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The Yardbirds Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedMarch 1967 (1967-03)
Recorded1964–1966
Genre Rock
Length30:26
Label Epic
Producer Giorgio Gomelsky, Simon Napier-Bell
The Yardbirds' US album chronology
Over Under Sideways Down
(1966)
The Yardbirds Greatest Hits
(1967)
Little Games
(1967)

The Yardbirds Greatest Hits is the first compilation album of songs recorded by the Yardbirds. It was released in the United States in March 1967 by Epic Records and included all six of the Yardbirds' American A-side singles up to that time, plus three B-sides and the live " Smokestack Lightning" from Having a Rave Up and Five Live Yardbirds. [1] [a]

The album was the group's highest charting LP record in the US, peaking at number 28 on the Billboard 200 album chart. [2] Despite the modest peak, it ranked number 73 on the magazine's year-end "Top LP's – 1967" chart because of its longevity. [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [2]

AllMusic critic Bruce Eder gave the album four and a half out of five stars, who comments "the whole platter summed up, just about as neatly as it was possible to do across just ten songs, what made the Yardbirds a great band." [2] He notes that since the focus is on "hits", most of the selections feature guitarist Jeff Beck, although Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page are represented with one song each. [2] Eder adds:

Given its layout and purpose, as well as complications brought about by the subsequent shifting ownership and licensing of different parts of the group's library, this ended up being the best single-disc LP compilation ever issued on this band ... And it was responsible for introducing many fans to the full range of the group's work.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1." Shapes of Things" Paul Samwell-Smith, Keith Relf, Jim McCartysingle2:24
2."Still I'm Sad"Smith, McCartyB-side of "I'm a Man" (US)2:59
3."New York City Blues"RelfB-side of "Shapes of Things" (US version 2)4:17
4." For Your Love" Graham Gouldmansingle2:27
5." Over Under Sideways Down" Chris Dreja, McCarty, Jeff Beck, Relf, Samwell-Smithsingle2:22
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original ReleaseLength
1." I'm a Man"Ellas McDaniel a.k.a. Bo Diddleysingle (US)2:35
2." Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"Relf, Dreja, McCarty, Beck, Jimmy Pagesingle2:49
3." Heart Full of Soul"Gouldmansingle2:28
4." Smokestack Lightning"Chester Burnett a.k.a. Howlin' Wolf Five Live Yardbirds5:35
5."I'm Not Talking" Mose Allison For Your Love2:30

Notes

  1. ^ Group chronicler Greg Russo also gives a secondary "street" release date of 17 April 1967. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b Russo, Greg (2016). Yardbirds: The Ultimate Rave-Up (6th. ed.). Floral Park, New Jersey: Crossfire Publications. pp. 78, 80, 214. ISBN  978-0-9791845-7-4.
  2. ^ a b c d Eder, Bruce. "The Yardbirds' Greatest Hits – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Top Records of 1967: Top LPs". Billboard. Vol. 79, no. 52. 30 December 1967. p. 42. ISSN  0006-2510.