The Story of the Yardbirds: Documentary Abstract
The Story of the Yardbirds, released on 25 November 2008 (Loar, 2009), is a documentary about one of the most known British rock groups Yardbirds. The film is remarkable and informative, it gives the group’s fans and rock admirers valuable information about the creation of the group, the impressions of its participants and producers, and allows viewers to enjoy their favorite songs and rare shots from concerts. It contains exclusive interviews of members and producers of the group along with witty comments of critics. Furthermore, there are numerous shots from successful concerts and old photos, impregnated with the seditious spirit of that time. The narrator begins his story with the narration of the band’s foundation in 1963 and its location in the Crawdaddy club, that was possible by busyness and increased popularity of the Rolling Stones. So, in an interview at the beginning of the film, guitarist Chris Dreja confessed that the necessity to close the gap, caused by the absence of the Rolling Stones, became a kind of an impulse for his group. Due to that, they began to play “louder” and “faster” and, eventually, won the audience (Roger The Engineer, 2014). Then, the story of how the group has changed and evolved with the arrival of new members and the departure of the old leaders follows. Although the band did not achieve a stunning success, it was a launch pad for three famous rock guitarists - Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. Each of them brought in the Yardbirds play something new and unique, so it is difficult to overestimate their role for the group. Thus, Clapton remembered by his classic Chicago rhythm and blues, Beck - endowed the sound of the group with psychedelic elements, and his duet with Page brought the group to a new level. In their interviews, former participants alternately admire the play of their leaders. So, Dreja speaks of Clapton as the most professional guitarist, Clapton admires Beck's virtuosity, but everyone unanimously talks about the versatility of Page (Roger The Engineer, 2014). The story of Led Zeppelin’s creation at the end of the film causes ambiguous feelings among the audience. On the one hand, fans of Yardbirds feel chagrin over the disintegration of their beloved band, on the other hand, they feel pride in their favorite performer and his success. The last 10 minutes of the film are devoted to the sad death of Relf, that causes the viewer's sadness and regret. Thus, the film came out very informative and emotional.