The Who: Every Album, Every Song

Sonicbond Publishing Limited

www.sonicbondpublishing.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

First Published in the United Kingdom 2020

First Published in the United States 2020

This digital edition 2022

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:

A Catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Copyright Geoffrey Feakes 2020

ISBN 978-1-78952-076-7

The right of Geoffrey Feakes to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from Sonicbond Publishing Limited

Printed and bound in England

Graphic design and typesetting: Full Moon Media

This book is dedicated to the memories of

Keith Moon, John Entwistle and Doug Sandom

Acknowledgements

A big thank you to Stephen Lambe and all at

Sonicbond Publishing for their support and encouragement

in putting this book together.

Thanks to the Dutch Progressive Rock Page who have published my album reviews and interviews since 2005.

Gratitude to all the members of The Who, past and present,

and everyone associated with the band.

I would also like to thank all the researchers, journalists,

archivists and fans that have gone before and made

available a wealth of information.

A special thank you to my wife Margaret and her gracious support through seven months devoted almost entirely to The Who,

their music and this book.

Contents

Forward

Introduction

The Key Players

My Generation (1965)

Ready Steady Who (EP) (1966)

A Quick One (1966)

The Who Sell Out (1967)

Tommy (1969)

Who’s Next (1971)

Quadrophenia (1973)

Odds & Sods (1974)

The Who by Numbers (1975)

Who Are You (1978)

Face Dances (1981)

It’s Hard (1982)

Endless Wire (2006)

Who (2019)

Live Albums and Videos

Soundtracks

Compilations and Documentaries

Bibliography

Forward

My first encounter with The Who was in early 1965 when, at the tender age of ten, I heard the song ‘I Can’t Explain’ on the radio. It was two minutes of catchy, adrenalin-fuelled pop that captured both mine and the record buyer’s imagination. It’s quite possible however that, unknowingly, I may have crossed paths with the singer ten years earlier. Like Roger Daltrey, I was born in London’s Hammersmith Hospital and lived in Shepherd’s Bush. As a baby, my mum would often push my pram along Goldhawk Road, the main route that runs along the edge of the suburb and up one of the many side streets. One such street is Percy Road where the ten year old Daltrey lived. My family moved out of London less than a year later so I have no memory of those walks although my mum often talked about them. The street where we lived was Shepherd’s Bush Gardens but don’t try to find it on any map, it no longer exists. The entire street was demolished in the 1960s to make way for a shopping centre.

The Who, and Pete Townshend’s songs in particular, were perfectly in tune with my own development. During the late ‘60s, radio staples like ‘I’m A Boy’ and ‘Pictures of Lily’ struck a chord with my own early teen angst. In 1970, my interests turned to more adventurous rock and The Who duly obliged with Tommy, Who’s Next and Quadrophenia. During this period many bands came and went, but few endured like The Who. They redefined the laws of how a pop-rock band should function, especially in the 1960s. While The Who had a commanding frontman, all four band members vied for attention; from the attacking guitar chords and riffs of Pete Townshend to the explosive drumming of Keith Moon to the dexterous bass lines of John Entwistle.

In addition to selling more than 100 million records worldwide in a career spanning six decades, The Who’s legacy has been far-reaching. Bands who have acknowledged a debt to The Who include punk rockers the Sex Pistols, the Clash and Eddie and the Hot Rods, punk-pop crossover groups like Blondie and the Ramones, Mod revivalists The Jam, Secret Affair and the Chords and Britpop act Oasis. Many other bands have identified The Who’s influence including Rush, Pearl Jam and Green Day.

This book charts The Who’s development from the early days as R&B hopefuls the Detours to a rock phenomenon that continues in the 21st century with the latest album Who. All too often, the public activities, infighting, fallouts, gossip and myths surrounding the band have been the focus of attention. I examine the individual songs with a chapter dedicated to each studio album. Non-album songs such as singles and bonus tracks on CD reissues are included in the ‘Related Tracks’ sections. Live albums and soundtracks are also discussed, concluding with a round-up of compilations. If you spot any errors or omissions, please feel free to contact me through the publisher. Happy reading.

Geoffrey Feakes, 30 June 2020

Introduction

When The Who released their twelfth studio album in December 2019, it was welcomed by rock fans and pundits alike. Although the band had remained active as a touring unit, new songs for the first time in thirteen years were something to be savoured. As the two remaining co-founders of the band, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey could have hardly realised back in 1964 that 55 years on, The Who would still be alive and kicking.

The origins of the band date back to 1959 when Daltrey, still in his early teens, formed a skiffle group with several friends. Armed with his homemade guitar, he quickly asserted himself as the group’s leader and after several name changes they settled on the Detours, taken from the Duane Eddy instrumental ‘Detour’. John Entwistle joined the Detours in the summer of 1961, Pete Townshend followed in January 1962, and drummer Doug Sandom was recruited in the summer of ‘62.

They built up a following playing the pubs and clubs in the suburbs of west London which became their stamping ground. Their repertoire included the current chart hits, rock and roll, R&B, Motown, even trad jazz. The jive and the twist were all the rage, so anything with a solid, danceable beat was fair game. Daltrey took over lead vocals in the summer of ‘63, relinquishing lead guitar to Townshend who encouraged the Detours to include authentic American blues in their set. Although Daltrey took a little persuading, they were soon belting out convincing versions of songs like Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Smokestack Lightning’. Playing support to experienced stage acts like Johnny Kidd & the Pirates and later the Rolling Stones, they soaked up the influences and developed their own, high octane sound.

On Valentine’s Day, February 1964, after discovering there was a group called Johnny Devlin and the Detours on the scene, they changed their name to The Who. It was short, snappy and would stand out on concert bills and posters. Following a failed audition for Fontana Records, Sandom left the group in April 1964. That same month, they were approached by a cocksure young drummer named Keith Moon. Impressed by his energy and ability, they offered him a job on the spot. He was just the boost they needed and they surged forward with a renewed drive and commitment. Mod aficionado Peter Meaden renamed the group the High Numbers, restyled their look and in July 1964, released the single ‘Zoot Suit’ b/w ‘I’m the Face’. It was promoted as ‘The first authentic Mod record’, but record buyers were unimpressed. That same month, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp were looking for a young, up and coming group to film and promote and were impressed by the High Numbers’ performance at the Railway Hotel, Wealdstone. They took over the group’s management and changed their name back to The Who. With the phrase ‘Maximum R&B’ and a striking new logo, in November they began a Tuesday night residency at London’s Marquee Club and were soon breaking attendance records.

The debut single ‘I Can’t Explain’ was released in January 1965 and breached the UK top ten. Following their flirtation with the Mod subculture, The Who embraced ‘pop-art’ with eye-catching clothing, including Townshend’s famous union-jack jacket. Although three well-received albums followed, My Generation (December 1965), A Quick One (December 1966) and The Who Sell Out (December 1967), it was a run of seven classic singles that captured the public’s imagination, in the UK at least. It wasn’t until a legendary appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967 that America began to sit up and take notice. ‘I Can See For Miles’ released three months later became the band’s only Stateside top-ten hit. The fourth album Tommy (May 1969) changed everyone’s perception of The Who and rock albums in general. For the band themselves, it was a game-changer, both artistically and financially. Most importantly, Tommy marked The Who’s transition from a singles group that released the obligatory LPs to an album band. Their success in America was sealed with an iconic performance at the Woodstock festival on 17 August 1969.

The 1970s got off to an impressive start with the acclaimed Live at Leeds (May 1970) and an appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival on 29 August 1970 to a 600,000 strong crowd. Who’s Next (August 1971) would be their most popular album and Quadrophenia (October 1973) was Townshend’s homage to the 1960’s Mod culture, spawning a 1979 hit movie. More hit singles followed as did the introspective The Who by Numbers (October 1975). Three weeks after the well-received Who Are You was released in August 1978, Keith Moon sadly died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, aged just 32.

Townshend, Daltrey and Entwistle vowed to continue, enlisting drummer Kenney Jones, and were repaid with more sellout tours. The 1980s started well with two albums, Face Dances (March 1981), and It’s Hard (September 1982). When they took the latter on the road, it was billed as the ‘Farewell tour’. With the constant grind of touring losing its appeal and Townshend finding it harder to write new Who material, in 1983 they disbanded. They regrouped briefly for the 13 July 1985 Live Aid concert and again in 1989 for a 25th Anniversary tour with drummer Simon Phillips replacing Jones. The highlight was a spectacular Tommy concert in Los Angeles in August with several notable guest singers. On the 18 January 1990, The Who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

When The Who reformed in 1996, it was almost by accident. Townshend was asked to stage a musical version of Quadrophenia in London’s Hyde Park in June for the Prince’s Trust. Joined by Daltrey, Entwistle and drummer Zak Starkey, by the time the show went on the road in October, they were being billed as The Who. Touring continued for the next five years and along with Starkey, keyboardist John Bundrick was a regular part of the stage line-up. A memorable show for everyone involved was the post 9/11 The Concert for New York City at the Madison Square Garden on 20 October 2001.

On 27 June 2002, on the eve of a three-month American tour, John Entwistle died from a cocaine-induced heart attack in Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel. Bassist Pino Palladino had the unenviable task of being the last-minute replacement, but he rose to the occasion. Another body blow came on 12 January 2003 when Townshend was arrested on suspicion of accessing child pornography on the internet. Daltrey was especially vocal in his defence and when no evidence was found, the charges were dropped.

In 2004 it was business as usual with a headlining performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in June followed by dates in Japan and a return to Australia for the first time since 1968. In July 2005, The Who gave a short, but powerful performance at Live 8 despite stiff competition from a reformed Pink Floyd. The first studio album in nearly a quarter of a century, Endless Wire (October 2006) was released to a positive reception. The supporting tour ran, on and off, for three years, crossing several continents.

On 7 February 2010, The Who’s fifteen-minute halftime set during Super Bowl XLIV at Miami’s Sun Life Stadium was seen by 100 million television viewers. This was capped on 12 August 2012 when several billion people around the world witnessed The Who during the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games. In November that same year, they embarked on a nine-month tour with a fresh and spectacular restaging of Quadrophenia, playing to more than half a million people across America and Europe.

Daltrey reached his 70th birthday in March 2014 and perhaps unsurprisingly, lengthy touring became problematic and beset with health issues. The Who’s 50th anniversary would not pass without due celebration, however. A triumphant world tour included headlining appearances at London’s Hyde Park and the Glastonbury Festival in June 2015 and a return to the Isle of Wight Festival in June 2016. 2017 saw a short Tommy & More UK spring tour followed by a summer trek around North and South America, including a handful of Classic Quadrophenia dates.

The Who Moving On! 2019 tour was interspersed with the recording of the long-awaited new studio album simply titled Who (December 2019). Further touring was also planned.

Although Who may very well be the final album, with impressive sales figures on both sides of the Atlantic, the near future at least looks bright for The Who. Roger Daltrey celebrated his 75th birthday in 2019 and Pete Townshend did likewise in 2020, but in recent interviews, they both remain optimistic about the future of ‘the greatest rock and roll band in the world’.

The Key Players

Not counting touring musicians, The Who family tree is a small one, especially compared with many of their contemporaries. There have been just six official members, including three drummers – Spinal Tap anyone! The core line-up of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon lasted from 1964 until the drummer’s untimely death in 1978. Since then, the band’s history has been chequered, but they remain active to this day despite the loss of Entwistle in 2002. When the band reformed in 1996, a conscious decision was made not to recruit new members. Although Zak Starkey and Pino Palladino would become the rhythm section of choice, they are essentially session musicians hired for touring and occasional recording purposes. Other musicians to perform with the band on a long term basis include John Bundrick, Simon Townshend and Loren Gold.

Roger Daltrey (born: 1 March 1944)

1964 – 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996 – present. Vocals, harmonica, guitar

Roger Harry Daltrey was born in Hammersmith Hospital, west London. Around the age of twelve, he began styling himself after his idol Elvis Presley. Although he was a bright boy, he found school life in his early teens difficult and as an outlet, he and several friends formed a skiffle group, the Sulgrave Rebels who later morphed into the Detours. He was expelled from Acton County Grammar School on his fifteenth birthday following an accident involving an air rifle according to Daltrey. Another story is that he was caught smoking in the boys’ toilets.

While serving an apprenticeship in a sheet metal factory, he made his first electric guitar, modelled on a Fender Stratocaster seen in a shop window. He established himself as the Detours’ lead guitarist and self-appointed leader. Following the recruitment of John Entwistle and Pete Townshend, they played the west London circuit of pubs and clubs, building up a steady following.

Original singer Colin Dawson – noted for his Cliff Richard impression – departed in January 1963 and his replacement Gabby Connolly – a country and western style singer – followed in the summer, leaving Daltrey to take over lead vocals. Handling sheet metal all day was making it difficult to play guitar and he passed lead duties to Townshend. As the Detours’ frontman, Daltrey honed his singing and early role models included local hero Johnny Kidd. He also maintained a reputation as a tough character which dated back to his school days. He later developed his signature stage technique which involved swinging his microphone like a lasso before catching it with his arm outstretched. Although Townshend’s development as a songwriter usurped Daltrey’s position as The Who’s leader, he had a formidable stage presence and when he adopted the role of Tommy in 1969, he became the archetypical rock-god frontman.

As a solo artist, Daltrey is the most prolific and successful in terms of albums and singles. He has also successfully staged performances of the band’s work such as Tommy at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. This was part of his annual Teenage Cancer Trust concerts, a charity he continues to support, earning him a CBE in December 2004. Following the lead role in the 1975 Tommy movie, he has enjoyed a parallel career as an actor in both films and television dramas.

John Entwistle (born: 9 October 1944, died: 27 June 2002)

1964 – 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996 – 2002. Bass guitar, horns, vocals

Affectionately known as ‘The Ox’ in later years due to his height and stolid stage presence, John Alec Entwistle, like Roger Daltrey, was a – second world – war baby, born in Hammersmith Hospital. He was another Acton County Grammar boy and from an early age, he developed a talent for drawing. He learnt to play trumpet and French horn and joined the Middlesex Youth Orchestra. In 1959, he formed trad-jazz group the Confederates and enlisted schoolmate Pete Townshend. After taking his trumpet playing skills to a rival band, he and Townshend teamed up again in the Aristocats and later, the Scorpions. He decided six-string guitar was the way forward but soon gravitated towards the bass guitar which, due to his large hands, he found easier to play. He would remain a lead instrumentalist at heart however, as evidenced in his later playing style with The Who.

After leaving school aged sixteen, Entwistle obtained a respectable position as a trainee tax officer for the Inland Revenue – the UK’s tax collection authority. In the summer of 1961, on his way home from a rehearsal with the Scorpions, he bumped into Daltrey who talked him into joining the Detours. In 1964, he and Townshend pioneered the Marshall stack and were also the first to use eight by twelve cabinets which gave them volume levels unprecedented for a rock group at the time. The Who’s reputation as the loudest band in the world came at a cost; when Entwistle died in 2002, he was almost completely deaf. A fervent supporter of touring, in the ‘60s and ‘70s, regular stage work honed his bass playing skills. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, touring became a financial necessity, but in Daltrey’s words ‘He lived to play’.

Entwistle was the most musically literate of all The Who members which he believed compromised his spontaneity as a songwriter. Even so, during the 1960s, ‘70s and early ‘80s, his songs were welcome fixtures on Who albums and would often provide the B side to Townshend’s hit singles. As a musician, he is universally acknowledged as one of the foremost and influential bass players in rock. Many leading exponents of the instrument, especially in the hard-rock and prog-rock genres, have cited Entwistle as a primary influence.

Pete Townshend (born: 19 May 1945)

1964 – 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996 – present. Guitar, vocals, keyboards

Born in Chiswick Hospital, west London, Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend came into the world