Roger the Engineer

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

It’s pretty good and competently performed, but it feels more like a grab bag of random styles than the output of a single band.

I'm pretty sure I've had the Yardbirds before.

Whilst of its time in regard to song length (2 1/2 to 3 mins) and conception (no overall thematic arch) the album whizzes by most enjoyably. Glimpses of the original thinking and nascent guitar genius of Jeff Beck are particularly evident on "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" and "Jeff's Boogie" Well worth a listen

Normally with albums I've already listened to in the past like this one, I check it out a second time when it comes time to rate it, that way I get my fully accurate opinion on it and not my opinion from a year ago where I was only half listening. However, with this album I have no doubts rating this album a rather poor score, as I just remember the boredom that came with this rather tepid release. Is it important in the history of blues rock as well as Led Zeppelin, a band I'm rather fond of? Yes, but that doesn't make this any more dull. Only really giving bonus points because of the history surrounding it, but when you listen to What's Going On by Marvin Gaye right after, it's hard to have any thoughts about a release like this.

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.

Essential mod. Just such a seductive sound. I should listen to more Jeff Beck

Absolutely quality. Lots of really top notch songs on here - Over, Under, Sideways, Down being one - many of which are great for dancing.

Varied with creative composition and exceptional musicianship. The vocals aren't great and starts to fade toward the end, but Beck really kills here. His guitar tone is extraordinary

Okaish Psychedelic Rock.

I really dont want to listen to this album. 2 theives on the same album, Yippie! I listened. The first couple of songs were OK then it was just more of the same old trite bullshit. I'll never know why people go gaga over stuff like this.

Not awful but too long

it’s not surprising when young men devote themselves to self-satisfied hedonism, the surprising part is when mature men let them

I get it. This is the band that had Clapton, Beck, and Page... guitarists held in high esteem by old white men who claim to know the blues better than the inventors of the genre. I feel like I'm in an Austin Powers movie here, and the songs are fine, absolutely dated, and the playing, while massively competent, is formulaic and boring, to me.

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 ★★★

Good 60s psychedelic rock. 4 stars

3.5/5

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.

Meh. Wants to be psychedelic but there's too much jamming. Wants to be rock but there's too much jazz drumming. Wants to be blues but it's too folky. It's all over the place...pick a damn lane.

Typical messy mid 60s album (but in a good way). I've been sleeping on these guys apparantly.

Roger the Engineer follows the late-60s blueprint of showcasing a variety of styles, all rooted in a kind of semi-psychedelic rock to musically tie them together. It's clichéd, sure, but it sounds great! The riff in the opening number, Lost Women, is excellent, possibly being the hook-highlight of the entire album. The album continues this energetic feel throughout the album. Other highlights include the similarly great (and musically interesting!) riff in Over Under Sideways Down, the strong basswork in Rack My Mind, the nifty 14-bar blues progression of The Nazz Are Blue, and the impressively consistent, fast drumming in What Do You Want. Judging by the Spotify listens, this album has to be pretty darn underappreciated. Its production is very rough around the edges, but the mood and musicianship and is pretty great. Lowering the rating because one of the band members (Eric Clapton) is an asshole is not justified. (Even crazier is the fact that Clapton is not present on this album, having left the Yardbirds in 1965. So what exactly is being critiqued here?) For consistency, you'd have to apply the same logic to Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, just about every pioneering rock or pop group from the 70s and 80s, and so on. I guess you *could* let every album in this category be ruined forever, but where's the fun in that? Separate the art from the artist. 4/5 Key tracks: Lost Women, Over Under Sideways Down, Rack My Mind

Gammal rock som trycker hårt på walking bass, så ger stark blues-rockvibe. Ingen låt som riktigt stack ut, men helt ok.

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

Meh.

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.

Bluesy

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

3.5

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.

Wow! I was aware, but not familiar with The Yardbirds. So good. Hippy rock with blues roots blended into a beautiful album.

4 star. I like the cover, the general sounds of whatever I remember processing earlier today

Sound album.

Great guitar playing, up to the point of flexing, in a context of dull songs and singing. I know why the yardbird's rarely did it for me. The rating is not 1 thanks to Jeff Beck.

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.

Really solid stuff.

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.

Really enjoyed this. They were so original and the sounds really evokes the period. Exciting times for innovative and exciting music that went on to influence other bands. Great 👍

Mostly harmless.

The Yardbirds - Roger the Engineer Honestly, this album cover really does depict to how the music sounds, weird and repetitive in a way. This was released in the same year as Revolver by the way, this album is just really dull and offers the same tunes that the 60's offered without giving it their own twist. There's a few good songs here and there, that sound decent and have some catchy hooks and riffs, but overall this is disappointing... 1.- Lost Women = 7/10 2.- Over Under Sideways Down = 5/10 3.- The Nazz Are Blue = 5/10 4.- I Can't Make Your Way = 6/10 5.- Rack My Mind = 5/10 6.- Farewell = 6/10 7.- Hot House of Omagararshid = 7/10 8.- Jeff's Boogie = 5/10 9.- He's Always There = 6/10 10.- Turn into Earth = 7/10 11.- What Do You Want = 7/10 12.- Every Since the World Began = 5/10 FINAL SCORE: 5.9/10

Damn good album. I get the hype around the Yardbirds now. Varied and energetic.

Not my cup of tea

Um. I wanted to like this but I found myself wanting each song to be over.

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)

Whiteman blues has been tiresome since day dot.

Probably an underrated band

A wildly original album. In essence, it's just a blues rock album of course, but with every song Beck manages to throw in something new and unexpected into the mix, be it the odd guitar sounds, implementation of feedback or seasonings of Indian music. It sounds weird and unique for any time period, let alone for 1966.

Stundtals ganska bra för att vara Så gammaldags ändå. Tvåa.

Pretty solid 60s rock. I know there's some legends in this group, good to be exposed to them more, I don't know much of their work yet. Some songs sound ahead of their time with guitar solos, and others fit right in the 60s rock pop folky sound. But a good one

Unpolished, a bit weird with flashes of brilliance - bet they were a great live jam band 3.25

Just fine

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.

One of the few 60s albums that has a genuine sense of jaunty fun without becoming extremely annoying. "Hot House of Omagarashid" is amazing, just so layered and jaunty, while "Ever Since the World Began" seemingly sets the template for Black Sabbath's dark voyages.

The swinging 60s proto-psychedelia wouldn’t normally be my thing but Jeff Beck’s guitar licks elevate it past mediocre. It’s a fun listen. It’s also pretty wild that The Yardbirds germinated all those guitar gods in their short time.

Lekker vrolijke '60s popmuziek. Prima te luisteren.

On a streak of underwhelming albums.. l like the later Yardbirds or a collection of hits but fingers crossed for something good today!

Some bright spots (Jeff's Boogie & Turn Into Earth), overall not a great album.

Typical 60's folksy rock... not sure if it wants to be the Beatles, Chuck Berry, or... eh, that's about it. One or the other and neither particularly well done.

It just is.

- viele Tracks fehlen auf Spotify, hat aber ehrlich gesagt auch so gereicht - war okay, aber nichts Weltbewegendes

Good 60s album. Still good.

Probably some of the best mid60s British blues. None of these tracks come across as derivative, in fact, lyrically these songs shine.

7/10

Way too long and mediocre

The vocals suck... Like really really suck. And the mixes are inconsistent. I'm sure there are positive things to say but I couldn't get past the poor mixing

I am well aware of how influential the Yardbirds (Chickens?) were, but I just can't get enthused about this album.

Meh, more wannabe Beatles music for the pile.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this album, but I genuinely enjoyed it. I like the guitar a lot, recognized some 12 bar shuffles and some familiar riffs. Will probably listen to this one again.

Not for me lad, not one bit I like rock music but if I had to show an example of what I didn't like, it would be this. Sorry

That review about no one knowing who the singer is and the instrumental being the best track is absolutely right

heck yeah, ROCK N' ROLL

Yep enjoyed this one

Pretty damn good

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.

The mix on the second song it maybe the worst I've ever heard, I don't even think its a mono problem because the stereo one sounds like that as well. The bass during the chorus bit is resonating so loud that you can't even hear the vocals. (hold on it is fixed later on on the album but the vocals are still so quiet). Anyway... the rest is nothing too special. Obviously parts of it are quite influential for the time, and guitar work is great. Its just the hardpanned instruments/terrible mixing affect the enjoyment so much. Favorite song: I can't make your way. Overall feels quite unfinished. Overall around 4/10

The yardbirds - the collective noun we use for Len’s ex wives. Because most of them are now in prison. 3.3

Not for me.

It's one of those where I know the story of the Yardbirds and this is really their only studio album and it's Jeff Beck and all that but it's a fairly flat album without any stand out tracks, even the singles don't really punch through. It's a curiosity and everyone should listen to it but it's ultimately not a classic.

5 stars because of Jeff Beck!

Furðulegt band, Yardbirds, helst þekkt fyrir gítarleikarana sem gengu til liðs við þá og urðu frægari eftir að þeir hættu. Keith Relf er heldur ekki mjög merkilegur söngvari, þótt þetta Brian-Jones-lega hár sé flott. En þarna er samt eitthvað skemmtilegt og ég hlustaði oft. Tæpur fjarki.

Un rock demasiaaado básico. Safa, pero deja muy poco.

Super interesting mix of psychedelic, blues, and rock.

Apparently Eric Clapton (and you should all know my opinion of him now) was a member of the Yardbirds but quit in a huff shortly before they recorded their debut album citing musical differences. As a result, this album is a lot more varied and interesting than it might have been, ranging from blues to psychedelic rock with the odd Gregorian chant thrown in for fun. Jeff Beck really knocks out of the park with his guitar on this, bringing some unique sounds.

This album is a bit all over the place, with some rip off of blues, some psychedelic bits, some good riffin'. Feels more like a collection of songs put together than a real album.

Now this is more like it! This is what I want from my British Blues. Out of curiosity, I went back and listened to Blues Breakers immediately after listening to Roger the Engineer and I think the difference is that The Blues Breakers could play, but they never got beyond jamming on old songs and basic Blues patterns. The Yardbirds is full of great riffs and is all well arranged, as well as including the jamming. It’s also the best sounding of the British Blues records I’ve listened to, both Blues Breakers and Jeff Beck’s Truth being quite muddy. But what really clinched this as a five for me was Ever Since The World Began which invokes Satan in the first line, starts off as an intimidating Psychedelic chant backed with minimal percussion before breaking into the jauntiest, most Pop sounding tune on the album. Brilliant

Listened to the stereo version, not sure that was the right call. Didn't like how some of the mixing sounded. The album's a mix of psychedelic rock and blues, with quite a bit of Jeff Beck soloing. That being said there just isn't enough here I care about, quite a lot of weird or just inconsequential songs. Over Under Sideways Down was my favorite, a really unique sounding riff. I would leave most of the rest behind.

#81 Ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya.

Pretty good. A little all over the place, but pretty good.

Much of this is nearly indistinguishable from its contemporaries. Nothing memorable, nothing offensive, just another album that I'm not sure needs to be listened to before one dies.

Brzmi jak odpowiedź na pytanie "Co by było gdyby Beatlesi faktycznie potrafili grać na instrumentach w latach 60-tych?". Przyjemny album. Dziwna akcja z tymi milionami różnych wydań. Oryginalne płyty miały ok. 35min, wersja na Spotify podlinkowana tutaj ma 55min, a moja na Tidalu ma 75min, bo jest cały album dwa razy plus jakieś dodatkowe ścieżki. Ale przynajmniej przesłuchałem dwa razy dzięki temu. Pierwsza połowa "Ever Since the World Began" brzmi jak coś, co mógłby zaśpiewać Ozzy Osbourne w Black Sabbath. Tekst jakby żywcem wyjęty od nich i dzielenie wersów podobne. Słabsze 4, ale 4.

I'm giving the score before listening to the whole album. Fuck the rules! But halfway throughout the album I have feeling that quality is mixed but even best songs are not on the level to bring it to the 5 level. Still overall it's a neat album.

Ok... jak tak dalej pójdzie, zaraz się okaże, że po 1966 nie wymyślono już w muzyce niczego nowego xD I loved it. Każdy utwór był inny, każdy coś wnosił. Dobre teksty, świetna muzyka i wykonanie. Kawałki podobały mi się już wersji mono, stereo jeszcze spotęgowało wrażenia. Krótkie notki z różnych piosenek: "Over Under Sideways Down" - country + niezidentyfikowane, kobzopodobne instrumenty (?!) "Lost woman" - fajna jazzowa linia "I can't make your way" - jowialna harmonijka i tłusty, gitarowy riff "Hot house of Omagararshid" - ajajaaaa "Jeff's Boogie" - faktycznie boogie, lel "Turn into Earth" - w stereo robią robotę ścieżki głosowe <3 Dodatkowe uznanie za zajebistą okładkę z Rogerem the Engineerem, epic. PS Nienaćpany muzyk to pizda nie artysta. 4,5/5 ---- do 5/5 brakuje pierwiastka "OMFG I pissed my pants and it's changed my whole life"

Raczkujący psychodeliczny rock. Album otwierają dwa mega mocne kawałki - Lost Woman i Over, Under, Sideways, Down. Trochę potańczyłem słuchając. Reszta męcząca/forgettable. Bardzo się zestarzało, ciężko uwierzyć, że to i "The Velvet Underground" dzielą zaledwie 3 lata. Wokal był tylko na prawym kanale w 90% kawałków, nie do końca rozumiem wybór w masteringu. Yardbirds są o tyle ciekawi, że to pierwsza kapela takich legend jak Clapton, Page i Beck. Fajnie, że trafili się tak wcześnie, to lektura obowiązkowa do dalszego słuchania dalszych, ciekawszych projektów tych ziomeczków.

A great collection of classic blue influenced rock and roll. The Yardbirds were pioneers. Others did similar things, I knew their albums first, so I wasn't blown away by the album except one of two tracks.

Definitely have heard of The Yardbirds, but really never listened to any of their work. I've definitely heard of Jeff Beck who's guitar work on this album is outstanding. The blues influence is felt throughout mixed in with typical 60's British Pop. Great album, I enjoyed it a lot. 4/5

Always listed as being influential, always turn up on those documentaries about the 60s. Kind of hear it, but just feel missing that killer song for me.

Heard of them but never actually heard them til now. Very 60s. I like it.

Not very spectacular

Best Yardbirds album? A really fun listen. Any band that had Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page in it has to be taken extremely seriously, but ultimately they land on the wrong side of the demarcation that goes down the middle of 60s rock, alongside The Mamas and Papas and other paragons of 60s hip that didn't survive the summer of love (culturally, if not technically). Those individuals achieved escape velocity but they each had to jettison the band to do it.

Although I'm neither well-versed or particularly into a lot of 60s rock, I like it that (a) the album cover reminds me of a Ralph Steadman illustration, and (b) Jeff Beck participated heavily in this album, and (c) they went with a truly quirky album title (although I now discover that it's not really the official title of the album, sadly). An interesting(ish) mix of 60s blues/rock fare with the occasional foray into skiffle-sounding stuff and then (Beatles-inspired?) Eastern instruments and tunings. Not a lot of distinctive stuff here, but my favorite tracks are probably "Rack my mind", "Hot House of Omagararshid" (particularly the US version with a much more prominent Jeff Beck solo), and "He's always there". A shame we didn't get any Yardbirds music on this album with Jimmy Page *and* Jeff Beck playing together, although I kind of cheated and listened to the 1983 reissue of this album with a (mono) version of the dynamic duo's "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", which wasn't quite as mind-blowing as I'd hoped....

I enjoyed this--sucker for 60s rock--though it's not the best of breed by any means. Over Under Sideways Down was especially good.

Na

wanted to rate this lower for being so difficult to find the proper track order for, but, unfortunately, it was really good

Pretty good blues album. The star power is undeniable

Not for me. 1/5

Nice

Nice album, I was busy all day so although I “listened” all the way through twice it wasn’t a very deep delve.. 3.5/5 but I will need to revisit this

Jeff Beck er en syg nok guitarist, men synes hans talent er lidt spildt på noget genetisk 60’errock

Der er nogen gode numre, men det er altså noget rod!

-I wasn’t sure what to expect other than knowing Jimmy Page would be on here. I think it’s a solid listen tho. It stayed interesting throughout and had some interesting experimentation with psychedelic music / fun instrumentals. Nothing earth-shattering but pretty enjoyable -Favorites are Psycho Daisies, Over Under Sideways Down, and Ever Since The World Began

good sound, a little blues and some rock. Would like to listen some more.

A few good songs on here. Wasn't bad, just a bit bland on the whole 3 ⭐️

This is one of those examples where the band tries so many styles and excels at none of them. However, the baseline level of quality is pretty much always at least passable, with some incredibly creative moments sprinkled around the album’s 12 tracks. This might lean closer to the 2.5 mark, considering there are definitely multiple skips for me, but I’ll give it the benefit of the 3 for being essentially a summary of what the ‘60s had going musically, it’s just a shame that most of that versatility ended up falling flat

I liked this. Decent blues album. But some tracks were better than others.

Nice

Honestly sounds like Roger should’ve stayed in school.

hey! i'm an engineer!

Pretty average, not bad though.

1.57

Pleasant but some filler

Some very good, some meh

A 60s blues rock sound with Jeff Beck at the helm

Haven't listened to this since 2017-18. But a solid album, which shows ahead of its time mix of psych and blues, being that this is from 1966.

Old British dudes.

3 alright

When I listened to a lot of classic rock, I always meant to check out this album, but I never got around to it. I’m not familiar with Jeff Beck’s music at all, so I’m excited that The Yardbirds album that’s on this list is one that features his guitar playing, rather than Clapton or Page. There have been a handful of albums on this list that fall under ‘classic rock staples that I never got around to’ (2112 and Disraeli Gears stand out the most to me), and most have them have been pretty blah, but Roger the Engineer has definitely been one of the best of them. I really enjoyed the unique melding of psychedelia and blues that The Yardbirds put together on this album. The guitar playing is really solid, and it’s bolstered well by some really good bass playing and drumming. There are some spurts of other percussive instruments that I really enjoyed too, like on “He’s Always There,” which was one of my favorite songs on the album. A lot of the blues rock albums on this list feel kind of dull and uninspired, but the melding with psychedelic elements gave this album a unique and fun sound that really set it apart from other blues rock efforts. Additionally, the psychedelic sounds never felt cheesy or off-putting, and only enhanced the sound. I listened to the stereo version of this album on Spotify, and I thought it was incredibly well engineered. This isn’t the type of album that I’d listen to regularly, but I think it’s incredibly well made, and it was really enjoyable to listen to.

Not for me

Bra omslag men man ska inte döma hunden efter håret. Är genuint trött på 60- talet. Det räcker nu. Jag klarar mig bra på The Beatles och The Doors. Tog beslutet att lyssna ikapp på annat istället. Gränsen nåddes här.

Nja, det här känns lamt och lite trist. Det finns nog inte en enda låt jag känner, "kul". Sen är jag lite mätt på 60/70-tal. Men det ska inte gå ut över denna skiva, inte deras fel. Men som sagt, det finns inget här som får mig att ens reagera, annat än negativt. Som boogie-låten.

Gitarren är den stora behållningen med denna. I övrigt rätt slätstruket.

Started off quite strong, but I didn't enjoy the second half so much. Nice guitars and drums. Lost Women the highlight.

Too classic for me

Cool stuff. Shame we never heard from that guitarist after this.

A really good album.

Blues, rock, folk, and a little psychedelic rock make this a fun blend of styles to listen to.

Complex blues rock. There is something new to appreciate with every listen. The percussion is fascinating. Much better in stereo!

Great album, fun variety of sounds. 4 plus, not quite a 5. Will listen again.

It was pretty decent. There were a couple parts of songs that piqued my interest, hinting at the future of rock. I bet I was have really enjoyed this, though, if I was a kid growing up in the 60's. 3.5*

Solid Yardbirds album. It’s a good listen but as a mid-60’s rock sound, it’s not blowing the doors off.

British Invasion juuust before the acid hit.

Recognized the song “He’s Always There” because The Pussycat Dolls sampled it with their “When I Grow Up”

I've never listened to a Yardbirds album. Standard '60s blues rock stuff, not too shabby but didn't grab me.

I know how important the yardbirds were but I think it’s what its guitar players went on to become

Pretty pleasant listen. Not my favourite style but I enjoyed this. I liked the first half better than the second. 3/3.5

This album was quite the experience. First, it doesn't really even have a name. They released it as Yardbirds in the UK, in a few other countries as Over Under Sideways Down, but now most people call it Roger the Engineer because of the weird dude drawn on the cover. I like the psychedelic rock era quite a bit, and honestly this is not one of the best releases of the era. On first listen I was leaning towards giving this a 2, I briefly flirted with rounding up, but I think I'm going to stick with my gut. There's a few decent parts, "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" is pretty catchy, and while a lot of the songs are completely ridiculous some of them are a fun enough listen. That said I'm not super into the vocals, and like half the songs sound like there's some Dr. Suess instrument in the background ("Hot House of Omagarashid). Maybe I'm being a bit too mean here, but this was a bit unexceptional to me. Favorite song: Over, Under, Sideways, Down Other: Lost Women, I Can't Make Your Way, What Do You Want, Ever Since the World Began 10/3/24

Jeff Beck's brilliance is undeniable, and I really loved the strange arrangements and weird songs. The 12-bar blues stuff just sounds out of place on this album. Overall, an enjoyable listening experience.

Really enjoyed this.

Everyone talks about the yardbirds, but I really knew nothing about them other than Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. This album is great. I actually did know “over under sideways down”. This album helps me understand the hype on the Yardbirds as well as just British music evolution. This is a great record.

Not for me

Classic. It grew on me.

A fun time! Nice mix of bluesy and psychedelic. “Ever Since the World Began” is a bizarre closer, especially since there’s already a song called “Farewell” on the album.

the listening experience is kinda messy on spotify, I hate when a band combines every release of an album into 1 album and it's the main one. The music was pretty good, well rounded mix of tracks with a lot of flair, definitely feels of the era but it's a really nice collection of tracks. Couldn't really tell if there was a through line for them or anything.

In this year of 2024 this is really a two star album for me, but I am going to take into account that this was made in the early years of rock. I can hear some interesting experimentation. I can’t say I found listening to it that enjoyable, but I can see where this was a jumping off point for more interesting works.

Holds up well. A lot of albums of this genre and age don't sound great, but this has a lot of personality and some killer songs, too.

I didn’t hate it but it kind of sounded like a high school garage band. I could see how it was ahead of its time.

Some interesting tracks here - Ever Since the World Began starts as a proto Black Sabbath song. Over, Under, Sideways, Down is grear too. There is great guitar work as expected, but a lot of the songs are a bit too "pleasant" without much of interest

I wonder if their engineer’s name was Roger. Seems like a nice dude

This is a good album. There are some duds, but mostly this has a lot of very palatable (if slightly forgettable) blues rock.

Yardbirds It was alright. Jeff beck is a great guitarist but this must’ve been before his playing got really interesting. I hope we get Blow by Blow. Songs and vocals are kinda generic 60’s blues rock to me and not that great. 2.5

This album was probably released mono and should've stayed that way. The lead vocals being panned hard right was very distracting and honestly probably the only thing i will remember about this album. The yardbirds are important because of their legacy and mark on rock n roll but as a standalone group i don't find it very interesting or enjoyable

Great name. Forgettable otherwise

Okay

Didn’t really stick out to me.

I think the Yardbirds was one of those mid-60s bands who's impact was greater than their music. Certainly they seem to be emerging from the blues-based music into a slightly psych-tinged style here. Not bad, but very variable in track listing (UK vs US versions).

Nothing spectacular.

I don’t know why this is here.

Christopher Guest’s character in Spinal Tap is a dead on impression of Jeff Beck. Makes me like this more. This is not my usual thing, but it is legitimately very good. So influential.

Yardbirds are perhaps best known for launching the careers of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. Unfortunately, you'll only find Beck on this album. Roger the Engineer has some hits and some misses. The opening two tracks, Lost Women and Over, Under, Sideways, Down, showcase the band's best songwriting. Other songs, not much. I find a lot of '60s rock tends to be terribly hit-or-miss, with only a few hits per album. That sums up this album too.

Very proto, dinosaury or something like that, i felt like i was in the 60´s smoking nice weed and dancing some weird stuff on an open place hahahhaha

Just the right amount of camp. And it's about an engineer? Fuck yeah.

Meh

Muy bueno

Не фанат такого. Не понял, какую нишу они хотели занять. Для психодела слишком обычно, для расслабляющей музыки слишком бодро, а для бодрой -- слишком скучно. Это не просто не конкурент beatles -- это даже не конкурент byrds.

Liked Song Over Under Sideways Down

There are moments in this album where their bonafides as mid-late 60s brit blues rock/R&B greats, contemporaries of the Rolling Stones, shows (Lost Women or The Nazz Are Blue). And then there's garage like "Turn into Earth". I don't think they really knew WTF they wanted to be here.

Good

So, I enjoyed listening to this album and gave it a couple of spins. Jeff Beck lays down several unique and cool guitar riffs, as he does. That said I think that’s the only thing I’m drawn to on this album. As a mid-60’s psychedelic album it may have been innovative when it was released, but it’s hard not to compare it with many other superior albums of the next few years. I’m glad I’ve now listened to it, but I don’t find myself wanting to revisit it again soon.

So many sounds and images of music to come, that did come from the inflennce of this album. The Beatles didn't drive all of the future of music. No offence to the Beatles.

Bit dated but not terrible

Early Zeppelin good thing Jimmy found Robert

I keep forgetting I like the yardbirds and then every once in a while get something like this to remind me.

Sounds sloppy

Apple Music only had a deluxe version. I edited it down to what Wikipedia shows as the original UK release, and it was 3 minutes shorter. Why can't they just have the original release as an option. Anyway, I like it, and after this whole challenge is over, I'll go back and listen to the deluxe. Favorite track: He's Always There

Pequileabr

2.75/5

1001AlbumsGenerator, please stop recommending me an hour and half long albums :c I'm not familiar with the Yardbirds but I presume they were a psychedelic act, akin to the spinoff band Cream. The album itself is a bit dated — unalike other "famous" albums of the time which are still prevalent today — and the mixing is satisfactory. Not necessarily Merseys-esque poor, but I expect a more crisp sound. I dig the band's melodic and simple sound though. In addition, the guitar was killin' it! Sending love to Jeff Beck. Might check out other works in the future — see if I can find anything that catches my eye.

3.3 2x catch up 11/10(?) forgot to rate

Sure

Not nearly what I was hoping to hear. Despite the obvious talent behind the guitar, the album came across as a little thin and lacking for me.

Rating: 6/10 Good overall, nothing stood out too much though. Seems pretty standard for the time period.

They got the rhythm honestly. They got some experiments going. Overall not bad. 3.5/5.

I've got to start this by saying I miss bands having dumb names for albums based on weird drawings that the whole band probably didn't even want to use. Beck is a killer guitarist and the vibe on the album is great. Enjoyed this listen and will give it another shot soon. I've meant to look into The Yardbirds for a while. Glad they're on the list

After the first two tracks I was ready to give this a 5. At track 4 it lost some momentum. Then from there it started feeling less cohesive as an album. Started to feel like it was trying to offer something for everyone. That being said I liked most of the songs. Especially the Blues influenced stuff. I might revisit this but it's a 4 just for feeling a bit unfocused.

The best Yardbirds album. Consistently good tunes and playing.

Dobre utwory. Niektóre lepsze, niektóre gorsze, ale czuć jakość grania. 4/5

Starts strong with Lost Women and to a lesser degree Over Under Sideways Down but devolves into a long list of most "ok" and aimless songs thereafter.

Бодрячок

Thoughts before listening: The band that launched Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck. I've always found the famous alumni to be more interesting than the Yardbirds' music, but maybe I've never listened to an album before. Review: Yeah this is okay. This is apparently the first Yardbirds record to fully feature Jeff Beck, and he definitely plays some cool guitar parts throughout. In general though, there just aren't a lot of interesting songs on here. Its all blues based with some psychedelic parts which I enjoy, but ultimately nothing is really pulling me in. I've never known the Yardbirds to be praised as an album band, rather as an important step in the evolution of rock n roll that put out a handful of cool songs. In general I'd say that is confirmed here, with the best songs being "Lost Woman" and "Over Under Sideways Down". 3-stars

Some really cool grooves on this one. But still not very outstanding from that era

I get that blues records making it over to England were a big deal and this was the interpretative result, and fully understand their significance, but man blues based guitar driven music from the 60s is just so boring to me. Not for me at all.

Absolutely perfect

Jeff Beck is pretty obviously the star of the show here. The Yardbirds are one of many groups from this era whose studio albums don't really paint the clearest picture of their history or impact, and I'm generally lukewarm on them anyway, but this is still highly listenable to me. "Over Under Sideways Down" the clear highlight. 3.5/5

as soon as track 11 started all i could think about was the pussycat dolls and yeah they DID sample it i'm NOT crazy love that for them and me

surprised that this wasn’t terrible

Not my thing. Jeff beck rocks but the songs are nothing to write home about and the production has not aged well

Well this big 3 is gonna get a 2 unfortch. Bit old sounding in a negative way.

Like it, and would listen again 3/5

The songs feel a little loose and uninspired. There’s some interesting riffs at times, good harmonica. The psychedelic guitar on Over Under Sideways is really interesting and probably one of the better songs, sounds like Jim Morrison singing at times on it. Nazz are Blue is actually a really good blues song, again leaning heavily on Beck’s guitar. So overall, it’s a pretty ok album I guess I just expected more. 3 stars

Blown away by this album!

Very grateful that my formative years had much better rock music than this.

Doesn't really stand out. Amazing how many amazing guitarists went through this band though.

decent

Nice! I really enjoyed it

This is really fun, and there is some very original composition, never listened to in entirety before. Enjoying it a lot. 4 stars

In 1966 Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck were both members of the band, at the same time, wow.

I'm genuinely shocked at two things: 1. How big of an influence they seemed to have had. From Frankie Valli through The Presidents of the United States to goddamn South Park, I kept recognizing tunes I've heard in newer compositions. 2. JIMMY PAGE AND JEFF BECK?

Good songs derrreeee

Very good. Great to listen to something like this having never dived into them before.

Most blues jams sound the same to me

Best album by The Yardbirds! Jeff played all the tracks and this album is gold!

juuh en tiedää miksi näin kauan kestänyt mutta uus vihagenre vihdoin ymmärretty.. 60 loppupuolen kulhopäät jotka yrittää jotain proto rokkia.... huoh avasi tien hyvälle valkonaama musiikille kait... olisi voinut säveltäjäkansana pysyä... sen sijaan alettiiin kitaraan rämpyttämään.. ala-arvoista sakkia.. jaa ajaa jaaa... jaa jaja... jaa jaa jaaa... jaa jaja.... jaa ajaa jaaa... jaa jaja... jaa jaa jaaa... jaa jaja.... jaa ajaa jaaa... jaa jaja... jaa jaa jaaa... jaa jaja.... jaa ajaa jaaa... jaa jaja... jaa jaa jaaa... jaa jaja.... no jaajaa pidä se vitiunt turpa kiinni!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ymmärsikö????????? ihan pimeetä touhua..... miten voi olla noin pimee..... jotain ihan pimeetä porukkaa... over under sideways down

3.6

This was quite the experience. Don't know quite how to classify this genre....experimental blues rock? It was good at some parts, meh for some. Definitely an interesting sound, considering it is from the 60s.

These guys had a fresh spin on the blues rock sound. I like the sort of jam band feel, organize chaos. A couple of the songs were unique enough to stand out, but some of them just did nothing for me at all.

roger the engineer the yard birds 1966 1. lost women: 8/10 2. over, under, sideways, down: 7/10 3. the nazz are blue: 7/10 4. i can't make your way: 7/10 5. rack my mind: 7/10 6. farewell: 5.5/10 7. hot house of omagarashid: 5.5/10 8. jeff's boogie: 6/10 9. he's always there: 7.5/10 10. turn into earth: 7.5/10 11. what do you want: 8/10 12. ever since the world began: 5.5/10 overall rating: 6.5/10

basic 60s stuff. Fine, but not re-listenable. 2 or 3.

Roger the Engineer is a case of an album that has good ideas but falls a bit short due to poor mixing. I learned that Jeff Beck worked on this album and his guitar work absolutely shines here. Many of the songs also tried unique things like all sorts of different sounds that fit surprisingly well together. The album is also a short one too at around only 30 minutes so it never feels like its dragging. The main issue i have is, like i said, the poor mixing making it sound more like a live album rather than a studio album and it can feel like the music drowns out the vocals and vice versa. This is still a decent album, it just needed some better audio mixing. Best Song: Hot House of Omagararshid Worst Song: Ever Since the World Began

Solid but not memorable 5/10

Beetje Stones-achtige blije jarenzestigmuziek. Ik vind dit best geinig, maar ik vraag me wel af wat er zo ontzettend speciaal aan is dat het in deze lijst moest. Een drie-en-een-halfje.

Ik had een ander beeld bij Tuinfluiters. Maar ach ja. Dit is best een geinig plaatje. Niet om regelmatig op te zetten. Meer iets dat je hoopt tegen te komen op een klein festival. Het voelt lekker ongedwongen. Dat zal met het decennium te maken hebben. Je hoort ook wel wat experimentjes, zoals ook in dat decennium hoort. Maar het schiet daar niet in door. 3,5 ster * geluisterd naar de UK-versie.

Eerder kregen we al John Mayall en the Bluesbreakers uit dezelfde periode zo ongeveer en daar kon ik lekker van genieten. Dit haalt dat niveau wat mij betreft niet. Wat bluesy nummers zoals Jeff's Boogie swingen heerlijk, maar nummers als Hot House of Omagararshid zijn een beetje een wazige bende. Ook hoor je er kerst-achtige of kinder-achtige riffjes doorheen, alsof ze willen laten zien dat ze dat ook op hun gitaar kunnen spelen. De ene keer is het bluesy als Cuby of John Mayall, de andere keer is het meer the Who meets the Beatles, en dat is het net niet. Als het meer blues was geweest, dan had het een hoger cijfer gekregen. Nu is het een beetje een ratjetoe aan muziek. Magere 3

4.25

Roger is a darn good engineer

Yardbirds had such a great talented band, it's just that they have to be stuck playing 60's influence to older rock - would love if they could just jump up to 20 years later. Over Under Sideways Down- is the awesome, iconic hit from this album. Don't let the 3stars seem a negative - it's just some of the tunes don't make it for me.

Perfectly fine album. The sound's a bit dated so I don't think I'd revisit it, but I didn't hate it either.

Getting used I to it

Very cool blues album I had never heard. Biggest downside is that it is very long. Love the album cover.

It was OK but hasn't aged well

The stereo version is annoying on headphones. I don't really love the vocals coming from a single ear.

Good bluesy songs

Average production even for the 60's with vocals painfully from that decade. Feels like this is trying too hard to imitate the Beatles or the Beach Boys.

3.5

Not my jam.

Hard to finish

Always avoided the Yardbirds because I can’t stand Eric Clapton. This was fine but no catchy heavy hitters… all a bit generic. 3* from me

Contemporaries about the Beatles and rolling Stones ends of the doors but lacking their charisma. This album made no impact on me at all

OK listen. I didn’t listen to the whole thing though.

STANDOUTS: n/a OVERALL: 1/5

6 / 10 Rock clásico con buena instrumentación. Destaca Jeff Beck en la formación.

The music talent is there but not the songwriting. The yardbirds were better once they became Jeff Beck Group, Led Zeppelin, etc

A band I’d always intended to listen to but had always put off. Very enjoyable and full of energy. Feels very ahead of its time and Jeff Beck’s guitar work is superb, particularly for 1966. Psycho Daisies & Lost Women were the stand out tracks for me.

Freakin fabulous

good 60's stuff but ultimately forgetable

Good music, but the singing and lyrics don't work for me.

Was into the YB's when I was exploring Zep, Hendrix, and Cream. It was some random greatest hits cassette, so to listen to a complete album should be interesting. Meh. These guys are guitar players, not song writers. The guitar stuff is cool, but largely this is kinda boring with nothing that really excites me. There's more interesting music from this time period than this album.

Have heard of The Yardbirds and know For Your Love, didn't recognize any of the tracks on this. As answer to a question posed by another reviewer : Yes I know who Keith Relf is and no it didn't know he was The Yardbirds lead-singer. I know Keith from the first incarnation of the band Renaissance, problem is that I much prefer the later incarnation of that band after Keith and his sister had left. Mostly because I much prefer Annie Haslam as singer over Jane Relf. Returning to this album I don't care about the music but it gets 4 stars for the bands importance as a breeding ground.

אלבום מצוין. מרגישים את הגולמיות של לד זפלין והגיטרה של גף בק

First Yardbirds album for me. I somehow knew a bunch about the band but not their actual music. Really enjoyed this. Lots of interest going on throughout the record.

Quite good. Might be a grower.

60s rock that serves as a good example of how experimentation paved the way for what's to come. varied yet consistently jangly and vivacious tunes with creative panning effects. despite having a sound that goes right along with other bands during this time, this album at least does it in a way in which i enjoyed. i like listening to songs where the bands sound like they're having fun you know?

Dit is best een geinig album. Een beetje experimenteel maar ook gewoon top 2000 achtige boomer shit. Dit is geen straf om een keer te luisteren, al zoeken ze in hun geëxperimenteer natuurlijk af en toe wel even de irritatiegrens op. Morgen weet ik hier helemaal niks meer van, dus ik ga voor de 3 sterren.

Great

It has its moments, mostly thanks to Jeff ("Jeff's Boogie" is definitely the best cut—great Les Paul picking in there). They just weren't really up to the task of this kind of material.

As a musical child of the 60’s this is an album right up my street. It wasn’t one I knew previously but well aware of The Yardbirds and their standing in the history of rock music. When I think of The Yardbirds I think of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. According to Wiki there’s nothing of the first two on here although streaming it through Roon, their metadata credits Jimmy Page on two tracks. There’s a whole lotta Jeff Beck though and his style of playing shines through and make this album a worthwhile listen. The album skips between blues numbers and psychedelic rock which was in its infancy at the time so a very interesting mix of different musical styles. 3/5 4/6/24

Really like it. Very punchy for this type of music I feel. Just shy of a 4 but very entertaining and replayable. Just not transcending or anything.

The album is completely being carried, and feels like whole, due to the amazing guitarwork from Jeff Beck. Besides that there's some great songs on here, as well as some decidedly mediocre tunes.

🎧 Pretty solid psychedelic/blues rock album, nothing to write home about

A few pretty great rock songs and some absolute clunkers. Highlights: Lost Women, Over Under Sideways Down, I Can't Make Your Way, Jeff's Boogie, He's Always There

Jeff Beck lifts this up, but it's still fairly generic psychedelic tinged rock pop, 1966 was loaded with this style.

This was very uneventful, didn't get me engaged at any point without ever being offensive. About as middle of the road as I can give.

I had written a Toppermost article (https://www.toppermost.co.uk/the-yardbirds/) on the yardbirds and after it was published I realised something. Apart from the three important guitarists who made up the lineup - Clapton Beck and Page - they weren’t a terribly good blues band. They were however a pretty terrific pop band particularly on this album. Jeff Beck, one of the greatest rock guitarists, never stopped developing as a player. The songs on this are terrific. Over under upside down is amazing. The Nazz is blue led one David jones, under his more renowned stage name, to describe the character of Ziggy Stardust. It also led Todd Rundgren to name his band. This is worth a listen. Though nearly all members would go on to to other interesting and important things. Not all the songs are bangers. But those that are slap hard. Vale Jeff. (And Keith).

I liked it from the start, but it actually got better with every track. I may gush here. I didnt know the Yardbirds, and I am slightly restless as I cant find the words for their groove - how could you keep still in the 60s with this around? I very much like the pace and energy - its full vibrant blues/rock and really fun to listen to. Feels like I found a perfect musical windows into a little secret performance in the late 60's by the talented ahead-of their-time players who actally showed off their mastery of instruments and styles in a way that only highligts the best of the era - tyhe stuff you'd still want to hear 50 years later - it DELIGHTS (unlike so many 'off-piste' annoying experiment garage projects in this list). These players have the energy, the fun and soul or zeitgeist of the era bottled to perfection. Even "Farewell" which could be naff folk on any other album, is basically a hilarious sing along which brings to mind Michael Palin. Damn, now I need to go find some restored stereo Yardbirds to listen to (unless there is a reason mono is better). Ha, got you thinking. Its okay, I will just binge on whatever I can stream for now, but if I see a good Yardbirds LP, you know, one with low odour and mould levels, I will be procuring it forthwith. 5+

I was a big Yardbirds fan from their first hit in Australia - their 3rd single, For Your Love (March 1965). The first Yardbirds album I ever owned was an Australian pressing of The Best Of…(1968). I didn’t hear Roger The Engineer until the 1980’s, when Edsel reissued it on vinyl in the U.K. It’s a strange album. It includes two hit singles - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago & Over, Under, Sideways Down - both of which still hit the mark. Other than those two, the highlights on this album for me are : The Nazz Are Blue ( the b-side of Happenings etc. in the U.S.)with Jeff Beck on vocals & Elmore James-influenced guitar riff; and Jeff’s Boogie (the flip of Over, Under etc. in the U.K.) with some great guitar again by Beck. Lost Women & Rack My Mind are okay; the weird Psycho Daisies (b-side of Happenings…. in the U.K.) features Beck & guest Jimmy Page on guitar; Turn Into Earth has the same echoey sound as Heart Full Of Soul; What Do You Want sounds like something Mike Nesmith might have written for The Monkees; & Hot House Of Omagarshid sounds like it has Rolf Harris playing wobble-board in the background. And the other tracks are neither here nor there. The only thing I know for sure is that Beck steals the show on this record. You can already hear Keith Relf’s voice on the decline. Overall, they were a great singles band, but this album is still a very interesting listen.

Jeff Beck plays up a storm, but this album is a transition between the blues purism of Clapton-era Yardbirds and psychedelia. And doesn't really do either particularly well. Keith Relf's voice doesn't inspire, the production is often thin, and the songs are underwritten. I previously reviewed this album about two years ago, which means I listened to it a few times through then. And, listening today, not a single song on this album rang a bell with me; no memory at all. I know people talk about Jeff Beck's innovative approach to the guitar. But he was just starting on that journey on this record, and there is not a lot memorable or notable that he plays here, certainly compared with some of his later recordings. While clearly beloved by blues lawyers, this album doesn't have much to offer the average listener. An album I can easily live without.

Good

In the immortal words of Henry Rollins, “The drummer can’t drum, the bass player can’t play. The guitarist has one riff. The singer is this utter buffon.” A part of me wants to be forgiving. On first listen, Side A wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but it was just boring ‘60s blues pastiche and/or 60’s pop that goes in my ears and out in an instant, with slight psychedelic touches here and there that aren’t to my taste. I’m far from a fan of this style, so I wasn’t going to praise this, but I wasn’t mad about it, either. But then Side B just turned that up to 11, with all the worst cliches of that era, and I almost lost my mind. Like, to the point where I revisited Side A and realized after two painful active listens that, no, I hated that too, I was just trying to restrain myself from being a hater. All the little tchotchkes in the background, the limited range and uncharismatic vocals, the rhythm section is uninspired with cluttered bass riffs and mediocre drummer, and Beck…I see what he’s doing, but to me, it both sounds basic and messy, and dare I say it, immature. I can’t imagine this being anyone’s favorite record, unless you know too much about reel-to-reels and smell a bit too much like skunk weed. A painful listen and a boring listen – the worst combination.

Started off kind of interesting, but this flavor of british psych rock is just so samey

Started off fairly strong with “Happenings Ten Years Ago;” with its dark sound, I was hopeful that this would be an album worthy of 3.5+ stars. Unfortunately, what followed was much more generic-sounding 60s rock, which really doesn’t do much for me. “Turn into Earth” was the other standout, but it was too little, too late to save it from a mediocre score.

Blues/psychedelic rock. More blues rock with psych elements. It's not that it can't be done well, it's just that these guys don't really hit the mark the whole time. Lots of fluff in the album, just kinda hit or miss. The hits are quite good, and it's not like the misses are unlistenable, but it's just too mixed for me too really get into the music. Might revisit certain songs. Light 3.5/5

I’m trying to remember anything about this from yesterday … I think I liked it? 2.5

I thought there were some interesting flourishes but it boiled down to meat and potatoes rocky blues

I listened to this one twice. I enjoyed it a lot more on the first listen. On the second listen I found everyone not named Jeff Beck to be kind of annoying. That being said, Jeff Beck may be a total dad pick for greatest guitar player of all time, but it’s albums like this that make a really strong case. It’s kind of a shame, there are so many albums from this time where the guitar player has to carry the whole weight of the band the quality suffers…I wonder if any of these guys will form bands of just the strong ones from these bands…a super group even?

Really cool little album. 4 stars as it feels like a collection of sounds rather than a cohesive album.

Listened Before? N An interesting crossover and landmark record. Pretty trippy and hard rocking for it's time. I enjoyed listening but it suffers from an unfortunate issue with me: I refuse to support Eric Clapton. So while I did enjoy it, I won't listen again and give him any more royalties. Eat it, Eric. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Over Under Sideways Down

this record wasn’t bad, a collection of shorter tracks that were just nice to listen to, i found the album lacked a substance

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.