The Yardbirds Little Games

The Yardbirds Little Games on 180g LP

By the time Jimmy Page joined the Yardbirds in 1966, the group was already firmly established as one of the era's most innovative and creativley adventurous British bands. The addition of Page allowed the band's heady mix of blues and psychedelia to coalesce into an edgy approach that laid the stylistic groundwork for Page's next band, Led Zeppelin who were known as the New Yardbirds in their early days.

The Yardbirds' 1967 release Little Games, produced by noted British pop guru Mickie Most, is the band's only album to be recorded entirely with Page as a member, and the only one to feature the group's final lineup of Page and founding members Keith Relf, Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty. Little Games is also a transitional effort that finds the Yardbirds delving into an array of sounds and styles, from gritty blues-rock ("Drinking Muddy Water") to swirling psychedelia ("Glimpses") to introspective balladry ("Only the Black Rose").

Several of the album's tracks can now be seen as sonic blueprints for Led Zeppelin such as "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor" and "Glimpses," both of which feature the distinctive guitar bowing technique for which Page would soon become famous. Page's acoustic instrumental showcase "White Summer" would later become a frequent feature of Led Zeppelin's live performances. The album also features Page's future Zep bandmate John Paul Jones on bass, cello and string arrangements, along with guest appearances by U.K. session aces Nicky Hopkins and Clem Cattini.

1.  Little Games

2.  Smile On Me

3.  White Summer

4.  Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor

5.  Glimpses

6.  Drinking Muddy Water

7.  No Excess Baggage

8.  Stealin' Stealin'

9.  Only The Black Rose

10. Little Soldier Boy