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This is a great mid-60's rock and roll/garage/fuzz/blues/etc. inspired album that frankly, kicks ass. I don't think that there's a track on this album that drags. The one thing that I like about the Yardbirds is that they drew from tons of different styles of music in their own compositions. This album for example has no less than half that have some workings of tribal, Far East, or Gregorian chant-esque bg's in the pieces. "Over, Under, Sideways, Down" has a great guitar that is heavily distorted, and thus gives the impression a more exotic type of instrument. Combined with the catchy vocals and the build at the end of the piece, the song is great. "I Can't Make Your Way" also has exotic tinges in it. A simple, bare song with minimal instrumentation- tambourine, harmonica, and slight guitar in spots- it has a very nice way about it. "Farewell" and "Turn into Earth" have more of a Gregorian chant influence. Rich and haunting chants of the medieval times, there are a number of Yardbirds songs that incorporate them. ("Still I'm Sad" probably being the most well known of those songs). While "Farewell" is more a-capella and folky, "Turn Into Earth" is rich, smooth, and fluid. It also has a slightly more acidic touch to the tune. Tribal is incorporated into "Hot House of Omagarashid", "He's Always There", and "Ever Since the World Began". "Hot House..." has simple chants in the beginning, but the funky instruments and percussion take center stage in the song. The killer guitar at the end though, most certainly outdoes the percussion and goes to show you how great Jeff Beck really is. "He's Always There" is scattered a bit, but the combination of the musical elements employed seems to work out surprisingly well. Each part of the song lends itself to the other. "Ever Since..." has got to be the most haunting of the songs on the album. The opening chants sound very ethnic and clear, which is powerful to the ear. With the harsh vocals on top of the chants, it is very striking. It ends though, on a rocking note. Which brings me back to the other tunes on the album. The rest are definitely rockers fused with mod, garage, r&b and blues, and very sweet indeed. "Lost Woman", the album's opener, has a catchy bass riff and fuzzy mod sound that grabs the listener and commands their attention. "The Nazz Are Blue" is a basic blues tune with fuzzy 60's effects thrown in for good merit. While it and "Rack My Mind" a song along the same lines as "The Nazz..." good, my favourite is "What Do You Want". This particular song brings back the guitar and vocal rocker to the album after much of the other tribal/exotic/chant stuff, and groovy instrumental entitled "Jeff's Boogie". "What..." struts and moves at a good pace, always remaining interesting and fresh. I also like the ringing qualities in the guitar and bass... It's almost sort of Who-esque. This album is wonderful and a great change for the traditional stuff that's been released. And yeah, the engineer of the album was really named Roger. (Roger Cameron).
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The Yardbirds: Over Under Sideways Down / Roger the Engineer