Customer Reviews

Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 1964-1968

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
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This review should really be incomplete because I have the previous 1990/91 version of this CD, also on the Raven label and pressed in Australia. This CD appears to be a reissue with a few track substitutions. The original 28-track release contained "Baby What's Wrong" as the opening track along with "Got Love If You Want It" (taken from their first official LP which was recorded in 1964 at the Marquee Club) and "Ten Little Indians" from their last LP 'Little Games' which featured Jimmy Page. The original release had varying sound quality from track to track, which presumably has been corrected with modern production techniques now available. The 27-track reissue substitutes "Smokestack Lightning" from the Marquee concert and "White Summer" from the Page-era line up for these three tracks. The reissue probably a sightly more judicious track selection since "Ten Little Indians" is no big loss, but although "Smokestack Lightning" is a superior track from the Marquee show what's the point of including it here? Anyone can put on a blindfold and approach a stack of Yardbirds CDs, pull one out, and chances are "Smokestack" will be on it. I think Raven should have put on a nice rare cut such as "Avron Knows" which did not materialize until the 1990's. On another issue, most Yardbirds releases, even the ones on the Repertoire Label which are well thought out, seem to use the same recordings which sound like they are be copies used for licensing. Are master tapes from the Yardbirds even available? It would be nice for some label, Raven, Repertoire, or somebody, to find the original source tapes and do a thorough remastering of them, similar to what the Rolling Stones did when they reissued their Decca/Abkco material. I look forward to hearing other listener's thoughts on this.

Why no stereo remix???????
From what I've read, the Yardbirds first manager, Giorgio Gomelsky is holding the original, 1st generation, 3 track session tapes. Word has it, he wants to be paid a fortune to turn these tapes over for remixing. This encompasses all the stuff through the Beck years. It's really too bad. This is important music and it deserves to be given the royal treatment by the same folks that recently restored the Beatles catalog. I'd love to hear "Happenings Ten Years Ago" or "The Train Kept a Rolling" in true stereo.

No Yardbirds collection will ever be complete without remastering the original source tapes and issuing Stereo tracks such as ' Happenings Ten Years Time Ago'. Why do we have to wait so long for someone to get a clue ? The Yardbirds deserve to have their catalog straightened out properly! True Stereo Yardbirds-Only a Dream!!

If you are a Yardbirds fan you probably already have all the stuff on this disc. If you only know the Yardbirds by their "legend" and do not have another collection, this one is pretty good and covers much of their career. Nothing new here for hardcore Yardbirds collectors. Nice cover with Page and Beck though.

Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 1964-1968This is a great collection of The Yardbirds music, all you will ever need unless you are a Really Huge Fan, I started listening to the Yardbirds in elementary school 1965, I was a fan of the Yardbirds from the first Am Rock Radio hit "For Your Love"; while all my class mates were still stuck on the Beatles, which I also liked but I was getting into the Rolling Stones and the Animals and Yardbirds more.

The CD arrived quickly and in great condition.
The liner notes and history were a great read.
Thanks

What other group in rock history that was more influential with names like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page? None.

I worked with Keith Relf, Jim McCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith with Rennaissance--I also worked with Eric Clapton an Jeff Beck--it is shameful that a grour of teenage boys showed Amricans their own cultural heritage.. I arranged a US tour for Rannaissance after signing them to Elekta Records where I was a Senior Executive.--The tour was booked by Herb Spar--no longer with us--he died) of the Millard Agency owned by Bill Graham. It was a very memorable tour!