Customer Reviews

Birdland

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was shocked to see there was a new cd from the sixties British group The Yardbirds. My first thought was that this was a cd of unreleased material, but low and behold an all new release from this great rock band. Original members of The Yardbirds, Jim McCarty (drums) and Chris Dreja (rhythym guitar) as well as lead guitarist Jeff Beck who does a guest appearance are on this new release and a host of other artists such as Slash, Steve Lukather, Brian May, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, etc. This cd, while obviously not as stunning as the original 60's Yardbirds material, is suprisingly good. You've got some classics remade such as "I'm Not talking", "For Your Love", "Train Kept A Rollin'", "Shapes Of Things", "Over Under Sideways Down", "Mr You're A Better Man Than I", "Happening Ten Years Time Ago", "The Nazz Are Blue" as well as other songs such as "Crying Out For Love", "Please Don't Tell Me 'Bout The News", "Mr Saboteur", "My Blind Life", "Mystery Of Being", "Dream Within A Dream" and "An Original Man" (a song for Keth Relf). The Yardbird's new vocalist John Idan, (on some songs, mostly the classics) tries very hard to sound like original vocalist Keth Relf who died years ago, and he does a fantastic job. As a matter of fact the entire new line up of Yardbirds sounds great alongside the several original members. This is a cd that will not only appeal to those of us that grew up in the 60's and loved the music of this great rock band, but also to a new generation of music lovers. Long Live The Yardbirds! Highly Recommended.

In the Yardbirds first new disc in 30+ years, fabled guitarists Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page are nowhere to be found, and Jeff Beck only plays on one cut ("My Blind Love"). Still, this is a very worthwhile effort. If you've read Alan Clayson's excellent biography ("The Yardbirds: The Band That Launched Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page."), then you realize that drummer Jim McCarty and bass/guitarist Chris Dreja were far more instrumental to the band's sound that they are usually given credit. They form the nucleus of the new Yardbirds, along with guitarist Gypie Mayo (fine solos throughout), bass player and Keith Relf-sound alike singer John Idan (exceptional on "Mister, You're a Better Man Than I"), and harmonica man Alan Glen (whose delightful solos are an unexpected plus). Throw in a few guest guitarists like Skunk Baxter, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai and the result is an appealing blend of timeless classics and excellent new material. Standouts of the new songs are McCarty compositons "Please Don't Tell Me 'Bout the News" and "Dream Within a Dream". Finally, those old chestnuts, Mose Allison's "I'm Not Talking," and the Steve-Vai-led "Shapes of Things" sound brighter than ever. Listen, please don't fall into the trap of "Eric-and-Jimmy-and-Keith-aren't-on-this-record-so-it-can't-be-any-good." Give this disc a serious listen or two and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Boy,talk about all the reunions you never,and I do mean never expect to see take place.Two original members of the Yardbirds reunite for this fifteen track CD.Half old songs redone,half new tracks.Which most of them are quite good.I mean,I would expect maybe a reunion awhile back of the surviving members of the Beatles or Zeppelin before the Yardbirds,and with a half of lp's worth of new material,mind you.Very nice 2003 release,the older cuts of course,rock like "For Your Love","Train Kept A Rollin'","Shape Of Things","Over Under Sideways Down"(one of my favorite tunes of all time),"Mr,You're A Better Man Than I Am" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago".The new cuts,like "Crying Out For Love","Please Don't Tell Me About The News" and "My Blind Life" are actually pretty decent,I thought.On most of these tunes,I thought the lead vocals sound very close to that of their late frontman Keith Relf.Line-up:Chris Dreja-rhythm guitar,Jim McCarty-drums,John Idan-bass&vocals,Gypie Mayo-guitar and Alan Glen-harmonica.Just all around good British blues rock revitalized.Recommended.They even toured the states awhile back.

Don't get me wrong. This is an enjoyable CD, and one that all Yardbirds fans should own. However, if I have a beef, it is with its marketing.

This isn't the first Yardbirds album in 30 some years. It is, when you get right down to it, the first Box of Frogs album since 1986. Let me explain. 1984 saw the release of "Box of Frogs" on Epic Records - a band that included Yardbirds' drummer Jim McCarty, Yardbirds' rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja and Yardbirds' Bassist Paul Samwell-Smith. Jeff Beck guest-starred as lead guitar on four tracks. It was a solid electric blues album that got little publicity and no airplay. More's the pity. If you don't have it, get it.

A 1986 follow-up album got even less attention.

Cut to 17 years later. McCarty and Dreja had obviously learned their lessons. Ex-Yardbirds minus the group name didn't generate much buzz. So now we have "The Yardbirds" (McCarty and Dreja minus Samwell-Smith) regrouping in a CD that includes remakes of numerous old Yardbird numbers plus seven new songs by Dreja or McCarty. This time out we have Jeff Beck guesting on one song and a mix of other guest stars (including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Slash.)

The good news is that the remakes are no worse than the originals, and in a couple of cases may out-dazzle the originals. The bad news is that the original Yardbirds were so perfect in their Top 40 rock-blues pop hits that re-recording them is almost pointless.

As for the new numbers by McCarty and Dreja, they are solid rock-blues songs that I'm glad to hear. But they aren't *really* Yardbirds songs - at least not any more than the Box of Frogs' numbers were.

The one and only time I saw the Yardbirds live was in a low-rent suburban Chicago teen club in 1968 on their final U.S. tour. Vocalist Keith Relf had had dental surgery earlier in the day and was out of action. The other band members stood in for him by singing the songs from lyric sheets, and Jimmie Page contributed some blistering guitar-work. Their velvet rockstar shirts were worn thin and the band seemed to be superstars on a sad, diminished final tour. It was a bitter-sweet moment of faded glory.

This CD beats that moment. It rocks. But let's be real. The Yardbirds we loved disappeared after "Little Games" and this CD is the classic Yardbirds rhythm section filled out with some solid players and guest stars. I'm not talking, that's what I got to say, If I said things were splendid, someone might be offended.

I have to admit that as a lifetime Yardbirds fan that I was somewhat apprehensive about this album as it contains remakes of classic Yardbirds songs. Was this going to be like Ted Turner getting a hold of classic black and white films and colorizing them I wondered? I'm happy to report that, at least to my ears, the results are quite spectacular. The eight remakes benefit from modern recording techniques (Chris Dreja explained in an interview that the originals where not always recorded under optimal conditions) and from top caliber guest guitarist like Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, Steve Lukather, Brian May, Slash, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai who's solos stay within the bounds of the originals but to which they add their own unique twist. I think that these guitarists like a lot of us, came of age listening to the Yardbirds and so this is a labor of love and respect. New permanent member John Idan (Bass and lead vocals) sounds a lot like deceased original lead singer Keith Relf but less nasally. These songs really rock!

This is like two albums fused into one as the other seven songs are new originals mostly written by original member/ drummer Jim McCarthy. Despite these songs being built around classic Yardbirds rifts they never seem to take off quite like the classics. Yardbirds songs in the past where either written by outside writers or tended to be group collaborations. Jeff Beck sits in on one cut.

For those who may not know, this band is from the original British invasion circa.1963-66 and it is impossible to overstate their importance. The Beatles got there first and introduced a new look (long hair). They took the lead in stretching the boundaries of rock to the limits. They wrote their own songs (rare in those days) and took the emphasis off singles, making albums into an art form. The Rolling Stones and the Animals popularized the blues. The Kinks interjected power cords and The Zombies jazzed things up a bit. All shared a love of American rock and roll, initially imitating it and ultimately reshaping it. However, it was The Yardbirds, more than any other group, who prominently featured the lead guitar (Eric Clapton, Jimi Page, Jeff Beck) in their work and in that sense they are the prototype for every almost rock band that came after.

Also check out The Box of Frogs cd, which is really a Yardbirds project without the name (I understand that legalities kept the band from using their name). Besides Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja, it also has original bassist Paul Samwell-Smith. Jeff Beck on alt least six track and Jimi Page on several tracks. How come Clapton never sits in? It starts with a great John lee Hooker-boogie type song, "Back Where I Started'. It has a Yardbirds remake; "Heart Full of Soul" and great guest guitarist like Ray Majors and Rory Gallagher.

Hope that they make more.

I heard this latest iteration of the Yardbirds live in 1998. They were awesome. As good as Birdland is, catch a live performance if you really want to experience the excitement and vitality this band exudes. My only qualm with the CD is that regular guitarist Gypy Mayo (and guest Jeff Beck) do not appear on more of the tracks. I also agree with other reviewers that it would have been great to have Paul Samwell-Smith produce some of the tracks. I think that it is Jim McCarty's unique drumming that really gives this latest version of the Yardbirds its signature sound. The cover songs are mostly excellent. Some have complained that the covers do not match the energy level of the originals. Can any of us 50-something rock and rollers match the energy level of our teen years? I'm just happy to hear these tunes played again, and played well. How about a live album or DVD next, guys?

The Yardbirds are back. This album was worth getting just to listen to some of the best guitarists of all time rock on some of my favorite Yardbirds tracks. The album has 8 of their classic songs, and 7 new ones. The new recordings sound great, most of them are pretty dead on from the originals. `For your love,' is my favorite on the album. Johnny Rzeznik does an excellent job with the vocals. I suggest you take a listen to this song if you can. Another standout track is `Over Under Sideways Down' with Slash on guitar. Slash also does a great job on this track, and his solo at the end is awesome. You'll want to crank up the volume for this one. Birdland just reaffirms why this band was so great back in the 60's, and I highly recommend it. It's just great, classic rock n' roll.

It has been more than 30 years since the previous studio-album from the Yardbirds. Now original members Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja have reformed the Yardbirds with lead-singer and bass-player John Idan as their new front man. Since the release of this 2003 album, guitarist Gypie Mayo and harmonica-player Alan Glen have been replaced by equally qualified musicians Ben King and Billy Boy.

I was fortunate to see this terrific new line-up here in Denmark in April 2006. What a concert! It surpassed my wildest expectations. Young guitarist King is capeable of playing all the original Yardbirds guitar-parts with inspiration and conviction. The same thing can be said about the harmonica-playing of Billy Boy. Lead singer John Idan has a very sympathetic stage appearance and sounds very much like Keith Relf. Original drummer Jim McCarty is a terrific musician, he more or less appears to be the leader of the band. McCarty joins in on most choruses and takes an occasional lead vocal now and then. Guitarist Chris Dreja is reliable as solid rock.

I had to buy their new album, which I honestly was not aware had been released. And I was not disappointed; on the contrary. Often re-unions are pale extracts of what once was. This is not the case with the Yardbirds. Half of the songs on the album are re-recordings of old Yarbirds favourites; the other half new songs - most of them written by McCarty.

The re-recordings are very true to the originals - better sounding without losing their sixties feel. Some of them actually surpasses the originals; especially the opening track "I?m not Talking".

The new songs reveal McCarty as a fine songwriter ( actually he wrote a lot with the original Yardbirds, too ). His new writing has the same "feel" as the originals, and new and old material blends perfectly on the album. Among the fine new songs the at least three of them deserves a mention. McCarty?s "Crying Out for Love" is a very catchy tune. Sounds like a 1960?s song; could easily have been a hit in those days.

The bluesy "Mr Saboteur" has a slightly more modern approach; lyrically dealing with the fear of terrorism that people in the modern world apparently has to live with. Great recording with both guitar and harmonica solos. Another McCarty song.

The closing track "An Original Man" is a fine group composition written for original singer Keith Relf. Another melodic song with a beat not unlike the Who?s "Disguises".

Interesting guest appearances from people like Jeff Beck, Jeff Baxter, Brian May, Joe Satriani and Slash add to the appeal of the album.

Fine booklet with lyrics, photos and great artwork from Dreja, who was also the man behind the legendary "Roger the Engineer" cover.

Highly recommended listening!
And a must-have for fans the Yardbirds.

The surviving members of the Yardbirds recorded two CDs in the late 80's under the name "Box of Frogs" with their former bassist Paul Samwell Smith and several guest guitarists, including Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. "Birdland" has some decent new songs that are better than the new Rolling Stones songs on "Forty Licks". The remakes are okay for a listen or two, but speed guitarists Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Steve Lukather don't understand what the Yardbirds were all about. They overplay and don't compliment the songs. Jeff Beck's solo demonstrates that taste is more important than speed.

Those were my first thoughts. I am a child of the sixties and grew up with some awesome YARDBIRD hits, but not one decent ALBUM ( as they were known ). What a shock to finaly get the awesome album that they were unable to produce in their prime a mere 38 years later. This is like the quintessential british R&B cd from the 60's using 21st century technology, musos that have improved by about 35 years and a guest list that makes you drool with anticipation. This is irresistable and all the updated versions of their original songs improve 100 % from the new treatment. If you liked the original YARDBIRDS, you're bound to love this incarnation.