Line #6 Music/LittleGames


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f06575b7db96541f0ff0c83493d74eb2.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''Little Games''.]]
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4	''Little Games'' is the fourth studio album by Music/TheYardbirds, released in 1967. It is their only studio album to feature [[Music/LedZeppelin Jimmy Page]], their first album without Paul Samwell-Smith and Music/JeffBeck, and their final studio album to feature Keith Relf. It is also their final studio album released before their break-up the following year, with their next studio album - ''Birdland'' - being released 36 years later. Produced by Mickie Most, ''Little Games'' is seen as an attempt to revitalise the band's popularity, which had been in decline for a while by then. As a result, the majority of the album is not seen as representative of the band's live sound, and Most has been largely blamed as a catalyst for the band's break-up the following year.
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6	Upon release, the album was only released in the US, as the self-titled lead single failed to chart in the UK. ''Little Games'' ultimately failed in saving the band's declining commercial fortunes, as did the subsequent non-album singles. To this day, the album receives strong mixed reviews, with some viewing the album as a psychedelic pop masterpiece, and others viewing it as the band's nadir. To sum it up, ''Little Games'' is The Yardbirds' ''Music/SmileySmile''. Interesting to note is that the band themselves have since expressed [[CreatorBacklash their dislike for this album, particularly Jimmy Page, who described the album as "horrible"]].
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8	Fan favourites include the title track, "White Summer", "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor", "Glimpses" and "Drinking Muddy Water".
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10	----
11	!! Tracklist:
12
13	[[AC: Side One]]
14
15	# "Little Games" (2:25)
16	# "Smile On Me" (3:16)
17	# "White Summer" (3:56)
18	# "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor" (2:49)
19	# "Glimpses" (4:24)
20
21	[[AC: Side Two]]
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23	# "Drinking Muddy Water" (2:53)
24	# "No Excess Baggage" (2:32)
25	# "Stealing Stealing" (2:42)
26	# "Only The Black Rose" (2:52)
27	# "Little Soldier Boy" (2:39)
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29	----
30	!!Principal Members:
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32	* Chris Dreja - bass, vocals
33	* Jim [=McCarty=] - drums, percussion, vocals
34	* [[Music/LedZeppelin Jimmy Page]] - guitar
35	* Keith Relf - lead vocals, harmonica, percussion
36
37	----
38	!! Only The Black Tropes:
39
40	* AlbumTitleDrop: Aside from the title track, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor":
41	-->''"Having buys it's fortune, fame\
42	Living's just a little game"''
43	* AlliterativeTitle: "'''T'''inker '''T'''ailor '''S'''oldier '''S'''ailor".
44	* CoverVersion: "Drinking Muddy Water" is a cover of the Music/MuddyWaters song "Rollin' And Tumblin'" in all but name and credits. "Smile On Me" is a re-working of Music/HowlinWolf's "Shake For Me". "Stealing Stealing" is a blues song originally by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers. Furthermore, "Little Games" and "No Excess Baggage" were written by outside songwriters.
45	* DesignStudentsOrgasm: The '''very''' Pop Art album cover.
46	* FaceOnTheCover[=/=]FloatingHeadSyndrome: The cover art depicts the band members as a series of floating heads.
47	* {{Instrumental}}: "White Summer".
48	* NewSoundAlbum: At least compared to ''Music/RogerTheEngineer'', this album leans more towards psychedelic pop, as well as folk influences. No doubt the result of major line-up changes in 1966 as well as their collaboration with producer Mickie Most.
49	* OneWordTitle: "Glimpses".
50	* RecordProducer: Mickie Most, famous for his work with Music/TheAnimals and Music/HermansHermits, among others.
51	* SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll: The subject of the TitleTrack.
52	-->''"Little games are for little boys\
53	Loving games are for bigger boys\
54	Parties in Chelsea flats\
55	Mixing with kinky cats\
56	Are games I wanna play some more"''
57	* ShoutOut: "Drinking Muddy Water" is a fairly obvious reference to Music/MuddyWaters. Rather fitting, considering that it's essentially a reworking of his song "Rollin' And Tumblin'".
58	* TheShowMustGoWrong: The original LP misspelled Chris Dreja's name as "Ereja". Not the first time to happen to Dreja, as the US version of ''[[Music/RogerTheEngineer Over Under Sideways Down]]'' misspells his name as "Drega", as well as [=McCarty=]'s name as "[=McCarthy=]".
59	* SpecialGuest: Ian Stewart of Music/{{The Rolling Stones\|Band}} plays piano on "Drinking Muddy Water". As a session musician [[Music/LedZeppelin John Paul Jones]] plays bass on "Little Games" and "No Excess Baggage".
60	* SpokenWordInMusic: During "Glimpses" we hear a faint, barely audible voice reciting the text:
61	--> ''"Glimpses of clouds in a forest''
62	--> ''Can review well within us''
63	--> ''And never to linger on one is life''
64	--> ''Energy radiates from the source''
65	--> ''The life around us is but a reflection of our own''
66	--> ''Flowing within never-ending boundless infinity''
67	--> ''Time is just a cumular limit''
68	--> ''Which with one glimpse can overcome''
69	--> ''Can overcome..."''
70	* TitleTrack: "Little Games".
71	* WorldMusic: "White Summer" has an Eastern music sound, exemplified by an oboe and an Indian-percussion tabla. During "Glimpses" a sitar plays.
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Context Music / LittleGames