The Who - Sell Out

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?

By “gordon@ruraltel.net”
amazon.com

01. Armenia City In The Sky
02. Heinz Baked Beans
03. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand
04. Odorono
05. Tattoo
06. Our Love Was
07. I Can See For Miles
08. I Can’t Reach You
09. Medac
10. Relax
11. Silas Stingy
12. Sunrise
13. Rael 1
14. Rael 2
15. Glittering Girl
16. Melancholia
17. Someone’s Coming
18. Jaguar
19. Early Morning Cold Taxi
20. Hall Of The Mountain King
21. Girl’s Eyes
22. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand
23. Glow Girl