The Who Album-By-Album (& Single-By-Single) Thread

The My Gen sessions were still controlled by producer Shel. Funny how completely and thoroughly Pete and the band had taken over the sound - -

 

Matthew, thank you so much for the clips! I've listened to them and guessed the sources. Hope I'm not way off. Here are my observations:

Clip 1:

Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy

Mastered by Steve, evident by no-NR. It is very clear, and has one of the better top ends, but still sounds a bit distant and weak, which must be down to a tape problem.

Clip 2:

US Who's Better Who's Best

A clear winner to me. Has a much better bottom end than MBB&B, which again leads me to believe that they had a better tape to work with. I don't think Steve would have sliced off this much. It actually has mids (lacking in all but the Japanese My Gen), and plenty of life with great dynamics.

Clip 3:

Japanese My Generation 2008 Remaster

This must be the Japanese 2008 remaster. It has evident NR, but is quite dynamic. Is nice and round, and especially the mids are better than both MBB&B and the box, but is lacking in the top end compared to both of them, making it slightly lifeless, thus putting it in fourth place on my list.

Clip 4:

The Ultimate Collection

I think this is from The Ultimate Collection. With its noise reduction and heavy handed compression, it is the worst of the bunch, and the EQ isn't all that either.

Clip 5:

Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B

The box must have had a fairly decent tape to work with, because this is not bad. Some NR is obviously applied here, but it still sounds rather good and more exciting than the Japanese My Gen and MBB&B. Second place for me!

---

My preferences from top to bottom:

1. US Who's Better, Who's Best [Clip 2]
2. Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B [Clip 5]
3. Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy [Clip 1]
4. Japanese My Generation 2008 Remaster [Clip 3]
5. The Ultimate Collection [Clip 4]

 

nuthin' more?

 

My Generation was the first WHO song I recall hearing. Soon afterwards, I'm invading my older sister's record collection to hear my WHO.

 

I love "My generation". When I saw the Who live a few years ago with my dad and my uncle, my dad said something like "Man, I know this song for more than 40 years" when they did this song. It was the first time I realised how old some of the music I'm listening to actually is.

 

My Generation


UK: December 3, 1965 - My Generation - Brunswick LAT 8616
US: April 1, 1966 - The Who Sings My Generation - Decca DL 74664
[US edition lists "Circles" as "Instant Party"]

UK

A1: Out In The Street (2:30) *****
(Pete Townshend)
A2: I Don't Mind (2:32) **
(James Brown)
A3: The Good's Gone (3:59) ***
(Pete Townshend)
A4: La-La-La-Lies (2:12) **
(Pete Townshend)
A5: Much Too Much (2:45) **
(Pete Townshend)
A6: My Generation (3:15) *****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: The Kids Are Alright (3:05) ****
(Pete Townshend)
B2: Please, Please, Please (2:46) ***
(James Brown/Johnny Terry)
B3: It's Not True (2:34) **
(Pete Townshend)
B4: I'm A Man (3:18) ***
(Ellas McDaniel)
B5: A Legal Matter (2:47) ***
(Pete Townshend)
B6: The Ox (3:49) ****
(Pete Townshend/Keith Moon/John Entwistle/Nicky Hopkins)

US

A1: Out In The Street (2:30) *****
(Pete Townshend)
A2: I Don't Mind (2:32) **
(James Brown)
A3: The Good's Gone (3:59) ***
(Pete Townshend)
A4: La-La-La-Lies (2:12) **
(Pete Townshend)
A5: Much Too Much (2:45) **
(Pete Townshend)
A6: My Generation (3:15) *****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: The Kids Are Alright (3:05) ****
(Pete Townshend)
B2: Please, Please, Please (2:46) ***
(James Brown/Johnny Terry)
B3: It's Not True (2:34) **
(Pete Townshend)
B4: The Ox (3:49) ****
(Pete Townshend/Keith Moon/John Entwistle/Nicky Hopkins)
B5: A Legal Matter (2:47) ***
(Pete Townshend)
B5: Instant Party (3:05) ****
(Pete Townshend)

The Who's first album was released only a month after the single it is named after, and is an at times extremely exciting debut with 10 originals and 4 covers; two of which are by James Brown. Apart from the brilliant sonic onslaught of "My Generation" and "Out In The Street", Pete writes a great, jangly poptune with "The Kids Are Alright", reminiscent of The Byrds, and two not so great, jangly poptunes with "La-La-La-Lies" and "Much Too Much", coupled with the bizarre Kick Out the Housewifes R&B of "A Legal Matter" (Pete sings that one, and has a great voice to boot) and "It's Not True", which - whether good or bad, lyrically sounds like nothing else on the planet. "The Good's Gone" is a stand-out, and especially the guitar solo is proto-psych at its best. "I'm A Man" is probably the strongest of the covers (Bo Diddley is credited with his real name Ellas McDaniel here), and Pete and Keith just kick the living daylights out of that song. Halfway through it takes off in a classic Who-frenzy, almost turning the needle into sheer liquid. The US have no "I'm A Man", but they have the even greater "Instant Party" ("Circles"). We'll discuss that track when we get to the single (which was released before the US album). My Generation is Rickenbacker-album, and Pete plays with 3 Rickenbackers (Rose, Morris, Co., LTD) throughout; a 1997 (2 pickups, vibrato removed), a 1998 (3 pickups; vibrato removed) and a 1993 (12-string), and uses miscellaneous Fender amplifiers, including the blonde ’64 Fender Bassman head, Fender Pro 1x15, Fender Bassman and Marshall 4x12 cabinets. Nicky Hopkins from Screaming Lord Sutch's Savages (who also played on the latest Kinks-album) plays piano on a couple of tracks, and does not hold back. On tracks like "Please, Please Please", the piano is as much a lead instrument as the guitar, and he also joins the band for an ear shattering noisefest in "The Ox", where The Who once again prove themselves as the heaviest and noisiest band in the world. Keith goes crazy on the drums, while and Pete and John detune their guitars and drone away with the most tortured, demented blues riff you've ever heard. Keith's drumming is absolutely fantastic throughout, and while John has been quoted saying they sound like "biscuit tins", I disagree. He sounds incredible, and the whole album smokes, thanks to his manic drumming. Those who had only seen the band live, and were expecting a feedback frenzy all the way through, might have been slightly disappointed by Shel Talmy's tight production on this album - apart from "The Ox", but I personally love it. What becomes very clear, thanks to the clear sound, is that The Who are great instrumentalists with ninety times the energy of everybody else. Or to put it like Rob Lee over at The Who's website: The Who are possessed by both Dionysus and Apollo, and only the best artists are.​

 

What a debut. The originals are absolutely explosive. Did any early-to-mid-sixties rock group in the UK or the US have as many quality originals on their first record? The Stones sure didn't. I don't think the Byrds did, and if they did, there were a couple of pretty dang unmemorable tunes. The Beatles had eight, but some were trifles like "Do You Want To Know A Secret" and "Ask Me Why". The originals on My Generation are easily the best performances on the record (partly because those covers are "ill advised"). Tons of fresh, immediate punch on this.

UK versus US tracklisting? I prefer the US as we get one more Townshend song ("Circles"), but "The Kids Are All Right" is emasculated without that instrumental break. Ideally, the two remaining covers would be swapped out for the group's other two A-sides to date, giving us a portrait of the band's progress to date. ("I Don't Mind" is pretty good, though.)

 

I prefer the mono US version of MG. I really got into it after hearing tunes like "The Good's Gone" & "Much Too Much" on Little Steven's channel on Sirius. Those are great, little known garage tunes. I like most of the originals. "The Ox" is crazy! I also really like "Instant Party". Not too crazy about the cover songs, but they are well performed. I will give the the nod to the UK in terms of album artwork though.

 

Well, I first heard this album in its entirely on the radio in the summer, early 1980's. I was 13 or 14 and it ripped my brain in two.

Now, I'm a piano guy, and what killed me most of all was the piano. I didn't understand that Nicky Hopkins existed (though I'd heard some of his work) so I assumed that Pete Townshend was playing all those piano parts in addition to the guitars. (Overdubs, I guess?) The Ox. That was the one that changed my molecular structure.

But I loved the songs, too. I hadn't realized what great harmonies the Who had, since they backed off from the three part harmony stuff for most of their 70's output. I loved "It's Not True."

I like the cover versions. They are silly, but in a good way. It's fun hearing Roger Daltrey unsuccessfully being a man on "I'm A Man." I tend to prefer Roger's vocals from the period before he "knew what he was doing." Dunno quite what I mean by that, but I guess he gets a little less interesting to me as he gets more assured and slick throughout the 1970's.

 

Useless potential trivia , but is that Steve Marriott dancing in the crowd in this video ?
(The guy that appears emerging from between the girls with the white-ish tops at around 53 seconds, and most clearly in the shot to the left, immediately after they cut away from the girl with the Moon shirt at 1.01 ? )

 

My Generation album = Maximum R&B. That really sums it up. Some classic Townshend lyrics and melodies, the beginning of the distinctive Who guitar sound, the dynamic rhythm section in full display, the classic Who vocal harmonies, and powerful vocals. A great debut.

 

Who sings

WHO sings which parts on Man With The Money

 

I often hear how Jagger sounded like a black singer on early Stones records... what about Daltrey? He kinda out-Browned James IMO. and these are the weaker tracks too... The Who definitely was setting the table for the punk, the blue print is still in place for a lot of great bands... Rancid and Green Day both are using the formula on the records they just released. All these years later MG sounds like a timely album. At least to my ears, and I think I have ok ears!
Loving this thread.

 

this thread can't peter out!!!

 

A legendary first album. The Mod R&B covers are fun but the gems are Townsend originals.

Bad master tapes and fake stereo have really hurt this LP's rep. It was great to finally hear a stereo remix but Talmy blew it by smothering guitars in delay.

My favorite version is the mono MCA CD (with the strange pink label), did Steve Master that one?

 

I'm a fan of Roger's '70-'73 vocals most, but I know exactly what you mean. He sounds like the guy in your high school class who was allowed to sing lead but didn't really know what he was doing, so he did his darndest and made it up as he went. Works well for a lot of the material…especially that higher register voice (Sell Out, Tommy) that he didn't really employ after the sixties.

 

Precisely. Exactly.

 

Is there an expert out there who can sort out all the different mixes (and re-mixes) of this classic album? How does one assemble the best versions of all songs? Anyone willing to untangle this web?

 

Here's an essential discography of the album with release dates. You might find it useful. I only own half of these myself, and again - wouldn't call myself an expert, but there are probably forum members who have them all.

1965 - December 3 - My Generation [Mono] - UK Brunswick LAT 8616
1966 - April 1 - The Who Sings My Generation [Mono] - US Decca DL 4664
1966 - April 1 - The Who Sings My Generation [Stereo] - US Decca 74664 [Fake Stereo]
1979 - January 1 - My Generation [Mono] [1979 Remaster] - UK Virgin V 2179
1981 - May 1 - My Generation [Mono] [1981 Remaster] - GERMANY Polydor 2478 144
1988 - October 10 - The Who Sings My Generation [Stereo] [1988 Remaster] - US MCA MCAD 31330 [Fake Stereo]
1990 - October 17 - The Who Sings My Generation [Mono] [1990 Remaster] - US MCA MCAD 31330 [Pink Label]
2002 - August 27 - My Generation [Deluxe Edition] - US MCA 088 112 926 2
2002 - September 9 - My Generation [Deluxe Edition] - UK Polydor 112 926 2
2005 - July 7 - My Generation [Mono] [2005 Remaster] - US Classic Records LAT 8616
2007 - July 25 - My Generation [Mono] [2007 Remaster] - JAPAN Universal UICP 93001 [Japanese Tracklisting]
2008 - August 6 - My Generation [Mono] [2008 Remaster] - JAPAN Universal UICY 6988
2008 - August 6 - My Generation [Deluxe Edition] - JAPAN Universal UICY 93533

I won't discuss CD, because I don't have the recent Japanese MONO edition, but I went for a vinyl shoot-out, and decided to unseal one vinyl (my UK 1979 Virgin), and give another one its first spin for you tonight (my GERMANY 1981 Polydor).

First of all, I much prefer the 1965 UK Brunswick to the 1966 US Decca. It almost sounds like the UK is from a better tape, and the Decca is also a bit dull, and lacks the attack in the guitars and drums that the Bruncwick has.

The 1981 GERMANY Polydor is held in high regard here, and so is the 2005 US Classic Records. The 1979 UK Virgin hasn't been discussed much here, but it is known that it's a needledrop of the 1965 UK Brunswick. It was pressed twice, with the second pressing being on thinner vinyl. White Fang has said that it is his favourite version, but I haven't even bothered to unseal it, heard it for the first time tonight, and saved it for last.

Of the first three, Brunswick has the best mids. It has that 60's tube cut feel that I love. Classic is definitely a killer bee, and has the best bottom end of them all, and an openness that is beautiful, but can be way too bright when you crank it, and is sadly lacking in the mids. Polydor is tonally quite close to the Brunswick, but is an overall "quieter" and smoother sounding record. Pressed on quiet vinyl too, the Brunswick can be a noisy beast, so some might prefer the Polydor for that reason, but I find it a bit boring.

So, with that being said, here comes controversy: When I put on the Virgin (mine is the thin pressing), the first thing I noticed was two things:

1. The unforgivable sound of a turntable spinning round (the most obvious needledrop ever made)
2. Some really bad bleedthrough (starting in one channel, does this mean it isn't mastered in TRUE MONO - alas played back on a stereo machine?)

But when "Out In The Street" came on - I was silenced. WOW! This is one rocking record, and the fullest sounding MONO My Generation I've ever heard! The EQ is better than the Brunswick, and although the overall sonics are obviously pretty much the same, it kicks and screams more than the Brunswick, and has an insisting personality I found irresistible. There isn't so much noise in between the other tracks, but it still isn't quiet. I cranked it way loud, and it was still heaven EQ wise. It is also more open - the Brunswick almost sound nonoised in comparison, and this is not down to a treble boost!

The bleedthrough and the sound of the turntable will be issues that definitely alone will make most of you prefer the UK 1965 Brunswick, and the EQ could possibly be done DIY on the Brunswick, although I didn't try. I couldn't turn off the Virgin.

The Classic is a revelation, in that is sounds nothing like any other pressing, and I'm glad I have it. It sounds a bit more "high fidelity" than the others, and for some tracks that might be preferable, but I guess I just like my early Who a bit more garage, and tonight I surrendered to the Virgin.

If you like your early Who smooth and slick, go for the Polydor.

Maybe I should spend some more time with the Virgin before drawing conclusions, but without fiddling with the EQ, here are my preferred My Generation vinyls for now:

1. 
   [*]UK 1979 Virgin
   [*]UK 1965 Brunswick
   [*]US 2002 Classic Records
   [*]GERMANY 1981 Polydor
   [*]US 1966 Decca

Note that due to the obvious issues with the Virgin, it will easily be kicked down to number five on the list of forum preferred versions.

 

For STEREO vinyl, the EU 2002 MCA Deluxe Edition 2LP with cat. number 113 981-1 (the vinyls have the numbers 113 064-1/113 064-2) sounds great, and reportedly similar to the SACD layer of the CD edition.

 

There's only two mixes: the original 1965 mono mix and the 2002 stereo remix. With the exception of "I'm a Man"... there's also an edited stereo mix of that one song that apparently dates from 1965.

 

I gave the 2002 remaster a listen earlier this week. While I love the stereo mix, the mastering sounded a bit loud and bright to my ears. Is the SACD a significant improvement?

 

Sorry about the errors in this list. The US Classic is from 2005. Don't know why the numbers turned out that way, I used the "list"-function.

 

I don't think it's as bad as the CD in this regard.

 

I thought you were just hopeful that a better vinyl version would be released someday!