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

That's very interesting! No, I have not heard the 2008 MONO disc - it's number one on my wish list right now. But I think I've read pretty much every single Who-thread on this forum, and I believe you're the first person to comment on "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" from that one.

Could you possibly post a sample from the 2008 Japanese, and I'll post one from the US Who's Better, Who's Best?

 

I can post both, though I'll have to do it tomorrow.

There were a few comparisons in this thread (though I don't remember one of "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" specifically), and Who's Better, Who's Best didn't do that well compared to the old MCA The Who Sings My Generation CD or, especially, Meaty Beaty and the Universal Japan mono My Generation.

 

Still a valid topic! Just not from me, I've clarified the points I wanted to make.

A lot of our hot-headed heroes did as they were told when first given the chance to make a record. Many dislike the memory - which might account for their hot headedness! And I can assure you, going forward no one will claim anyone "repaired" any more Who tracks.

 

Great! A clip from "Daddy Rolling Stone" from the 2008 Universal would be nice as well, so we could check if it's the single mix.

I read that thread (and listened to all the clips), and there is no mention of "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere".

You mean in general? That's a different case entirely. We're only talking about one track here ("Anyway Anyhow Anywhere"). All Who-compilations have pros and cons, of course. Looking forward to the clips!

 

I could not find the post now but Dee said recently something like it's "All Who, all the time" and I've been in that mode for a long while now. And with all the really great live material available for free (and with the band's tacit approval) there's no reason for me to stop any time soon.

I don't appreciate the minute differences in pressings as much as others here (I make exceptions for Who's Next and Quadrophenia) - though I do appreciate the knowledge being shared on this aspect - so my posts will be more from how the songs resonate emotionally and in the context of the band's history.

Carry on.

 

Re: Page playing rhythm guitar on "You Really Got Me":

No one present remembers the session rhythm guitarist's full name, and Ray and others have given him different first names at different times. But it wasn't Jimmy Page, who says that he didn't play on "You Really Got Me."[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the updated information. I haven't revisited this topic in years, so I'm going by what was said back in the 70s in various fanzines I was reading at the time. I'm pretty sure I recall it being said that Page played rhythm on YRGM back then, whether by Ray or someone else.

I appreciate this newer take on it.


Re "All Day and All of the Night":

Page doesn't sound very convincing to me. I'll take Ray's word for it on this one.

Townshend's claims that Page played rhythm on "I Can't Explain"? It's not clear what you mean here. And I thought Page's presence on lead on "Bald Headed Woman" was pretty well-established. That's certainly one on which it would be hard to assert that it was Townshend playing lead.

 

Fair enough...I promise it'll be my last one as well.

I wasn't attacking this film in particular, and I admit that I have not seen it.

Still, I wonder if there has ever been a documented real-life instance of the scene you cited from the film (the press being brought in to see a band record, while a "phantom" band is playing the real parts the next studio over). That sounds a bit far-fetched to me.

I wonder if you or anyone can name another instance of a one-guitar/bass/drums lineup band recording a studio version of a song with two guitars playing through the verses, and then the guitar that has been carrying the rhythm suddenly goes away when the solo begins?

Sorry, but this is just plain back-asswards. There will always be a compromise when you have one guitar soloing over bass and drums only, with no chording instruments to fill in the spaces and carry on what has happened in the song up to this point. As I said, The Who dealt with this better than any other band, but it simply makes no sense to have a guitar at your disposal to continue to play a rhythm part behind a solo, and yet not use it.

The entire scenario only makes sense if there were only one guitar to begin with.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I hear one guitar (Pete's Rickenbacker 12-string) throughout the song, and most certainly on the intro.

I think Dee's suggestion of seeking out the stereo mix on the My Generation deluxe set is a good one.

I pretty much agree with your last sentence. But now we're down to definng positions again. I believe you stated earlier that you would admit that it's possible Pete played the solo on ICE. I think it's all but certain. So now Pete doesn't want to admit that his rhythm guitar was beefed up? And the loaded term "puppet" is yours, not Pete's.

Nothing is certain, of course. But that was a pretty landmark session. I have to believe that The Who were different enough from any other band Talmy had encountered to-date that he would retain some fairly vivid memories!

Again, we disagree on the two guitars. And I continue to maintain that what other producers did on other sessions does not influence what happened on any one individual session. Session players happened, there's no doubt about it. But debut recording sessions without session players happened as well. We don't know the ratio, and in the end, for our purposes, the only thing that matters is what happened at this session.

 

... unless the production was attempting to present an enhanced version of the band's actual sound! That's what a record is, especially when you're chasing a hit - a super-duper bigger-than-life version of the band. Discreetly padding parts here and there is standard practice! I can't emphasize this enough.

This is a worthwhile debate, but it needs it's own thread. I won't take the bait here again, promise. Enjoyed it though!

 

I've enjoyed it too, and though we disagree, I appreciate that you've answered each of my points with some of your own, as opposed to ignoring most of them.

This practice was not followed by some earlier, and this was the direct cause of some of the unpleasantness here. It doesn't have to happen that way.

 

That is what it's all about!

As Keith would have said: "This calls for a single, dear boys! Let's kick it up a notch with another smash, shall we?"

Read on...

 

My Generation​

http://www.*****/images/MG-UK-65.jpg

UK: October 29, 1965 - My Generation / Shout And Shimmy - Brunswick 05944
US: November 20, 1965 - My Generation / Out In The Street - Decca 31877

UK

A1: My Generation (3:15) *****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: Shout And Shimmy (3:16) ***
(James Brown)

US

A1: My Generation (3:15) *****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: Out In The Street (2:32) *****
(Pete Townshend)

When 20 year old Pete Townshend walked into a music shop in London in 1965, and asked for an amp that sounded like bombs going off and planes crashing into the ground, he knew that every single shop but this one would throw him out and probably give him a ban. But just as Pete predicted, the 42 year old Jim Marshall listened. Five years prior to this, Jim actually played his last gig as a drummer on the same bill as Cliff Townshend (Pete's father), and announced from the stage that he was quitting drums to become a "bass guitar amp maker". A person in the crowd shouted "You're not going to get anywhere!" Jim walked straight into the crowd, found the person who said it, and punched him. Cliff spoke to him after the gig, and asked him if he knew that person, and Jim answered "Yes. That was my father." Jim, The Father of Loud, led his own rebellion against the old order by being on the cutting edge of extreme sound. The world's first 100 watt amp wasn't ready until November, so Pete had to use his Blonde ’64 Fender Bassman head, Fender Pro 1x15 blackface and the two early Marshall 4x12 cabinets again for the recording of The Who's third single in October, when The Who once again teamed up with Shel Talmy in IBC Studios, where they had recorded "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" ("I Can't Explain" was recorded at Pye Studios). The band had played a couple of festivals in the summer, along with with a riotous Scandinavian tour, where their new anthem had been premièred. Originally considered a throwaway, "My Generation" was a slow blues number with lyrics scribbled in the back of a car sometime (or a train, depending on what time of year you ask Pete), but when Pete went back to it and brought it to the group, they instantly knew just from the lyrics alone that this song was going to be their hymn. This is just perfect! "People try to put us down, just because we get around! Things they do look awful cold, I hope I die before I get old!" All those lyrics needed was a collective purple hearts-fuelled rage, power chords, manic drumming, a bass solo (if you haven't noticed John on the first two, you will now), stuttering vocals (inspired by John Lee Hooker, although it was interpreted as a reference to being blocked up on drugs) and a chaotic feedback frenzy of a climax so noisy and hard that it would destroy every association to any type of music you could possibly think of, with a drum solo on top of that, and you have a total declaration of war, and also a total culmination of everything The Who are! Try to categorise this! It was instantly banned by the BBC, officially because the stutter was considered an "insult to genuine stammerers", believe it or not. Could it be that they also heard Roger scream "Why don't you all f*** off?!?! (or optionally fade away)", like the rest of us? It is nevertheless one of those records that are just so perfect for so many reasons that it seems to justify everything that is happening in the universe for those 3 minutes and 15 seconds it plays. Every time I put on this 45, and I wait for the song to start, I hold my breath and my mind whispers "Ready - aim - FIRE!!" It never fails to amaze me with its apocalyptic swagger, and seemed to strike a power chord within post-war Britain as well, as it rose to #2 in the charts. As Pete said in an interview with Danish radio "Our parents and our grandparents they are very shut down. And our music is a way of drawing a line and saying from now on there's gonna be no denial. Just no denial. You know, if we're sick we're gonna scream WE'RE SICK! If we're happy we'll scream WE'RE HAPPY! If we're evil we'll scream WE'RE EVIL! If we're good we'll scream WE'RE GOOD! We're honest." The B-side "Shout And Shimmy" is a great fun, kick a**, Maximum R & B-version of the James Brown song, where Keith again just slays just about every other drummer on the planet. The US got an even bigger treat with the Townshend-penned "Out In The Street", which is just unbelievably brilliant. The intro is very reminiscent of "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere", but when the band kicks in with that incredibly groovy beat, if makes you want to invent the pogo again! What can I say? One of the best and most important 45's of all time.​

 

I fear it's jumping ahead to play this vid, but if you gotta problem withat, why don't you all Ffffffffffffffffff.......................................ade away......

My generation, live 1966, on a French rock show. GREAT camera work. This is one of the punkiest Who clips I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVZazRj-_Ug&feature=related

Notice Pete....er...."Scratching his nose" (3:15) during the very extended freakout at the end.

 

The stuttering on this song is genious. I would say "My Generation", for attitude & performance, might be the first real punk song. "AAA" comes close, but that is more of a pop song, except the "freak out" part. Some of the early Kinks singles are definitely garage rock classics, but "My Generation" is punk IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0XknwXqLDo&feature=related

 

I've been looking at WhiteFang's site, and I don't think he says that the mono "Daddy Rolling Stone" on the 2008 Japanese disc is a new mix. I think he's just talking about the stereo version on the usual Deluxe Edition, which was indeed different from both the original mono single mix and the stereo mix on Two's Missing. Am I looking at the right page?

Meanwhile, here are five different .wav samples of "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" from five different discs, adjusted with Replay Gain to the same volume level. Comments invited.

 

"My Generation" is what got me into the Who as a young 13 year old lad. I first heard it in 1974 and it was a revelation/revolution. I ended up buying the 2 fer LP with Magic Bus...that opened my ears to other great songs. At the time all I played was Beatles and this was a nice addition to my collection.

Mind you, I had no siblings and my parents didn't even have a stereo in the house. I had a really cheap GE all in one turntable...the one with speakers on the side and the only way I would find out about "new" music was a crappy transistor radio. So I stumbled into "My Generation" blasting out of the transistor radio....probably as it was intended. The key changes, the Bass solo and the guitar sound (which I later found out to be a Rickenbacker), sealed the deal for me.

 

Right, Townshend claimed that Page played rhythm on "I Can't Explain" in that quote that's been discussed before:

So both Page and Townshend agree that Page played rhythm. My point about Talmy is that he has claimed at different times that Page played on "Bald Headed Woman," and that Page never played on any Who track. In at least one of those interviews, he must have been misremembering. So it's not implausible that he'd forget the exact circumstances of "I Can't Explain" too. Of course Page and Townshend aren't infallible sources themselves .... I don't suppose any other member of the Who has ever given his version of the story?

I'm not sure what to make of Page's statement that his rhythm contribution to "I Can't Explain" was "little bits here and there." I don't hear any obvious edit points, either between rhythm and solo or in the middle of the rhythm, but it's quite possible I'm missing something. This comment from Page (same link as above) is odd any way you look at it:

 

It's easy to forget the claustrophobic social context in which The Who unleashed this assault against the norm. While Pete has drawn attention to the part of the story often in recent years, it's illuminating to read the contemporaneous quotes in which he was stating the same sentiment. When he went to Marshall and "asked for an amp that sounded like bombs going off and planes crashing into the ground," one has to picture the contrast between the bombed out buildings in London that he and his mates grew up playing in and all the repressed damage and rage seething unexpressed in the British culture surrounding them and their audience.

 

My Generation = one of the truly first rock anthems.

 

St-st-st-stutter question

Is it true that the stuttering in My Generation was the product of an accident, and that the early takes were stutter-less? I've heard stories told both ways. Either way, what an amazing blast it must have been the first time people heard it on the radio back in the day.

By the way, isn't it amazing how many conflicting stories there are about the early Who? I'm sure that part of the reason is that "pop" music was considered disposable at that time. It was only years later that it achieved status as "art," and by then memories had faded, either due to age or chemicals. And the fact the Townshend can alternate between being the most insightful interviewee or the biggest windbag doesn't help either!

 

There are stutter-less outtakes, but adding the stutter was intentional. It was mean to simulate the effect the "uppers" that circulated amongst the mod scene had.

 

Yet Pete now says he stuttered on the demo to emulate an old bluesman. The demo does have a Jimmy Reed vibe.

 

How 'bout a My Generation" from the said period. The earliest known MG on film. Check out the shirt the girl is wearing at 1:01, I guess he was already a legend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2i_es7DDes

 

hope I die before I get old...

While I'm sure I must have heard "My Generation" at some point before 1980, when I bought MBB&B in 1980 and discovered the Who, this was the song that most immediately floored me and reasonated with my alienated teen youth feelings, which so many of us felt, circa 15. And of course having bought Live at Leeds at the same time, when I heard the epic live version that became my 'go to' broom guitar freakout, play along anthem cranked on my horrible bedroom speaker for many a joyous moon...

This song, both/all versions has continued to resonate with every generation....

And I'm glad Pete did NOT die before he got old...


cheers,

 

Hey Devotional, where's your awesome "best version" comparison for My Generation?

 

Pete was quite astute to go to the Fender Bassman head for his guitar sound. Despite lacking the reverbs and tremelo, the sheer grunt of a guitar through a Bassman head is sometimes sought by guitarists. One guitar pal used to borrow mine incessantly.