YARDBIRDS/LITTLE GAMES LN 24313 (-67) US MONO

Even if much criticized now and then, both by true fans and professional know-it-alls, this has grown to be a classic. In the late sixties there may have been reasons to react over the psych-pop attempts and partly sloppy finish substituting the carefully produced hard blues filling their earlier albums, but today in retrospective it's like opening a treasure chest. There's for exemple a lot to devour here for the hard core Zeppelin fan and then not only the Jimmy Page/John Paul Jones collaboration. "Tinker Taylor Soldier Sailor" was the first time Page recorded his bow-guitar play, "White Summer" is a not unsimilar forerunner to "Black Mountain Side" from Zeppelin's debute - the two often performed interwoven at LZ's concerts - and the kind of coinciding vocal-guitar appearing in "Drinking Muddy Water" was subsequently also used by Page/Plant. Though even without that connection it's a very good album. A little uneven maybe, but you do get raw blues with "Drinking Muddy Water" and "Smile On Me Baby". "Glimpses" is fine whimsical eastern psych and title track tophole psych pop. Page's guitars are prominent and adventurous and the audio stunning. Problem with producer Mickie Most at the time was he only concentrated in single material and may have seen the rest of the album as a not so important appendix to the "Little Games" 45. That song is top production while some of the others sounds less cared for. I've seen debates if this mono version is true or a fold, but the copy here is true beyond doubt - can be told by the title track having a vocal overdub and Page's guitar break coming through loud and clear. Be aware a bunch of stereo records by mistake got mono labels and covers. If you can't listen before buying, check matrixes on the dead vinyl. I take all first press monos have the same as this - stamped XEM 118047-1C/XEM 118048-1C. Originally issued also in Canada (Capitol T/ST 6207), Germany (Epic BN 26313) and downunder (Columbia SCXM 5017). First UK came 1985 on Fame (FA 4131241) as part of a fourteen track compilation. To my knowledge the original mono tapes were only used in US and Canada. Premiere US had label as shown here and glossy cover. (YÄB*) (YZÄ*) (ÖXCÅ*)