Roger the Engineer

3 stars

Rock psicodélico sesentero. Un 4.

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

I was prepared to not really like this, but it was more interesting than I expected. It being super early Jeff Beck, there wasn't any of the usual self-indulgent atonal wankery that turns me off of his later solo stuff. A decent classic rock and roll record.

Was decent, but wasn't super taken with it. I wouldn't turn it off if it were put on. 3/5

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

Ok

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

This one was a bit underwhelming. You always hear about how the Yardbirds were this super great and influential group with all these amazing guitar players. Most of the songs on here were just electric blues imitation. Not to say they’re bad, but I was expecting better songwriting.

I like this, it was different

It’s a “No” from me.

I loved this one. Quite varied as well with the first half of the album being more blues-rock and the second half psychedelic rock, but easier to listen to than psychedelia sometimes tends to be. Also amazed by how much the first minute of "Ever Since The World Began" sounds like early Black Sabbath. Must have been a huge influence for them. So yeah, The Yardbirds are somewhere between The Beatles and Black Sabbath, combining some of boths' greatness. With the appropriate skill to back it up, that's a 5 in my book.

Don’t care much for this. The guitar is great but I don’t think I really like anything else. It’s also way too long. This was all over the place. Wasn’t sure what I was even listening to.

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

If you ask 100 people who are leaving a rock concert who Jeff Beck is a majority will know the name. If you also ask them if they know who Keith Relf is you will not need your second hand to count the number of yesses. You probably won't even need your first hand.  (Before reading on, I'll let you in on a secret: he was the Yardbirds' lead singer.) Great guitar players need a lead singer who can do two of the following three: 1) sing, 2) entertain, and 3) write music. All three are not needed but  two of the three are.  Pete Townshend found Daltrey who could do 1 and 2. Keith Richards found Mick who can do 2 and 3 and Jimmy Page found Plant who can do 1 and 2. Keith Relf couldn't do any of the three. The result is excellent guitar playing (Jeff Beck’s in the case of this album) being stranded in a wasteland of songs that, from all other perspectives, are painfully mediocre.  To finish with a cherry on top, the best song on the album is "Jeff’s Boogie". It has no vocals. I rest my case.

There's a cheesy, bluesy, sing-a-long feel to a number of the songs that I don't like. Then they do an about-face into psychedelic, in songs like "Farewell" "Hothouse..." and "Turn Into Earth" - it makes you wonder. Maybe that's the downside of having five song-writers. I missed Jeff Beck's playing the first time around but noticed it on second.

Yet another Brit rock group from the 60's that are laying down some heavily blues influenced rock. I guess its akin to white guys today doing rap, hopefully they aren't guilty of cultural appropriation, they were simply playing homage to the hip sound of the era, or so we hope. This album is fine, and the late great Jeff Beck is as scintillating as ever on lead guitar. Over, under, sideways down is a memorable single. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for its influence.

Has early guitar mastery by Jeff Beck..... Very 60s

There’s a couple of standout tracks but the rest is filler

Probablement l'un des meilleurs albums de early psychedelic rock que j'ai entendu, mais ça reste un style un peu drabe.

Nice 60s rock. Very tight and well performed. Perhaps it was groundbreaking at the time, but doesn't sound particularly exciting in 2023. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Over, Under, Sideways, Down Date listened: 23/02/23

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

Lots of bands were doing similar work around this time: Manfred Mann, The Animals, Spencer Davies Group... I like them all, but nothing stands out here. It's just generic 60s blues rock. Members from all of these bands went on to have highly successful careers and produced some memorable work. Albums like this show the roots from which they came, but the album itself is nothing special.

3/4

Interesting if confusing mix of styles here. I liked I Can’t Make Your Way but as an album it’s a bit all over the place.

4.0

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

korrek

Overall not bad music, it’s ok. I may give this another listen in the future.

Wasn't my favourite. I suspect they are more well known from the musicians who have come from the band, than the band themselves.

Some classic tracks in there, but quite a bit of random stuff too. Still a fun listen though. Would be 3.5 from me, if we were allowed half marks ;-)

Roger

didn’t do it for me

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

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

Great musicianship and awesome collection of riffs for 1966.

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

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

Pretty solid

Not going to provide royalties to someone who ignores science as much as him.

Too dated and there's nothing really that enjoyable/catchy that rises above the 60's rock schtick. The first half of Ever Since the World Began sounds like a good black sabbath intro if they took it a little heavier. But then it turns poppy. Ugh.

A pretty disappointing album. After such a great one-two punch combo to start off the record, the quality went straight to the gutter. Really excellent psychedelic rock tracks - "Lost Woman" and "Over Under Sideways Down". If that would be a short EP, we are looking at an instant classic and easily a top rating possible. Phenomenal guitar rhythms and solos, such a great psychedelic atmosphere, it's just that good! Really nice vocals as well, but that goes across the whole album. The problem is, after those two songs the style changed a bit - no more psychedelic rock, instead we have rather straightforward blues, unfortunately with no appealing qualities. It's hard to call it anything else than a disappointment. Pretty sure it means that the album deserves only 3/5.

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

The maker of this list really loves the Beatles cause damn bro like half this list is just deticated to bands who sound like the Beatles

Didn't get into it that much.

Another case of a legendary band that I really didn't feel anything towards. It went from something really cutting edge to something that is totally inoffensive.

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

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

Well, the timing of this was certainly amazing to coincide exactly with the death of Beck. That said, it really did nothing for me personally.

Had tried listening to this years ago and just couldn't get through it. When someone tells you about the Yardbirds when you're going thru your Zeppelin phase, you assume Yardbirds are at least similar. There's a vast ocean between Zeppelin and Yards, it's hard to believe they're even related. I mean there are some good tracks here (Nazz are Blue, Lost Woman), but there's crap on this for sure, WTF is the Farewell, and Make Your Way...(?). The guitar licks are distorted sweet the bass lines too (He's always there, I'm lookin' at you). Definitely hear some great stuff to build with and happy to have the excuse to revisit this.

Absolutely bizarre chance to draw this album on the same day Jeff Beck passed away. I had never heard Beck play until we listened to his "solo" album "Truth" several months ago. I was really impressed with him then, and thought his guitar worked well with Rod Stewart's vocals. On the Yardbirds I don't think Beck pairs as well with lead singer Keith Relf, and most of these songs don't quite hit right for me. "Lost Woman" was probably my favorite, though to get to that supposed opening track I had to get through two other later Yardbirds tracks that started the strange expanded version I stumbled upon unknowingly.

Everything is a three

I’ve heard of Jeff Beck and he’s supposedly some guitar hero. Admittedly, I have not listened to any of his music, including the Yardbirds, until today. Maybe he is a guitar hero, but I find this album severely underwhelming. Beck’s guitar is certainly the highlight though. It’s hard to figure out why, but I have no desire to hear any of this again, except Over Under Sideways Down on rare occasion.

Listening to this album was like gardening, it's a bit of a chore but pleasant and your gladish to had done it. very quick tunes over some nice blues riffs, playlisted a couple of songs but won't be coming back to a whole album visit. Favourite track Over Under Sideways Down, He's Always there

Older sound but good tunes

Miles odder than I expected and surprisingly enjoyable!

Great album.

Have never listened to this album or band. Honestly, my kind of background upbeat music. I like the heavy percussion. But it's definitely background music for me. I don't think I'd seek it out. Standouts: I can't make your way.

Interesting at times, kinda boring most of the other times. Given the era where this came out, it was clear that people were still trying to figure out what pop music was supposed to be, and I notice a lot of "homages" to different styles/regions of music throughout, but it feels kind of like it lacks substance. Also, apparently this album has neither Clapton NOR Page and that feels like kind of a rip-off. Standouts: Lost Women, The Nazz are Blue, Jeff's Boogie, What Do You Want

Really not that exciting.

Classic 60s rock vibes!

Significant at its time, I guess.

Pretty good. 60s psychedelic blues rock. Some catchy songs. Patty gave her seal of approval . Nothing to make this a favorite for me, but it's a good album.

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

I enjoyed it. The sound of the time but bluesy

Kiva

Semi chill och goated

Bluesy psych rock with flashes of guitar that hint towards the players’ future career

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

I would say this sounds like generic rock from its time period, but there are a few good riffs on this. Sometimes the instrumentals drown out the vocals, though. Not a fan of the album cover. Fav track(s): Rack My Mind

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

2.5

Liked! Would listen again

That's a lot of The Yardbirds. I can't make anything stand out. It feels a bit like wallpaper, but it's not terrible?

does not move me. sorry

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

some nice instrumentals

This ok. Not really into the psychadelic vibe. If I want to hear British Invasion Blues, I'll choose The Rolling Stones over this.

Just not very good. I can see the appeal of this to a British person in 1966 but in 2022 you can access real American blues very easily. This is missing lots of the soul and pain found in the actual blues music. Jeff Beck of course has some nice guitar parts (especially on “Jeff’s Boogie”) but it’s just not enough to save this album.

It was okay

Not that inspiring.

One of my all time fav records! Genuinely holds up and slaps so hard

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

This was a fun album, will definitely listen to it again.

Grunge-y, garage-y and psychedelic-y all at the same time. Enjoyed Jeff Beck's guitar playing. 3.5/5

Hetkittäisiä leiskautuksia, muuten aika joutavaa.

Ei jääny erityisesti mieleen. Muistan ajattelleeni 2,5 tähtee, joten…

it's fine

Simpatico. Poco interessante, ma godibile, in particolare 'Hot House of Omagararshid'

Predictable beats. Makes me wanna fall asleep.

Only got to listen to the first couple of songs

It has it's ups and downs. I really like some songs, but other ones fail to amuse me.

Couple of good songs, liked the psychedelica, but there were too many moments where it lost my attention.

Great bluesrock album with Jeff Beck doing his thing

Upbeat joyous album. Nothing groundshaking but a nice listen

fuck johnny depp

This may be the best these guys have to offer as a group. Separately, they performed better and created more inspiring work, but this album lacks originality and feels as though members are holding each other back. An enjoyable album. Nothing really bad to say, but nothing really good either. 3/5

Eh

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

Kinda fun, good to clean the kitchen to. But not much that stood out.

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

Finns några halvkända musiker på denna platta.

Hard to believe these guys morphed into one of my favourite bands!

Really like this.

Good but not particularly memorable.

With apologies to Jeff Beck's legacy, this isn't my vibe.

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

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

I just couldn't get on board with this one. Nothing bad, just blah. I guess I just don't like the sound of the Yardbirds.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah it’s rather decent, not a lasting presence but has really good varieties of blues Favourite song: Track 3 - The Nazz Are Blue

it's alright

Really poor, cover art is probably higher quality than the music. The musicians involved might have gone on to much better things, but this seems to the equivalent of viewing the work of a kindergarten student.

very meh

off brand beatles

Not that innovative compared to the Beatles

I found this album very original !

I had The Yardbirds down as a 'supergroup', but if the 'super' members weren't famous before they were in the group (and furthermore, weren't even all in the group at the same time), then I guess I'll have to recategorise them as just a 'group'. Shame. Anyway, this was a bit quirkier than I expected. Take Hot House of Omagarashid: two and a half minutes of 'ya ya ya'. Nuts. I think I like it? Also, the album art probably bumps this up half a star or so.

Aardige rock & roll met vage blues

This band had Eric Clapton and Jimmy page in it at times but none of them are on this album though it’s got Jeff beck though but I don’t know his discography so I can’t judge much before going in. And beck’s guitar playing is good (probably better than Clapton worse than Page) but the album is boring at points you get a couple of rockers than a boring almost pre school sounding track. The album’s average 3/5.

Fine album for a band that produced three legendary guitarists.

A really important band in the development of rock and roll and a really great album. Not particularly listenable in the modern era though. Love what they were doing but as with so many trailblazers, because everything they were doing has become so much a part of the rock lexicon it didn't thrill me from 55 years in the future.

Yes. Ill comeback to this. Maybe

71/100: Each artist in this band is better than the band as a whole. I don’t know how that happens, it’s like the opposite of them being greater than the sum of their parts. They’re like the current Lakers. Great individual players. Terrible team. Maybe terrible is too far, some songs on this album were fun to listen to, but it was by no means a great album. I would maybe revisit a song or two on here. I never plan to listen to it all at once again.

Good playing and boy they can plays but stock standard British blues Rock doesn't hit the buttons for me

cool

I didn't mind this - an artefact of its time that still carries some feeling now!

Rock n roll af. “He’s always there” was sampled for Pussycat dolls “When I grow up”

While I’m not sure any of these tracks will stick around with me, they were at least enjoyable in the moment. Some solid guitar lines here and there plus some interesting genre twists to boot.

Had some good songs. This version has a bunch of repeated songs (probably different versions). Gets grating after awhile.

Solid 60's sound but I wish Jeff Beck would have had a bit more of a run at showing his chops on here. Good but nothing special for me.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I was expecting something else from the Yardbirds. It’s cool, but doesn’t stand out from anything else in the era.

I'm not enamored by this band or album. There's some good songs such as the opener, and then some boring blues rock yawn inducing stuff. A 3, but not with much fanfare. I just think it (barely) deserves better than a 2.

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

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

A surprisingly good album! The first time I’ve been pleasantly surprised by an album I’ve not previously heard of

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

British as hell with some blues to boot. 6/10

Definitely some great jams on this one.

Pretty standard blues/rock. It might have been groundbreaking in its release year, but it hasn't aged too badly and remains a fun listen. "The Nazz are Blue" is a highlight. (prior listen)

I really enjoyed half of this (Over Under, I Can’t Make My Way) but the other half seems to be fairly generic (for the time) sub-Stones R&B. The sound seems to vary from track to track too. So much so that I checked to see it was a contemporary album and not a compilation of tracks from various years. Am not really a guitar-hero kind of guy, so Beck’s involvement here left me cold, but a few okay tunes here as mentioned. Very silly title, too.

This was a challenging listen on my AirPods with the vocals in the right channel and pretty much everything else in the left. I quite liked some of the opening Mod riffs, but it then drifted into blues, and then horrid early hard rock. There was too many competing styles. It all sounded a little random. It gets a little trippy midway through. They had BAD drugs in 1966. This could have been a Friday night pub band tbh.

No point in going song-by-song. As much as I appreciate the import of The Yardbirds to Rock history, this album didn’t offer even one track that I’m interested in reliving (ok…maybe “He’s Always There,” but nothing else). A swing and a miss for me.

Good listen, blended many genres for me, including rock, jazz, funk, and others. Better than expected.

Je n’ai rien retenu de cet album.

Meh, j'avais des grosses attentes pour cet album. On parle quand même du groupe qui a vu au sein de ses rangs Éric Clapton, Jeff Beck et Jimmy Page. Peut-être parce que c'est seulement Jeff Beck sur cet album et peut-être que finalement j'ai un problème avec Jeff Beck, mais je n'accroche pas à ce blues rock de blancs. Il y a Ever Since the World Began où j'ai plus accroché et pogné de quoi. On a vraiment la vibe des débuts de Black Sabbath dans l'intro de la chanson. Même la voix est dans le style d'Ozzy. Mais à part ça, je n'ai pas vraiment embarqué et je n'ai pas tant envie d'y revenir. Par contre l'album a bien sa place dans cette liste.

Not for me

I really like it. It feels like it was inspiration for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. Some songs are feeling a little out of place and the whole album is somewhat incoherent, but I had fun listening to it.

Pretty cool

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

solid rock album

Sounded like 60s/70s rock. Nothing really exciting.

Just couldn't keep my attention. A couple of good tracks but this album didn't seem to know what it wanted to be. I couldn't pin what mood I'd want to be in if I wanted to listen to this again, and that's a hypothetical 'if' as I won't be doing that

Some good moments (mostly the guitar playing), but overall did not like it. Lyrics were pretty bad.

excellent

Not my thing, basic

I appreciate the Yardbirds and the influence they had, but at the same time I think their music hasn't aged as well as some other music of that time. Some of their music brings to mind early Spinal Tap. Standouts here are Over, Under, Sideways, Down and Jeff's Boogie, which really brings to mind Stevie Ray Vaughan. 3 stars.

It was okay a pleasure to listen to.

Pretty good, but didn't excite me

It's fine. Good even. But like the AC/DC album before it, feels like a relic of an older time

Very 60s/70s vibes, you know that the lyrics are not what's important especially when you hear those guitar riffs. Not bad I enjoyed it.

Yeah, this is good but it didn't really stand out for me.

A decent collection of rock-and-roll/blues inspired tracks that mix well with the album's more psychedelic side. Somewhat reminiscent of mid-era Beatles.

A bit boring

I like the cover art.

I like the punk Beach Boys sound of Psycho Daisies, and the classic British Blues Revival sound of “The Nazz is Blue” was up my alley. There’s a good bit of weirdness sprinkled in too, like “The Hot House of Omagararshid”. Jeff Beck is the shining star of the album musically, of course, but shout out to Jim McCarty on drums - percussion sounds fresh and just the right amount of wild throughout. Altogether, the album has a decently tight feel, which i prefer over the looser psychedelic/virtuoso supergroups of the time like Cream and early Pink Floyd. I did some reading and found out that the lead vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf died at the age of 33 by electrocuting himself on his own guitar. That’s a tragic and crazy way to go.

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

Kind of liked it, kind of forgot about it as I was listening.

Good album, enjoyed pretty much every track.

Nothing outstanding, nothing upsetting. This was very much an album I listened to.

2.5

Ronpiche

sympa le petit dessin au bic

Cool stuff.

great band, great guitarists

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

2 I don't hate it

Thought it was ok. Jeff Beck is good but it didn't feel innovative. Seems like heavy influences by American blues musicians.

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

I really love "Over Under Sideways Down" but the rest of the album just did nothing for me.

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

Good. Great at points.

lacked cohesion to me, not sure what this album was excelling at

Solid early Clapton album

I was not familiar with any of the songs. The album for the most part was alright, but it got a little eccentric a parts. Still I did not skip any songs and it was a relatively short album. Unlikely that I relisten to any of the songs again. I will round up.

Surprisingly good

Bluesy rock n' roll from musicians who clearly had chops and a knack for song writing. Didn't realise how much evidence of the rockabilly of the 50s would be in it. Interesting from a historical point of view but wouldn't listen again.

Not that good at all. I expected better with Jeff Beck on guitar.

Jeff Beck plays up a storm, but this album is a cross-over 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. An album I can live without.

Without Dimery's list (which I was able to find online), I would never have discovered this wonderful record, one of those rare kinds of albums that transcends its day and age while fully sounding *from them*. Like mostly everyone interested in sixties music, I knew (and liked) famous Yardbirds stuff such as the Graham Gouldman-penned "For Your Love" and "Evil Hearted You". But "Roger The Engineer (The Yardbirds)" is so much more than that... Contrary to what a few reviewers with a short attention span have written here, Clapton was already out of the picture when the band recorded this album--and it was a good thing: Clapton was then way too "conservative" at the time with his blues orthodoxy to let "Roger"'s adventures happen (the man also proved how obnoxious he could be on many occasions during his later career--but that's a story for another time...). The end result here is that the band then used Jeff Beck to replace him, and this to great effects if you're a fan of good guitar playing--see for instance the technically impressive "Jeff's Boogie". Yet all of this wouldn't be worth a rat's ass if the birds hadn't embraced the psychedelic shenanigans of those days in such an orginal and varied way. From the bizarre yet mellifluous fuzz riffs of hit "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" to the groovy basslines of "Lost Women" and "Hot House Of Omagarashid", the mood is definitely "shaggadelic, babe!" at an Austin Powers-on-LSD level of intensity. Yet as fun as those tracks are, they never fully forget that Chicago blues inspiration either. "Roger The Engineer" just allows you to hear that sound evolving to become... something else. And that something else is the future of rock'n'roll. You can obviously smell whiffs of Led Zeppelin here and there (Jimmy Page is indeed the young guitarist who will replace Jeff Beck not long after this record). You can even behold the seed that would be soon sowed in Iommi and Osbourne's twisted minds not long before they created Black Sabbath in the mystical "Turn Into Earth" and "Ever Since The World Began" (especially in the latter's long introduction). This closer actually sums up the scope of moods embraced by the album, from a droning lament to a lively booter shaker to cap things neatly and nicely. For this album, I highly recommend the 1987 Impact Record edition, because it includes the killer single "Happening Ten Years Time Ago" *within* the tracklisting (and not in the end, as a bonus, as in the online links provided here). That single is simply a masterpiece and deserved to be part of the feast anyway. French alternative rock fans will find its riff, quickly descending half tone after half tone, familiar. That riff was actually ripped off by Noir Désir for their hit "Tostaky" (directly or indirectly), their stroke of genius being that thay also gave it an *ascending* counterpart. But apart for this riff, the single has many other assets to boast about, so don't forget to give it a spin too... So here it is: "Roger The Enginner". More than a psychedelic doodle, it is a fully realized vision--adventurous, fun yet ambitious in its scope and moods. A hidden gem that deserves each and everyone of its five stars. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 883 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 62 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 29 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 27

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

Tolerable. Such a wild collection of styles. Some neat guitar and bouncy bass lines.

The albums plays like an out of focus image rough cut into a puzzle of poorly fitting pieces. There is something there, you're sure of it, but it's hard to make out and you can't tell whether the focus required to put it together is worth it or not. Generally speaking, this sort of low-fi rock/punk/psychedelic thing would be right up my alley, so I'm a bit surprised to find that I can't quite settle into enjoying the album too much. I will probably come to appreciate what this album is, or the place it had in the context of musical history, but for the time being, it's just a bit too scattershot for me.

I mean it went by quickly but i don't know if that's because I had to tune it out as background noise. Not great. 5/10.

Sounds like hippies. Some good blues vibes, and yet again, not something I'm likely to pull off the shelf.

Fairly average English Invasion beat kinda stuff.

Le problème de cet album est que je ne suis sûr qu'à 90% de l'avoir écouté.

Cet album nous présente une anecdote de plus au sujet de Jim Morrison, que nous ne prendrons pas la peine de décrire une fois de plus dans ce review. En effet, tout le monde a déjà compris que derrière l'oreille de Roger l'ingénieur maladroit se cache un crayon a papier.

Kinda lost interest in this one half way through. It was alright and somewhat unique

Pretty classic English blues rock.

Klassista blues rockia! Ei valittamista mutta eipä tuo päätä räjäyttänyt. Lost women hyvä ralli 3/5

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

Alkupuoli kova. Lopun kokeellisempi meno ei taas kovin kummallista.

Ihan jees, mut ei mitenkään säväyttävää. tasapainottelen 2 ja 3 välillä, mut annetaan nyt 3.

tof

Curious

This is The Yardbirds' only studio UK album and third US album. It is the only album with Jeff Beck on all tracks and, boy, does he bring it on most of the songs. I've never dug extremely deep into the Yardbirds, kind of always thinking of them with that lead harmonica and guitar combination and a bluesy feel which eventually led into Led Zeppelin. Well, you hear that here too but a whole lot more as well. There is a heavy psychedelic element to a lot of these songs. A few, slow sing-along type songs, a heavy percussion-based song with chanting and some straight-forward rock songs. Black Sabbath was without a doubt listening to their last song, "Ever Since the World Began," at least the intro. Definitely, a more varied album than I was expecting. "Lost Women" starts the album in a very bluesy way and sounds kind of "quenessital" Yardbirds. It then kicks in with a long harmonica solo and Beck ending it with a Bo Diddley-esque guitar riff. The second song "Over Under Sideways Down" is the only single from this album and introduces a pyschedelic guitar intro and chorus to basically a blues beat. Outstanding. "The Nazz Are Blue" showcases Beck as lead singer and especially his bluesy guitar as it just rips. "What Do You Want" is their most straight-forward rock sounding song and ends with a searing guitar solo. Jeff Beck is a highlight of this album but this is also a very, very good band. Outstanding and innovative. A great time finally digging into this.

Not for me. It was so unremarkable I hardly even remember anything meaningful about it.

not very good - maybe one song on here that holds up

Prefer the bluesy stuff on this but still some great tracks despite it being a bit patchy.

I enjoyed this just fine. Some good sixties British rock. Nice guitar work.

The bass line of the first track really pulled me in. I loved the jam of this album. A couple of tunes left me a little flat, but overall an awesome listen!!

Very nice driving blues rock. Didn't know any of the songs but lots of good ones on here. Good good fun.

For more than 5 years I used to work the sound board at a radio station every week inserting local ads for a 3 hour national oldies radio program. In that time I probably listened to more than 1000 hours of 60s music. What a shame that I recall NOTHING from this album ever making it into those weekly shows! How refreshing would some of this have been to add more dimension to those programs?! I’ve heard talk about how important The Yardbirds were - after all their members included Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page - but all I recall hearing from them before this is “For Your Love” and “Heart Full of Soul”. Maybe I should have been more proactive… Even the Wikipedia article is woefully light on detail about this album. No mention at all of where that great album cover comes from? Or the Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions that I find on Apple Music? It seems as though there is a level of 60s music that is wildly interesting that lies below the usual stuff we hear today in the mainstream. A total gem with an amazing band (Jeff Beck!) doing great, interesting songs. I’m thankful again for this web site and the 1001 book!

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

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

This album was pretty good. It was just way way way too long. I dont need 31 tracks. I was over it by track 20.

It’s fine. It sounds like ‘60s rock but isn’t really all that interesting enough to catch my attention for longer then a few moments.

Some good bluesy tunes to bop along too. Fave: He's Always There

Disco de rock de los sesentas fiel a su época que desafortunadamente no me atrapó. El sonido se me hizo monótono y aunque no fue malo, tampoco fue nada memorable.

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

Another 60’s rock album, this one with a lot of blues and hard rock. There’s some fun oddball psychedelic stuff too like “Hot House of Omagararshid” (maybe my favorite song). There’s a cheerful, playful spirit to the album, especially in the vocals. Not exactly a high water mark of the era and it’s a little all over the place but there’s a lot of enjoyable music here. Other highlights: "Lost Women," "Over, Under, Sideways, Down”

The yardbirds are dope because they launched the careers of Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page (I think), and Eric Clapton (fuck clapton). I always thought the band was good but not nearly as great as those guitarists follow-up bands. Regardless, they deserve a spot on this list.

Holy panning, Batman. It's so strong on a lot of these 60s albums that it hurts my head. That aside, I dig the music a lot. I swapped to a mono version and it let me appreciate it much more.

A couple of good blues songs. Can't help but really feel the art of the English 60s band selling US blues back to the Americans - more so than even The Stones, Animals or Cream. Bit cynical, but for some reason this album made me very conscious of the copy and paste and re-sell that went on in the UK in 1960s. Not bad, but I prefer other bands doing this, however it is great to think of the three exceptional guitarists from The Yardbirds.

Many more good jams than I was expecting!

Dated and boring.

Better than the other Yardbirds album only because it had more psych songs

Not bad but couldn't get into it all that much

Pleasant psych-rock, not much else to say

Another album of historical interest. The Yardbirds were once the home of Clapton, Page and more significantly Beck. I think this is the only UK album.. This is full of meh psychedelic blues. Great sparse production. Solid 3.

Cool! Glad to give these lads a spin but disappointed there's no Jimmy Page on this album. Solid opening track with Lost Women, savage bassline and harmonica. Great drums too. Over Under Sideways Down is a good one too, surprised I even knew these two tracks. after that the album was just ok, wasn't too stand outish, but may need another listen. With that said, I liked the closing track, Ever since the world began.

Did not really care for this album. It was pretty meddling and the songs felt unfinished. Sometimes the 60s rock has that issue. The singer was a bit nasally and the instrumentals were ok. For a rock album I can’t see myself revisiting this one. 4.3/10

Enjoyed the long instrumental bits, but the vocals really put me off.

Ah, I love a bit of Yardbirds but this just isn't a great album - feels - monotone

Some catchy tunes but a bit disjointed. Some lovely guitar work but it doesn't save the album for me, not really my thing.

Wanted to like it, but tbh it just faded into the background despite repeated listens. Nice enough, but no overall standout tracks.

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

I've listened to the Yardbirds before, but never straight through an album. They were a big deal and this album is pretty good. Some tracks don't stand the test of time, but it's always interesting to listen to such important predecessors of rock.

I don't hate it but I can't say I like it either. It's just a bit meh. I'll probably not ever listen to it again.

Meh

There's no doubt that Jeff Beck is a monster on guitar, and this album is squarely in the mix when we think about how the blues were kickstarted and rebooted by British rockers in the 60s. Solid blues-infused rock with some classic mid-60s stylings all around. Overall, I'm not wild about the album just because some of those 60s pop and rock music elements, including the psychedelia, aren't my favorite aesthetically. But I can appreciate its place.

I thought it was great.

Goed ochtend vibeje, beetje beatles maar wat expirimenteler

A bit too sixties spirit infused for my taste, outlives its welcome, but some lovely guitar work (no wonder, given it's Jeff Beck). Also, probably the winner of the ugliest album cover ever competition.

I honestly hadn't heard for The Yardbirds before. Given the timeframe and the rawness of the sound, it is clear that this is a root album. Plenty after could be said to have refined the pieces here. I found it enjoyable across the twists and turns of the album. It certainly wasn't polished but also wasn't flat. It was vibrant and groovy. Bluesy and psychedelic. And without the weight of all that came later. What it lacked in production, I think it made up in heart. Kind of like your favorite local band that just so happens to be 60 years old.

No surprise here; a well-regarded 60s rock band was indeed good.

Don't love it, don't hate it. Many of the songs are too short and simple to feel like they explore any topic well, or they just repeat a simple line over and over for 80% of the runtime. 4/10

Me ha parecido un rollo. Nunca me han gustado los "guitar hero" y creo que este es el grupo por excelencia como cuna de varios. Viendo las reproducciones de los temas no es que coincida mucho con la opinión de otros. Me gustan más cuando me recuerdan a la Velvet Underground que otras cosas.

Early psychedelic rock that honestly is rather boring and definitely not on the level of some of the other 60s bands. It just lacks something, whether it be the more guitar-driven and screeching guitars from Cream's Disraeli Gears or the weird intensity from 13th Floor Elevator's or unique keyboard sound from the Doors, I don't know but it is just rather unimpressive in comparison. The Yardbirds may be having a party, but I feel like I am just looking at some people tripping, looking into the wall, and they haven't offered me anything to make the trip with them.

Enjoyed learning about a new song (Lost Women) and "Inside Outside Upside Down" is a classic. Overall a great overall psychedelic record that I'm glad I learned about. Also just love these origin story types of bands that jump-started the careers of some true icons. I'm just not enough of a fan of the genre to give it more than 3 stars.

quite an odd sounding mix of skiffle and prog

Interesting album that I'll never listen to again.

This album was definitely interesting but not too bad.

Mix aus richtig guten und richtig langweiligen Tracks. 3

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

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

Well this was very pleasant and not quite what I expected. An enjoyable listen

A pretty legendary band for all the people involved and the careers it started. It's amazing to hear so many sounds that can be applied to other later bands all coming through at once.

It’s ok - a bit generic and forgettable - kind of wish washy between the who, the kinks, the Beatles and Brit blues.

Like the album cover. Music is average.

Some really great tracks and then a ton of filler. I think if you were to trun the fat and cut this release in half it would be a pretty impressive album but in its current state I question why it even deserves to be on this list. The mixing was also really inconsistent but at least they had the decency to release the mono recordings. Favorite tracks: Lost Women, Over Under Sideways Down, The Nazz Are Blue, Hot House of Omagararashid

A couple songs I really enjoyed but I was mostly pretty bored. Lots of 60s tropey sounds and song structures (?) that just didn't feel exciting to listen to.

One of those bands by whom you really only need a good compilation rounding up all the singles, but if you want a "proper" album this is the one to get, I suppose. Recorded in under a week and sounds like it, but covers some interestingly diverse ground in just 32 minutes.

typisch '60 album met wat psychedelische invloeden. Oké, maar niet zo erg speciaal

Bello

Fun rock album. Love how bluesy it feels.

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

Вообще хз, не прониклась

This was pretty cool, if a little indistinct

Ganz ok! Nicht ganz so meins ^^

die erste hälfte hatte ein paar gute tracks, die zweite eher weniger

Klimper Dudel ass bozo Musik

george clooney schlendert nespresso trinkend durch die casinohallen, rückt sein sakko zurecht, zwinkerd einer blondine im kurzen schwarzen zu und lässt im vorbeigehen unbemerkt einen kleinen gps sender in der hosentasche eines securityguards verschwinden.... cut, brad pitt sitzt im überwachungswan und sagt in sein sony headset "alles klar, wir haben das signal"

Hatte leider keine Zeit hier was zu zu schreiben, aber ist gut! Einige Songs kannt ich schon aber finde der Sound ist immer noch sehr gut heute noch

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

Der Sänger erinnert mich ein bisschen an Alex Turner von den Arctic Monkeys. Ansonsten hab ich keine große Meinung dazu, ich fand’s unendlich langweilig und messy aber nicht *schlecht*. Scheinbar hatte das aber nen starken Einfluss auf die Rockmusik danach und das hört man schon auch, aber von nem heutigen Standpunkt, bleibt da echt nur das „Historische Interesse“

Das Problem mit Alben zu dieser Zeit ist dass sie nicht dem Konzept eines Albums wie wir es heute kennen entsprechen. Es wirkt oft wie eine Zusammenstellung verschiedenster Stile die eine Band gerade so gut fand oder als gewinnbringend erachtet hat. Hier spannt sich das ganz von klassischem Blues über Mod bis hin zu psychedlisch angehauchtem Blues Rock. Unterm Strich ein schönes Gesamtpaket, catchy, verspielt und denke auch fortschrittlich für die Zeit, selbst wenn hier nicht die Meilensteine drauf sind, einfach sehr solide. Für mich hitten die Untescheide leider manchmal zu krass. Dann merkt man, wie Marc ja schon geschrieben hat, dass es eben nicht Revolver ist, wo das nahezu perfekt funktioniert. Diese Bubblesound auf Hot House of Omagararshid nehme ich in Verbidnung mit diesem Chorgesang als "odd" und besonders wahr - danach Jeff's Boogie dagegen die generischste (nicht schlecht aber halt belanglose) Nummer auf dem ganzen Ding. Over Under Sideways Down ist für mich zb ein sehr solider Track der dieses flotte Beat mäßige mit psychdelischen Nuancen verbindet und das Album so in Bestform repräsentiert. So bleibt irgendwie aber doch ein spaßiger abewechslungsreicher aber nicht allzu prägender Eindruck aus einer Zeit die mir noch ein wenig unbekannt ist. Es ist ne 3,49 ca.!

An sich kein schlechtes Album, macht gut Laune und ich konnte es gestern problemlos zweimal am Stück anhören (warum auch immer das in Mono und Stereo im Spotify-Album is). Allerdings ist es das auch schon, es hat irgendwie nichts an sich, was einen das wieder revisiten lässt, die Hits sind nichts so gut, das Album hat kaum etwas, was es hervorstechen lässt, und die psychedelic Elemente (etwa auf Hot House of Omagararshid, Turn Into Earth, Ever Since The World Began (was sollte es mit dem zweiten Teil?)) sind leider underdeveloped und wirken verloren auf dem Album. Einziger Song, der einen bleibenden Eindruck hinterlassen hat, ist He’s Always There. Außerdem gibt es irgendwie keine vernünftige Version von dem Album auf Spotify.

I didn't fall asleep so that's something.

Blues rock with a giant slice of psychedelia. I don't think Jeff Beck gets enough room to flex his muscles here. Never knew the Pussycat Dolls of all people sampled from this record. Middle gets a little lost, but finishes strong. Call it 3.5. Favorite tracks: "He's Always There", "Turn Into Earth"

Loved the first song and a few others but as an album, no thank you

Nice cheery indie vibes

Bounced right off this

It was fine

Meh. Each song sounds pretty much the same. Nothing special apart from one or two guitar solos.

Pretty enjoyable

A recording to ignore the green areas of music of the time and influence many future sounds. I liked that it covered so many genres in the one album

Yardbirds without Clapton? I’ll take it! It’s pretty bland though.

Not my thing. I don't know why it's on the list. Maybe I have poor taste. Sorry!

Indifferent. Not bad not great. Jeff beck rocks

It played, I listened, I moved on

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

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

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

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

It was OK. Nothing special, quite disappointed really. Also what is it with these like 30 track albums with 3-4 versions of the same song?

There's nothing bad on this record, but it reads as totally standard English bluesy rock. Some of the guitar work is nice. Perhaps the Yardbirds were a prerequisite for bands who move me more, but that fact is not obvious in the listening.

I mean, it was fine. I don't really remember it here on the next day.

5/10

This album has some really good guitar, but overall it doesn't stand out as some of it's contemporaries. I enjoyed 'Over Under Sideways Down' - a good boogie track!