...............................................album of the week

The Yardbirds - (1965) Having a Rave Up

Review by Bruce Eder (AMG)

The Yardbirds are mostly known to the casual rock fan as the starting point for three of the greatest British rock guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Undoubtedly, these three figures did much to shape the group's sound, but throughout their career, the Yardbirds were very much a unit, albeit a rather unstable one. And they were truly one of the great rock bands; one whose contributions went far beyond the scope of their half dozen or so mid-'60s hits ("For Your Love," "Heart Full of Soul," "Shapes of Things," "I'm a Man," "Over Under Sideways Down," "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"). Not content to limit themselves to the R&B and blues covers they concentrated upon initially, they quickly branched out into moody, increasingly experimental pop/rock. The innovations of Clapton, Beck, and Page redefined the role of the guitar in rock music, breaking immense ground in the use of feedback, distortion, and amplification with finesse and breathtaking virtuosity. With the arguable exception of the Byrds, they did more than any other outfit to pioneer psychedelia, with an eclectic, risk-taking approach that laid the groundwork for much of the hard rock and progressive rock from the late '60s to the present.

· Track List:

01. Mr. You're A Better Man Than I
02. Evil Hearted You
03. I'm A Man 04. Still I'm Sad
05. Heart Full Of Soul
06. Train Kept A Rollin'
07. Smokestack LIghtning
08. Respectable
09. I'm A Man
10. Here 'Tis

11. Shapes Of Things
12. New York City Blues
13. Jeff's Blues (Take 1)
14. Someone To Love (Part 1)
15. Someone To Love (Part 2)
16. Like Jimmy Reed Again
17. Chris' Number
18. What Do You Want
19. Here 'Tis
20. Here 'Tis (Version For RS)
21. Stroll On


· Personnel:

Jeff Beck – lead guitar
Eric Clapton – lead guitar
Chris Dreja – rhythm guitar
Jimmy Page – lead guitar
Jim McCarty – drums, backing vocals
Keith Relf – vocals, harmonica, acoustic guitar
Paul Samwell-Smith – bass, backing vocals, musical director


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yardbirds


·Video:

...............................................album of the week

The Byrds - (1967) Younger than Yesterday


Review by Richie Unterberger (AMG)

Although they only attained the huge success of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys for a short time in the mid-'60s, time has judged the Byrds to be nearly as influential as those groups in the long run. They were not solely responsible for devising folk-rock, but they were certainly more responsible than any other single act (Dylan included) for melding the innovations and energy of the British Invasion with the best lyrical and musical elements of contemporary folk music. The jangling, 12-string guitar sound of leader Roger McGuinn's Rickenbacker was permanently absorbed into the vocabulary of rock. They also played a vital role in pioneering psychedelic rock and country-rock, the unifying element being their angelic harmonies and restless eclecticism. Often described in their early days as a hybrid of Dylan and the Beatles, the Byrds in turn influenced Dylan and the Beatles almost as much as Bob and the Fab Four had influenced the Byrds. The Byrds' innovations have echoed nearly as strongly through subsequent generations, in the work of Tom Petty, R.E.M., and innumerable alternative bands of the post-punk era that feature those jangling guitars and dense harmonies.

· Track List:

01. So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star
02. Have You Seen Her Face
03. C.T.A.
04. Renaissance Fair
05. Time Between
06. Everybody's Been Burned
07. Thoughts and Words
08. Mind Gardens
09. My Back Pages
10. The Girl with No Name
11. Why


· Personnel:

Jim McGuinn – guitar, vocals
David Crosby – guitar, vocals
Chris Hillman – electric bass, vocals
Michael Clarke – drums


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Byrds


·Video:

The Byrds - Chestnut Mare

...............................................album of the week

Can - (1971) Tago Mago


Review by Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

Always at least three steps ahead of contemporary popular music, Can were the leading avant-garde rock group of the '70s. From their very beginning, their music didn't conform to any commonly held notions about rock & roll -- not even those of the countercultures. Inspired more by 20th century classical music than Chuck Berry, their closest contemporaries were Frank Zappa or possibly the Velvet Underground. Yet their music was more serious and inaccessible than either of those artists. Instead of recording tight pop songs or satire, Can experimented with noise, synthesizers, nontraditional music, cut-and-paste techniques, and, most importantly, electronic music; each album marked a significant step forward from the previous album, investigating new territories that other rock bands weren't interested in exploring.

Throughout their career, Can's lineup was fluid, featuring several different vocalists over the years; the core bandmembers remained keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, drummer Jaki Leibezeit, guitarist Michael Karoli, and bassist Holger Czukay. During the '70s, they were extremely prolific, recording as many as three albums a year at the height of their career. Apart from a surprise U.K. Top 30 hit in 1978 -- "I Want More" -- they were never much more than a cult band; even critics had a hard time appreciating their music.

· Track List:

01. Paperhouse
02. Mushroom
03. Oh Yeah
04. Halleluhwah 05. Aumgn
06. Peking O
07. Bring Me Coffee or Tea


· Personnel:

Holger Czukay – bass guitar, sound engineer, electronics (1968–1977)
Michael Karoli – guitar, vocals, violin (1968–1979)
Jaki Liebezeit – drums, percussion (1968–1979)
Irmin Schmidt – keyboards, vocals (1968–1979)
Damo Suzuki – vocals (1970–1973)


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can_%28band%29


·Video:

...............................................album of the week

Led Zeppelin - (1969) II


Review by Thomas Erlewine (AMG)

Led Zeppelin was the definitive heavy metal band. It wasn't just their crushingly loud interpretation of the blues -- it was how they incorporated mythology, mysticism, and a variety of other genres (most notably world music and British folk) -- into their sound. Led Zeppelin had mystique. They rarely gave interviews, since the music press detested the band. Consequently, the only connection the audience had with the band was through the records and the concerts. More than any other band, Led Zeppelin established the concept of album-oriented rock, refusing to release popular songs from their albums as singles. In doing so, they established the dominant format for heavy metal, as well as the genre's actual sound.

Led Zeppelin formed out of the ashes of the Yardbirds. Jimmy Page had joined the band in its final days, playing a pivotal role on their final album, 1967's Little Games, which also featured string arrangements from John Paul Jones. During 1967, the Yardbirds were fairly inactive. While the Yardbirds decided their future, Page returned to session work in 1967. In the spring of 1968, he played on Jones' arrangement of Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man." During the sessions, Jones requested to be part of any future project Page would develop. Page would have to assemble a band sooner than he had planned. In the summer of 1968, the Yardbirds' Keith RelfJames McCarty left the band, leaving Page and bassist Chris Dreja with the rights to the name, as well as the obligation of fulfilling an upcoming fall tour. Page set out to find a replacement vocalist and drummer. Initially, he wanted to enlist singer Terry Reid and Procol Harum's drummer B.J. Wilson, but neither musician was able to join the group. Reid suggested that Page contact Robert Plant, who was singing with a band called Hobbstweedle. and

· Track List:

01. Whole Lotta Love
02. What Is and What Should Never Be
03. The Lemon Song
04. Thank You
05. Heartbreaker
06. Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)
07. Ramble On
08. Moby Dick
09. Bring It On Home


· Personnel:

Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica
Jimmy Page – electric and acoustic guitar, backing vocals
John Paul Jones – bass guitar, organ, backing vocals
John Bonham – drums, tympani, backing vocals


· About...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Led_Zeppelin


·Video: