WHO [VINYL]

Product Information

The homage to Pop art is evident in both the advertising jingles and the iconic sleeve design created by David King, then art director at the Sunday Times, and Roger Law who later created the Spitting Image TV show. The sleeve features four advertising images, taken by renowned photographer David Montgomery of each band member: Odorono deodorant (Pete Townshend), Medac spot cream (Keith Moon), Charles Atlas (John Entwistle) and Roger Daltrey, Heinz Baked Beans. The story goes that Roger Daltrey caught pneumonia from sitting in the bath of cold beans for too long. Released in 1967, The Who Sell Out was the third album released by the band and is revered for being one of the first concept albums, celebrating the short-lived pirate radio stations of the late 60s with its groundbreaking use of fake adverts and jingles between songs.

I also love the masterful musicianship of the band on this album. Every instrument is fantastic. I love how the vocals incorporate harmonies from the other bandmembers, like the Beatles would, and how the lead singer uses a lot of vocal distortion, soul, screaming, and explores his vocal style throughout. He’ll switch between clean and raw and incorporate some elements of normal singing versus goofy singing versus spoken word. One of the biggest things about the album is the drums. They are incredible and prominent throughout, specially with the dotted eighth note rhythm that stands out throughout the album. I own most versions of this album, and this is my favorite one. It sounds warmer than the CD versions, even the SHM, and beats its vinyl counterparts like the European pressing and the 45RPM audiophile one. The latter may have a more detailed sound, but it does not add much and doesn't warrant getting up two more times to flip or change the discs. The Who Sell Out is a bold depiction of the period in which it was made, the tail-end of the ‘swinging 60s’ meets Pop art mixed with psychedelia and straight-ahead pop. It’s a glorious blend of classic powerful Who instrumentation, melodic harmonies, satirical lyrical imagery crystallised for what was only the group’s third album. The album’s ambition and scope is unrivalled by The Who, or any other act from that period.

CD 3 Studio out-takes, ‘fly-on-the-wall’ versions of early takes of songs from the album sessions, ‘studio chat’ etc. On April 6 the first in a series of 7” singles box sets is released covering their first seven singles as The Who as well as their one-and-only 7” as The High Numbers. All of the albums have been re-mastered in 24/96 format and are pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl. Each album will also have its original issue artwork including;

Rather then the music, I am speaking to the concept of the album here, where for me, the notion of the story of Tommy is akin to the notion of a rape fantasy, where the girl has been awakened to her sexuality, even though by rape, and has now blossomed into a raving beauty, strong and secure, perhaps even glad that she had been deflowered in such a violent manner ... no longer young, deaf, dumb or blind. But this work is far more insidious and dark, and perhaps true on a subconscious level for Mr. Townshend.THE WHO HITS 50! continues throughout all of 2015 with very special re-releases throughout the year and a huge celebratory show in Hyde Park.

D2C 2LP Deluxe (mono) vinyl version featuring the original album and extras highlights from the box set pressed on coloured vinyl; LP1 Odorono Red / LP2 Baked Beans Orange. It’s a Boy”, “‘21”, “Amazing Journey”, “Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)”, “Christmas”, “Cousin Kevin”, “The Acid Queen”, “Do You Think It’s Alright?”, “Fiddle About”, “Pinball Wizard”, Go to the Mirror!”, “Tommy Can You Hear Me?”, “Smash the Mirror”, “Sensation”, “Sally Simpson”, “I’m Free”, “Welcome”, Tommy’s Holiday Camp”, and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” LP Deluxe (stereo) vinyl edition featuring the original album and extras highlights from the box set. Today, 7 July, sees the release of the third and fourth in a series of half-speed mastered studio albums from The Who: The Who Sell Out and Tommy. As one of the greatest live bands of all time, The Who will take to the Great Oak Stage in London’s iconic Hyde Park on Friday 26 June for Barclaycard Presents British Summertime with very special guests Paul Weller, Kaiser Chiefs and Johnny Marr plus others to be announced. The all-day bill will feature many more brilliant acts that owe an artistic debt to one of the most influential of all British bands.

Credits

One of the most extraordinary albums of any era, The Who Sell Out is The Who’s last ‘pop’ album. Two years later came Tommy – a double concept album about a deaf, dumb and blind kid. THE WHO SELL OUT SUPER DELUXE EDITION First released in 1965, My Generation was The Who’s debut album. It peaked at #5 and unleashed The Who on to the world. It has been described as one of the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone, MOJO, and the NME and was included in the US Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry as ‘culturally significant’ to be preserved and archived for all time. This might seem acceptable, though tragic, but even after all of this abuse, once Tommy becomes the Pinball Wizard, his family again tempts and exploits the boy. This would certainly lend credence to the notion that Pete was abused as a child and that his parents ignored him until he became rich and famous, only then wanting their share of his fame. Within the bold concept, were a batch of fabulous and diverse songs. ‘I Can See for Miles’, a top ten hit at the time, is a Who classic. ‘Rael’, a Townshend ‘mini-opera’ with musical motifs that reappeared in Tommy and the psychedelic blast of ‘Armenia City In The Sky’ and ‘Relax’ are among the very best material anyone wrote during the 1960s.

One of the most interesting things about the album is the perspective. It’s all about Tommy, clearly, but it seems to be from the point of view of other people in his life. We see a lot from cousin Kevin, uncle Ernie, his mother, and even a whole section about perspective of some random girl named Sally Simpson. With these themes of reflection, it might be very well that all these people in Tommy’s life see themselves in Tommy and by telling his story from their perspective, they’re relating their experiences to his and in some situations, like Kevin’s bullying and Ernie’s diddling, their negative actions towards Tommy might just be a reflection of their own insecurities and problems, that they choose to take out on him because he’s easy to manipulate and take advantage of. As beautifully done and artistically excellent as this album is, this is still nothing more than pornography, yet another exploration into the “Story Of O,” where the truly helpless come out on the other side pleased that the lessons they have learned at the hands of others have valued their lives and made them the successes they are. Unfortunate that’s just not true, and the life of Pete Townshend proves that ultimately with a great deal of sadness. The Who Sell Outwas originally planned by Pete Townshend and the band’s managers, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, as a loose concept album including jingles and commercials linking the songs stylised as a pirate radio broadcast. This concept was born out of necessity as their label and management wanted a new album and Townshend felt that he didn’t have enough songs.

Side guide

As a taster for the set, an EP of Pete Townshend’s previously unreleased demos has today been released on all streaming services including ‘Pictures Of Lily’ (new remix, previously unreleased), ‘Kids! Do You Want Kids?’ (aka ‘Do You Want Kids, Kids?’) (previously unreleased), and ‘Odorono’ (previously unreleased). The rest of the lp is pleasant, humorous pop. "Armenia" is less groundbreaking psychedelia than just plain silly. "Rael", another Townsend "mini-opera", sees the musical beginnings of the band's later bloated "Tommy". I Can't Reach You" and "Our Love Was, Is" are fetching pop melodies, and Townsend's acoustic "Sunrise" is simply beautiful. (I don't think I have EVER heard this tune on the radio.) Decca USA vinyl 45 single of ‘Magic Bus’ (US/UK mono) b/w ‘Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde’ (original US Decca single mix) It would be remiss of me not to say that looking at such issues found on Tommy does not have merit, as certainly anyone who enjoys this release should not be considered to support the notion of child abuse, very much like the book “The Basketball Diaries” by Jim Carroll, who kept detailed notes, poems and thoughts during his downward spiral into drug addiction, where simply watching or reading his story is not tantamount to supporting or glorifying drug addiction ... it is all a visual and musical journey, dark as it may be, in the life of one of the greatest musicians of our time.