Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Who Album Ever, January 22, 2000
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
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a totally unique masterpiece, March 9, 2000
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?
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Who's Psychedelic Radio Show, February 2, 2004
The Who's third album, 1967's "The Who Sell Out," was the band's very first concept album, the theme for the record being a pirate radio station that plays nothing but Who songs, complete with radio jingles & commercials (some genuine, some created by the band) sprinkled inbetween the tunes. It's a brilliant, fabulously inventive, totally *psychedelic* Who album, and one of the band's all-time greats. The festivities kick off with a "Monday Thru Sunday" jingle, and then the band charge in with the far-out gem, "Armenia City In The Sky," penned by guitarist Pete Townshend's chum John Keene, featuring elongated horns, psychedelic guitars, and a studio-tweaked vocal from Roger Daltrey. Pete Townshend's songwriting contributions to "Sell Out" are all gems, too, every single one of them: "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand," the hilarious "Odorono," the coming-of-age tale "Tattoo," the lovely "Our Love Was," the legendary, explosive rocker "I Can See For Miles" (the Who's only US Top Ten hit), "I Can't Reach You," "Relax," "Sunrise," and the mini-opera "Rael" (with it's instrumental bridge later resurrected as the "Underture" from "Tommy"), while bassist John Entwistle delivers the hilarious jingles for "Heinz Baked Beans" & "Medac," as well as the macbre-ish tune, "Silas Stingy."But this remastered, expanded edition of "Sell Out" doesn't stop there: there's a whopping TEN bonus tracks of extra Who goodies recorded around the same time as the album. From Townshend's songwriting pen, there's the extended finale for "Rael," "Glittering Girl," the outstanding rocker "Melancholia," the slick rock of "Jaguar," an alternate version of "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand," and the brilliant finale, "Glow Girl," which, like "Rael," was later raided & revised by Townshend for the "Tommy" album ("It's a girl, Mrs. Walker, it's a girl"). Also featured is Entwistle's "Someone's Coming," drummer Keith Moon's charming little ditty, "Girl's Eyes," and the fine popper "Early Morning Cold Taxi" (for which Daltrey received a rare co-writing credit). There's even a fabulous, barnburning, King Crimson-like rock arrangement of Greig's "The Hall Of The Mountain King," plus more jingles. The musical chemistry of Daltrey, Townshend, Entwistle and Moon is nothing short of superb, and the remastered sound is simply incredible."The Who Sell Out" was a natural lead-in for "Tommy," as the album expanded Pete Townshend's interest in writing conceptual music. But it's also a mindblowing Who album all on it's own, one of the group's very best releases. So crank up "The Who Sell Out," and enjoy rocking out with the Who's marvelous psychedelic radio show.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
album The Who Sell Out 
