UK Yardbirds! UK Who! Challengers Promo!

Again I'm going to blow through these albums, which is a shame because they kind of deserve more words. Either way here goes.

The Yardbirds (Roger The Engineer)

This is the album that deserves the most words. It's for one of the most overlooked bands of its age. The Yardbirds featured some of the best guitarists of all time (just not at the same time). Eric Clapton was the man for their first album but left after he felt they were going too commercial and weren't true to their blues roots (too bad he couldn't see himself doing "Change the World" with babyface, yuck). Then he was followed up by Jeff Beck (featured on this album) and later Jimmy Page was at the helm (forming The New Yardbirds to finish off the tour commitments and then renaming them Led Zeppelin). This album has some absolute winners on it. "Over Under Sideways Down" is a classic (and the name of the American version of this album). "Jeff's Boogie" is a rocker and "I Can't Make Your Way" is catchy and my favorite. I really loved listening to this album on vinyl as my copy is incredibly clean and i'd never seen a British Columbia label. It's alot like the Parlophone lable of The Beatles British albums but the Columbia is in blue. EMI must have been a monster. Either way check this out.

Vinyl EX+/Cover VG+

Tommy

Another good album and another British find for me. I own the US version on Decca and now this one. Ugly labels on this one, not near as cool as The Yardbirds album. Another cool thing about British Albums is the glossy covers. They just look nicer than American issues (althougn more flimsy cardboard is used). I'm not the best person to talk about this album. It's good but it isn't my favorite Who album. The rock opera is a cool idea but it's basically waiding through kinda annoying songs for the great ones. Either way you've heard it so you don't need my opinion. It's good and I like the idea, I just don't love it like some people do.

Vinyl VG+/Cover VG

Wipe Out!

This is another cool instrumental album. Not as good as The Impact's album of the same name but still nice. It feels a bit cleaner than most and I don't really know the history of this band to check out if it's a group of studio musiscians or not. Either way it's a nice surf record released towards the end of the surf era and it's a white label promo that isn't in my book. So that's cool.

Vinyl EX+/Cover EX+

12 x 5

This is just the replacement cover for the album listed below. It's pictured so I have to mention it. Now my record has increased in value! Hooray!

The Three Greatest Groups Ever?

Went to Aladdin's for lunch with some friends today and stopped in at 2nd time around. Great idea. Came away with this stuff for less than 5 bucks.

12 x 5

This is one of the stone's early albums. Full of early Rock and R&B covers. Only 3 of the 12 songs are written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. Unfortunately none of those 3 are hits. 2 songs off of this album however are. "Time is On My Side" and "It's All Over Now" are great songs and are hits for good reason although the rest of the album deserves a listen as well. The best thing about this album for me was the fact that it was a first pressing. I have had a real hard time coming across early first pressing Stones albums. The originals feature the London logo followed by "ffrr" for "Full Frequency Range Recording" and on the mono maroon label. For some reason I never see them. Anyway, this one is an "ffrr" Stones album. I was giddy. The cover is slaughtered but I know a guy who has a mono cover and no record that he'll probably give me so I should be in good shape. Good album, way cooler edition.

Vinyl VG+/Cover G-

Introducing the Beatles

The first American Beatles album. Also probably the most pirated album ever (especially the Stereo edition). This is basically an American Please, Please, Me that VeeJay records happily issued after Capital turned down the rights to The Beatles in America (which they quickly reaquired when the mania occured). Great early rock and roll album that everyone has probably heard before. If you haven't check it out. I don't feel the need to review Beatles albums since everyone knows they are outstanding. I had never seen this record in the non-pirated form until a month or so ago. Now I have 5 of them. This purchase had a cracked record and cost me 9 cents. Before anyone asks why I bought a cracked record, I have a legitimate record that at the time had no cover. Now it does. So the cracked record is pinned to the wall.

Vinyl Cracked/Cover VG

II

The second Zeppelin album (obviously). This is a great album and would be worthy of purchase regardless of the pressing. This pressing, however, is special. The very first pressings of II were mastered for vinyl by Bob Ludwig (who also did the mastering for the latest Pearl Jam re-release of Ten). Well Mr. Ludwig's mix was very loud and very awesome. Too awesome for the stereo setups of the 1970's. The mix caused stereo speakers to pop and crack and people assumed that the record was the problem so they returned them. Not wanting to lose out on sales Atlantic quickly mastered it down again and put it out again. The new mix is the one that has been used ever since. The original mix is louder and fuller. The drums kick harder and the guitars are raw and loud. Yet, amazingly Plant's powerful vocals are clear and up front not getting lost in the mix. It's like hearing it all over again. The way this is identified is by finding a tiny "RL" etched into the dead wax on both sides. Most record shops don't know about this and thus, don't price these up or call attention to them. So always look. Great mix of a great album.

Vinyl VG+/Cover VG+