Yardbirds...aww, heck...

I know we had several threads about them in the old forum, but perhaps opinions have changed in the interim (and, err, I find myself unable to access the old forum, for some reason, so...):

Yardbirds. Where be goodness?

I'm actually looking more for albums than comps at this point. Now, I know Repertoire recently reissued their albums in Digipack form. Are they good? Once one has all of the albums, what OTHER material is actually worth pursuing? Is the Charley boxed-set (what was it called, exactly?) still essential?

Thanks,

 

Rhino did a single disc on the earlier material in the late 1980's that is as good as the material is going to get I think. I remember "Shapes Of Things" on the Rhino CD having a countdown or something at the beginning which proved to me that Rhino had great sources, but most of it is just badly recorded.

 

Paul Samwell-Smith, original producer of the U.S. titled LP "Over Under Sideways Down" [reissued on CD in 1997 on Warner Archives as Brit titled "Roger the Engineer"] and credited for digital remastering on the reissue CD, must suffer from serious high-frequency hearing impairment as this CD has blistering cymbals, tambourines and anything else up at that range guaranteed to cause ear bleeding. No joke. Listen to this CD at your own risk.

Also, as the stereo separation is waay wide, I'd hunt down the mono version of the reissued LP [both stereo and mono versions were reissued--don't remember which country/label].

 

Oh. And two of the best tracks on that reissue CD, "Over Under" and "Jeff's Boogie" are presented in reprocessed stereo.

 

I haven't heard this disc but a few days ago I saw what appeared to be a repackaging of the Jeff Beck era Yardbirds called, Jeff Beck:The Yardbird Years. I've never bought any Yardbird works because I'm always worried about the quality of the recordings.

 

I think, there is a "new" "Little Games"about to be released by EMI...
with maybe, 3 "new" BBC tracks, in the current tracklisting...and a repackaging of the 4 CD Charly CD box set.

It's all so confusing...anyone know why the mess here, with this catalog ?

And what are the definitive reissues to pick up ?

 

I think the stereo and Mono mixes are different; I'm able to play vinyl again and I'll spin my mono version on Demon - I think there's more overdubbed guitar parts on some songs in the mono mix. Somone mentioned a cd with both mixes on one disc - maybe Diablo? This is one lp I REALLY want Steve to remaster - both mixes on one, I don't care how much it costs - that is one excellent album from the 60's...

 

I have replied already before... lookin for the Repertoire Records remasters. They are the best available versions... much better than the first pressings, Rhino remaster on and on!