| "Let's See Action" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the Who | ||||
| B-side | "When I Was a Boy" (John Entwistle) | |||
| Released | 15 October 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1971 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, power pop | |||
| Length | 3:57 | |||
| Label | Track | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Pete Townshend | |||
| Producer(s) | The Who | |||
| The Who singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"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.
The song is the first of three non-album singles by the Who, [1] that were intended for the aborted Lifehouse project. [2] Pete Townshend's demo version, which appears on his first major label solo album Who Came First as "Nothing Is Everything (Let's See Action)", is longer than the version on the single and contains the additional lines, "Rumor has it minds are open. Then rumors fill them up with lies." [3] The band's bassist, John Entwistle, said that the track was Pete Townshend "Trying to talk to the kids in general." [1] According to The Who's biographer John Atkins, the song takes ideas from the teachings of Meher Baba, encompassing "Soul searching and the utilization of positive impulses from within." [4]
The B-side of the single was "When I Was a Boy", which was written and sung by John Entwistle. According to John Atkins, this song is a lament about lost childhood and coping with adulthood that follows. [4]
The single was released in the UK on 15 October 1971. [5] It reached #16 in the charts. [4] "Let's See Action" was also released as a single in several other countries, but not in the U.S., where it remained unreleased until its inclusion on the Hooligans compilation album in 1981. [6] "Let's See Action" was also remixed by Jon Astley and Andy Macpherson for the 30 Years of Maximum R&B box set in 1994. [4] "When I Was a Boy" was released on CD on Polydor's Rarities 1966–1972 Vol. 1 & 2 , and MCA's Who's Missing . [7] "Let's See Action" has since been included on the compilations My Generation: The Very Best of The Who and The Who Hits 50! .
"Let's See Action" was performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000 with Eddie Vedder sharing lead vocals with Roger Daltrey. This performance later appeared on the live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall . [8]
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album of singles by British 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 and Track/MCA in the US in October 1974. Ten of the recordings on original eleven song album were previously unreleased. The album reached No. 10 on the UK charts and No. 15 in the US.
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.
"The Real Me" is a song written by Pete Townshend on The Who's second full-scale rock opera, Quadrophenia in 1973. This is the second track on the album, although it is the first with lyrics. It concerns a boy named Jimmy, a young English Mod with four distinct personalities. The song describes how he angrily deals with several individuals to identify "the real me". The song was released as a single in the United States and Canada in 1974.
"Go to the Mirror!" is a song written by Pete Townshend of the Who. It appears as the fifteenth track on the group's first rock opera, Tommy (1969). "Go to the Mirror!" is included on the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
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.
"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.
Hooligans is a double compilation album of The Who released by MCA Records in 1981. It focuses on Who songs from the 1970s with only the titles "I Can't Explain", "I Can See for Miles" and "Pinball Wizard" from the 1960s. The album reached #52 on the US charts.
"Drowned" is a song written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist for the Who, for their sixth album, Quadrophenia.
"Dogs" is a UK single written by Pete Townshend and released by the Who in June 1968. It reached number 25 on the UK singles chart, lower than any single the band had released in several years. The B-side of the UK single was "Call Me Lightning". Both songs were originally released mixed in mono only, as they were not intended for album release.
"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
"Don't Let Go the Coat" is a song written by Pete Townshend and first released on The Who's 1981 album Face Dances.
The Who Collection is a compilation album by The Who, released in 1985. It is notable for containing a unique remix of "Won't Get Fooled Again" and for being one of the few compact disc appearances of the extended version of "Magic Bus".
"Bargain" is a song written by Pete Townshend that was first released by the Who on their 1971 album Who's Next. It is a love song, although the intended subject of the song is God rather than a woman. The song has been included on several compilation and live albums. It was also included on several of Townshend's solo projects. Critics have praised the song's lyricism and power, as well as the performance of the band on the song. Townshend acknowledged during the Who's concert at the Prudential Center in Newark on 19 March 2016 that this is his favorite song on the album.
Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a three-CD live album set by The Who, released in 2003.
"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.
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.
"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.
"Trick of the Light" is a song written by bassist John Entwistle for The Who's eighth studio album, Who Are You. It was released as the second single from the album, atypically with another Entwistle song, "905" on the B-side, but did not chart.
"It's Hard" is a song written by Pete Townshend that featured on British rock band The Who's tenth album, It's Hard, of which it was the title track. It was released as the third and final vinyl single from the album in 1983, backed with the John Entwistle written song "Dangerous", but failed to chart, although it reached number 39 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. This would become the last Who single of new material until "Real Good Looking Boy" in 2004, and the last album single by them until "Black Widow's Eyes", two years later.
