The Yardbirds - Five Live Yardbirds The Yardbirds

Five Live Yardbirds is the debut album by British blues-rock band The Yardbirds. It features ten American rhythm and blues songs reimagined in what would become The Yardbirds’ “rave-up” signature. The “rave-up” treatment was the art of stretching a song with instrumental interludes building to a climax and was pioneered by the band for their live shows.

The album was recorded at the Marquee Club on Wardour Street, London in March 1964 and released in the UK in December that year. It was the inspiration of the band's manager Giorgio Gomelsky, who wanted to capture and preserve their youthful energy and the electric atmosphere.

At the time of release, it was not well received critically and failed to chart. Subsequently, it has been acclaimed as one of the most important live albums of the Sixties during the British rock boom. Aerosmith's founding guitarist Joe Perry describes their version of Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” as a blueprint for much of what Aerosmith tried to do.