Posts tagged sell out
I’m out of breath after air-drumming along to the first side of Sell Out.
Either Moon was completely and totally superhuman, or I’m totally out of shape.
I’m thinking it’s a combination of the two.
The Who are not cool. (At least not at this time in history.)
The Kinks are cool. And the Beatles and Stones are enshrined in the 20th Century pop music canon. But The Who risk being forgotten by today’s generation of music fans.
This is my perception from reading tumblr and from a few recent conversations I’ve had with record store clerks. Apparently they can’t give away Who records—not a problem with the other three big British Invasion bands (and even for second tier bands like The Zombies).
Back when I was a kid, a long time ago, The Who were my favorite band. Now I too prefer The Kinks, but I still have a soft spot in my musical heart for Roger, Pete, John and Keith.
My favorite Who record isn’t even a proper record, but the amazing compilation with the sophomoric title Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy. Its full of fun tunes like “Pictures of Lilly,” “A Legal Matter,” and “I’m A Boy,” as well as classics like “Substitute” and “Magic Bus.”
In the spirit of that album, which includes songs from the 1965-1970, I put together a sequel which I call Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy II. Most of these tunes are less well known (to non Who fans), but give it a shot and you might find something you like…
01. Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand
02. It’s Not True
03. So Sad About Us
04. Tattoo
05. Our Love Was
06. La-La-Lies
07. I Can’t Reach You
08. The Good’s Gone
09. Circles
10. Someone’s Coming
11. Early Morning Cold Taxi
12. Silas Stingy
13. A Quick One, While He’s Away
14. Glow Girl
(click image to download.)I work at a record shop, and I think I always just assumed the general awesomeness and coolness of The Who. But now that you mention it, we don’t sell a lot of their records - though the early ones (My Generation, Quick One, Sell Out) always go pretty fast. And yes, people don’t really talk about them like they do bands like the Kinks these days. But I’m pretty sure their time will roll back around again. All it’ll take is one kid saying to another: “Hey man, put on I Can See For Miles and turn it up really loud…”
I grew up with Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy too, and even though it’s a comp I think it’ll always be one of my favorite albums ever. It’s perfection.
It pains me when I find out that there are folks out there, who I’m friends with no less, who don’t know anything other than “That song that’s the theme from CSI.” It hurts.
The Who have been, and will continue to be, one of my all-time favorites. Especially this early stuff. It’s a little weird, it’s a little out-there, but it’s all lighter and more energetic than the big radio hits from their 70’s period. There’s no synths here, no orchestras, no one but four guys who were The Best Rock & Roll Band In The World for a time, playing Maximum R&B to an assembly of drugged up, underslept and overworked British kids who had just lived through a war. It’s raw in a way that’s different from how The Stones are raw. It’s British in a way that’s different than The Kinks (who are so quintessentially British it’s silly).
So download the .zip file above (astoundingly, months later, it’s still working) and enjoy. Find your new (old) favorite Who tune!
