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Yardbirds Story: 1963-66

The Yardbirds - Yardbirds Story: 1963-66 Audio CD

A fair review of the The Yardbirds "Yardbirds Story: 1963-66" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all The Yardbirds reviews here, or go back to the The Yardbirds tabs.

Band: The Yardbirds
Title: Yardbirds Story: 1963-66
Rating:

Release Date: 2007-04-30
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Smokestack Lightning 2: You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover 3: Let It Rock 4: I Wish You Would 5: Who Do You Love? 6: Honey in Your Hips 7: Bye, Bye, Bird - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 8: Mister Downchild - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 9: River Rhine - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 10: 23 Hours Too Long - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 11: Lost Care - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 12: Pontiac Blues - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 13: Take It Easy, Baby - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 14: Out on the Water Coast - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 15: Western Arizona - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 16: Take It Easy, Baby - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 17: Do the Weston - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 18: Baby, What's Wrong [Studio Demo] 19: Boom, Boom 20: Honey in Your Hips 21: Talkin' 'Bout You 22: I Wish You Would [Demo Version] 23: Certain Girl [Demo Version] 24: Slow Walk - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 25: Highway 69 - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 26: My Little Cabin - Sonny Boy Williamson, The Yardbirds 27: Too Much Monkey Business 28: Got Love If You Want It 29: Smokestack Lightning 30: Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl 31: Respectable 32: Five Long Years 33: Pretty Girl 34: Louise 35: I'm a Man 36: Here 'Tis 37: I Wish You Would 38: Certain Girl 39: Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl [Backing Track] 40: Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl [Backing Track Plus Harmonica][Instrume 41: Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl [Master] 42: I Ain't Got You 43: For Your Love 44: Got to Hurry [Take 2, False Start] 45: Got to Hurry [Take 3, Master] 46: Got to Hurry [Take 4] 47: Putty (In Your Hands) 48: Sweet Music [Take 3] 49: Sweet Music [Take 4] 50: I'm Not Talkin' 51: I Ain't Done Wrong 52: My Girl Sloopy 53: Heart Full of Soul [Sitar Version] 54: Heart Full of Soul 55: Steeled Blues 56: Evil Hearted You 57: Still I'm Sad 58: Shapes of Things 59: Shapes of Things [Alternative Mix][Alternate Take] 60: You're a Better Man Than I 61: I'm a Man 62: New York City Blues 63: Train Kept A-Rollin' 64: Paff...Bum 65: Questa Volta 66: Mr. Zero - Keith Relf 67: Knowing - Keith Relf 68: New York City Blues [Stereo Remix] 69: Jeff's Blues [Take 1] 70: Jeff's Blues [Take 1] 71: Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 2, Instr.][Instrumental] 72: Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 4, Instr.][Instrumental] 73: Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 14, Instr.] 74: Someone to Love, Pt. 1 [Take 15, Vocal] 75: Someone to Love, Pt. 2 76: Like Jimmy Reed Again 77: Chris' Number [Take 1] 78: Pounds and Stomps (Xyz) 79: Pounds and Stomps 80: What Do You Want [Take 1] 81: What Do You Want [Take 2] 82: What Do You Want [Take 3] 83: What Do You Want [Take 4] 84: Here 'Tis [Stereo Instrumental Version] 85: Here 'Tis [Version for "Ready, Steady, Go! " TV Show] 86: Crimson Curtain [Edit of Take One and Insert] 87: Stroll On 88: I'm a Man [Live in Germany, 1967] 89: Shapes of Things [Live in Germany, 1967]

Yardbox
But I have since explored The Yardbirds on CD and have filled in many gaps in British musical history. Several years ago a friend of mine was going through my CD collection and commented: "The Animals", "The Zombies", "Them" "Small Faces", why don't you have any Yardbirds on CD?" For some reason, I had never replaced my old Yardbird LP's onto the CD format.

If you want the best overview of The Yardbirds music between 1963-1968, the two CD set: "Yardbirds ~ Ultimate!" is the way to go. If You want every recording that the band set to tape between December 1963, through early 1967, this is the place for you.

Disc One: 72 Minutes, live December 1963.
These are the earliest known Yardbird recordings. Eleven of these tracks feature blues legend, Sonny Boy Williamson on vocals and harp with the Yardbirds as his backing band. With Eric Clapton featured as guitar/soloist, these are historic recordings. As the past: {Sonny Boy} hands the reigns, over to the new kids: {The Yardbirds} who represent the future of the blues. These are raw sounding tapes of something different, a British beat group that plays delta/Chicago style American blues. Six songs feature The Yardbirds without Sonny Boy, and they show the Band at this early part of their musical journey as an already tight unit. This is a great sounding Disc, when you consider the age of these recordings, there is no way that these tapes should sound this good. The rave-ups are here as the band plays with their trademark ferocious frenzy. The Yardbirds 'Style' is well established here, these early shows display a band of confidence and power.

Disc Two: 79 Minutes, live & studio tracks 1964.
Making records in 1964, The Yardbirds are playing their favorite Songs; "Boom,Boom", "Honey in Your Hips", "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl", "I'm A Man", "Here T'is" and "I Ain't Got You". This disc includes; "The Five Live Yardbirds" LP and the band's first two single releases. Again, the sound is wonderful, these recordings have been remastered with much care, and they have never sounded better.

Disc Three: 74 Minutes, the hits of 1965-1966.
With: "For You Love", the single of March 1965, two things happened to The Yardbirds, they had a hit single, and Eric Clapton quit the group, as he was not going to play pop songs. With Jeff Beck onboard on lead guitar, the 'Birds' changed from strictly a blues band to a rock group that now played blues. The 1965-1966 years were the peak, the band had major success in The UK and The USA. Recording and touring filled almost every day of these two years. The Yardbirds were riding the crest of the wave here. With: "Heart Full Of Soul","Evil Hearted You", "Still I'm Sad", "Shapes Of Things", "Mister You're a Better Man Than I" and 'I'm a Man", the hits kept coming and everything got bigger. Jeff Beck, is going for broke here, as he just about re-invents guitar playing during this era.

Disc Four: 66 Minutes, from Jeff to Jimmy 1966-1967.
This last CD covers the end of the Jeff Beck era into early 1967 when Jimmy Page takes over lead guitar duties. As there are multiple takes of many songs; "Jeff's Blues", "Someone To Love" and "What Do You Want", this CD is my least favorite of the box. But there is good stuff to be found here as well. "Chris' Number" is an only take, and a great find, "Stroll On", will tell the tale of just WHO is playing lead guitar here. . . Is it Jeff? Is it Jimmy? Is it a roadie? This disc, closes with two live tracks from Germany in 1967 with Jimmy Page now at the controls of the band.

This is a great box set, and at this price it is a great buy. I will not go into detail here as to what The Yardbirds mean to rock music, {and this band is very important. } I will say that every kid that has since picked up a guitar HAS been influenced by this band, and the music featured here. The Yardbirds have spawned THOUSANDS of groups from garages from Seattle to Boston.

As This: "Yarbirds Story" ends in early 1967, it would take a few more CD's to complete the tale, until that happens this is the most complete document of this great band that you are gonna find.
Four Stars !!!
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You can see a complete list of all The Yardbirds discography, or go back to the The Yardbirds tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.