The BBC Sessions [Best of, Live]

 

 

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The real fun of listening to this collection of live performances is in discerning the difference each lead guitarist made in the direction of the band as they progressed through the years. Clapton gives the group its "blues purists" sound as they battled the line between that sound and pop. Beck joins and suddenly they have this incredible hard edge with his inimitable sound. Then Page comes along and takes them completely into uncharted territory. You can easily tell that Jimmy was forming in his mind the sound that would take over the world later as Led Zep but the rest of the group just can't keep up with him. The interviews also tell the story of how they went from young, naiive kids to road-travelled and disenchanted veterans within a few short years of their existence. An excellent aural history of the Yardbirds that any fan will enjoy immensely.

That's right, this is the greatest BBC album by any rock band ever, and not just because it contains a whopping 26 songs. It epitomizes the Beck-era Yardbirds better than any other album. We have 20 tracks with Jeff and 6 with Jimmy Page. I'll say that at least 90% of these songs are killer, with the exception of a few duds ("Baby Scratch My Back", "Hang On Sloopy").
The earliest session here was recorded just weeks after Jeff joined the band in March of '65. Incidentally, the liner notes say that there was a session with Clapton recorded in '64, but it mysteriously got 'lost'. Anyway, "I Ain't Got You", "For Your Love" and "I'm Not Talkin'" are all outstanding bluesy jams that are very concise and to-the-point. That riff on "I'm Not Talkin'" is a killer, too. Equally impressive is "I Ain't Done Wrong", a shattering blues tune fuelled by the explosive rhythm section of Samwell-Smith and McCarty. And check out the way that they speed things up and go crazy in the middle of the song. Unbelievable.
But the one that really steals the show is the totally scorching version of "Too Much Monkey Business", in which Jeff manages to create a solo that defines the term 'rock 'n roll', electrifying the phrases in a way that leaves poor ol' Chuck Berry in the dust. And it's even better than the version that they recorded with Clapton on FIVE LIVE YARDBIRDS.
The Yardbirds also do a country song here, "Love Me Like I Love You", which is good. But after all, it's country, so don't expect a whole lot of fire and intensity. Then there's your basic blues standards like "I'm A Man", "Smokestack Lightning" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'", all of which are pretty good. However, their cover of The McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" is a real disappointment. Same goes for "Baby Scratch My Back", in which Relf sounds like he's making up the corny lyrics right there on the spot. Good guitar work from Jeff though. Speaking of which, there's "The Sun Is Shining", which contains the most breath-taking slide guitar that I've ever heard in my life, courtesy of Mr. Beck. To say that it amazes me is to say nothing. And I think that Beck even sings it, too, but I'm not certain. The Elmore James chestnut "Dust My Broom" is given a stunning treatment here, with some POUNDING bass and Relf delivering some marvelous harmonica. And once again, Beck is totally amazing! Too bad that none of the old blues masters ever played with that kind of power and intensity.
The Page sessions are equally excellent. The cover of Dylan's "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way" is wonderful, and Relf's voice here even sounds a lot like Dylan's, believe it or not. "Little Games" is simply too awesome for me to express in words. I mean it! I don't know what it is about this song that hypnotizes me and fills me with rapture. The mammoth bass, Page's fuzz-drenched guitar and Relf's lyrics about growing up and throwing away his toys are simply incredible. "Drinking Muddy Water", the band's re-working of "Rollin' And Tumblin'", is blues excellence. "Think About It" has one of the most addictive choruses that I've ever heard, but Page's timid solo is total crap and ultimately goes nowhere. However, that is not the case on "Goodnight Sweet Josephine", in which he delivers one of his best solos ever, along with those oh so wonderful vocals. And "My Baby" is basically just average.

So this CD is definitely worth buying for any guitar lover, or any lover of great music in general. It is timeless.

This disk by Repertoire is a must for mid 60s blue-eyed blues fans. The sound quality exceeds the Warner Archives release and New Millennium's "...Where the Action is!" by a long shot. Fancy stereo equipment is not necessary to clearly hear the Repertoire disk's superior sound. The band's instrument talent can be better appreciated due to the disk's superior sound balance. The guitars are up front and the drums beats are clear. Furthermore, many band performances are an improvement over their studio versions. If you're considering this disk, buy it.

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