Quick One
The Who Sell Out
Tommy
Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy
Who's Next
Quadrophenia
Odds and Sods
Kids Are Alright
1965
Cool debut! Unlike most web reviewers, I attained the 2002 2-CD remaster of My Generation with a buttload of bonus tracks and several points of utter confusion. Confusion stemming from typical discography questions, as must come up often in the Who’s scattered catalogue. But apparently the sound has been improved on, as many have knocked the original's production, courtesy of Shel Talmy.
From the start, the Who were a young band heavily influenced by R&B, and rocked harder and more intense than the Beatles. According to the liner notes, you had your ‘shy’ Keith Moon (wha?!), your ‘animated’ John Entwistle (huh?), your ‘introvert’ Pete Townshend (well, yeah) and lead singer Roger Daltrey. This debut My Generation, and much of the bonus material, comes from two main recording sessions. The first was made up of mostly covers and one original, and the second (six months later) was all original stuff, from the mind of Peter Townshend.
Let’s get the covers out of the way: they don’t work. Roger Daltrey was heavily into James Brown at the time, which somehow made him think he had anything on JB. No, no, no. “I Don’t Mind” and “Please Please Please” are hard to listen to, since Daltrey’s vocals are way too forced and high-pitched, and the rest of the band sounds uninspired. You could tell only Daltrey cared. And the other cover made its way into the reissue (I think it was on the UK release) was of Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man,” which is just as embarrassing as Daltrey, ehm, doesn’t know Diddley.
No, focus on the originals! All pretty cool! “Out in the Street” was the only original recorded during Sessions 1, and is pretty hard-edged if a bit primitive. I love the chorus: ‘you don’t know me no/yeahhh/I’m gonna know you.’ “The Good’s Gone” is the strongest non-hit on here, with an ominous feel, Daltrey’s low-register vocals, and a cool guitar line. Liner notes say the track was inspired by Kinks’ “See My Friends,” and I can see that: they both have ringing guitars and minimal chord changes. And that instrumental “The Ox”? Pretty daring stuff for 1965. You got loads of feedback, angry bass, banging piano, and insane percussion. I don’t necessarily enjoy it as much as others, but there’s no denying its status.
Who can argue with the title track? Damn, what to say about THAT one? The very first punk song, perhaps. Whenever Roger sings, ‘why don’t you all f-f-f-f’ I still expect him to say ‘fuck off’ rather than ‘fade away.’ That would have been for the ages. “The Kids Are Alright” was what really got me into the Who for the long run, as it’s very melodic and just enough pop to not sound flimsy. And “A Legal Matter” has Pete’s first lead vocals, and is just a funny story, though it sounds a lot like the Stones’ “The Last Time.”
Here’s where my questions begin, though. The remastering seems to want to throw as many alternates as possible. On the original LP, were “My Generation” and “Legal Matter” presented without those guitar overdubs? Because they are lacking without those elements. OK, they have the mono versions on Disc 2, but still. Was that version of “The Kids Are Alright” there? Because I’m so used to the lovely version on Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy, the vocal sounds a bit off here. Alternate vocal, maybe? Ah, hell, it's too confusing.
Back to the review. When Pete tones it down, the results aren’t as great. “Much Too Much” and “It’s Not True” are cute and have often funny lyrics, but still sound like failed Beatles tracks. The guilty pleasure “La-La-La Lies” is also bizarre, with its light Latin beat and cute backing vocals. Was this a parody of the UK pop at the time? Who knows. And the would-be single “Circles” isn’t all that memorable, as the melody doesn’t cut the mustard for me.
On to the bonus tracks. “Shout and Shimmy” is another poor James Brown cover, although the song itself is a pathetic ripoff of the Isley Brothers classic. I like the beginning, where Daltrey tries to get everyone revved up, and the rest of the band sounds bored. Ha! The OK “Anytime You Want Me” reminds me of something off Please Please Me, maybe “Anna.” I do like the obscure Motown “Leaving Here,” even though too many versions exist. This one was the superior one to the Odds & Sods cut, and with an alternate vocal take from the one on Who's Missing. None of the other five are worth mentioning. Besides confusing alternates and whatnot, there are fuller versions of “Good’s Gone” and “I Don’t Mind,” if you don’t like tracks fading out. And “Instant Party Mixture” is a funny doo-wop novelty that mixes that Dion oldie “Runaround Sue” with the lyrical content of Dr. Demento’s “Shaving Cream.” As in cutting off someone about to say a dirty word.
But dang, this review’s too long. In closing, I’ll say it’s safe to say that the Who arrived on the scene with a bang on My Generation. It loses a few points for the softer songs and the misguided covers, but I’m OK with an 8.
1966
In between My Generation and Quick One, a lot happened to the Who. Shel Talmy was out as producer and Kit Lambert was in. The band itself had several now-classic singles in 1966, namely “Happy Jack,” “I’m a Boy,” and “Substitute.” So, that means Quick One should be a goodie, right? Uh...no. See, on this album their record company advanced money to each member of the Who to write songs, since the group needed the cash. Only problem: not all the members were songwriters. We all know Pete was the brains of the group, and John was able to carve his own niche starting here, but the other two? Ehhhhh.
Actually, Johnny comes off the best of any Who member on Quick One. See, he had this dark (black) humor that pervaded his songs. We see so on “Boris the Spider,” the best song on here with the minor-key nursery melody and the tragic tale of the eight-legged creature. I find it too novelty-ish to be his best song ever, but I will not argue with the LOWWWW bass vocals on the chorus. It always reminds me of those showoff basses in the guys choir at high school, who’d sing real low and rub it in our baritone faces! Jerkz! The cool “Whiskey Man” is more normal musically, if the subject manner is even weirder: an imaginary drinking friend. Or should I say ‘flend.’ Hear the song to get my joke.
Now Keith was obviously much more concerned with making noise, which is all right. In fact, I love “Cobwebs and Strange,” a mishmash of carnival instruments and insane drumming. I just don’t consider it a song. When he tries to write a real song, he fails. “I Need You” doesn’t have a good melody, the drums are mixed too high, and the song as a whole falls apart in the middle. Huh uh. Just make noise, Moony.
What about Roger, the singer? Turns out he’s no better off writing than with James Brown covers. “See My Way” tries to be Buddy Holly, but is too awkward and clumsy to win out. But I don’t quite share the opinion of my fellow web reviewers, who treat it like it’s the Worst Piece of Music Written by Mortal Man. It’s not as bad as all that, it’s just shy Starostin, McFerrin, Karn, Holmes, calm down! Throw it in the trash, call it forgettable, because it is. But don’t actively hate it!! Save it for Michael Bolton!
Now all this would be OK if Pete were consistent. But he isn’t on Quick One. “Don’t Look Away” has a nice country sound, but the melody runs all over the map and when they finally get to the chorus, I’m too tired for the rest of the song. And the title track is not great at all. I do side with the web reviewers that this 9-minute mini-opera does not sound good in the studio. The edits are awful, and they’re too damn timid. Luckily, they perfected it for Live at Leeds and Rock’n’Roll Circus. Meanwhile, “Run Run Run” is a nice feedback tune with dumb lyrics. “So Sad About Us” has great harmonizing, but the production leaves a lot to be desired.
What a disappointment of an album. Half of it isn’t good (oh, I forgot their stupid remake of “Heat Wave,” the worst one on here along with “I Need You.” Why can’t these bands lay off Motown?) and the other half is good but flawed. A 5 does Quick One get.
But WAIT! Ten bonus tracks on here! And most are enjoyable. Maybe not the overlong cut of “Happy Jack” or the romp through “My Generation”/sacred “Land of Hope and Glory.” But the obscure Everly Brothers cover “Man With Money” and the cluttered “Disguises” are nice. The rest are either surf covers or more John goodies. The former category has their funny covers of “Batman,” “Barbara Ann,” (Keith’s favorite song ever) and best of all, “Bucket T.” Love that French horn on “Bucket”! Go Johnny! Speaking of John, he scores with the falsetto-ridden “Doctor, Doctor” and the country romp “I’ve Been Away,” but misses with the pastiche “In the City.” But these bonus tracks are so fun that I bump the album up to a 6. Aren’t I nice?
1967
A year after their spotty Quick One, the Who recovered with Sell Out. They dropped the everyone-writes-a-song rule, establishing Pete as the chief songwriter from here on out. This must have inspired Pete, since he came up with better tunes and splendid ballads here. Being 1967, psychedelia and experimentation are also in the mix, with mixed results. Hence the 7 rating, even if it is markedly better than Quick ‘Un.
Oh yeah, there’s sort of a concept too. The ‘Oo seem to be mocking advertisements, or the notion of a band endorsing products for moolah. It’s evident in the classic cover and the clever between-song bits for Charles Atlas, Rotosound Strings, etc. Even three of them are separate tracks! You got “Heinz Baked Beans,” which is basically a level-headed “Cobwebs and Strange” augmented by ‘what’s for tea?’ quips. “Odorono” not only is a funny tale of a woman not using the proper deodorant, but that melody ain’t too shabby! Only “Medac” fails, not funny or musically memorable. Should have been a ‘tweener like the rest.
Now as for the real songs...only ten of ‘em, and a few aren’t all dat. People like the opening “Armenia City in the Sky” with the backward guitars and the trippy lyrics. But it doesn’t sound like the Who to me, more like one of those failed psychedelic songs done by out-of-date acts (like the Rascals’ “It’s Wonderful” and Paul Revere’s “I Had a Dream.”). I call “Maryanne With the Shaky Hand” the Who’s best pop song of the sixties, but you wouldn’t know by hearing this limp, tired version. Why this? There are two much better alternates floating around! It gets better, as “Relax” is more psycho-pop, but closer to the Who (and better) than “Armenia” ever was. Entwistle’s “Silas Stingy” is really cute and singalong-y, but pales in comparison to what he wrote for Quicken. “Rael” sees Pete again trying to write a mini-opera, but this is too obfuscated and wimpy to qualify. Yes, the “Sparks” riff was born here, but even so...
Now the other five tracks own, and most of them are the quieter ones. Petey’s two ‘fast ballads’ “Our Love Was” and “I Can’t Reach You” might be the best of those type I’ve ever heard. The former is just magnificent all throughout, from Pete’s emotional vocals to the guitar riff (sorry, I don’t hear “Dear Prudence” anywhere), and the latter is just as nice if not as anthemic. “Sunrise” is just Pete and his acoustic, and he creates a true new-morning feel. “Tattoo” has another cool guitar lick and amusing teenager-coming-of-age type lyrics.
I don’t think I need to tell you what’s the best one on here...oh, OK. “Ike and Sea-fer Myles.” You all most likely know it, so all I can say is it almost doesn’t belong on this album, where everything’s quiet and/or pop-like, it basically stomps on all that surrounds it with its aggression. The first Who song I was totally into, several years before I really got into the band. That scorcher, the funny ads, and the ballads make up for the spottier moments and give Sell Out a 7.
Oh wait, we gots bonus tracks. Well, most of them ‘ain’t for keeping.’ “Rael 2” is a useless snippet, “Melancholia” and “Jaguar” are flat-out unlistenable, and Pete’s “Glittering Girl” goes nowhere. Keith’s “Girl’s Eyes” is better than “I Need You,” but that’s all it has. Same with Roger’s “Early Morning Cold Taxi,” which is at least more confident than “See My Way.” Their cool acid runthrough of “Hall of the Mountain King” shows that this Grieg composition was just MADE for the trippy s! Entwistle wrote “Someone’s Coming,” a lyrical nonentity but with cool (but generic) horn parts. This organ-based cut of “Maryanne” is much better than that which made the album, but still isn’t THE best version of the tune. See Odds & Sods for that, and comments on “Glow Girl,” which is superfluous here. Unlike Quack One, the bonus tracks have no impact on the overall rating.
1. Think that "Our love was" is okay, but not really mind-blowing...and "Dear Prudence" is one of my fav songs....so totally agree with u on not seeing the connection...George, will be good to have ur opinion....
2. "Armenia city in the sky" - a failed experiment??? well, ok so we don't agree on everything....me thinks the song rocks....totally....
1969
He done did it. After showing signs with “A Quick One” and “Rael,” you had a feeling Pete was going to come up with an album chock full of concept. Tommy probably isn’t the first concept album, but certainly the first to capture the attention of the American public. Now it has been a movie, a Broadway play, heck, it’s even worked its way to the high school drama world! I saw a local high school production last May. If you don’t know the plot for some reason, many other sites will give you the lowdown because I don’t wanna. Tommy is deaf, dumb, and, blind, Tommy becomes normal, and Tommy goes corrupt with power. There you have it.
Now, like an opera, Tommy has an overture and underture, several repeated themes like “Sparks” and “See Me, Feel Me,” and a few 20-30 second plot setups. They’re all great, save “Underture.” Even the plot setups! From the emotional “It’s a Boy” to the bouncy “Tommy Can You Hear Me,” they can be as melodic and well-written as the songs themselves! By the way, the songs themselves are excellent. By now Pete’s songwriting skills have come into its own, and there are hooks and great melodies everywhere. As for the music, it rocks, but more in a subtle acoustic way, as many have said. Other things in abundance on Tommy are the many riffs, again most being acoustic. Very memorable, be it that of “Pinball Wizard” or “Go To The Mirror!”
What’s my favorite track on here??? Urg, too many to choose from. The nifty “Amazing Journey” that segues into John’s classic bass noodlings on “Sparks”? The aforementioned rock radio staple “Pinball Wizard”? The cool pop-rock “I’m Free”? The intense “We’re Not Gonna Take It”...ahh forget it. Well, I do consider “Christmas” and “Go To The Mirror” as lesser-known favorites. Both have awesome melodies, awesome structures, and great use of the “See Me” motif. Of course, the “See Me, Feel Me” bit at the very end of the album is the most emotional moment, although it really took off when played live. It’s not all Pete, though. Johnny contributed “Cousin Kevin” about a really mean cousin who gave Tommy hell, and “Fiddle About” about a drunken uncle. Are they dark humor? More dark than humor, but still they’re different. And Keith continues his circus pieces with the minute-long “Tommy’s Holiday Camp.”
Yeah, but it ain’t perfect. Some songs are either weak, don’t fit in, or both. For example, “Sensation” is a cool number, but it doesn’t fit in as it is right after “Smash the Mirror.” The high school production placed it during Tommy’s pinball prowess section. The movie placed it right before the camp opens, which probably makes the most sense. Likewise, I’ve never had much use for “Sally Simpson,” which kinda evokes early Elton John for some reason but is dismissable. “Welcome” does fit in the plot, but is kind of slow and boring. And “Underture” shows too much of a good thing, the “Sparks” theme repeated for 10 minutes. But Tommy as a whole is just so tight, so musically topnotch, that it still gets a 9. Don’t like the plot? Just concentrate on the music!
1971
The main problem with the Who, in my opinion, is that there are far too many greatest hits packages and reissues and whatnot. But of all the Greatest Hits packages, Meaty Beaty is definitely the most essential. It concentrates primarily on the Who’s singles up until 1970, many of which didn’t end up on their albums.
Kicking things off is the awesome “I Can’t Explain,” which Pete admits was written to sound like a Kinks song to draw interest from Shel Talmy, the Kinks manager and producer of My Generation. That guitar riff is certainly influential, and has been ripped off on many tunes. Their other 1965 singles include the sublime “Kids Are Alright” (an edited version, there is more feedback on the My Generation cut), the tough “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” “My Generation,” and “Legal Matter.”
1966 was the year that their singles overtook their album Quick One, although John’s “Boris the Spider” is included. “Substitute” is indeed cool, and the fun “Happy Jack” has withstood constant use on those damn Hummer commercials. “I’m a Boy” might get my vote as the very best of these singles, as it has strange lyrical matter and just a great sound. Here’s some more confusion: this version is only on Meaty. On other compilations, a shorter, faster version is present. Differences are subtle: the Meaty cut is longer, has French horn parts, and no Pete vocals. So which one was the single??
Their cuts here are the not-so-subtle ditty “Pictures of Lily” and the explosive “I Can See For Miles,” a song I loved long before I was a Who fan. Same for the Bo Diddley-esque “Magic Bus,” a single which later became stretched at concerts. Tommy is represented with “Pinball Wizard” (of course) and their 1970 single “The Seeker” was a harbinger of their Who's Next phase. “Seeker” is cool, but surprisingly obscure. Does Meaty Beaty get a 10? You betcha! You betcha you bet, even.
1971
Unquestioned classic. Who’s Next is the culmination of a lot of things happening to the Who. Their sound opened up, it was much bigger than before. I guess some would call it arena-rock. Whatever. Anyways, Pete’s guitar playing went to new heights, as the riffs here are quintessential. Keith was still crazy Keith, John was still the Ox. But Roger? His voice is a complete powerhouse by now, as it was during Live at Leeds and such. Also, Pete began dinking around with synths here, constructing inventive loops having something to do with his than-idol guru Meher Baba, but I know not what. Lastly, the album came together after Pete’s concept Lifehouse didn’t get off the ground, and some songs ended up here while others became outtakes or even singles (“Join Together”). Anywho (get it??? HAHA), Who’s Next of course is the best Who album out there, and maybe a bit overrated. Maybe people got sick of hearing half of the album via the radio. Not I though, I was not completely familiar with any track before I heard the album.
At least three songs from Who’s Next are overplayed on classic rock radio and deservedly so. Two of them, “Teenage Wasteland” and “Theme from C.S.I. Miami,” may be among the best songs among the rock genre. Period. Do I really need to describe them? How they both have disillusioned lyrics, three-chord windmill riffs, complex synth loops, plus the legendary scream off “Won’t Get Fooled Again”? No. Y’all know them. One interesting note about “Baba O’Riley”: The minor league baseball team here in Boise used to pipe the entire intro over the loudspeaker and name the starting lineup right after the opening line ‘out here in the fields!’. Get it? Anyone else done that? .
The other radio standard in question would be the really good antisocial ballad “Behind Blue Eyes,” which that idiot Fred Durst has no business getting his crummy hands on. You heard Limp Bizkit’s cover? Not radically different from the original, but much more petulant. And a dumb Spellmaster toy in the middle: ‘L-I-M-P-B-I-Z-K-I-T’. Urrrggghhh. Luckily they cut out the ‘if my fist clenches, crack it open’ section. In their hands it would have been a mosh-pit reworking, which would make me hate them even more than I already do. Either way, their cover is awful awful awful, even worse than that Bizkit-ballad-soundalike “One Thing” by Finger Eleven. Fred Durst, you suck .
I’ve heard three other tracks off here on the airwaves a few times. Almost everyone loves the prayer “Bargain,” which rocks just as well as “Baba” and “Fooled,” but is more reflective. However, many diss on “My Wife” and “Goin’ Mobile.” Why? They’re both catchy and fun! And “My Wife” happens to be John’s best song ever. Only he can make a song about getting drunk and fearing his wife catching him fun. The melody takes twists and turns like crazy, and the horn section pushes the fun even further. So it’s murky. ‘Oo cares? Meanwhile, “Mobile” is a silly little ditty about mobile homes. Anyone who calls the album too overblown yet bashes these songs isn’t worth pleasing .
The remaining tracks are even more controversial. Well, not really “Love Ain’t For Keeping,” which is short but relaxing. I be talking ‘bout the Lifehouse remains “Song is Over” and “Getting in Tune.” “Song” starts off really nice, with great singing from Pete and a good melody. But Roger comes in to sing the song to the ‘sky-high mountains’ and makes me uncomfortable. “Tune” isn’t as overblown, but actually weaker. It plods around, has an annoying coda, and is saved by more great melody bits. Anywho, “Pure and Easy” trumps both songs easily, and the album may have gotten an 11 had it been included. But still, I don’t mind giving Who’s Next a 10. Despite imperfections, no song is flat-out weak. A must for any rock collection.
P.S. My CD has some bonus tracks, which are either live tunes or more Lifehouse outtakes. The live cuts “Water” and “Naked Eye” aren’t necessary, as similar live alternates are already on Isle of Wight. But the live Motown-cover-turned-jam “Baby Don’t You Do It” isn’t anywhere else, and rocks. In the studio, “I Don’t Even Know Myself” is loads of fun, the “Fooled” sound with harmonica and woodblock! But better versions of “Pure and Easy” and “Too Much of Anything” are on Odds & Sods. The former is nowhere near as majestic as on Odds, and the latter is exactly the same except for a ridiculous vocal from Rog?. And you don’t need the alternate “Behind Blue Eyes.” But you do need this album.
1973
Pete really upped the ante here. After Tommy was a huge success and Lifehouse never really got out of the starting gate, Pete took the concept album once again. The plot of Quadrophenia is much more complicated than Tommy, so I’ll just say this much: it’s about the life of a young mod named Jimmy, and the identity crises he faced as all teenagers do. This time around, the elaborate instrumentation is a far cry from the guitar-and-occasional-French-Horn setting on Tommy. Obviously Pete was becoming more and more into synthesizers, more so than Who’s Next. And yes, it’s a lot more pretentious-sounding than Tommy, with not as many memorable melodies to justify anything. But Quadrophenia‘s 8 is not a far grade drop-off from Tommy.
Let’s break things down by each quarter. The first quarter is all splendid, except maybe “Cut My Hair,” but even that is at least interesting. “I Am the Sea” starts off to briefly introduce each four themes over a sea background. These four themes, which are the four sides of Jimmy that are constantly at war, show up later on the prolonged instrumental title track, which is breathtaking. The rocker “The Real Me” is a bit overproduced but intense (and a great show-off for the bass talent of Entwistle). “The Punk Meets the Godfather” isn’t no slouch either, with an awesome riff and biting conversation between the cynical godfather (not Marlon Brando, tho!) and the young punk.
Problems set in the second quarter, with no outstanding tunes. Closest would be the midtempo “Is It In My Head”?, but even I don’t know why I consider it a favorite. “Dirty Jobs” is too hokey, the acoustic ballad “I’m One” leaves me cold every time, and “I’ve Had Enough” is easily the worst rocker on here, too clumsy and immelodic (or is it unmelodic?). The first theme on here, “Helpless Dancer,” is apparently Roger’s Theme. I guess it’s appropriate, Roger didn’t shy away from fistfights as a young guy, and the tune is all about being tough. Besides the Eastern melody, it’s nothing great .
Quarter Three boasts the greatest-hits-compilation mainstay :15,” which certainly rocks in an Entwistle-type way; namely, mid-tempo and brass-drenched. It’s not Entwistle’s, of course, everything here belongs to Pete. ‘Inside, outside, leave me alone!’ Cool. “Sea and Sand” is an OK ballad and “Drowned” is an OK rocker. “Bell Boy” is a bit more than OK, as it starts as a nostalgic tune about an old mod friend and fast-forwards to what became of him: a sold-out bell boy. By far the funniest moment on the album, with Keith’s stuffy bell-boy impression and the chorus. It is Keith’s Theme, after all.
And the last quarter, hoo boy, then the good stuff really piles in. “Dr. Jimmy” is everything “Enough” failed to be, an angry rocker that briefly comes to a halt as another side of him came in. In this case it’s John’s Theme, “Is It Me”? So far it’s the best theme, as it appeals to the romantic side of Jimmy. Unlike “Enough,” it’s done well. “The Rock” is another instrumental of the themes, making sense from a theatrical standpoint, as each of Jimmy’s side duke it out in the final round. Which side wins? Pete’s Theme, of course.
That theme would be the absolute, complete, jaw-dropping, show-stopper of Quadrophenia, “Love, Reign O’er Me.” We knew it was coming all along, as that ascending/descending synth line popped up in both instrumentals and part of “Enough.” But I don’t care. It’s probably the most pretentious song in the entire Who canon, but it’s much better than even “Pure And Easy.” It ain’t about no abstract concept like a missing note, it’s about real spirituality. Not a note is wasted, and each member gives the performance of a life. Pete in writing the number and supplying the descending guitar riff in the chorus, Roger in putting his all in each vocal and reaching the high notes, and Keith in bashing out the drums at the end, symbolizing Jimmy’s jump in the ocean. Oh, I forgot John, I’m sure he did well too, I just don’t pay attention to the bass whenever I’m listening. “Reign” isn’t the best Who song ever, but it’s the only one that will leave you in a daze for a while after hearing it.
Quadrophenia is not the best Who album out there, as oftentimes the story overtakes the melody. But it’s true to opera, even more so than Tommy, as it repeats the themes more often. And at least it doesn’t beat one into the ground for ten minutes (“Underture,” anyone?). For scoring, Quarter 1 would get a 9 out of 10, Q2 a 5, Q3 a 7, and Q4 a 9. That rounds to 7.5, and I rounded up because any album that ends with “Love, Reign O’er Me” should get extra points. So an 8 it is. Too bad the Who were basically spent afterwards.
1974
Right after the big Quadrophenia burst comes this album of outtakes and such. The early version only had 11 songs on it, which would not really fly in the CD era unless you’re Weezer, so the CD reissue added 12 more songs. Unlike others, I don’t consider the 12-track addition a huge improvement to Odds and Sods, as the additions are just as controversial as those on the original set. First off, let’s discuss the original track listing...
The original Odds and Sods really skimped on the s Who, especially the early early days. Their very first single “I’m the Face” is kind of dumb; they didn’t even write it, but they would get better playing that style in time. The bouncy “Little Billy” was written for some anti-smoking campaign, but was probably too weird for the masses. “Glow Girl” is another cute pop tune, with a familiar snippet at the end. And the Beach Boys-esque ballad “Faith in Something Bigger” is just beautiful, albeit naive.
More emphasis is placed on the s, of course. Three of them are Lifehouse outtakes: I’ve never fancied “Too Much of Anything,” a mediocre ballad, but “Pure and Easy” is friggin’ gorgeous and would have shot Who’s Next to even bigger heights in my book. “Song is Over” was too uncomfortably pretentious, “Getting in Tune” was sort of clumsy, but “Pure and Easy” has a wonderful melody. Even the ‘there once was a note – LISTEN!’ coda isn’t as annoying as the coda in “Tune.” The rocker “Naked Eye” is topnotch, with both Roger and Pete taking vocals. On Live at Wight it was stretched out to great length; here it’s more or less shorter.
Post-Lifehouse outtakes are much spottier. The above-average rocker “Put the Money Down” almost predicts “Who Are You” in sound and Roger’s aggressive vocal. “Long Live Rock” is notable for Pete trying to sound all tough on vocals, but as a band anthem it’s sort of overrated. I still like it fine, it’s just comparatively shallow. Entwhistle’s lone outtake here is on “Postcard,” a musically-dull travelogue that is really a letdown after “My Wife.” Finally, “Now I’m a Farmer” seems to be hated by the masses, but it helps to take it with a grain of salt. The two little breakdowns (‘the right thing to say’ and ‘tomatoes, potatoes’) are hi-larious.
Now what about those reissued tracks?? Most seem to be either R&B covers or inferior studio versions of live chestnuts. Heck, “Baby Don’t You do It” is both! This early cover was later spiced up live and can be found on the reissue of Who’s Next. Eddie Cochran’s “My Way” is given a good reading, and the Stones cover “Under my Thumb” has historical value up the wazoo. But the alternate cover “Leaving Here” is really sloppy and was done better on the reissued My Generation. The second category varies in quality: “Water” is surprisingly respectable, as the sparse atmosphere holds up in the studio. “Summertime Blues” is pretty much identical to live versions, while “Young Man Blues” sucks hard in the studio. It’s so sluggish and stupid; was this played at 33 RPM or something?
Some more Lifehouse outtakes appear, such as the very good folk tune “Time is Passing,” which some might undoubtedly put on Who’s Next in place of “Goin’ Mobile.” The electric cut of “Love Ain’t for Keeping” proves that the Who’s Next original was not too short; no new ideas are added in 2 extra minutes. The Tommy outtake “Cousin Kevin Model Child” is a funny retro thing, and the Quadrophenia outtake “We Close Tonight” is rather unremarkable.
Let me close things out with my personal favorite: the first cut of “Maryanne With the Shaky Hand.” Remember how I said the Sell Out version was boring, and the reissued outtake was kind of clumsy? this here alternate is pop perfection period. It’s so breezy and confident, the best pure pop song the Who ever did. I seem to be alone in loving this version the best; maybe it reminds people of Harpers Bizarre’s “Feeling Groovy”? I love it man. But Odds and Sods are just that, some gems along with unnecessary alternates and true outtakes. Any Who fan should have this, regardless. But not irregardless, that’s the worst word ever. Please discourage your friends from using it.
1979
I have no idea how to rate this. It’s sort of a soundtrack, to the documentary/movie The Kids Are Alright, which I definitely recommend. The movie, I mean. The soundtrack here is downright confusing...some of the songs here weren’t anywhere in the movie! And some songs from the movie, like the live “My Generation” jam, ain’t on here (even though it popped up on a reissue or something, the CD I checked out at the library didn’t have it, though). Although some stuff is superfluous, there are some keepers as well.
Superfluous numbers include studio versions of “Magic Bus,” “Tommy Can You Hear Me,” and “I Can See For Miles,” the last one not even showing up in the film. They also throw in the Live at Leeds cut of “Happy Jack,” although this could have been back when Live at Leeds was only six tracks long. “Long Live Rock” ran over the closing credits, even though it was already on Odds and Sods.
Luckily, there’s a lotta live stuff straight from the movie, Early cuts of “I Can’t Explain” and “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” are better viewed than listened to. The three Tommy pieces performed at Woodstock work either way, since the quality is better than the earlier, more novice stuff. Even better, there’s the, definitive version of “Quick One” from the Rock’n’Roll Circus and another superb “Young Man Blues,” the latter notable for an unusually piercing guitar tone. Oh yeah, don’t forget “My Generation” from the Smothers Brothers, although that one also works much better on film.
Another problem with the soundtrack (and the film as well) is it kind of skips over their s period. So not a mention of Quadrophenia, but at least they threw in two amazing live cuts of “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” from 1978. Besides the aforementioned “Long Live Rock,” the soundtrack includes a 1977 live cut of “My Wife,” another song not in the movie. I don’t consider that version the group’s nadir of their live performances; it’s sloppy, but it can be enjoyed if you turn off your inner critic. How hypocritical, a web reviewer telling you not to be critical, huh? Then again, if I never turned off my inner critic, my music-listening experience would not be any fun.
The Kids Are Alright soundtrack is not a greatest hits compilation, it’s more of a soundtrack but it’s not completely one either. I like listening to some live stuff here, and I prefer to watch the others on the film. As you can see, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. It’s one of those ‘when in doubt, give it a 7’ moments. So I give it a 7. It’s a nice, uncompromising number. You don’t have to get the album, but by all means, check out the movie. It kicks arse man.