The Yardbirds - pre-proto-metal?

I recently (and I think accidentally) dropped this question in the metal recommendations forum. (Sorry to those that were miffed by my erroneous posting). But as I was encouraged by a couple of members of the MMA upper echelon, I will re-post here.

I used to read a Canadian metal magazine back in the 80's, and one of their monthly features was called "Roots of Metal". In one issue, the Yardbirds were mentioned, and after buying some compilation cassettes, I found I enjoyed their more experimental work, particularly with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Along with the mid-sixties' the Who and the Kinks, I feel the Yardbirds contributed some of the early ideas and inspirations for proto-metal and metal-related bands to come, such as Rush, Aerosmith and even Motorhead. Here are ten tracks that I think pointed in the direction of the nascent metal genre.

1. Ain't Got You - Heavy beat and guitar though no distortion. The guitar solo works as a blueprint for Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" solo.

2. Mr. You're a Better Man than I - Jeff Beck plays a very cool solo with heavy sound and distortion.

3. I'm not Talking - A rollicking rocker with a dirty, gritty feel and two awesome guitar solos by Mr. Beck.

4. Train Kept a Rollin' - The Yardbirds made this song a heavy rock foundation. Later covered by Aerosmith and Motorhead and also in Zeppelin's early repertoire.

5. Stroll On - The Yardbirds re-write of "Train Kept a Rollin'" for the movie "Blow Up". Heavier than the original and featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page together.

6. Happenings Ten Years Time Ago - Another Beck/Page track. Not as heavy as "Stroll On" but definitely a potential inspiration for later bands.

7. I Ain't Done Wrong - Simple crunchy chords and a solo section that sounds like 60's Metallica. Were the Yardbirds going for speed metal in twelve bar blues?

8. Shapes of Things - Though the distortion only comes in on the solo and the solo's closing heavy chord, the song could easily be an early form of hard rock. Later covered by bands like Nazareth and Rush.

9. Someone to Love (part 2) - An instrumental version of part one with Jeff Beck seriously making use of distortion and solo guitar effects.

10. Think About It / Dazed and Confused - "Think About It" features the original workings of the Zeppelin "Dazed and Confused" solo. The Yardbirds took it further by actually recording "Dazed and Confused" (rare live recordings exist) - a different version than the one Zeppelin would record a year later.

So, what do you think? Though they may be pre-proto-metal, do the Yardbirds deserve some allocation on this site? You can sample all the tunes I mentioned on iTunes.

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UMUR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List MMA Special Collaborator Errors & Omissions Team / Retired Admin Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 18113	Topic: The Yardbirds - pre-proto-metal? Posted: 22 Dec 2012 at 8:19am
	As the Yardbirds have been added I�ve now locked this thread.
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adg211288 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Forum Admin Group Black Metal, Prog/AG Teams Joined: 05 Nov 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 22008	Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 7:11am
	Passed on to proto team.
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voila_la_scorie Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List MMA Special Collaborator Proto Team Joined: 18 Oct 2012 Location: Japan Status: Offline Points: 236	Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 7:06am
	I recently (and I think accidentally) dropped this question in the metal recommendations forum. (Sorry to those that were miffed by my erroneous posting). But as I was encouraged by a couple of members of the MMA upper echelon, I will re-post here. I used to read a Canadian metal magazine back in the 80's, and one of their monthly features was called "Roots of Metal". In one issue, the Yardbirds were mentioned, and after buying some compilation cassettes, I found I enjoyed their more experimental work, particularly with Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Along with the mid-sixties' the Who and the Kinks, I feel the Yardbirds contributed some of the early ideas and inspirations for proto-metal and metal-related bands to come, such as Rush, Aerosmith and even Motorhead. Here are ten tracks that I think pointed in the direction of the nascent metal genre. 1. Ain't Got You - Heavy beat and guitar though no distortion. The guitar solo works as a blueprint for Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" solo. 2. Mr. You're a Better Man than I - Jeff Beck plays a very cool solo with heavy sound and distortion. 3. I'm not Talking - A rollicking rocker with a dirty, gritty feel and two awesome guitar solos by Mr. Beck. 4. Train Kept a Rollin' - The Yardbirds made this song a heavy rock foundation. Later covered by Aerosmith and Motorhead and also in Zeppelin's early repertoire. 5. Stroll On - The Yardbirds re-write of "Train Kept a Rollin'" for the movie "Blow Up". Heavier than the original and featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page together. 6. Happenings Ten Years Time Ago - Another Beck/Page track. Not as heavy as "Stroll On" but definitely a potential inspiration for later bands. 7. I Ain't Done Wrong - Simple crunchy chords and a solo section that sounds like 60's Metallica. Were the Yardbirds going for speed metal in twelve bar blues? 8. Shapes of Things - Though the distortion only comes in on the solo and the solo's closing heavy chord, the song could easily be an early form of hard rock. Later covered by bands like Nazareth and Rush. 9. Someone to Love (part 2) - An instrumental version of part one with Jeff Beck seriously making use of distortion and solo guitar effects. 10. Think About It / Dazed and Confused - "Think About It" features the original workings of the Zeppelin "Dazed and Confused" solo. The Yardbirds took it further by actually recording "Dazed and Confused" (rare live recordings exist) - a different version than the one Zeppelin would record a year later. So, what do you think? Though they may be pre-proto-metal, do the Yardbirds deserve some allocation on this site? You can sample all the tunes I mentioned on iTunes.
	A story told that can't be real somehow must reflect the truth we feel.