Who Sell Out [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

The Who | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B000002OX5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (135 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,618 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #52 in Music > Classic Rock > Supergroups
  • #75 in Music > Classic Rock > Psychedelic Rock
  • #78 in Music > Classic Rock > British Invasion

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

The Who Sell Out's pirate-radio concept goes south in the album's second half--the Who ran out of time before they could write enough faux commercials--but it still remains in many ways their best and most entertaining album. Pete Townshend and John Entwistle supply song after great song, and along with Keith Moon play them with power and focus. The classic single "I Can See for Miles" is matched on at least a handful of tracks, including the opening psychedelic-pop blast of "Armenia City in the Sky" (written by Townshend pal Speedy Keen), the hilarious social-interaction tales "Odorono" and "Tattoo," and the majestic mini-opus "Rael." This remaster's bonus tracks are occasionally too much of a good thing, but the Tommy rough draft "Glow Girl" is brilliant. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

This deluxe reissue package includes original track artwork and labels, plus an authentic reproduction of the 'Psychedelic Poster' included in original pressings of this title which are now nearly impossible to find. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Who Album Ever, January 22, 2000

By 

Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Who Sell Out (Audio CD)

I became a Who fan in early 1967 when I first heard "Happy Jack" and rushed out and bought the album. But nothing on that album prepared me for The Who Sell Out, which came out later that year. The whole premise of the album is that it is presented as if it were a British pirate radio station program complete with fake commercials connecting the songs. In fact, some of the commercials become full-fledged songs, such as the two minute-plus "Odorono."

What makes this recording especially refreshing is that while it seemed as if the entire pop culture was taking itself much too seriously during the Summer of Love, The Who were willing to inject a bit of whimsy into the proceedings. In the process they produced some of their most enduring songs: the acoustic charm of "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hands," the tongue-in-cheek "Tattoo," the lovely "Our Love Was" with its razor sharp electric guitar break coupled with Townsend's beautiful acoustic playing and Entwistle's French horn accents, and then there's the ultimate Who single "I Can See for Miles." [It would be the first and only time The Who would reach the top ten in America!]

Other standout tracks include "Relax," "Sunrise" and "Rael," which was a mini-opera along the lines of "A Quick One While He's Away." Since much of the material was more subdued than earlier songs like "My Generation" or "I'm a Boy" little of this album other than "I Can See for Miles" found its way into the band's live shows. That is not, however, meant to diminish the power of these songs.

Like the other remastered Who albums in this series, there is an abundance of bonus tracks. In addition to several previously unreleased commercials, there's the Entwistle-penned "Someone's Coming" (sung by Roger Daltry!), the instrumental guitar workout "Hall of the Mountain King" (based on Grieg's "Peer Gynt Suite") and an alternate version of "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hands" featuring Al Kooper on organ. Several other bonus tracks first appeared on The Who's Thirty Years of Maximum R&B. I have a minor quarrel with this duplication, but it is nice to hear these bonus tracks in conjunction with the original album. Plus, if you didn't spring for the TYOMR&B box set, these are all truly bonus tracks. ESSENTIAL

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a totally unique masterpiece, March 9, 2000

By 

"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who Sell Out (Audio CD)

If I were new to this page, I certainly would think that these reviews were from a bunch of biased Who fanatics (and actually, they probably are). But if you're not (a biased Who fanatic), don't let that scare you off. This is a legitimate 5 star album, vastly underrated and relatively overlooked in the Who's ouvre. You don't have to be British, or even grow up in the sixties to appreciate the humor and musical sensibilities here, though it probably would help if you knew something of pirate radio and the Summer of Love. What keeps this album totally fresh, though, is the songs themselves. This was before Townshend weighed himself down with the Tommy and Lifehouse projects, where he was too busy making the Next Big Statement to lower himself to just write great pop songs. And this album is full of them: Armenia City in the Sky, Tatoo (check out the fantastic live version on Leeds!), Sunrise (breathtakingly beautiful), Relax, Odorano (works on multiple levels), Our Love Was, etc. Oh yeah, I Can See For Miles, maybe the BEST Who song, is here as well. Oh, and we wouldn't want to forget Mary-Ann With the Shaky Hands, now would we (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, knowwhotImean?)

I'm certainly not going to say I don't like Tommy. For all its overblown pomposity, it still has some of Townshend's best thematic inventions and guitar playing. But it does sound somewhat forced.

I'm certainly not going to say I don't like Who's Next. Considering it was compiled with the remnants of the aborted Lifehouse project, it has a surprising sonic intensity and cohesiveness, plus it's the best SOUNDING Who album, and gave them their arena rock anthem.

I'm not saying I don't like Live at Leeds. To the poltergiest that was present to magically capture that sound in that hall on that night, I say thank you, thank you, thank you. You'll never hear another live album like it, that is, if you ever hear it. And you really should.

But, all in all, this is the Who at their best in the studio. It's not as sonically impressive as Who's Next, but really, with all its other merits, Who cares?

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the greatest rock album ever!, June 8, 2006

By 

J. Scott Hardman (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who Sell Out (Audio CD)

The Who Sell Out is a milestone recording, and has for years been a long standing favorite of mine. I own two different vinyl copies which I have cherished. My decision to buy this on cd was based on a friend's recommendation and the fact that there are "extra songs". I was unprepared for just how many additional songs are included on this release, and most of them are simply jaw-droppingly astounding.

My personal favorite bonus track on Sell Out is The Who's version of "Melancholia", which I had heard previously only as Pete Townshend's demo that he released on the "Scoop" album. The notes for "Scoop" tell that perhaps it was Roger who was unhappy with Melancholia as it wasn't quite "macho" enough. Also the Coca-Cola track just simply rocks. What an amazing band The Who were! This record is epic!

If you are unfamiliar with this record then I seriously advise the stopping of your first several listenings with Rael (I) in order to truly experience the album as it was released and intended to be heard. Only after should you dive into all of these bonus tracks as your reward!

The remastering here is excellent and should be played at excessively loud volumes over and over and over again in order to truly appreciate it .

This is quite simply inspiring and should belong in the collection of every music lover with any interest in '60's music or british pop. The sophistication of craft, the range of genres from song to song, the songwriting and the playing have no equal anywhere. Even if you think you may not like The Who (perhaps you have only heard the classic rock '70's anthems, or maybe you thought Tommy was pretensious and long-winded) then you owe it to yourself to hear them at their absolute creative peak!