Customer Reviews

Roger the Engineer

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Only recently made available stateside, this is the only Yardbirds' album to feature all original material. The standout track is the No. 13 hit "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" propelled by Jeff Beck's cutting lead guitar. Equally impressive are blues-derived numbers like "Lost Woman," "The Nazz Are Blue," "Jeff's Boogie" and "Psycho Daisies," one of only two tracks to feature both Jeff Beck AND Jimmy Page (on bass). The other track is "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," which features Beck and Page both on guitar. It would be the band's last U.S. hit (#30 in 1966), and its psychedlic quality was representative of many songs on the album. There's the slightly trippy "I Can't Make Your Way," the mantra-like vocal and stinging lead guitar of "Hot House of Omagarashid," the chanting vocal of "Turn Into Earth." While the band's experimentations in the studio were not all successes, other than Rhino's greatest hits package, this is the one complete Yardbirds album to own. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Yardbirds were probably the greatest British blues band that ever lived. Nothing against other greats like The Stones and Cream, but there's just something about The Yardbirds' music that inevitably puts them above BOTH of those bands.
Look at "Turn Into Earth" for instance. It's my favorite Yardbirds song, and there's just something about it that HAUNTS ME TO DEATH. It is the most eerie, mystifying song that I have ever heard. I get feelings that I just can't put into words when I listen to it. It's quite similar to "Still I'm Sad" from a year earlier, but even MORE haunting. It's so dark that it practically sounds like a funeral song. How they managed to write something like this I'll never understand.
And the blues numbers are killer too. The rumbling bass on "Lost Woman" (hats off to Samwell-Smith) is totally fantastic. "Over Under Sideways Down" became a hit for the band, and it isn't hard to see why, with Jeff Beck's piercing guitar line (he also played bass on this one). And speaking of Jeff, he even gets to sing on "The Nazz Are Blue", the only song that he ever sang in his entire career (as far as I know). His voice is nothing to marvel at, but when it comes time for his guitar solo, all I can say is WOW. The guy rips into those blues licks in a way that just leaves you speechless. Slowhand who?
Then there's the ultra-catchy "I Can't Make Your Way", which is about as British as you can get. This one will be stuck in your head for a long, long time, I guarantee it. "Rackin' My Mind" is cool. The verses are really tame and quiet, and then all of a sudden, they change gears and it gets really intense, with some ferocious licks from Beck. This is the stuff that legends are made of, ladies and gentlemen. "Farewell" is a shimmering slice of Heaven. The lyrics may be somewhat depressing, but that glorious piano and Relf's wonderful vocals (and lyrics) make it a masterpiece. And it's only two minutes long! "Hot House Of Omagarashid" is just a throw-away, the only weak song on the album. Jeff Beck gets his own jazz guitar instrumental with "Jeff's Boogie", a swingin' little tune that will get your feet movin' in no time. "He's Always There" and "What Do You Want" are two EXCELLENT rockers, and "Ever Since The World Began" is very unique. I mean, it starts out so evil and devilish, and then, unexpectedly, it turns into a happy, up-tempo boogie. Man, these Yardbirds are clever, aren't they?
And then we have two songs with Jimmy Page AND Jeff Beck on lead guitar. "Psycho Daisies" is simply awesome. AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME! The spacey guitars and the pounding drums will put you in rock 'n roll Heaven. And "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is, to quote Guitar World Magazine, "An awesome psychedelic stew" (they use the word 'awesome' like I do). And that's absolutely right. Young Page delivers a stinging solo here, and he's already gained that classic 'Jimmy Page style' even here, two years before he would go on to form Led Zeppelin.

I must say that I agree with some of the criticisms listed here, but I still think this is a great album that ranks up there with other 1966-era classics like Aftermath (Stones); Blonde On Blonde (Dylan); Face To Face (Kinks); and Revolver (Beatles). This album's initial U.S. release was entitled "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" and featured only 10 tracks. It wasn't in print for long. Eventually it became available only as an import and then was re-issued domestically in 1983 under its current title before going out of print (again). This CD is basically a digital version of the 1983 release with a couple of tracks only available on the imports. If you are a Jeff Beck fan, this was his last stand with the group. If you are Jimmy Page fan, he only appears on a couple tracks, namely "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" which was released as a single after "Over, Under, Sideways, Down". What may be remarkable is that the Yardbirds at this time were under a considerable amount of stress, they were changing managers and preparing for more tours and they were about to lose Jeff Beck. This left them about a week to record this album. Contrast this with the Beatles who had studio time at Abbey Road under the direction of producer/arranger George Martin who encouraged their creativity. Parts of this disc may sound dated, but it has held up better than other recordings from the same era.

"Roger The Engineer" is the second album's worth of material recorded by the Yardbirds' second (and best) incarnation, which lasted from March 1965, when Jeff Beck replaced "blues purist" Eric Clapton, until October 1966 when Beck left suddenly. (Jimmy Page joined this lineup around June 1966, first as bass player and later - briefly - as co-lead guitarist with Beck). Musically the Y'birds made tremendous strides during this year-and-a-half, and reached their commercial peak with innovative hit singles such as "Heart Full Of Soul", "Shapes Of Things", "I'm A Man" and "Over Under Sideways Down" - the last was also the title of the original, truncated (10 tracks) US edition of "Roger" released by Epic back in 1966. The Yardbirds always had impressive chops, of course, but were still relying on outside songwriting help (Graham Gouldman, Mike Hugg, etc) until a decision was made to create an entirely self-contained effort, and "Roger" was their first and only album of all original material.
The resulting effort was an exciting and eclectic collection, and the band's finest album, highlighting the group's many strengths (sheer musical facility coupled with a willingness to experiment, the cohesion and self-awareness that comes with time spent as a working unit, and a capacity for pure visceral excitement) as well revealing those weaknesses that prevented the band from ever becoming a major "album band" in the US (inconsistency and lack of first rate songwriting talent on the order of Jagger/Richards, Lennon/McCartney, Ray Davies, Townshend, etc.) So, this album zips along quickly and quite enjoyably, with some hot blues pastiches, some solid, catchy, and witty rock/pop gems ("Rack My Mind", "He's Always There", and "Over Under Sideways Down") that are as inventive in terms of arrangement and production as they are brilliantly performed. On the other hand, we get the occasional campy moments of proto-Goth, an OK-but-hardly-essential Beck guitar feature, and a couple of merely mediocre tracks. Nevertheless, blast this loud and you can't help but feel that rush, the pure pleasure of a real band at the peak of its powers, as well as be impressed, knowing these guys spent roughly a week in the studio to craft the whole album. This midline priced 1997 Warner Archives edition includes the 10 songs from the American vinyl, plus the two that were spliced out, so we have the UK track lineup complete plus two spectacular bonus tracks, both featuring Page along with Beck: "Psycho Daisies" - with a sardonic vocal by Beck, it's a two minute jolt of fleet, pounding rock 'n' roll - and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago", perhaps the most accomplished recording this band made, a hallucinatory, surreal sound collage amidst truly ferocious high-energy rock and roll (I mean, The Stooges stole that amazing main riff!) that still evokes the violence and dread of the '60s and will have any fan of great rock 'n' roll still sentient (such as my dog) jumping and dancing around the room. These two tracks are easily the equal of anything Led Zep created. Also exemplary, by the way, is Ted Jansen's remastering, which is spectacular. Of the fourteen tracks, all are in stereo except for "Daisies" and "Happenings", and, wisely, "House of Omagarashid". Unless you want both mono and stereo editions of the entire album, or Keith Relf's less than essential solo singles, this is the edition to own.

"Over, Under, Sideways, Down" or "The Yardbirds" or "Roger the Engineer" was the Yardbirds` first real album released in 1966. They had released two albums in America in 1965 "For Your Love" and "Having a Rave Up", but they were merely a compilations of singles, EP`s , live-recordings or obscure recording which were included to fill up the albums to reach an acceptable playing-time.

For the first time they were given the opportunity to record a real album. The were not given unlimited studio-time; on the contrary; the album was recorded during a very short time-period; I believe it was about 2 weeks. This makes the result even more impressive. It`s no exaggeration to call this album one a the greatest of the mid-sixties. Very tight playing by everyone, impressive and innovative guitar-work from Jeff Beck, solid vocals and great songs.

In my opinion there is no doubt that it`s Jeff Beck who makes the difference. I love the sounds he can get out of his guitar. It`s not difficult to imagine who stunned people would we when listening to his guitar back in 66. The great mixture of traditional blues and the new psychedelic sounds has never been surpassed.

Even classic 12 bar blues tracks like "Lost Woman","Over, Under, Sideways, Down", "The Nazz Are Blue", "Rack My Mind", "Jeff`s Boogie" and "What Do You Want" sounded (sounds) new; and these recordings still sound uplifting and full of energy today.

On songs like "Ever Since The World Began", "Turn Into Earth", "Hot House" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" showed a purer progressive side of the band. In fact "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was not originally included on the album, as it was recorded shortly after, at a time when Jimmy Page had also joined the group. "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was released as a single with "Psycho Daisies" as the b-side. These two songs have been featured on most re-releases of the album, and can almost be considered as originals. The moving "Farewell" is a another favourite; makes you think of the sad destiny of Keith Relf who died electrocuted in 1976 by his own guitar while practising at his home.

Unfortunately this 2 lead-guitarist period would last very short, as Jeff Beck soon left. As far as I know, they only recorded 3 songs; with "Stroll On" from the movie "Blow Up" as the third.

The bonus tracks make the CD an even better buy. The Keith Relf solo tracks a all solid; in fact they are really the Yardbirds backing singer Relf. "Mr Zero" is not far from later Yardbirds recordings like "Little Soldier Boy".

If you`re even the least interested in the music that came out of the 1960`s this milestone is a must buy!

Officially called simply The Yardbirds, this album came to be known as Roger The Engineer as that was the name of the front-cover caricature of their engineer Roger Cameron by Chris Dreja, written on the sleeve. It was their first studio album although an earlier incarnation of the band with Eric Clapton had released a live blues album, Five Live Yardbirds, and in America Epic had capitalized on the success of their final single with Clapton, For Your Love, by collecting all their UK Columbia singles to date and an EP in the pipeline, and added a couple of unreleased items for an album also named For Your Love.
Jeff Beck was not a blues purist and steered the band into fresh and exciting musical areas over the next few hit singles, incorporating Gregorian chants, sitar-like psychedelic guitar, backward tapes and controlled feedback.
Only the most recent of these, Over Under Sideways Down, which was created in the studios out of a spontaneous jam around Rock Around The Clock, and its instrumental flip, the self-explanatory instrumental Jeff's Boogie, were included on the album, the rest of which was largely concocted from scratch at Advision in one brief week of recording.
Some of the ideas used on their singles are reworked here, with Keith Relf leading all the vocals with the exception of The Nazz Are Blue which features a rare early vocal from Jeff Beck and bursts into a well-known Elmore James riff in the middle. Todd Rundgren named his band The Nazz in 1967 as a tribute to this song.
Mono was the norm in those days, when few record-buyers had stereo hi-fi systems, so must of the time spent mixing the album was devoted to the mono version, with the stereo mix left to the end and recreated independently but with reference to the mono master. Inevitably, there would be subtle, and sometimes glaringly obvious differences. A guitar overdubbed directly onto the mastertape during mixdown is necessarily absent from the stereo version of Hot House Of Omagararshid, and there are similar anomalies on He's Always There, Turn To Stone and others. Nevertheless, the benefits of the wide stereo sound are clear, and this edition presents both mixes in full using the Yardbirds' own mastertapes.
Bonus tracks include the magnificent psychedelic single released three months later, Happenings Ten Years Time Ago/Psycho Daisies, by which time Paul Samwell-Smith had left and Jimmy Page had joined the band as second guitarist and occasional bass player, and two solo singles released by Keith Relf as a side project.

This album stands cheek by jowl with the Beatles "Revolver." From devastating psychedelia ("Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" with both Beck and Page on lead guitars) to Russian rock n roll ("Over, Under, Sideways, Down") to Gregorian chants ("Turn Into Earth"), this band could do it all. It's a shame that this is the only full length album the band was able to record in the studio. And they did it in less than a week. As fresh sounding today as when it was released (even though I wasn't even born yet!).

"Over, Under, Sideways, Down" or "The Yardbirds" or "Roger the Engineer" was the Yardbirds` first real album released in 1966. They had released two albums in America in 1965 "For Your Love" and "Having a Rave Up", but they were merely a compilations of singles, EP`s , live-recordings or obscure recording which were included to fill up the albums to reach an acceptable playing-time.

For the first time they were given the opportunity to record a real album. The were not given unlimited studio-time; on the contrary; the album was recorded during a very short time-period; I believe it was about 2 weeks. This makes the result even more impressive. It`s no exaggeration to call this album one a the greatest of the mid-sixties. Very tight playing by everyone, impressive and innovative guitar-work from Jeff Beck, solid vocals and great songs.

In my opinion there is no doubt that it`s Jeff Beck who makes the difference. I love the sounds he can get out of his guitar. It`s not difficult to imagine who stunned people would we when listening to his guitar back in 66. The great mixture of traditional blues and the new psychedelic sounds has never been surpassed.

Even classic 12 bar blues tracks like "Lost Woman","Over, Under, Sideways, Down", "The Nazz Are Blue", "Rack My Mind", "Jeff`s Boogie" and "What Do You Want" sounded (sounds) new; and these recordings still sound uplifting and full of energy today.

On songs like "Ever Since The World Began", "Turn Into Earth", "Hot House" and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" showed a purer progressive side of the band. In fact "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was not originally included on the album, as it was recorded shortly after, at a time when Jimmy Page had also joined the group. "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was released as a single with "Psycho Daisies" as the b-side. These two songs have been featured on most re-releases of the album, and can almost be considered as originals. The moving "Farewell" is a another favourite; makes you think of the sad destiny of Keith Relf who died electrocuted in 1976 by his own guitar while practising at his home.

Unfortunately this 2 lead-guitarist period would last very short, as Jeff Beck soon left. As far as I know, they only recorded 3 songs; with "Stroll On" from the movie "Blow Up" as the third.

The bonus tracks make the CD an even better buy. The Keith Relf solo tracks a all solid; in fact they are really the Yardbirds backing singer Relf. "Mr Zero" is not far from later Yardbirds recordings like "Little Soldier Boy".

If you`re even the least interested in the music that came out of the 1960`s this milestone is a must buy!

The Yardbirds' only proper studio album (we'll skip the mish-mash of LITTLE GAMES) is one of the real overlooked gems of the '60s, chockful of stunningly influential proto-metal and pre-psychedelia. Recorded in five action-packed days (with Roger Cameron - Roger the engineer - setting levels as the band played) this album combines manic experimentation, a boyish sense of the absurd and some truly breathtaking avant pop. "Over Under Sideways Down" is the hit most fans will recognize, boasting a Jeff Beck riff akin to the hideous cry of a giddy, demented banshee. "Lost Woman" zags from blues, to garage rock, to feedback, to jerky R&B in less time than it takes to microwave popcorn. "Turn Into Earth" is gorgeously brooding proto-goth, and the truly menacing "Ever Since the World Began" is Keith Relf at his most malevolent. Beck's ferocious guitar playing gets most of the ink, but Relf's fragile voice brought eerie dignity to the moodier songs as well as infectious gusto to the ravers. Plus he's the world's greatest one-lunged harmonica player. Fluid bassist Paul Samwell-Smith (who also produced the record) and fleet drummer Jim McCarty provided a steady springboard for Beck's thunderous ax-thrashings, while Chris Dreja's powerhouse rhythm guitar raced the engine. The band also wrote most of the songs (although many of them are recastings of Bo Diddley, Elmore James and Slim Harpo), and though the results are inconsistent, they are always listenable, and when they hit the mark ("He's Always There" sounds like mod bossa nova) the record really sparkles. Had the band been allowed to record more personal albums like this one, they would have developed properly and we'd never have had to bother with Led Zeppelin. Moreover, this reissue contains the swirling, psychotropic malestrom "Happenings 10 Years Time Ago," a Relf/McCarty track with an unhinged, multilayered dual (duel?) Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page guitar break. Love Beck's "pop star are yer?" quips and Relf's manic laugh in the background. This oft-forgotten masterpiece ranks with "Shapes of Things" as the ultimate Yardbirds experience, and, as such, is a must listen for all humans. The Keith Relf solo tracks have a quaint charm ("Knowing" is first rate Anglo-folk pop), but these are really for completists. With excellent liner notes (by Chris Welch), interviews with McCarty and Dreja, and rare photos too, this is a must for any Yardbirds fan.

In 1966, as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Kinks and The Rolling Stones were releasing one great album after another, the Yardbirds found themselves with five days of recording time and a little backwater area to splash around in. Fans who gripe that this album is not the masterpiece it should have been are missing the point. The group was just finding its feet as an album act after three years of pumping out singles, and were bursting with a creative energy in which their ideas seemed to splatter all over the walls. ROGER THE ENGINEER is certainly an undisciplined record, but its sheer adventurousness gives it an edgy spontaneity that has stood the test of time quite nicely, thank you very much. The group's trademark avant pop is at its apogee. "Over Under Sideways Down" is aggressive, catchy and sassy, with a riff that suggests the wail of a giddy, malevolent banshee. "He's Always There" and "I Can't Make Your Way" are melodic and economical power-pop, with some unusual vocal backing. "Hot House of Omagarashid" is a boyishly reckless jam, as Chris Dreja makes playful use of the wobbleboard, and Jeff Beck grafts a sizzling guitar solo on top of the "ya, ya, ya" Bo Diddley-meets-the Benedectine Monks vocal. "The Nazz are Blue" and "Jeff's Boogie" are both Beck-showcasing filler, but the band rocks them both with a fury that makes the Who sound sheepish. And yes, the Yardbirds were a BAND in the truest sense of the word, with each member making a distinctive contribution to the music. Keith Relf's nasal singing is always disparaged, but I think his voice is terrific. He gives the rave-ups gusto, and lends a brooding dignity to the more tonal, chant-driven numbers. His mournful singing on "Turn Into Earth" (one of the band's most hypnotic and neglected classics) is perfection, and his clipped, sneering vocal is the highlight of the magnificent "Ever Since the World Began." His harmonica is less in evidence, but when it pops up on "Lost Woman," "Over Under..." and "Rack My Mind," he still huffs righteously. Drummer Jim McCarty and bassist Paul Samwell-Smith, were one of the tightest rhythm sections in rock history, brilliantly providing the springboard for Beck's thrashing axe work, along with Dreja's propulsive rhythm guitar patterns. The dynamics they engineer for Relf and Beck on "Lost Woman" are amazing, weaving the song through elements of feedback, garage rock and the blues in just three minutes. And of course, there's that geezer with the Les Paul who looks like Nigel Tufnel. He's alright too. Beck always works best within a group format, and its no accident that he's never been able to effectively establish himself as a solo bandleader. With the Yardbirds providing him with a supportive platform, his arsenal of proto-psychedelic, fuzz-toned, sustain-splurged guitar licks were kept focused, and as a result, he reached stratospheric heights. The songwriting shows a wealth of imagination, though sometimes the melodic/lyrical ideas are not resolved properly. "I Can't Make Your Way" kicks into gear when Beck's guitar is guided by the moaning wails of Relf, McCarty and Samwell-Smith, but the melody on the verse is too flat. "What Do You Want" has good lyrics, and a ferocious performance from the band, but its melody is shamelessly ripped off from Willie Dixon's "Who Do You Love." Ditto for "Nazz Are Blue" which was taken from Elmore James' "Dust My Broom," and "Rack My Mind," which was taken from Slim Harpo's "Baby Scratch My Back." For their first (and as it turned out, only) pure album effort, the Yardbirds deliver a unpredictable work that is endlessly fascinating and often, downright electrifying. Paul Samwell-Smith's production work was crystal clear, giving each musician plenty of room to be heard. The sound quality is miles above any of the contemporary releases by the Who, whose instruments on A QUICK ONE sounded murky and tinny in comparison. Apart from original contents of the LP, this is a must purchase because it contains the psychotropic malestrom "Happenings 10 Years Time Ago." A devilish riff leads into Relf's paranoid vocal before Beck and newcomer Jimmy Page deliver a dual (duel?) guitar cacophony full of sirens, explosions and feedback. Love Beck's "pop-star are ya?" background comments too. With the exception of the Spectorian-future shock of "Shapes of Things," this might be the ultimate Yardbirds' experience. "Psycho Daisies" (where Page plays bass) is slight, but it kicks, despite Beck's distracted, off-key vocals. The Keith Relf solo single items have a kind of period charm ("Knowing" is standout Anglo-folk pop), but these are only for completists. Still, ROGER is a must own for all human people, because it contains the Yardbirds are their most manic, probing, adventurous, edgy and spontaneous. That it was their first and only attempt to create an album for themselves (We won't count Mickie Most's half-baked, one-eye-on-the-clock production of LITTLE GAMES) makes it an indispensible addition to any sixties fan's library. If the band had been allowed to record more albums like this one, and been given more time to record them, we might never have had to bother with Led Zeppelin. An awesomely influential work. If you're wondering where heavy metal rock guitar was born, and if you enjoy tripping through the aural unknown, check out ROGER THE ENGINEER.