Had Enough (The Who song)

Last updated
"Had Enough"
Single by the Who
from the album Who Are You
A-side "Who Are You" [1]
Released1978 (1978)
Recorded30 September 1977 (1977-09-30)
Genre Symphonic rock
Length4:27
Label
Songwriter(s) John Entwistle
Producer(s)
The Who singles chronology
"Squeeze Box"
(1975)		"Who Are You" / "Had Enough"
(1978)		"You Better You Bet"
(1981)

"Had Enough" is a song written by the Who bassist John Entwistle, and featured on their eighth studio album, Who Are You (1978). It was also released as a double A-side single with "Who Are You", making it Entwistle's second single A-side, after "Postcard" from Odds & Sods in 1974.

Contents

Background

Like "905", "Had Enough" was planned to feature on a rock opera in the process of being written by Entwistle, but was never finished. It was written a long time before work was started on Who Are You. The lyrics describe the main character of the failed rock opera, 905, finally snapping under the pressure and stress of his life.

"Had Enough" saw single release as a double-A side single with "Who Are You" in 1978 prior to the Who Are You album's release. Despite this, "Had Enough" received far less radio airplay than "Who Are You" but American FM rock radio played the song frequently after its release. Entwistle later joked that most people probably thought the song was a B-side because it said "Entwistle" on it. [2] It was never performed live by the Who, although it featured in many of Entwistle's solo concerts. [3] [ better source needed ]

Composition

"Had Enough" was the third John Entwistle composition that had Roger Daltrey on lead vocals, after "Someone's Coming" from 1967, and "Success Story" from 1975. Entwistle said of the song's composition:

I used an old Who trick, which is playing that sort of dum dum dum dum beat like "Bell Boy" I put that kind of beat to it and I used a suspended chord where you play just a C bass note and stay on the C and write chords around it that fit in. And presto! Instant Who song!

Unusually for a Who song, it features a full string orchestra, which was arranged by Ted Astley. [2] Pete Townshend said of these strings:

We used full orchestral string arrangements here for the first time on any Who track. It seemed OK to do it with one of John's songs -- he was always struggling single-handed to lay down enough overdubbed brass parts on my stuff (especially Quadrophenia) to sound like an orchestra himself. Our arranger was my wife's inspired father, Ted Astley. The strings on this track are quantum. But it's another cynical, life-weary lyric, like 'New Song'. I wonder why John and I were so bored with life? [2]

Roger Daltrey, however, did not approve of these strings, reportedly head-butting producer Glyn Johns over the disagreement. He later said:

I had a punch-up with Glyn Johns, mainly because he put strings on John's track 'Had Enough.' I went into the studio in the afternoon the day before they put on the strings. I thought, 'Fucking hell, strings on a Who track?' When I heard it, it was just slushy strings and I don't like slushy strings. I don't mind orchestras. I like them triumphant. There's things you can do with strings that can be really good and exciting but what he'd done on this I didn't like. He said, 'What do you think?' And I said, 'Don't like it much.' And he went up the fucking wall. So I think he smacked me and I smacked him and that's how we were in those days. [2]

Critical reception

Cashbox said it has "a strong guitar and keyboard presence, stout drumming and aggressive stance by Roger Daltrey" as well as "silky backing singing." [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>A Quick One</i> 1966 studio album by the Who

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.

<i>The Who by Numbers</i> 1975 studio album by the Who

The Who by Numbers is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 October 1975 in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records, and on 6 October 1975 in the United States by MCA Records. It was named the tenth-best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

<i>Its Hard</i> 1982 studio album by the Who

It's Hard is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Who. Released in September 1982, it was the final Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002. It was also the second and final Who studio album with drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was released on Polydor Records in the UK, peaking at No. 11, and on Warner Bros. in the US where it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The US rights to both this album and Face Dances subsequently reverted to the band, who then licensed them to MCA Records for reissue. The album achieved gold status by the RIAA in the US in November 1982. It was their last album for over two decades until Endless Wire in 2006.

<i>Who Are You</i> 1978 studio album by the Who

Who Are You is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and on 21 August 1978 by MCA Records in the United States. Although the album received mixed reviews from critics, it was a commercial success, peaking at number 2 on the US charts and number 6 on the UK charts.

<i>Face Dances</i> 1981 studio album by the Who

Face Dances is the ninth studio album by English rock band the Who. It was released in 1981 by Warner Bros. in the United States and on Polydor in the United Kingdom. It is one of two Who studio albums with drummer Kenney Jones, who joined the band after Keith Moon's death three years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Generation</span> 1965 single by the Who

"My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004 and 2010, re-ranked number 232 in the 2021 edition. It became part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. It is considered one of the band's signature songs.

<i>Odds & Sods</i> 1974 compilation album by The Who

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.

<i>The Ultimate Collection</i> (The Who album) 2002 greatest hits album by the Who

The Ultimate Collection is a 2002 two-disc greatest hits set by the Who with both singles and top hits from albums, all of which have been remastered. The compilation was released by Polydor Records internationally and on MCA Records in the U.S. The first 150,000 copies added a third disk with rare tracks and music videos. The album debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart on 29 June 2002, at No. 31 and hit No. 17 on the British charts. It was certified gold by the RIAA on 15 July 2002 and platinum on 13 March 2008.

<i>Then and Now</i> (The Who album) 2004 compilation album by the Who

Then and Now is a 2004 greatest hits compilation album by The Who released internationally by Polydor Records and by Geffen Records in the United States. It features 18 Who classics and two new tracks—"Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine"—which were the first Who originals since "Dig" from Pete Townshend's 1989 album The Iron Man. "Real Good Looking Boy" is a tribute to Elvis Presley, and "Old Red Wine" is a tribute to former band member John Entwistle, who died in 2002. The album was re-released in 2007 and replaced "Old Red Wine" with "It's Not Enough" from the 2006 album Endless Wire and "Summertime Blues" was replaced by "Baba O'Riley".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Are You (The Who song)</span> Song by The Who

"Who Are You" is the title track on the Who's 1978 album, Who Are You, the last album released by the group before Keith Moon's death in September 1978. It was written by Pete Townshend and released as a double-A-sided single with the John Entwistle composition "Had Enough", also featured on the album. The song was one of the band's biggest hits in North America, peaking at number 7 in Canada and at number 14 in the United States, and has become one of the band's signature tunes at their live shows. The piano on the track is played by Rod Argent.

<i>My Generation: The Very Best of The Who</i> 1996 greatest hits album by The Who

My Generation: The Very Best of The Who is one of The Who's many greatest hits collections, released by Polydor Records internationally and MCA Records in the United States in 1996. Its release coincided with the release of the remastered original albums and thus contained the newly remastered versions of the songs, and some also remixed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Free (The Who song)</span> 1969 single by the Who

"I'm Free" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the Who on the album Tommy. The song has since been released as a single, becoming one of the best known tracks from Tommy.

<i>Under a Raging Moon</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Roger Daltrey

Under a Raging Moon is the sixth solo studio album by the English singer Roger Daltrey, released in September 1985 by Atlantic Records. The album reached No. 42 on the US charts, and the single "After the Fire", written by Pete Townshend, reached No. 48. It includes a tribute to Keith Moon, former drummer of the Who who died in 1978, on the track "Under a Raging Moon". In Canada, the album reached No. 33 on the RPM Magazine charts, and "After the Fire" reached No. 53.

<i>A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who</i> 1994 live album by Roger Daltrey

A Celebration: The Music of Pete Townshend and The Who, also known as Daltrey Sings Townshend, is a music event and a later live album by Roger Daltrey documenting a two-night concert at Carnegie Hall in February 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Mind (James Brown song)</span> 1961 single performed by James Brown and The Famous Flames

"I Don't Mind" is a rhythm and blues song written by James Brown and performed by Brown and the Famous Flames. Released as a single in 1961, it reached number four in the R&B Billboard charts and number 47 in the Pop Billboard charts. Brown and the Flames also performed it on their 1963 album Live at the Apollo

<i>Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who</i> 2007 British film

Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who is a 2007 documentary film by Murray Lerner and Paul Crowder about English rock and roll band The Who. The film features new interviews with band members Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Kenney Jones, and Pete Townshend, as well as Sting, The Edge, Noel Gallagher, Eddie Vedder, Steve Jones and others, as well as rare photos of the four members of the band, and archival live footage of performances dating back to 1964. A soundtrack accompanying the film also serves as a greatest-hits compilation for the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Join Together (The Who song)</span> 1972 single by the Who

"Join Together" is a song by British rock band the Who, first released as a non-album single in June 1972. The song has since been performed live multiple times and has appeared on numerous compilation albums. It was the last Who single to be released in the United States which used the Decca Records color bar label.

<i>The 1st Singles Box</i> 2004 box set by The Who

The 1st Singles Box is a box set compilation of singles recorded by the Who throughout their history. The album was released exclusively in the United Kingdom on 25 May 2004. It was considered the counterpart to the other compilation album by the Who, entitled Then and Now. The album was set with twelve compact discs containing two songs each, a la the A-side and B-side of the original single. Each individual CD was encased by a paper sleeve representing the single's original artwork from a particular country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's See Action</span> 1971 single by the Who

"Let's See Action" is a song written and composed by Pete Townshend and recorded by the Who. It was released as a single in the UK in 1971 and reached #16 in the charts.

"Blue, Red and Grey" is the eighth song on the Who's 1975 album The Who by Numbers. An acoustic ballad featuring the song's writer, Pete Townshend, on lead vocals, the song is generally considered one of the lighter songs on the album.

References

  1. 1 2 "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox . March 24, 1979. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Hypertext Who › Liner Notes › Who Are You". Thewho.net. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01.
  3. ↑ The John Entwistle Band. "Left for Live: Deluxe" – via Amazon.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.