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JGuy Grungeman · 03-18-2016, 02:21 PM

Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds by The Yardbirds
Styles: Blues Rock, Garage Rock
Release: 1965
Round: Rock and Roll.

I decided to listen to a couple rock and roll albums since it was proposed that rock and roll would be the next genre the survivor thread handles. So I started with Yardbirds. Still, I do not feel this is a rock and roll album. So I can't rightfully vote that it stays on the list. It has a little rock and roll to it, but this is really more of a blues rock album that took influences from rnr, mod, psychedelic, and was one of the earliest entries in the garage rock scene. The album's very garagy, so much that I can easily see this being one of Jack White's favorite albums ever. So I'm voting it off the list since I don't feel it's really a "rock and roll" album, not like a Chuck Berry album or an Elvis or Little Richard album.

However, voting it off for that reason does not mean I think the album's bad. You see, I feel the Yardbirds are one of the most essential rock bands in the music industry because the band was a "pre-supergroup" of some of the most famous and influential members of blues rock. Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton were all members. And this shows in The Yardbirds' most famous release: Having a Rave Up. And obviously, the Yardbirds had talent to spare. They just didn't reach their full potential with the Yardbirds, but they sure did show it on their most notable work.

For this album, we have Jeff Beck on guitars on side A, and Eric Clapton live on guitars on side B. The album's style is a combination of the blues rock that has been reigning the rock industry in the 60's and went on to inspire many new forms of metal and rock in the future, as well as being an early entry in a rising garage rock scene that would be famous for The Sonics, The Stooges, MC5, and Paul Revere. As far as the actual music goes and not the genre, the guitars are all extremely focused on maintaining the rhythm rather than amazing people with riffs. This gives off a vibe that states "this is clearly before the band reached their full potential, but they know a lot about wiriting music." The band members were still just starting out. So although the album doesn't quite reach the musical capabilities of Layla or LZ1, the album still has a lot of fun guitar riffs and rhythms. Like I said, the band seems to be very focused on their songs. I can't say the same for the vocals. Nothing spectacular about the vocals except that they are very well produced, more well produced than the drumming and the guitars.

That's all I really have to say about this album. The only real flaw is that the album doesn't have the same song writing quality as future albums by the band members. However, in Having a Rave Up the band displays extreme dedication to the music and clever (not amazing) guitar playing. It really is a great entry into the blues rock scene of the mid-60's. But I'm voting it off because the song structures are hardly rock and roll, and the guitars are more fit for garage and blues. I hardly got a "rock and reoll" vibe from this.

90/100. Voting it off for not being a real "rock and roll" album.

03-18-2016, 02:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
JGuy Grungeman Primo Celebate Sexiness Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 2,662	Having a Rave Up With the Yardbirds by The Yardbirds Styles: Blues Rock, Garage Rock Release: 1965 Round: Rock and Roll. I decided to listen to a couple rock and roll albums since it was proposed that rock and roll would be the next genre the survivor thread handles. So I started with Yardbirds. Still, I do not feel this is a rock and roll album. So I can't rightfully vote that it stays on the list. It has a little rock and roll to it, but this is really more of a blues rock album that took influences from rnr, mod, psychedelic, and was one of the earliest entries in the garage rock scene. The album's very garagy, so much that I can easily see this being one of Jack White's favorite albums ever. So I'm voting it off the list since I don't feel it's really a "rock and roll" album, not like a Chuck Berry album or an Elvis or Little Richard album. However, voting it off for that reason does not mean I think the album's bad. You see, I feel the Yardbirds are one of the most essential rock bands in the music industry because the band was a "pre-supergroup" of some of the most famous and influential members of blues rock. Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton were all members. And this shows in The Yardbirds' most famous release: Having a Rave Up. And obviously, the Yardbirds had talent to spare. They just didn't reach their full potential with the Yardbirds, but they sure did show it on their most notable work. For this album, we have Jeff Beck on guitars on side A, and Eric Clapton live on guitars on side B. The album's style is a combination of the blues rock that has been reigning the rock industry in the 60's and went on to inspire many new forms of metal and rock in the future, as well as being an early entry in a rising garage rock scene that would be famous for The Sonics, The Stooges, MC5, and Paul Revere. As far as the actual music goes and not the genre, the guitars are all extremely focused on maintaining the rhythm rather than amazing people with riffs. This gives off a vibe that states "this is clearly before the band reached their full potential, but they know a lot about wiriting music." The band members were still just starting out. So although the album doesn't quite reach the musical capabilities of Layla or LZ1, the album still has a lot of fun guitar riffs and rhythms. Like I said, the band seems to be very focused on their songs. I can't say the same for the vocals. Nothing spectacular about the vocals except that they are very well produced, more well produced than the drumming and the guitars. That's all I really have to say about this album. The only real flaw is that the album doesn't have the same song writing quality as future albums by the band members. However, in Having a Rave Up the band displays extreme dedication to the music and clever (not amazing) guitar playing. It really is a great entry into the blues rock scene of the mid-60's. But I'm voting it off because the song structures are hardly rock and roll, and the guitars are more fit for garage and blues. I hardly got a "rock and reoll" vibe from this. 90/100. Voting it off for not being a real "rock and roll" album. __________________ I'm a pretty nice troll if you ask me.