The Yardbirds - Vol. 2: Blues, Backtracks and Shapes of Things

The second volume of Sony Music Special Products' attempt to make coherent sense of the early Yardbirds catalog is just about a match for the first. This material had been circulating in one form or another since the early '80s, mostly in very substandard versions on vinyl and CD, which this set and its Vol. 1: Smokestack Lightning companion sought to correct. Concentrating on the 1965-vintage studio material, this double-CD set is a celebration of Jeff Beck's early tenure with the group, including outtakes of their classic singles ("Heart Full of Soul" played with a sitar, etc.) and working versions of songs that later turned up on The Yardbirds (aka Roger The Engineer), coupled with one groundbreaking single ("Shapes of Things") and a Jimmy Page-era cut ("Stroll On"), both mastered from what were then the best sources used for a CD. Read More