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The Who By Numbers (split from Sngs to Re-Pete)

Vic Sage Jun 12 2008 01:48 PM

The Who: discography (all songs by Townsend, unless noted otherwise. Top singles in bold): 1) My Generation (1965) - Their debut album; "maximum R&B" "Out in the Street" "I Don't Mind" (Brown) "The Good's Gone" "La-La-La Lies" "Much Too Much" "My Generation" "The Kids Are Alright" "Please, Please, Please" (Brown/Terry) "It's Not True" "The Ox" (Townshend/Moon/Entwistle/Hopkins) "A Legal Matter" "Instant Party" 2) Happy Jack (1966) (UK title: "A Quick One") - 2nd studio album moved from R&B to more of a pop sound. "Run Run Run" "Boris the Spider" (Entwistle) "I Need You" (Moon) "Whiskey Man" (Entwistle) "Cobwebs and Strange" (Moon) "Happy Jack" "Don't Look Away" "See My Way" (Daltrey) "So Sad About Us" "A Quick One, While He's Away" - this 9min song was Townsend's 1st attempt at "rock opera" 3) The Who Sell Out (1967) - a "concept" album, with fake commercials and public service announcements "Armenia City in the Sky" (John Keen) "Heinz Baked Beans" (Entwistle) "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" "Odorono" "Tattoo" "Our Love Was" "I Can See for Miles" "I Can't Reach You" "Medac" (Entwistle) "Relax" "Silas Stingy" (Entwistle) "Sunrise" "Rael 1" 4) Magic Bus (1968) - Record company rushed out this compilation album to cash in on hit single "Magic Bus". "Disguises" "Run Run Run" "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (Entwistle) "I Can't Reach You" "Our Love Was, Is" "Call Me Lightning" "Magic Bus" "Someone's Coming" (Entwistle) "Doctor, Doctor" (Entwistle) "Bucket T" (Altfield, Christian, Torrence) "Pictures of Lily" 5) Tommy (1969) - Townsend graduates from "concept" album to create the first "rock opera"; one of the greatest records of all time. "Overture" "It's a Boy" "1921" "Amazing Journey" "Sparks" "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" (Williamson) "Christmas" "Cousin Kevin" (Entwistle) "Acid Queen" "Underture" "Do You Think It's Alright?" "Fiddle About" (Entwistle) "Pinball Wizard" "There's a Doctor" "Go to the Mirror!" "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" "Smash the Mirror" "Sensation" "Miracle Cure" "Sally Simpson" "I'm Free" "Welcome" "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Moon) "We're Not Gonna Take It" See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You" 6) Live at Leeds (1970) - This live album is considered one of the best ever Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) "Substitute" "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capeheart, Eddie Cochran) "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) "My Generation" - 14+min long! "Magic Bus" 7) Who's Next (1971) - their 5th studio album is, arguably, their best ever. Great use of synth. "Baba O'Riley" "Bargain" "Love Ain't for Keeping" "My Wife" (Entwistle) "The Song Is Over" "Getting In Tune" "Going Mobile" "Behind Blue Eyes" "Won't Get Fooled Again" 8) Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (1971) - This is the 1st and best of their greatest hits collections "I Can't Explain" "The Kids Are Alright" "Happy Jack" "I Can See for Miles" "Pictures of Lily" "My Generation" "The Seeker" "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Daltrey-Townsend) "Pinball Wizard" "A Legal Matter" "Boris the Spider" (Entwistle) "Magic Bus" "Substitute" "I'm a Boy" (Extended Version) 9) Quadrophenia (1973) - Their 2nd rock opera; as good as the 1st? close enough. "I Am the Sea" "The Real Me" "Quadrophenia" "Cut My Hair" "The Punk and the Godfather" "I'm One" "The Dirty Jobs" "Helpless Dancer" "Is It in My Head" "I've Had Enough" "5:15" "Sea and Sand" "Drowned" "Bell Boy" "Doctor Jimmy" "The Rock" "Love, Reign O'er Me" 10) Odds & Sods (1974) - this compilation album of "authorized bootlegs" of Who songs, including alternate studio versions, was put together by Entwistle. "Postcard" (Entwistle) "Now I'm a Farmer" "Put the Money Down" "Little Billy" "Too Much of Anything" "Glow Girl" "Pure and Easy" "Faith In Something Bigger" "I'm the Face" (Peter Meaden) "Naked Eye" "Long Live Rock" 11) The Who By Numbers (1975) -their 7th studio album, its much sparser and darker than their previous albums, with less synth and overdubbing. "Slip Kid" "However Much I Booze" "Squeeze Box" "Dreaming From the Waist" "Imagine a Man" "Success Story" (Entwistle) "They Are All in Love" "Blue, Red and Grey" "How Many Friends" "In a Hand or a Face" 12) Who Are You (1978) - their 8th studio album was the last with Keith Moon. "New Song" "Had Enough" (Entwistle) "905" (Entwistle) "Sister Disco" "Music Must Change" "Trick Of The Light" (Entwistle) "Guitar And Pen" "Love Is Coming Down" "Who Are You" 13) The Kids Are Alright (1979) - soundtrack to the music bio documentary "My Generation" "I Can't Explain" "Happy Jack" "I Can See for Miles" "Magic Bus" "Long Live Rock" "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" "Young Man Blues" (Allison) "My Wife" (John Entwistle) "Baba O'Riley" "A Quick One While He's Away" "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" "Sparks" "Pinball Wizard" "See Me, Feel Me" "Join Together/Road Runner/My Generation Blues" (Medley) "Won't Get Fooled Again" "Who Are You" was the last "Who" album with Keith Moon, therefore it was the last "Who" album, despite them continuing to record and tour two more albums and then, 24 years later, they produced a third after Enwistle died. post-Moon studio albums: Face Dances (1981) - "You better You Bet" It's Hard (1982) - "Eminence Front", "Athena" Endless Wire (2006) "It's Not Enough" (Townshend, Rachel Fuller)

sharpie Jun 12 2008 03:19 PM

"A Quick One" ("Happy Jack" in US because Decca thought "A Quick One" was too racy a title) had the tracks written by Daltrey and Moon because the UK marketing department thought it would be a great promotional tool -- everybody writes a song! Odd they would think anyone would care or would want songs written by Moon or Daltrey (though "See My Way" by Daltrey isn't a bad song). "Happy Jack" wasn't on UK version but was a non-album single. I'm with Vic, the albums after Moon died don't count.

Fman99 Jun 14 2008 03:44 PM

I love Quadrophenia. Well I love all of them but Quadrophenia is the first one I reach for. The second one is Who by Numbers. I love the lesser known stuff not beaten to death by terrestrial radio.

Frayed Knot Jun 14 2008 04:51 PM

I remember some writer making the argument - in a piece called Will Get Fooled Again - that 'The Who' did more with less than any other of the 'Super Groups'. His point was that they kept re-releasing stuff to the point where there were something like a half-dozen different approved (non-bootleg) releases of several of their hits and, as a result, didn't have nearly the size catalog that such longevity usually suggests. Great stuff, but man did they mine and re-mine that same material for all it was worth and then some. Of those 13 w/Moon albums listed, #'s 4, 6, 8, 10, and 13 are, to one extent or another, compilations of earlier released or recorded material. Albums don't start much better than WbN's 'Slip Kid', 'However Much I Booze', and 'Squeeze Box'

AG/DC Jun 14 2008 07:09 PM

We've mentioned this before. "Will Get Fooled Again" actually had me at hello. It's like, instead of ranking your top ten Who albums, you can rank your top ten Tommy's

RealityChuck Jun 14 2008 07:13 PM

I'd consider the rereleases of "Live at Leeds" to be part of their main albums. Even though they were released later, they were the same concert. And I don't think the Who are any different than a group like the Beatles, who had several compilation albums (things like "Yesterday . . . and Today" "Yellow Submarine" and "Hey Jude") while they were recording. Also, though Moon was a lousy solo songwriter, I think "Cobwebs and Strange" is a worth addition to the group's list of songs. Of course, the group with the greatest ratio of compliations to new material is the legendary Bonzo Dog Band, which recorded five actual albums and have had 19 compilations so far.

Gwreck Jun 14 2008 08:24 PM

Quadrophenia Who's Next Tommy iin that order. All of my other favorites come from the various compilation albums.

smg58 Jun 15 2008 06:12 AM

I'm also in the camp that says Quadrophenia holds up the best. I worshiped Who's Next back in the day, but the best songs on it got overexposed. My third favorite Who album is the first one: a very underrated debut, considering the band's reputation.

sharpie Jun 15 2008 07:57 AM

Live at Leeds, especially the extended one they released a while back, is, for my money, the best live album ever recorded. What I really love is the pre-Tommy stuff. I Can't Explain, Substitute, I Can See For Miles, Tattoo, I'm a Boy, those songs get me every time. On the surface, Who's Next sounds like a lousy album -- take the Who, add spiritualism, synthesizers and muddled politics -- sounds like a recipe for disaster -- but it obviously worked. Quadrophenia is a masterpiece. By Numbers has its moments. Who Are You wasn't such a good album and then Keith died. After Keith died they shouldn't have called it The Who anymore, never mind after John died.

AG/DC Jun 15 2008 11:31 AM

Who's Next worked, but it spawned a generation of seventies muscle-flexing arena cock rock that makes me resent it. Give me the sixties Who also.

RealityChuck Jun 15 2008 01:15 PM

If we're picking favorites, I'll go with 1. Live at Leeds 2. Who's Next (You really can't blame it for other people following) 3. Who Are You (very underrated).

AG/DC Jun 15 2008 07:23 PM

RealityChuck wrote: Who's Next (You really can't blame it for other people following) Well, I can, it's just not particularly fair. Plenty of their cock-rock --- "Sister Disco," "Long Live Rock" --- was from other albums anyhow.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 15 2008 09:04 PM

I'm a Quadrapalegic myself. I mean, a Quadrophile. But the origins of Who songs by album always tricked me. Where does 'The Seeker' appear first? 'Anytime Anyhow'? I know "Can't Explain" was an early single but did it also belong to an album? These don;t appear in Radd's discograpahy but for MBBB above.

sharpie Jun 16 2008 07:10 AM

All of those songs were non-album singles. The Seeker was recorded to fill in the long gap between Tommy and Who's Next (Live At Leeds also came in between but had no singles). Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy was the first album release for those songs.

metsguyinmichigan Jun 16 2008 01:18 PM

Maybe because I was too young when they were at their peak, but I just never "clicked" with The Who. I had "The Kids are Alright" soundtrack as a kid, and I have about 10 Who songs on the iPod. I fully recognize their impact and influence -- just never got into them all that much. Must be my tastes, because I fall for bands that other people hate with a passion, like Rush.

AG/DC Jun 16 2008 02:04 PM

Rush has, like, a billion fans worldwide.

cooby Jun 16 2008 06:50 PM

I could probably sing to you the entire "Tommy" album end to end without much hesitation. But then, maybe we all could.

seawolf17 Jun 16 2008 07:14 PM

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Maybe because I was too young when they were at their peak, but I just never "clicked" with The Who. I had "The Kids are Alright" soundtrack as a kid, and I have about 10 Who songs on the iPod. I fully recognize their impact and influence -- just never got into them all that much. Must be my tastes, because I fall for bands that other people hate with a passion, like Rush. Good. I was waiting for someone else to say this before I did. I completely agree with everything there.

AG/DC Jun 16 2008 07:31 PM

Hard to say what the "peak period" was --- the dysfunctional working class singles of the sixties; the two operas and the period in between (good time to be a Mets fan too); or the touring years where they led the way in the vanguard of hockey arena bombast. I'll take the first. Even then you have hints of the other periods, but they could be three different bands. They start out like the Kinks, only better; become like the Moody Blues, only far better, and end up like Grand Funk or BTO, only far far better.

Frayed Knot Jun 16 2008 07:44 PM

AG/DC wrote: Rush has, like, a billion fans worldwide. Yes, but they only talk to each other.

metsguyinmichigan Jun 16 2008 11:11 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: ="AG/DC"]Rush has, like, a billion fans worldwide. Yes, but they only talk to each other. What I meant to say, but said poorly, is that I like a lot of bands that critics dump all over - like Rush. The Who are treated like rock royalty, and I'm not saying they're not. I just don't get it. Meanwhile, a band like Rush can't get a sniff at the Rock and Roll Hall despite what I think is brilliant work over 30+ years. That said, the Who's performance on the 9-11 concert disc is really cool -- just happens to be their three songs I like the best, and the energy level is amazing.

AG/DC Jun 16 2008 11:22 PM

Rush will be in. I promise. The queston is what the honor means at this point.

Vic Sage Jun 19 2008 09:43 AM

AG/DC wrote: Rush will be in. I promise. The queston is what the honor means at this point. No, i think the question will be what the honor means at THAT point.

AG/DC Jun 19 2008 09:54 AM

Fun to say, but I think Madonna deteriorates the meaning of the institution far more than Rush could.

Vic Sage Jun 19 2008 01:04 PM

You're right, it was fun to say. Not that i particularly want to defend Madonna, but she's a cultural icon ... for good or ill. If you're having a HOF, it would be silly to exclude her, considering her impact. But Rush's impact, on the other hand, has been marginal, at least here in the U.S., and if i have to hear that helium sucking vocalist pompously warbling those silly, spacey songs one more time in my life, it'll be one more time too many. but clearly your mileage may vary.

AG/DC Jun 19 2008 01:09 PM

Bing Crosby is a cultural icon. So is Judy Garland. Barbara Streisand. Donna Summer. Michael Bolton. Alan Jackson. Celine Dionne. Dionne Warwick. Bacharach and David along with her. Not rock 'n' roll, though.

sharpie Jun 19 2008 01:23 PM

Donna Summer may yet get in. "I Feel Love" was an important record to Brian Eno and David Bowie. I dunno, the whole Rush thing totally went by me (rushed by me). It kind of amazes me that they're still paid attention to but I suppose if they hit you at the right time of your life I can understand it. Humble Pie is important to me because I liked them when I was 12 but I can understand why they aren't important to other people (my wife included). I agree with Vic, Madonna belongs because of her icon-ness. Plus she had Iggy do her songs at the ceremony.

AG/DC Jun 19 2008 01:27 PM

Using Iggy is sort of a justification after the fact. Babe Ruth is an icon. Organzations have missions, and they lose credibility when they stray from them or disprespect them by elasticizing them to accomodate power.

Vic Sage Jun 19 2008 02:31 PM

i don't like Madonna. You don't like Madonna. but comparing her musical genre to streisand and crosby seems silly to me. In addition to rock, the R&R HOF includes artists whose music was primarily blues, jazz, funk, r&b, disco, rockabilly, country, gospel and other related pop music genres. To say that Madonna's dance pop music is so much more similar to MOR artists like Bing Crosby and Barbra Streisand than to such R&R HOFers as Ricky Nelson, Bobby Darin, Brenda Lee or Michael Jackson that her induction violates the purpose of the hall (much less such non-rockers as HOFers Leonard Cohen, Grandmaster Flash, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Ruth Brown, Bob Marley and the Staples singers) just seems like an entirely arbitrary distinction. She is the most successful female recording artist in the history of pop music, and the impact of her music videos effected the way music was recorded and marketed thereafter.

AG/DC Jun 19 2008 02:44 PM

I didn't compare it to those. Please don't mis-state my postion. And it's not arbitrary. I very specifically caterogized all of them as not rock 'n' roll. I contrasted them all from rock 'n' roll. I didn't compare them among themselves. And her music isn't. It's not characterized by influence of, respect for, or expansion of the elements of rock 'n' roll. Her genre was born in the rock era, while Bing Crosby's was not. That's the difference. Occasionally, a Madonna band member can be shown to assume a rock posture. Clearly influenced, respected, or expanded the elements of rock 'n' roll Ricky Nelson, Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, Michael Jackson, Ruth Brown, Bob Marley, and the Staples singers. Marginally influenced, respected, or expanded the elements of rock 'n' roll: Bobby Darin, Leonard Cohen, Miles Davis. Didn't reallly influence, respect, or expand the elements of rock 'n' roll Grandmaster Flash, Madonna. No disrespect to any of them. There are honors galore awaiting them all. I just think that's an inappropriate honor that's counterproductive.