In a recent thread, Townsman jungleland2 raised an interesting point that I’ve heard raised many times over the years:
Just got the 2-disc The Who Sell Out. I know this is their “great” record of the 60’s but I am not connecting to it so far
Have you had this feeling? Have you heard this feeling expressed by other rock-loving, Who-loving friends when they finally get around to checking out this critically acclaimed Who album?
I love the album, myself, and I’ve recommended it to aspiring rock nerds through the years. However, there must be a half dozen friends who love The Who, whom I thought would surely love Sell Out, but who felt the same way jungleland2 does. It’s made me wonder what we talk about when we talk about The Who.
We don’t ask this question about The Beatles or The Rolling Stones or Bob Dylan, do we? Factoring in all artistic progressions, we still seem to find a common thread through their music, despite the fact that some of us prefer early Beatles or pot-smoking Beatles or Exile-era Stones or feel comfortable writing off the last 30+ years of Dylan’s output.
With The Who, however, an acknowledged titan of rock and contender for the Mount Rushmore of Rock, fans of the band seem to have more wildly varying notions of the band’s essence. Some fans feel the band is best defined by the early singles. Some feel it’s the epic stuff from the early ’70s. Most seem to be uncomfortable with the legacy of one of the band’s best-known works, Tommy, and all seem split on Sell Out and Live at Leeds. The funny thing is, I don’t think their music changed that much over the years, just the parts they emphasized at any given era.
What do we talk about when we talk about The Who?
Well, for me, I know that when I talk about The Who, it’s all about the songs. It’s all about Pete’s songs. The band is defined by the songs themselves. That said, “I Can’t Explain” is cut from the same cloth as “I’m One.” So, in many ways, I totally agree with you that despite the obvious different eras or stages of The Who’s life that their music really hasn’t changed that much.
I can’t say that Pete Townshend IS The Who because it is their collective personalities that make the band work.
While I can dig Pete’s random guitaring and John’s killer virtuostic bassing and Keith thunder, if The Who didn’t have those great songs, they wouldn’t do anything for this listener.
TB
Sell Out didn’t work for me, either. I think I can only take The Who in small doses. A little seems to go a long way.
I’ve never been a big fan of Sell Out either. I think the commercials are stupid, and hearing them once was more than enough. I first bought it as an LP, and that was way too much needle lifting.
I think it’s got some good songs, but not enough of them for an album. I love I Can’t Reach You, but side two goes downhill fast after it’s over.
Also I Can See For Miles has always been my least favorite of the Who’s big hits.
I love Sell Out, I think. I haven’t been inclined to listen to it lately, or really to The Who at all.
No one Who album sums up all that they do well. Sell Out has the catchy melodies, the sense of humor, the art-pop conceptualizing, but not the Daltrey rock god-isms, which get mocked by certain segments of Who fans, but their absence is palpable.
Tommy tries to one-up Sell Out, but is burdened with a lot of filler that exists to move the dopey, incoherent plot along.
Leeds (original version) and Who’s Next rock mightily. They’re probably my favorites, but the snap and brevity of the old singles are missed. The Leeds reissues fix this, to a degree.
Quadrophenia also rocks. Really friggin’ hard. So hard, you’re exhausted by side four, and pretty much can’t take it any more. Wearying.
Sometimes I think the movie The Kids Are Alright (and maybe the soundtrack, which I loved in high school) best encapsulates their different elements.
Righteous, Oats!
Somehow I knew TB would chime in first. He and I have had many a discussion about The Who.
Sell Out is a great LP, but I can agree with Big Steve that side two goes downhill. I find myself listening more to side one which I think is fantastic. The 2-disc mono/stereo is way cool because the mono is a different lead guitar throughout most.
The early singles are great, but the mid-period ones suck. C’mon “Dogs part 2”??!!?? really, Pete!!
The Tommy and later period is hit and miss. Some of the stuff really kicks it, but some is just ok. I can barely listen to Quadrophenia. I like the hits, but I am tired of it by the end. Who’s Next is great through and through and can be considered as one of their best. I’ve bought that record four or five different times.
The last two LPs with Kenney Jones are tolerable. There are some cuts I really like (You Better You Bet, Athena, etc.) but I hate Eminence Front. C’mon TB.. I’m waiting for it…
Overall, I can’t compare the Who to the Beatles or the Stones. I just don’t like them as number one or two.. but top 5 or 6.. sure…
When it comes to the “Holy Trinity of Britsh Rock of the 60s”, The Who takes a strong second for me, just behind The Beatles. I will grant you that The Stones are “better” than The Who as far as influence/importance/whatever, but I just like The Who better.
As far as Sell Out is concerned, I’m for it. I regard it highly among The Who’s catalogue for reasons that have been summed up here by other Townsfolk. suffice to say, I think it’s a nifty record that’s managed to grow on me more and more through the years. I like it better now than I did even two years ago.
There aren’t many who records I hate. The last one (from 1982) is amptly titled as It’s Hard to listen to straight through. I adore “Athena.” I have already professed my love for “Eminence Front,” so that’s no secret. I think it’s a better song than many will admit, but I understand why people don’t like it. Someone else recently went to bat with me for “Front” and stated how much ass it kicked live back in ’82. I will say that I still think it kicks ass live as it is a guitar showcase for Pete these days. I won’t make a case for or against the song as I know its detractors will remain so, but I will call out MickAvory to admit that the song was pretty good in its live setting. But I will admit that those latter albums are uneven affairs and I prefer to listen to Pete’s solo records from this period as opposed to The Who ones.
Pete Townshend, for me, is the most articulate spokesman for what Rock is and why it resonates for me. This is why I identify with him on so many levels. I might go so far as to say Townshend is my favorite rock-type person of all time, but I won’t. I owe alot of my writing and general relationship to music to Pete and I can make sense of most of what he is saying, even when talks out of his ass (I have this habit, too. I’m probably doing it now.). I just feel so passionate about the music that I love, that it sometime become impossible to articulate. And some things in life do not need to be articulated.
I don’t want to give the wrong impression here. I don’t sit around and listen to The Who all day and night. I don’t sleep, eat, and breathe all things Who. I do count them as one of my favorite bands, though. And we all know that Mr. Townshend is my special boyfriend.
TB
Glad I could spark some Who conversation.
Here is where I stand…
5 Stars – Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy (love those singles)
5 Stars – Tommy
5 Stars – Live At Leeds
5 Stars – Who’s Next
4.5 Stars – Quadrophenia 1/2 star off due to length of record
This is the GREAT stuff IMO.
The post 1973 sounds like a band that does not care anymore and the pre 1968 stuff is great when it’s great but too much filler and strange cover song choices (James Brown??)
I put Sell Out too far into the filler category so far. I plan to give it a fair shake this week (and to be fair this is my first non-beatle record I’ve played since 9-09-09).. I do prefer the mono version..still too compressed which is annoying
that said, there are 4+ hours of great Who stuff, which is more than I can say for most bands. And as far as a 2-disc “best of” they go up against just about everyone.
The Who were the perfect flawed rock band. The individual pieces (with the possible exception of the lead singer) were great. Moon and Entwistle were both incredible players and Pete was all you could want in a rock band leader. They made many great tunes, my favorite of which are the early singles that ended up on MBB&B. Still, given all of their unique talents, I would have expected a lot more than The Who’s catalog has produced. Should I blame Roger?
Their only truly GREAT album was Who’s Next. Our opinion of that album is likely diminished to some degree by over-saturation, but take away the familiarity and Baba O’Reilly is a stone cold masterpiece (just for the intro). That song and Won’t Get Fooled Again are at the pinnacle of album rock during the glory years of album rock. My Generation is another iconic, over-played tune that contributed mightily to the rock and roll story.
Ok it’s growing on me.
I think the original discussion about “What Who are we taking about” is still up in the air.
It’s kinda like people who say they only like the late period Beatles (I hear that a lot).. Same with The Rolling Stones. Play Between The Buttons for a classic rock guy and he may not dig it at all, but LOVES Brown Sugar.
The Who changed so much in the three years between Sell Out and Who’s Next that there is a serious likelihood that the fans of these two records don’t really intersect at all.
The Who’s Next crowd was Ok with Quadrophenia’s singles and forgave the diminishing returns of the next few records…until It’s Hard that is.
Ok, and Pink floyd is the same way. Most “fans” of Floyd are really fans of one era – 1973-1979 and would never listen to the stuff before this
I made my 3-hour Best Of The Who and it gives decent credit to every era and nearly every record get 3-4 tracks (not the last two, they get one each)and almost every released single 1965-1973 made the cut as well as a few b-sides