarists that still holds up. But this was a pretty interesting album. Some very uniquely questionable production choices especially on the first song, but I mostly enjoyed this album. The backing vocals doing weird chants (apart from in the last song where they just say money lol that made me cringe), the guitar solos, the interesting song structures and break aways from the blues chords, yeah this was really cool. Especially love the early use of Fuzz on He's Always There, sounds thick af. Favourites - Lost Women, Hot House of Omagarshid, Jeff's Boogie, He's Always There
Not much to say about this one other than it’s a decent album that has decent songwriting and is a reasonably good representation of its time. Fairly run of the mill, all in all. Can’t discredit it too much as it would have been quite cutting edge when it was released, and displays some influence on artists to come for the late 60s and early 70s, but even still rock music quite quickly moved away from this sound once heavy metal started to dominate. Lost Women (7/10) Over Under Sideways Down (7/10) The Nazz Are Blue (8/10) I Can’t Make Your Way (6/10) Rack My Mind (6/10) Farewell (7/10) Hot House of Omagararshid (5/10) Jeff’s Boogie (6/10) He’s Always There (6/10) Turn Into Earth (8/10) What Do You Want (6/10) Ever Since the World Began (6/10) 6.5/10
Ålreit det. Litt lei miks, mye mer lyd på venstre-øret enn det høyre.
British blues rock has a tendency to come off as weak to me, so i'm happy that a few of the tracks here are proper facemelters (thank you Jeff Beck!). generally the more weird and psychedelic songs are the better ones. good album overall. scrappy n youthful n very of its time in a charming way deserves to be one of the 1001? wasn't expecting to say so... but yes
The Eric Clapton band. Sounds alright. Song writing more entertaining than most of the music coming out around that time. Not beating The Beatles
Fun, nice and soft album.
3.5
That was some good classic blues rock
Some good blue-sy stuff on here, and some nice psychodelia but it's a bit long a quite a bit of filler.
Gladlaks rockabilly. Helt ok.
Osrednji starinski rock. Pomalo je žalosno što mi ljepše zvuči mono verzija. Ima dobrih stvari, sveukupni dojam nije nešto.
Typical odd 60s fare
I like this album overall, but you can hear the self-indulgent prog/psych shit seeping in, which I did not like as much.
Sounds like Beatles or is it just 60s sound :) Mr.Zero, for example. Hot house of Omagarashid added to favorites :) I am always impressed, how is it possible to make boogie interesting and that Jeff's Boogie is really cool
Interesting riffs
Nice guitars but feels dated
6.5/10
not bad - reminds me a little of early status quo, twangy guitars and all that
Great bass playing on the first track. Some of this gets a little shaggy for my taste, but it's still enjoyable enough.
Decent balance of hard rocking songs and more unique songs. I actually enjoyed the “ya ya ya” song more than any of the others on the album.
Decent mid-1960s blues rock album, but artwork is more original than most of the record. I didn't hate it. This album was fine, but nothing exemplary. The best track is "Jeff's Boogie." Why is that? Because no one is singing. It's just Jeff Beck jamming.
It was fine.
I enjoyed this song to song. Nothing blew me away but solid.
p98. 1966. 3 stars. 60s mismash of sub-par songs and bland vocals, saved from a 2 star rating by incendiary guitar work from Jeff Beck. I suspect this one is on the list as a reminder of how good they were as a live act.
Enjoyed it. Standout songs: Over under sideways down Jeffs Boogie Hes always there
Jeff Beck's guitar work made this album worth a listen. That's all...
This album has a very 60s feel to it, but not in a way that is confined to any specific genre. There is a definite psychedelic influence, but there's also rockabilly and early 60s pop influences. This album at once sounds like more authentic blues than the other two but at the same time strays further away from the blues. Jeff Beck's guitar does a lot.
another case where the legacy of an album is more interesting than the music itself. with Jeff Beck on lead guitar, I think I came into this expecting more fireworks, but for the most part this is a pretty by-the-numbers British 60s blues rock session. Beck does get a few decently entertaining solo turns on tracks such as "Rack My Mind" or the instrumental "Jeff's Boogie," but you also have to sit through some truly tacky cuts too, such as the piano ditty "Farewell" or the overly silly "Hot House of Omargararshid" (complete with "yah-yah-yah" group vocals). I can appreciate that this album had a tremendous impact on the shape of rock music to follow, but its value beyond that is somewhat limited, in my view. strong 5/10.
I can't believe the Pussycat Dolls inspired the Yardbirds
More of an eccentric blues sound mixed into some brit rock. Some cool guitar playing, but everything else about it was kind of forgettable
I quite enjoyed this on in the background, although I don't think I'd do a deeper listen or actively seek it out again.
It has Jeff Beck there, rocking and being amazing as lead guitar player. It's 1966 and he is being literally a guitar virtuoso. Great drum/bass and guitar sound in several songs, quite an interesting drum sound for a record of that era Interesting record.
3/5
It was fine
I’ve always felt that the Yardbirds were a breeding ground for great guitarists and a proto-Led Zeppelin. Mostly I knew them for three songs: For Your Love, shape of Things and Over Under Sideways Down. This album has the third. Featuring Jeff Beck as the guitar virtuoso surrounded by a sea of mediocrity, it still is a good listen. But it makes me wonder when Jimmy Page is showing up. Favorite song: Jeff’s Boogie (the instrumental, which should tell you something). 3⭐️
I enjoyed this album. Having never really listened to the Yardbirds I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was some psychedelic blues mixed with some straight forward blues.
man I love some good blues and harmonica but a guy has his limits. Its got a bit of a honky tonk blues vibe to it at some points, which is cool, but if you've heard long blues riffs and noodling there is nothing new here.
It was fine. Some interesting songs… some shitty blues. One and done from them and I think that’s all I’ll give it as well
There's something about Lost Women that works for me. The rest, eh.
3.5
It has some good psychedelic Songs on that Tape! At times it sounded a bit like Demos but it had good and interesting Songs (2.5/5.0)
Good old fashioned 60’s rock and roll
Mid-60’s rock
Interesting that this band had 3 of the big guitar players (not at once): Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck. The popular track is "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" -- it's OK. I prefer "He's Always There". The rest of the album has a mix of blues rock and 60's sounds. It's alright.
Stylistically all of the place, in a way that made the album feel slippery and hard to sink my teeth into. Some of it I liked quite a bit, and other stuff left me cold.
Not bad. Enjoyed the more rollicking rock songs vs when they're aping the blues (Nazz are Blue) or attempting folk (Farewell) - but honestly doubt I'll remember any of it after tomorrow.
Mixing medio raro con el stereo. Canciones medias aburridas pero que en realidad son muy buenas técnicamente en al guitarra (Jeff Beck).
Beck, Beck, Beck and more Beck. It's nothing special but Beck shines and shows his huge potential
Solid classic rock. There is some solid guitar work on this album.
I’ve never liked the Yardbirds. Really just a cover band ripping off 30 year-old blues riffs without crediting the source. They have always sounded unimaginative, uncreative and boring while led by the 2 biggest riff-thief’s of all time. However, sandwiched in between these 2 freeloaders is Jeff Beck. This album, with Beck at the helm, is different than the rest. It’s more creative, fun and wholly innovative with a wide range of styles, instruments and mood swings. Despite their general lack of good lyrics and crappy vocals, this is really their best album by a wide margin. Beck simply makes everyone around him better. Thank you Jeff Beck. RIP
I lowkey wanted to hate this album but it really wasn’t that bad. Kinda long, but that’s cuz there doesn’t exist a non deluxe version for some reason on Apple Music smh. So just taking it at main album value it was pretty decent but nothing mind blowing.
The good ol' Yardie boys (birds). A great band from the 60s-70s that laid down some solid foundation for future rock bands. Always loved the greatest hits album openmindz had but never listened to the studio albums. Roger is a good one with the US version title track taking the top spot. Plenty of great guitar work and support tracks as well. I like them better with the Zep members but the band has consisted of some guitar heroes throughout its lifespan (still touring today but with what members?!)...3.4.
60's British Rock; the boundaries of Blues-Rock are being stretched with more intensity and psychedelia, but it ain't the Beatles or the Kinks. Enjoyable but don't see myself coming back to it. Standouts: 'Over, Under, Sideways, Down' 'Jeff's Boogie'
Pretty good! They really did something when they dumped Clapton.
Un álbum clásico del garage (me acabo de enterar de que también lo llaman "blues rock") de los 60. The Yardbirds es un grupo curioso: de él surgieron tres leyendas de la guitarra, aunque en este álbum solo estaba presente Jeff Beck. Sin embargo, más allá de su hit "For Your Love", son casi desconocidos. ¡La mayoría de temas de este álbum tienen menos de 30.000 reproducciones en Spotify! Y precisamente es Jeff Beck el que sostiene el álbum casi en su totalidad. Su guitarra es excelente, mientras que las composiciones son súper sencillas y la voz es pésima. Aunque en su conjunto no tenga mucho de especial, puesto en contexto gana puntos. Además, me han gustado mucho los elementos de psicodelia temprana que hay repartidos por casi todo el álbum. Un álbum importante en la historia del rock y de un estilo que a mí, personalmente, siempre me ha gustado mucho. Me lo guardo, pero tampoco es que sea un álbum increíble.
If I'm being honest I feel a bit intimidated by this. I know the Yardbirds as one of the big 1960's bands though I don't know too much else about them. I however have some passing familiarity with Jeff Beck who appears on here. The tracklist on Spotify is a mess, so I'm only gonna listen to the songs on the original UK release, ignoring any additional tracks. Will be listening to the stereo versions of the tracks, as mono really does not sound good on my setup. Edit: The stereo version was quite rough so I ended up swapping to the mono version about half way through (Rack My Mind) Leaving the original reactions to the songs up as to keep my authentic prosess in there, though will relisten in the mono version and add additional edits at the end of each segment and with changed ratings should it occur. Lost Women I like the bass playing. The song has a dark bluesy feel to it. Veers closely to some psychedelic elements that I wasn't expecting. The guitar and harmonica synergize well. Has aged decently well, though sounds distinctly 60's at the same time. Decent. 3.5/5 (Edit: The mono version actually has a bit more grit due to the limits of the format, but comes with the trade-off of losing some depth in the psychedelic part of the song. Doesn't change my enjoyment much. 3.5/5) Over Under Sideways Down The difference in volume from the previous track is really jarring. The guitar sounds way too sharp, and way too loud in relation to the rest of the track. Can barely hear the vocals at times. Has a nice boogie to it, and feels fun to listen to if it wasn't for the guitar. Ruined by a singular element, there's a decent song in there, but won't return to it due to the mix. 2/5 (Edit: The guitar sounds far less overbearing in the mono version. The vocals are still muddled, but it's definitely an improvement. 3/5) The Nazz Are Blue A bluesy boogie track. There's a million other songs that sound like this. The guitar is really the only thing that differentiates it for me. Average. 2.5/5 (Edit: The mix wasn't the problem here, the track is just simply outperformed by later tracks that do the formula better.) I Can Make Your Way This sounds horrible. The tracks are separated oddly. The background guitar makes it sounds like the left ear of my headphone speaker have blown out. Pretty melodic and large at times. Decent except for its technical limitations. 3/5. (Edit: the mono version fixes the guitar but adds a separate issue with the drums. The larger parts sound a lot flatter and less evocative too. It's a sidegrade at best. 3/5) Rack My Mind Had to swap to the mono version at this point as the stereo version is almost unlistenable, as vocals are mixed in a manner which makes them very distracting. A decent rock and roll track with some kick ass guitar playing and a solid vocal performance. Brought some good energy and a decent atmosphere. Fun. 3.5/5 Farewell Melody gives me cheap live action public TV kid's show vibes. The piano is decent I suppose, and the singing quite nice. I like the way it ends. Fine. 3/5 Hot House Of Oumargararshid Strangely experimental sounding intro. I like the rhythm. The vocals get kinda annoying as the song goes on. Weird inclusion. Fine. 3/5 Jeff's Boogie Bluesy boogie track with a lot of dancability and swing to it. Cool in a timeless retro kind of way. I'm having fun with the tempo and the quality of the guitar playing. Let down by the recording quality and the audio format, though still has value despite the technical limitations. Decent. 3.5/5 He's always here Compositionally has some cool elements going on. Like how the chorus is set up, though the lyrics are kinda off putting. I like the guitar riff. Really like the ending. Decent. 3.5/5 Turn Into Earth Fairly psychedelic, though in a slow meandering way that has a tendency to turn into musical soup. Like the buildup provided by the drums. Feels a bit unfocused and messy. Don't really think the vocals add much of value here and rather distract from the atmosphere created by the instrumental. Average. 2.5/5 What Do You Want Faster tempo track that brings some needed energy after the previous track. Feels extremely of the era, and is fine for what it is, but I can't hear much other than a fairly solid rock and roll track. I like the bass. Fine. 3/5 Ever Since The World Began Edgy for the time. Can't get over that it sounds like crap at the start, once it livens up it feels much more listenable. Decent concept, just can't see myself returning to it. Average. 2.5/5 This in all honestly sounds more like a time capsule than something that actually sonically holds up today. It feels more like an antiquated piece of history than something I'd listen to, and while I appreciate it for what it is I cannot see myself returning to it anytime soon. Neither mono or stereo version sound particularly good, the stereo version lathered with jank and clunkiness, as well as inconsistent volume and strange mixing. The mono version is better, though still mono, which just sounds so flat and dimensionless that you'd find demos today with more life to them. And I get it, I can't compare the technology of then to today, but it gets to a point where it sadly doesn't hold up anymore, despite probably sounding good for its time. The songwriting is however very competent, and I managed to pick out moments where I sort of got why this is considered influential. The psychedelic elements and the way tracks were composed really do sound ahead of its time in places. I'd also like to add that the darker tones and slight grit shown in some of the performances seem to create an image which was later perfected by other bands. Jeff Beck is obviously the star of the show here though I'd also like to shout out Paul Samwell-Smith on the bass as another standout. Most of the tracks were pretty alright though nothing stood out in particular as something I'd carry with me. Definitely dated, but has value as a historical piece. 3/5 Fave track. Jeff's Boogie Least fave track. The Nazz Are Blue
Yes, I know, this album is on the 500 best of Rolling Stones. But still, for me it is one of so many 60s albums, which sound nice but give me nothing more.
good bluesy songs
technically not monotonous, theres clear and sometimes v creative track by track ideas here, but since i feel kinda distanced from this type of white boy british blues rock im not the best critter to find the potential vibrancy here. the recording and mixing is also genuinely atrocious, even for this scene at this time. that being said , lucky me for getting a clapton-less lineup of the yardbirds LOL, this one is all jeff beck who is definitely my favorite of the three major white boy british blues rockers to be incubated in the band. he pulls a very flowing, conversational style out of his instrument...he's not playing remotely in jazz idiom but theres some jazz appeal to him. he also doesn't rly repeat himself...sometimes his tone is more traditional, sometimes its scuzzier, sometimes he's light and fluffy and sometimes he's got grandiosity, sometimes he's a flurry of notes sometimes he just lets chords ring out sometimes he's incredibly melodic. sometimes several things at once in the space of a track or solo! it never rly feels like he relies on the same trick. he's the only major reason to listen to this but he's a good reason, i hope at least one of his solo records is on here
Pretty good stuff, not my fav psych rock but an essential starter for some of the biggest names in the guitar world.
Wow, another album from the 60s! It's fine :)
Was ok, not really spectacular
I find this album quite catchy but not remarkable. Weak three stars for this. favourite: "What Do You Want", "He's Always There" 2,5
I'm pretty sure I've had the Yardbirds before.
Fun rock with some blues and absurdity thrown in.
nice enough
4/12, 33%
I should have known this band before Will I listen to again: 60%
I’m only ever a right-shaped moment in time away – as we all are from anything, pretty much, of course – from being shown to be a right fickle sort, but as things stand I’d answer the question of “Clapton, Beck or Page?” in the same way Bartleby did when asked to do his job. “I would prefer not to.” I don’t know what it is about the words “guitar legend” that so throughly chills my blood but I’m starting to suspect it’s actually simple. Maybe I just don't really like it. I’m, and with respect, a bit bored by the output of these grand juggernauts; these behemoths; these elder statesmen of the six, twelve and occasionally seven stringed vessel of etc etc amen. Maybe it’s a reflection of a personal limitation somehow, I’m open to the idea … but yeah, no thanks lads. This record is absolutely fine. It anticipates a whole load of stuff I love*; and I bet had I been bouncing around watching England bring it home in ‘66 I’d have been entirely enthused by the ecstatic portions of sound presented herein. But for all the clear and obvious good gamesmanship of an album like this, my soul remains unstirred. No heroics, no goals scored in extra time. A good record that I doubt I’d be able to say I’ve heard in a year’s time. Who knows … maybe I’ll be better placed to get it by then. 2.5 *Full credit to Beck’s riffs on that front, admittedly.
Okaish Psychedelic Rock.
Not awful but too long
3.5
3.5
I will never understand what the big deal about The Yardbirds. Other than they spawned three legendary guitarist and eventually "morphed" into one of the greatest classic rock groups of all time, their material as The Yardbirds is passable at best. None of this I would consider the best work of Jeff Beck. And although I do like the album, I don't think I reach to this over the Kinks, Stones, or Beatles 6.33 ★★★
I think the first couple tracks are cool, and I always loved "Over Under Sideways Down", but I think it gets pretty mid quickly. I don't think it's nearly as good as what the other British invasion bands were doing by 1966. 3 stars.
3.5
Like the album sleeve a bit of a sketchy uggo scramble. Some very groovy swinging sixties bops like Over Under Edgeways Down but also a lot of ye olde English noodly guitar slops and renaissance fair gump plus the vocalist for this group tends to suck big time. Jeff Beck only showing periodic flashes of brilliance.
very inventive for a 60's rock group. some really interesting guitars. I know they're heralded as essentially a stopping station for some of the best guitarists ever though so it shows
This was a decent one, nice old rockabilly sound but not something that really stuck out to me a ton. There was nothing that I thought was bad on the album, just not something that I typically seek out.
I like the Yardbirds, but this album doesn’t include any of their really great songs. It’s just solid psych rock through with no standouts
It's alright. Not a fan of the vocals. I was expecting a bit more from a band with Jeff Beck. Stand out song was Jeff's Boogie. Don't feel it's worth more than a 3.
Sound album.
Not bad! I was a little distracted but I liked what I heard. “Farewell” caught my attention the most so I’m going to keep that one on my phone.
This is one of those sort of... foundational texts of British rock and roll that I'm glad I listened to - there's a couple of really fantastic tracks here - but can't see myself revisiting much, if ever. I'd give this 2.5 if that were an option. Rounding up feels correct, here.
Mostly harmless.
I wasn’t super excited about it? Maybe blasphemy, but it was fine.
Pretty straight-forward, solid psychedelic blues. You can hear the influence they would have on upcoming bands, like the very early Grateful Dead albums. Nothing really blows me away, but as far as a solid, pretty standard blues rock album goes. There are poorer examples. Some of it is even danceable. 3.5/5
January 18, 2025 HL: "Over Under Sideways Down", "I Can't Make Your Way", "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" (bonus)
Probably an underrated band
Unpolished, a bit weird with flashes of brilliance - bet they were a great live jam band 3.25
it's just blues rock. i honestly can't fault it for being that, even though i assumed from the cover that it would delve into weirder, more abstract territory. the closest we really get to that is "Turn Into Earth", really putting in this equal parts charismatic and kinda creepy energy. unfortunately, the rest of the album is just kinda ok blues rock with weak mixing (and yeah i mean the mono version. if that's still the wrong version then they had multiple chances to put the right mix that everyone likes on streaming). if that's your thing, i've got nothing against you, but i'm getting way too much beat and not nearly enough freak, if you get my drift.
It just is.
Way too long and mediocre
I am well aware of how influential the Yardbirds (Chickens?) were, but I just can't get enthused about this album.
There's barely enough Jeff Beck to get this into three-star territory.
Album was okay. More impressive was that in a just a few years this band launched the careers of 3 legendary guitarists — Clapton, Beck, Page.