The Yardbirds may be one of the greatest original rock and R&B bands of all time, but they are not nearly as well-known as several other bands who thrived in the same era. Even back when they were most active in the 1960s, each member was fully aware of the fierce competition they faced. In an interview with Sonic Breadcrumbs, drummer Jim McCarty admitted, “We were pretty desperate, because a lot of, well … ‘desperate’ is a funny word, but there were a lot of bands that were in the same era, and they were all having hits. The Animals, the Stones obviously, the Beatles, the Kinks, they were all having hits except for us.”
It can be difficult to believe that a band that included such esteemed guitarists as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page could not do better, but in an essay written in 1970, rock critic Lester Bangs offered an explanation. He said, “The musicians in the Yardbirds were just too good, too accomplished and cocky to do anything but f*** up in the aftermath of an experiment that none of them seemed to understand anyway.”
The Washington Post elaborated on this major dilemma and pointed out that the band often struggled to find its identity. The bandmates had a solid foundation in blues, but they could never abandon pop because it provided the funds necessary to keep playing music. Unable to settle on one direction, they failed to equal the success of the rising stars surrounding them.
