The first edition of Yardbirds: The Ultimate Rave-Up by Greg Russo was published in 1997. Since then, it has been revised and updated several times. This review is based on the fifth edition which appeared in 2012.
The Yardbirds is the name of a band that was active 1963-1968. During those five years the band played several types of music (Blues, Rock & Roll as well as Pop), while the line-up of the band changed several times.
The band is well-known, because three world-class rock guitarists began their careers in this band: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
** Eric Clapton (born 1945) played with the Yardbirds from October 1963 to March 1965
** Jeff Beck (1944-2023) played with the Yardbirds from March 1965 to October 1966
** Jimmy Page (born 1944) played with the Yardbirds from June 1966 to July 1968 (first as the bass player and - once Jeff beck was out - as the lead guitar player)
Other members of the band were:
** Keith Relf (1943-1976) – vocals and harmonica
** Chris Dreja (born 1945) – first rhythm and later bass
** Jim McCarty (born 1943) – drums
** Paul Samwell-Smith (born 1943) – bass
** Anthony “Top” Topham (1947-2023) - lead guitar
In 1992, the Yardbirds were reformed with two of the original members – Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty - plus some new members.
They released an album called Birdland in 2003, and they have an official website on the internet where you can find additional information about their activities.
Russo’s book is a goldmine of information; it tells you everything you have always wanted to know about the band – plus a few things you did not even realise you wanted to know.
The author is an avid fan, but he tries to remain objective when writing about the band and their music, and I think he succeeds quite well.
The fifth edition is a long book (288 pages) published in a large format (ca. 21 x 26 cm). It is divided into three parts:
The first part gives us the general history of the band.
The second part focuses on the lead guitarists: Top Topham, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.
The third part is a reference section, where you will find a large number of lists. For reasons of space, I will only mention a few examples here:
** Recording sessions for the band
** Discography for the band
** Solo discographies
** Concert dates
There are many illustrations: pictures of the band, pictures of old records, pictures of album-covers, posters, etc.
All illustrations are in black-and-white, even when the original is in colour.
The only colour illustrations are found on the cover: there is a large picture on the front, and there are two smaller pictures on the back.
The book is based on a wide range of material, including interviews with former and current members of the band – except Keith Relf, who was killed in 1976, as a result of a freak accident – and many others, who are close to the band and/or the musical scene.
One important fact which emerges from this account is that the Yardbirds did not always have the best manager, and they did not always have the best producer.
In fact, some of their best work was done when they were allowed to get their own way:
Roger the Engineer which was composed and produced by the band in 1966 is (in my opinion) by far the best product from the Yardbirds.
What came before and after cannot measure up to the high standards of this album.
I like this book, but I have to mention two things, which bother me:
# 1. There are many details. When an author provides many details about a band, there is a risk that information about the best performances will drown in a sea of minor details.
A case in point is the chapter about Jeff Beck (pp. 159-176), where there are so many details about his activities on the musical front that it is difficult to see what his best work is.
# 2. Some important events do not get as much attention as they deserve:
(a) On page 174, we are told that Jeff Beck was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
This major event is covered very briefly. I think it deserves more space.
(b) On pp. 142-143, we are told that the Yardbirds were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
This time there are a few lines and some pictures as well, but even so, this major event is covered very briefly.
Russo does not mention that Jimmy Page used his speech to remind the audience about Keith Relf, who could not be there. His widow and his son were there, as we can see from the picture on page 143 (above).
Russo does not mention that Jeff Beck used his speech to say that he did not feel proud on this occasion, because the other members of the band had kicked him out!
Russo fails to mention the name of the keynote speaker, David Howell Evans (aka The Edge) from U2.
The Edge can be seen in the picture on page 143 (below), but his presence on the stage is not explained in the caption, and he is not mentioned in the text.
These minor flaws do not disturb my general impression of this book as an important work about a great band written by an author who knows his topic very well.
The Yardbirds were pioneers in the world of music, experimenting with Blues, with Rock & Roll, and even with Pop, and in many cases the result was outstanding.
This book - described on the back cover as “the most comprehensive and informative document of the band’s career and offshoots” – tells you how and why it happened.
It is highly recommended.
PS. I saw the Yardbirds at a live concert many years ago:
On 13 April 1967, the band gave a concert in Aarhus (the second city of Denmark) at a venue called Boom Dancing Center.
At that time, Jeff Beck was no longer a member of the band. He had been replaced by Jimmy Page.
*****
Yardbirds: The Ultimate Rave-Up
By Greg Russo
The Fifth edition
Published 2012
288 pages
The Seventh edition
Published 2022
392 pages
*****
The Yardbirds
Roger the Engineer
Composed and produced by the band
Released in 1966
*****
Heart Full of Soul:
Keith Relf of the Yardbirds
By David French
With a foreword by Alice Cooper
(2020)
*****
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