Back in 1965, this album seemed like a real mess, which was understandable, because
For Your Love
wasn't a "real" album, in the sense that
the Yardbirds
ever assembled an LP of that name or content. Rather, it was the response of their American label,
Epic
, to the band's achieving a number six single with the title track, with manager
Giorgio Gomelsky
selecting the cuts. The quasi-progressive
"For Your Love,"
dominated by guest artist
Brian Auger
's harpsichord, is juxtaposed with hard-rocking blues-based numbers, almost all of which featured departed lead guitarist
Eric Clapton
(who is mentioned nowhere on the LP), with current lead guitarist
Jeff Beck
on just three tracks. The
Clapton
cuts, although primitive next to the material he was soon to cut with
John Mayall
, have an intensity that's still riveting to hear four decades later, and was some of the best blues-based rock & roll of its era. The three
Beck
sides show where the band was really heading, beyond the immediate success of
"For Your Love"
--
"I'm Not Talking"
and
"I Ain't Done Wrong"
were hard, loud, blazing showcases for
's concise blues playing, while
"My Girl Sloopy"
was the first extended jam to emerge on record from a band on the British blues scene; the source material isn't ideal, but
and company make their point in an era where bands were seldom allowed to go more than four minutes on even an album track -- these boys could play and make it count. ~ Bruce Eder