Birdland

1	I'm Not Talking 2:45
2	Crying Out for Love 4:37
3	The Nazz Are Blue 3:12
4	For Your Love 3:21
5	Please Don't Tell Me 'Bout the News 3:59
6	Train Kept a Rollin' 3:38
7	Mr. Saboteur 4:55
8	Shapes of Things 2:38
9	My Blind Life 3:33
10	Over, Under, Sideways, Down 3:16
11	Mr. You're a Better Man Than I 3:24
12	Mystery of Being 4:07
13	Dream Within a Dream 4:44
14	Happenings Ten Years Time Ago 3:23
15	An Original Man (A Song for Keith) 5:20

Barnes & Noble

The most visionary of Britain's original blues-rockers, the Yardbirds boast both a stellar alumni list, including six-string vets like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, and a catalogue of classic songs such as "For Your Love" and "Shape of Things." Perpetuating the band's living legacy, original members Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty have reconvened to record Birdland, fleshing out the lineup with members of blues-rock torchbearers Doctor Feelgood and Nine Below Zero, as well as a host of top-notch guest guitarists, who bring a surprising vitality to the newly recorded versions of the band's classics that take up roughly half the disc. Slash's take on "Train Kept a Rollin' " bridges the Yardbirds and Aerosmith versions; Steve Vai ups the ante of the already gnarly solo on "Shapes of Things"; and Brian May adds a tinge of melancholy melodicism to "Mister, You're a Better Man than I." The sparks emitted by the new material, however, propel the disc well beyond the confines of mere nostalgia. "The Mystery of Being" rides a raga-styled groove into a starry-skied desert realm left largely unexplored since the closing of the pipeline carrying Eastern mysticism to Western rockers. "Crying Out for Love" is a whole lot simpler, but its no-nonsense boogie pulse successfully updates the original Yardbirds take on Chicago blues. And the album's closer, "An Original Man," manages to eulogize late comrade Keith Relf without coming across as a funeral dirge. To the credit of Dreja, McCarty, and company, Birdland isn't just about the happenings of 35 years ago: It's a great leap forward, one accomplished without the use of a net. David Sprague

All Music Guide

When this came out in 2003, it marked the first studio release by the Yardbirds in 35 years. In that time, of course, the personnel had changed quite a bit. Even those inclined to get excited by reunions of great bands should know right off that it includes just two original members, drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja (though Jeff Beck plays guest guitar on one number, "My Blind Life"). Rounded out by three "new" members (including bassist John Idan, whose lead singing sounds fairly close to original Yardbirds vocalist Keith Relf in style and tone), the record also features guest lead guitar cameos by Jeff Baxter, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Brian May, with Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls singing lead on "For Your Love." The instinct is to make cruel, sardonic jokes about how the absence of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and (for the most part) Jeff Beck doesn't matter, as guitarists were always the weak links in the Yardbirds anyway. Yes, the non-presence of these fabled guitar heroes, as well as Relf (who died in 1976), does mean that this can't be compared in any way to the group's classic 1960s output, even if it's billed to the Yardbirds' name. For all that, however, this is a lot better than you'd expect, and certainly far more respectable than most reunion/comeback efforts by decimated lineups of classic outfits. The production is straight-ahead without the usual sellouts to modern technology, putting the sleek guitar work to the fore. Half the record has remakes of old Yardbirds staples like "For Your Love," "Shapes of Things," and "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," but they're not done badly, though you feel as though you're listening to a really good Yardbirds tribute band rather than the real deal. The original material, though not as good as those old Yardbirds tunes, actually sounds -- whether as a result of conscious or unconscious effort -- in the Yardbirds style, with plenty of irregular tempos, minor-keyed melodies, metaphysically questing lyrics, and Gregorian vocals (as on the Relf tribute "An Original Man (A Song for Keith)"). Richie Unterberger