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Pete Townshend originally planned The Who Sell Out as a concept album of sorts that would simultaneously mock and pay tribute to pirate radio stations, complete with fake jingles and commercials linking the tracks. For reasons that remain somewhat ill defined, the concept wasn't quite driven to completion, breaking down around the middle of side two (on the original vinyl configuration). Nonetheless, on strictly musical merits, it's a terrific set of songs that ultimately stands as one of the group's greatest achievements. "I Can See for Miles" (a Top Ten hit) is the Who at their most thunderous; tinges of psychedelia add a rush to "Armenia City in the Sky" and "Relax"; "I Can't Reach You" finds Townshend beginning to stretch himself into quasi-spiritual territory; and "Tattoo" and the acoustic "Sunrise" show introspective, vulnerable sides to the singer/songwriter that had previously been hidden. "Rael" was another mini-opera, with musical motifs that reappeared in Tommy. The album is as perfect a balance between melodic mod pop and powerful instrumentation as the Who (or any other group) would achieve; psychedelic pop was never as jubilant, not to say funny (the fake commercials and jingles interspersed between the songs are a hoot). [Subsequent reissues added over half a dozen interesting outtakes from the time of the sessions, as well as unused commercials, the B-side "Someone's Coming," and an alternate version of "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand."]
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
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John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer - John Keene, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 2014 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, ComposerLyricist - The Who, MainArtist - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, ComposerLyricist - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
John Entwistle, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Keith Moon, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Roger Daltrey, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 1967 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
The Who, MainArtist - Pete Townshend, ComposerLyricist - Kit Lambert, Producer
℗ 2009 Polydor Ltd. (UK)
Album review
Pete Townshend originally planned The Who Sell Out as a concept album of sorts that would simultaneously mock and pay tribute to pirate radio stations, complete with fake jingles and commercials linking the tracks. For reasons that remain somewhat ill defined, the concept wasn't quite driven to completion, breaking down around the middle of side two (on the original vinyl configuration). Nonetheless, on strictly musical merits, it's a terrific set of songs that ultimately stands as one of the group's greatest achievements. "I Can See for Miles" (a Top Ten hit) is the Who at their most thunderous; tinges of psychedelia add a rush to "Armenia City in the Sky" and "Relax"; "I Can't Reach You" finds Townshend beginning to stretch himself into quasi-spiritual territory; and "Tattoo" and the acoustic "Sunrise" show introspective, vulnerable sides to the singer/songwriter that had previously been hidden. "Rael" was another mini-opera, with musical motifs that reappeared in Tommy. The album is as perfect a balance between melodic mod pop and powerful instrumentation as the Who (or any other group) would achieve; psychedelic pop was never as jubilant, not to say funny (the fake commercials and jingles interspersed between the songs are a hoot). [Subsequent reissues added over half a dozen interesting outtakes from the time of the sessions, as well as unused commercials, the B-side "Someone's Coming," and an alternate version of "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand."]
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
- Total length: 00:48:10
- Main artists: The Who
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Geffen
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 1967 Geffen Records ℗ 2014 Geffen Records
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