Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out

Petra Haden

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 2005)
• Original Release Date: February 22, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bar/None Records
• ASIN: B00075149Y
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,686 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
No one would have seen this coming, but it's as natural as loving a great album can be. Petra Haden renders the classic album, The Who Sell Out, in its entirety -- fake commercials and all -- and she does it a capella. She has a voice and sensibilities to make this work as she performs both the lyrics and components from the Who's instrumental tracks. It is the latter which is particularly affecting, her choices addressing how many fans of the original album would also identify a song's key characteristics. Townshend's guitar parts in particular are sung with virtuosity and unmistakable glee. Far from being a mere stunt, this set works on its own as well as giving one pause, reconsidering the original work in a new light. --David Greenberger

Product Description
One of the triplet daughters of legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden, Petra grew up in a world of music. At a young age, she developed a remarkable talent to perfectly mimick the sounds of instruments she was hearing around the house from Captain Kagaroo to the Cocteau Twins. She developed complex arrangements in her head and could interpret all sorts of songs. Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out is the latest chapter in the always provocative, often unpredictable yet never less than fascinating musical career of Ms. Haden. The impetus for the project came from her friend, bassist mike watt, who suggested that she attempt to re-imagine this classic Who album as an a capella tour de force (this at least a year before any news of Bjork’s Medulla leaked to the press). He gave her an 8 track cassette tape with the original Who album recorded onto one track and the other seven empty, for her to fill with intricate vocal harmonies reinventing not only all The Who’s singing and instrumental parts – including drums – she also recorded all the mock radio commercials so integral to The Who Sell Out experience. The final result is a technical tour de force that highlights The Who’s own achievement, bringing all the elements of chorale music, vaudevillian schmaltz and Renaissance chamber ensemble playing powerfully to the fore.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting a cappella project, March 5, 2005

By	William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Fans of both Petra Haden and classic Who will want to hear this CD. It's a chance to hear Pete Townshend's songs stripped down to their essence (although Petra does an excellent job of re-creating the full band sound through vocal tricks). The songs hold up to the a cappella treatment very well. The most fascinating aspect of this new Sells Out is all the changes Ms. Haden takes her voice through -- (for ex.) sounding siren-like on "Odorono" (a bit like Kate Bush!) and then like a teenage boy on the very next song ("Tattoo"). At times it can be dizzying to be immersed in the amazing multiple layers of Petra's voice in the melody, harmonies, rhythm tracks and other miscellaneous effects. On tunes such as "Our Love Was" and "I Can See For Miles" it's like standing in the middle of a large cavern with about 30 singers standing all around you at various points of the compass. If there was ever an album made for headphone listening, this is it!

PS --- If you've become interested in this CD after hearing about it on NPR, you should also investigate the other Petra Haden CD that came out recently, her collaboration with guitarist Bill Frisell. I liked that disc even more than this one!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Haden Treads a Fine Line Between Art and Novelty, March 6, 2005

By	Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When I first read about this project before the album was released, I shrugged it off putting it in the same category as the String Quartet Tribute albums where bands like Metallica and Korn have their songs reworked as chamber music. But then I heard an interview on National Public Radio with Petra Haden (daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden). She came across as articulate, intelligent and sincere. Also, the song snippets they played made me rethink her a capella reinterpretation of the 1968 Who classic THE WHO SELL OUT.

Now, after hearing the entire album, I am even more impressed. Even though Haden wasn't even born until almost four years after the Who originally released the album, this is an obvious labor of love--right down to the album art. [You gotta admire any artist who will sit in a tub of baked beans!]

Haden treads a fine line between art and novelty with this project, but she pulls it off. Not all of the fake ads work that well--"Medac" is a notable exception--but for the most part their only real purpose was to provide segues between the real songs anyway, and that's where Haden's multi-layered overdubs make this such an exciting album, especially on songs like "Armenia City in the Sky," "I Can See for Miles" and "Sunrise." This album won't make you forget the original, but it will make you see these songs in a new light. Very enjoyable. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Genuine Treat, February 23, 2005

By	David St. Hubbins "full time dreamer" (Holyoke, MA) - See all my reviews

There's debate over which Who album is their best, but my personal favorite is The Who Sell Out. It's full of life, both delicate and hard-charging, a concept album that doesn't forget humor. If you've never heard it, you must.

When I learned Petra Haden was performing the entire album a cappella, I had to buy it. Any worries that she wouldn't be able to handle it vanished with the first "French horn" notes of "Armenia City in the Sky."

The vocal interpretations of the instruments are just wonderful, be they horns, banjos, keyboards, or the phased feedback of guitars (she's no Keith Moon on her drum sounds, but who is?). And the lead vocals and harmonies are so pure and true, giving warmth to songs that never felt warm before and lifting the tender songs like "Sunrise" to beautiful heights.

There are also some great liner notes from Mike Watt, bassist extraordinaire and Friend Of Petra, who reveals he persuaded her to record this partly as a tribute to the late D.Boon, his Minutemen bandmate.

There are (very) occasional rhythmic stumbles and a few slightly changed lyrics, but I'm sure Who fans will pass those by and recognize that Petra Haden nailed the feel of the album, putting her own personal stamp on it in the process.

Webster's defines "tribute" as "a gift or service showing respect, gratitude, or affection." This tribute album has all three, and I am so grateful that it was released.

"Track Records... Track Records... Track Records..."