Popularly referred to as the British Invasion, breaking it down, the mid-1960s was a time where there was an influx of talented, new bands arising from the UK to international acclaim. Led by mega acts like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, others like The Yardbirds were also making an impact of their own. First coming together in 1963, from a historical perspective, The Yardbirds are perhaps one of the most fascinating bands in hindsight. Why? Because this is a band that at one point or another featured three of the most legendary Rock guitarists of all-time on their team; Eric Clapton (1963-1965), Jeff Beck (1965-1966), and Jimmy Page (1966-1968).
A jaw-dropping revelation to a less educated, or greener listener, The Yardbirds were also exceptional performers as a group. Unifying Blues with Rock-n-Roll, and matching it with some Psychedelic elements, for being only between 18 and 20 years old when they first began, they showed ample musical maturity. Refined, yet raw, they possessed the chops of musicians twice their age and thus appealed to a very broad audience. Of course, known for their mainstream hits like 1965’s “For Your Love” and “Heart Full of Soul,” there was still really so much more to The Yardbirds during those peak years.
A band who excelled in the live performance aspect of it all, they also had a list of singles between 1964 and 1968. Singles which peaked on UK and US charts during their time, like any A-side, there is always a B-side. Recordings that sometimes can be lost in the sands of time, many of these B-sides are as good, if not more compelling than their A-sides. That said, some of these B-sides even mean more to the actual performers, than what was selected as the A-side releases. The cold hard facts, now in 2024 The Yardbirds offer listeners their first ever collection of UK and US B-sides under the title Psycho Daisies.
Set to arrive on April 20th as a special Record Store Day release, this new compilation is pressed exclusively to vinyl and made possible by England’s Demon Records. Complete with 15 tracks, the collection offers you some really cool B-sides, including “A Certain Girl,” the haunting “Still I’m Sad,” and the exceptional “A Better Man Than I.” Joining these, you also have others such as “Jeff’s Boogie,” where Jeff Beck really dazzles you with his guitar work, and “Puzzles,” which features some standout early guitar work from Jimmy Page.
Really all songs which offer you deeper insight to the history of The Yardbirds, some of them may even be easily recognizable; because they were fixtures in live sets for the band through the years. The best part of all is the rich sound quality thanks to being mastered from the original mono single mixdown tapes. Certainly very high quality, it is pressed to a 140-gram vinyl and available in a mix of styles; including red and a dazzling purple with orange splatters color. Honestly a great addition to any Classic Rock fan’s collection, Psycho Daisies is a great look back at the brilliances of The Yardbirds beyond the more obvious tracks. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this special Record Store Day release 5 out of 5 stars.
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