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

Hey, remember those "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" clips I posted? Didn't think so. I lost the sheet where I'd written down which track was which and was too lazy to go back and recheck, but I've finally gotten around to it. Suffice to say that Devotional is absolutely correct with all five of his source identifications:

My preferences are rather different from his, though. Much, maybe most, of this comes down to subjective EQ biases; I think the song sounds punchier with the prominent upper-mids it has on Meaty Beaty and the 2008 Universal Japan My Generation than with the fuller top end on Who's Better Who's Best or the 30 Years box. Astley's new Japanese mastering does sound a little too tweaked, so demerit points for that.

I agree that Meaty Beaty sounds a little shy of bass, but I'd hesitate to put that down to sourcing. The WBWB and 30 Years versions sound noisier to me (though some of that no doubt comes down to tape hiss from the extra treble).

Are you really hearing NR on the Japanese sample, Devotional? I'm not. There's less tape hiss, but it's still there, and I don't notice NR artifacting in the instrument sound. (For what it's worth, there's audible hiss on the fade-out as well.)

No arguments on the poorness of The Ultimate Collection's mastering. Ecch.

My own ranking:

1. Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy (Clip 1)
2. Universal Japan My Generation 2008 (Clip 3)
3. US Who's Better Who's Best (Clip 2)
4. Thirty Years of Maximum R&B (Clip 5)
5. The Ultimate Collection (Clip 4)

 

By the way. Anyone know what the story is with the Rockin' Vickers' "It's Alright"? The songwriting credit goes to Pete Townshend. It sounds like a very early version of "The Kids Are Alright." The liner notes for the Vickers' RPM compilation (also titled It's Alright) say that it is an early version of "The Kids Are Alright." But it came out a few months after the My Generation album, and Pete's demo of "Kids" on Another Scoop doesn't resemble "It's Alright" much at all.

(That Rockin' Vickers comp is also notable for the inclusion of "Little Rosy," an otherwise unknown song by one Ray Davies ... probably the Ray Davies, though opinion is divided.)

 

Substitute

http://www.*****/images/SUBSTITUTE-2a-UK.jpg http://www.*****/images/SUBSTITUTE-3-UK.jpg

UK: March 4, 1966 - Substitute / Circles - Reaction 591001
UK: March 4, 1966 - Substitute / Instant Party - Reaction 591001
UK: March 15, 1966 - Substitute / Waltz For A Pig [The Who Orchestra] - Reaction 591001
US: April 5, 1966 - Substitute / Waltz For A Pig [The Who Orchestra] - Atco 45 6409
["Waltz For A Pig" credited to The Who Orchestra on both UK and US single]

UK

A1: Substitute (3:47) ****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: Circles (3:12) ****
(Pete Townshend)

UK

A1: Substitute (3:47) ****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: Instant Party (3:12) ****
(Pete Townshend)

UK

A1: Substitute (3:47) ****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: Waltz For A Pig (2:24) ***
(Harry Butcher)

US

A1: Substitute (3:47) ****
(Pete Townshend)
B1: Waltz For A Pig (2:24) ***
(Harry Butcher)

The Who's fourth single is the definition of pure power pop, and while it's not as cathartic as "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" and "My Generation", it is every bit as catchy, memorable - and explosive in its own right. Pete wrote "Substitute" after hearing a rough mix of "19th Nervous Breakdown" by The Rolling Stones. “The lyric, so applauded by rock critics, was thrown together very quickly. Smokey Robinson sang the word ‘substitute’ so perfectly in "Tracks Of My Tears" - my favourite song at the time - that I decided to celebrate the word itself with a song all its own.” It was a hard single to get released, though. The band were disappointed by the lack of impact their first three singles had in the States, so Who-manager Chris Stamp started 1966 by travelling to New York in January to attempt to renegotiate their contract with Decca. Chris soon reported that Decca came across as an old-school country label who didn't even know who Elvis was, and that they had to cut the ties with them. The band were also unhappy with Shel Talmy's dictatorial style of producing (he had produced everything un until now), and Chris contacted a lawyer with the intention of breaking away from the contract they had with Shel (which had four years remaining). Shel controlled the content of that contract, so it was no surprise that he would stand to make more money than all four members of The Who and their management team combined. The contract did not specify a particular record company, giving Shel the authority to choose a label (which led to Decca/Brunswick). The lawyer told Chris that the contract could be legally broken, and Kit Lambert (also Who-manager) wrote Talmy, and said that his services were no longer needed. The Who had already recorded a new single at IBC in January with Shel called "Circles", which was coming out on Brunswick on February 18th. "Instant Party Mixure" was going to be the B-side, but when Shel received the letter from Kit, he decided to stop it from being released. The band then decided to do everything themselves, and went into Olympic Studios on or around February 12th to record "Substitute" DIY-style, with Kit as the producer, although Pete did as much - if not more than Kit. It sounds a lot rougher than the Talmy-sessions, but especially the rhythm section is a lot closer to their live sound, and they also sound looser and less strained. Pete was still using Rickenbackers, but also a Harmony Sovereign acoustic guitar for that effective opening riff. John was sick and tired of being too low in the mix, so he decided to turn his Gibson SG bass up so loud during the middle eight that it was nothing they could to to mix it out, and it became more a bass solo than a guitar solo. They also recorded a new version of "Circles", and renamed it "Instant Party". It is a great, full blown proto-psych freakout with John on French horn. Just heavy as ****, and a killer B-side. Nothing beats this sound! Keith was so wasted during the recording that he couldn't remember anything from the session, and later accused the band of hiring a new drummer. They had to identify him from the scream in the break before the last verse. The Who's booking agent Robert Stigwood had just set up his own label called Reaction, and the band decided to release the single there - making it a completely in-house DIY release. Chris also made a deal with Atlantic in the States, and they agreed to put out the single on their subsidiary Atco. The single hit the streets in the UK on March 4th, with the B-side being named "Circles" on some copies, and "Instant Party" on others. It is the same version. Shel immediately countered, and released "A Legal Matter" (touché) on Brunswick only three days later, with the IBC version of "Circles" as a B-side (which is very similar to Who's version)! Shel went with the "Instant Party" title, not making it any less confusing for Who-fans, and also took The Who to court for releasing "Circles"/"Instant Party" on their single. Reaction had to withdraw the single, and record a new B-side. When the case was introduced to the elderly judge, he reportedly mistook the name The Who for an acronym for the World Health Organization. With The Who unable to record while in court, they got The Graham Bond Organization (featuring Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker) to rename themselves The Who Orchestra, and record a pretty cool instrumental entitled "Waltz For A Pig"; an obvious reference to Shel. It came out March 15. So within eleven days, the band had three singles out - with two different versions of the same song as a B-side on two of them - with two different titles as well! Pete remembers: "Shel took the case to the High Court judge and said things like, ‘And then on bar 36 I suggested to the lead guitarist that he play an innuendo, forget the adagio, and play 36 bars modulating to the key of E flat,’ which was all total rubbish since he used to fall asleep at his desk while Glyn Johns did everything. Eventually we found ourselves in court and we dreamed up even more preposterous replies. ‘Shel Talmy certainly did not tell us at the 36th bar to play an innuendo,’ we said. ‘He told us to do such and such, and we suggested blah, blah, blah.’ All this in incredible, grand, grandiose musical terms." Clearly fighting a losing battle, Kit and Chris decided on settling with Talmy in order for The Who to move on. The band ended up staying with American Decca on a renegotiated deal, which gave them double the royalties they had previously made. Polydor, Reaction’s mother label, assumed rights to The Who’s European releases. Talmy received a favourable settlement: A five percent royalty on The Who’s recordings through 1971. This was the price that The Who paid for artistic freedom in the recording studio. The record deal meant that the band could choose their own producer now that Shel Talmy was out of the picture. Shel's version of "Circles" later reappeared on the American version of the My Generation album, entitled "Instant Party". The Who were as controversial as ever while doing press for the release. Pete had already appeared without The Who on A Whole Scene Going, during which he admitted publicly for the first time that he was an active drug user. "Does this mean that you're actually blocked up when you're on stage?", the interviewer asked. "No, but it means we're blocked up all the time, you know." More press coverage appeared in the March 26, 1966 issue of Melody Maker. The Pop Think-In featured Pete’s opinions on various subjects, opinions which, until now, weren’t thought of as particularly important by the media. When asked his opinion on the war in Vietnam, Pete commented, “There will always be teenagers ready to throw themselves under tanks. I wonder what I would do if we were in the same position. I always stand by Young Communist principles. If I was in Russia and in some harsh five year plan - if it was for the good of the country - I wouldn’t mind. I would get joy out of seeing something being done, like new libraries being built. But for a youngster to face foreign troops blasting away about something they don’t even understand... Well, really they all ought to get out.” The principles of the Young Communist league had been familiar to Pete for a few years now - he had joined the organization in art school. Never afraid of challenging themselves and progressing into heavier territory, "Substitute" saw The Who reaffirming themselves as the cutting edge of pop art.​

 

bump

 

I need this single if anyone has it and is willing to part with it:
UK: March 4, 1966 - Substitute / Circles - Reaction 591001

 

Vintage Townshend lyrics. Another classic WHO single - great lyrics, great harmonies along with the explosive rhythm section.

 

A real monster of a performance. What a single!
I think Pete's litany of substitutions in his life is still quite clever after all these years. I recall there was some US(?) censorship issues with the black parent?
I loved watching this one live with the windmills (whether they be Keith Richards' windmills or Pete's windmills; Pete did 'em better! Pete even did 'em while airborne!)

 

I have two copies with Instant Party listed on the B, a US Atco with the revised lyrics, and a UK with Waltz For A Pig on the B. Great song... Substitute you for my mom,at least I'll get my washing done!

 

Me for Him...

Post #203 was some fascinating and informative reading, thanks very much Devotional for doing a stand up job in this thread in honoring the genius of Townshend and Co.



cheers,

 

What's the best CD source for the U.S. version with the revised lyrics?

 

That is a good question.... I guess I never thought about it.

 

great thread, just discovered it today. how did I miss this one so long?

some great posts in here....great reading...

 

This got started on a wrong note... a endless discussion asking if Jimmy Page played on Can't Explain... I'm happy to see it get back on topic. The most exciting band ever? I think so

 

I believe "Substitute" is my favorite Who song ever, even though there is several or numerous great songs that could be.
But Substitute has that certain magic for me.

 

In addition to what's already been said about "Substitute"—and Pete's right, it's a beautiful word—I think Townshend picked a very good scenario to use the word in. The idea of a girl choosing some guy to stand in for her ideal man (or of a guy feeling that way about his relationship) is a great example, I think, of the sort of 'realistic' pop songs that the Who (and, to a lesser extent, the Stones and the Beatles) were doing by late '65/early '66 that were exploring odd or dysfunctional romantic relationships instead of typical love/lust/heartbreak scenarios. The Who were, IMHO, the best at this out of the British Invasion groups; songs like "The Good's Gone" (which seems to be about lovemaking gone stale), "A Legal Matter", and "Substitute" demonstrate it.

 

Not an unimportant tidbit, in the launching of such an important band, I don't think. From humble beginnings and all that.

 

So wait, I'm confused....let me make sure I have this right

The Shel Talmy version of "Circles" on the US "My Generation" album, right? And it's on the "Legal Matter" single.

The Kit Lambert version is on some copies of the "Substitute" single, and on the later "Ready Steady Who" EP.

I think the Kit Lambert version is much better, for the vocal if no other reason. Both are a little sloppy. I think the Kit Lambert one has a momentary fumble when they switch keys at the end.

 

The Talmy version is a little slower, and has a longer, rawer freak out in the middle. The single is a bit more refined. There are pretty major differences. I remember the first time I heard the single I was stunned. I like 'em both.

 

Curiously, Radio Birdman played Circles/Instant Party on their last tour. Deniz Tek asked me to send it to him to learn. I don't think he knew there were two versions. It'll be on their upcoming live album. Their drummer Rusty claims he was playing the drums from the Flur de Lyes version... snob!

Wild Tiger Woman by the Move was also on the list of potential covers, but Den couldn't see what Rob was on about. I suggested I Can Hear The Grass Grow instead... They ended up doing Til The End Of The Day, which will also be on the live album.

 

My Coke For Gin...

So Meaty, Beaty Big, and Bouncy was the first record I ever bought (along with Live at Leeds) so that is the "Substitute" I know and love, so which version would that be?


cheers,

 

Glea was talking about "Circles," not "Substitute."

 

we were talking about the b-side, "Circles" aka "instant party". but the meaty beaty version of "Substitute" is the UK single. the US single is shorter and has different lyrics....."I try to walk forward but my feet walk back" or something, instead of the "my dad was black" line.

 

Oops, sorry....

 

Hey everyone. Does anyone have an answer to this question?

 

this might be just about the best pairing of a single for me of all time. Just two of the greatest songs.

Circles is such a mighty cool b-side...and I have to give a shout out to my boy, the great Paul Weller, whose version of this tune just smokes.