Very Best of the Yardbirds [Import]

Yardbirds (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 22, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Metro Music
• ASIN: B000AAVDHO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #350,213 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Baby What's Wrong

2. Talkin' 'Bout You

3. Let It Rock (Live)

4. Pontiac Blues (Live)

5. I Wish You Would

6. Too Much Monkey Business (Live)

7. Smokestack Lightning (Live)

8. Good Morning Schoolgirl

9. Got To Hurry

10. For Your Love

11. Heart Full Of Soul (Sitar Version)

12. I Ain't Done Worng

13. My Girl Sloopy

14. Still I'm Sad

15. I'm A Man

16. Train Kept A Rollin'

17. Shapes Of Things

18. Jeff's Blues

19. Like Jimmy Reed Again

20. Stroll On (From The Film Blow Up)

Editorial Reviews

The contributions of Eric Clapton (1963-65), Jeff Beck (1965-66) and Jimmy Page (1966-68) brought great distinction to the music of The Yardbirds before each lead guitarist went on to take their place among the most celebrated axemen of their generation. Tracing their development from fizzing R'n'B upstarts to early psychedelic rockers, the 20 tracks here (no disrespect to Jimmy Page, who appears on only one of them) represent the most successful and exciting period of their career: 1963-66. Get ready for a real rave up! Metro Music. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good compilation of the next best British Invasion band, May 24, 2008

By 

Scott Hedegard "Scott" (Fayetteville, AR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Very Best of the Yardbirds (Audio CD)

When an outfit boasts Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as alumni, you know something's up. The Yardbirds were the most guitar driven band of the British Invasion obviously, and sonically probably the toughest out there. "The Very Best Of The Yardbirds" is a good starting point to check out the roots of heavy metal and lead guitar as a prominent position in a rock band. Page fans will be somewhat disappointed in his abscence, but the bulk of their career had already passed before Page and Beck co-starred for a brief time right before the band broke up.

The set is divided between Clapton on the first half and Beck on the second. Clapton used to really rip on guitar, and especially so with the Yardbirds. Not one for doing much originals, they nonetheless turn in great covers, including an incendiary live take of Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business", where Clapton plays like his pants are on fire. "Smokestack Lightning" doesn't quite make it all the way to the Delta, but for Brit boys, it gets pretty close, including Keith Relf's amusing imitation of a black blues singer. It was with the psychedelic tinge of "For Your Love" that Clapton jumped overboard and Beck, who was much more attuned to the experimental aspect of guitar joined, giving the band a genius who was truly an equal to Hendrix, who adored Jeff's style. And yes, a clunker or two can be found, but it's still a rocking CD that still holds up nicely today.

5.0 out of 5 stars Same title, different tracks - one has a rarity, November 2, 2011

By 

Mark Colan "duke-of-url" (Medford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Very Best of (Audio CD)

Amazon has had at least five albums with the same title, including one with the same cover as this, some imports, and some US. The track lineup varies, so shop carefully.

One version features a great rare track: "Heart Full of Soul (sitar version)". Unfortunately, with the way Amazon reviews work, I can't tag this review on JUST the album that has it, so you'll have to look at the track listings.

If you look up Heart Full of Soul in Wikipedia, they describe the sitar version as an outtake. Somewhere I read that the sitar version was what was originally planned, but they could not find musicians to fill in, and re-recorded later when they had both sitar and tabla players available. Which story is true? I tend to believe wikipedia.