"Armenia City in the Sky" | |
---|---|
Song by the Who | |
from the album The Who Sell Out | |
Released | 15 December 1967 |
Recorded | 20 October 1967 [1] |
Genre | |
Length | 3:48 |
Label | Track |
Songwriter(s) | Speedy Keen |
Producer(s) | Kit Lambert |
"Armenia City in the Sky" is a song by the English rock band the Who, released on their 1967 album The Who Sell Out . It is the only song on the album not written by any members of the band, as it was instead written by Speedy Keen, a friend of the band.
The song was recorded and mixed by 20 October 1967. [1]
John Atkins in the book The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998 wrote that the song's title is "merely a euphemism for the 'destination' of an acid trip". He also wrote: the basic hard rock performance is laden with overdubs: backwards guitars, raga drones, feedback and even backward horns. Beneath this dazzling array of effects lies a pleasant but average song in an impossibly high key for Roger Daltrey's voice". Atkins also felt that the song could be taken as a parody of a song by a psychedelic group, "especially when toward the end we can hear chanted 'freak out, freak out' in a silly voice". [4]
Sterling Whitaker of Ultimate Classic Rock wrote that the song "was an innovative sonic production that made use of the Who's instrumental and vocal abilities, along with groundbreaking sound effects that pointed the way to much of the group's later work". [5] Rolling Stone wrote that the song has "orchestrated fuzz". [6] John Dougan thought that because "Armenia City in the Sky" sounded like a Pete Townshend song, it ended up on the album. [7]
Richie Unterberger of AllMusic thought that the song was one of the four highlights on the album. [8] Robert Christgau picked "Armenia City in the Sky" as one of his three favourites from the album. [9] Ultimate Classic Rock thought that it was the band's 37th best song. [10]
American alternative rock band Sugar released a live cover of the song as a B-side to their single "A Good Idea". Petra Haden covered "Armenia City in the Sky" on her 2005 album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out . AllMusic writer Tim Sendra chose her version as one of the highlights on the album. [11]
American drummer Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) released a cover of the song on his solo album "Greetings From Bunezuela!" in 2016 with the band Candy Golde. [12]
Adapted from the liner notes of the 1995 reissue. [13]
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century. Their contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack, large public address systems, the use of synthesizers, Entwistle's and Moon's influential playing styles, Townshend's feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera. They are cited as an influence by many hard rock, punk, power pop and mod bands. The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style and poetic songwriting techniques, with the Who and in other projects, have earned him critical acclaim.
Roger Harry Daltrey is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead singer of the rock band the Who.
Tommy is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 19 May 1969. Written primarily by guitarist Pete Townshend, Tommy is a double album and an early rock opera that tells the story of the fictional Tommy Walker and his path to becoming a spiritual leader and messianic figure.
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released as a double album on 26 October 1973 by Track Records. It is the group's third rock opera, the previous two being the "mini-opera" song "A Quick One, While He's Away" (1966) and the album Tommy (1969). Set in London and Brighton in 1965, the story follows a young mod named Jimmy and his search for self-worth and importance. Quadrophenia is the only Who album entirely written by Pete Townshend.
Who's Next is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 2 August 1971, by Track Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records in the United States. It developed from the aborted Lifehouse project, a multi-media rock opera conceived by the group's guitarist Pete Townshend as a follow-up to the band's 1969 album Tommy. The project was cancelled owing to its complexity and to conflicts with Kit Lambert, the band's manager, but the group salvaged some of the songs, without the connecting story elements, to release as their next album. Eight of the nine songs on Who's Next were from Lifehouse, with the lone exception being the John Entwistle-penned "My Wife". Ultimately, the remaining Lifehouse tracks would all be released on other albums throughout the next decade.
A Quick One is the second studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 9 December 1966. In the United States, where the song "Happy Jack" was a top 40 hit, the album was released in April 1967 under the title Happy Jack with a slightly altered track listing.
My Generation is the debut studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 December 1965 by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom, and Festival Records in Australia. In the United States, it was released on 25 April 1966 by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing. Besides the members of the Who, being Roger Daltrey (vocals), Pete Townshend (guitar), John Entwistle (bass) and Keith Moon (drums), the album features contributions by session musician Nicky Hopkins (piano).
The Who Sell Out is the third studio album by the English rock band the Who. It was released on 15 December 1967 by Track Records in the UK and Decca Records in the US. A concept album, The Who Sell Out is structured as a collection of unrelated songs interspersed with fake commercials and public service announcements, including the second track "Heinz Baked Beans". The album purports to be a broadcast by pirate radio station Radio London. The reference to "selling out" was an intended irony, as the Who had been making real commercials during that period of their career, some of which are included as bonus tracks on the remastered CD.
Live at Leeds is the first live album by English rock band the Who, recorded at the University of Leeds Refectory on 14 February 1970 and released on 11 May 1970, by Decca and MCA in the United States and by Track and Polydor in the United Kingdom. It is the band's only live album that was recorded with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon.
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album of singles by English rock band the Who, released in 1971 as Track 2406 006 in the UK and as Decca DL 79184 in the US. It entered the US Billboard 200 chart on 20 November 1971, peaking at number 11, and the UK chart on 3 December 1971, peaking at number 9.
Odds & Sods is an album of studio outtakes by British rock band the Who. It was released by Track Records in the UK on September 28, 1974, and by Track/MCA in the US on October 12, 1974. Ten of the recordings on the original eleven-song album were previously unreleased. The album reached No. 10 on the UK charts and No. 15 in the US.
"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. It was released as a single in June 1971, reaching the top 10 in the UK, while the full eight-and-a-half-minute version appears as the final track on the band's 1971 album Who's Next, released that August. In the US, the single entered Billboard on 17 July, reaching No. 15.
"Eminence Front" is a song by The Who, written and sung by lead guitarist Pete Townshend. It appears as the sixth track on the group's tenth studio album It's Hard (1982). The single entered Billboard Hot 100 on 25 December 1982, reaching number 68.
"I Can See for Miles" is a song by the English rock band the Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was the only song from the album to be released as a single.
Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out is an album by Petra Haden, an entirely a cappella interpretation of the 1967 album The Who Sell Out by English rock band The Who. Haden supplies all of the vocals. It was released in 2005 on Bar None Records.
"Slip Kid" is a song from the Who's seventh album, The Who by Numbers. Written originally for Pete Townshend's shelved Lifehouse rock opera, "Slip Kid" was revived in 1975. The song was originally written as a warning about the music business, though Townshend has pointed out the song's relevance in different contexts. The song was released as a single in the US, backed by "Dreaming from the Waist", but failed to chart.
"Tattoo" is a song written by Pete Townshend that was first released by The Who on their 1967 album The Who Sell Out. A "rite of passage" song, "Tattoo" tells the story of two teenaged brothers who decide to get tattoos in their attempts to become men. Themes of the song include peer pressure to conform and young men's insecurity about their manhood. The song has been heavily praised by critics and has appeared on several of The Who's live and compilation albums. It has also been covered by Tommy Keene and Petra Haden.
"Odorono" is a song written by Pete Townshend that was first released by English rock band The Who on their 1967 album The Who Sell Out. Townshend sings the lead vocal rather than normal Who lead singer Roger Daltrey. The song praises the virtues of an actual American deodorant named Odorono.
"The Good's Gone" is a song by English rock band the Who, written by their guitarist Pete Townshend. Initially recorded and sequenced as the third track of their debut My Generation in December 1965, it was released as the B-side to "La-La-La-Lies" in November 1966. Heavily inspired by Ray Davies song "See My Friends", Townshend wrote the track with blues in mind.