The Who by Numbers

Last updated

The Who by Numbers
The who by numbers cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released3 October 1975 (1975-10-03)
RecordedApril – 12 June 1975
Studio Shepperton Studios' soundstage (Shepperton, Surrey, England) using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio
Genre Rock
Length37:19
Label Polydor (UK)
MCA (US)
Producer Glyn Johns
The Who chronology
Tommy (Soundtrack)
(1975)
The Who by Numbers
(1975)
The Story of The Who
(1976)
Singles from The Who by Numbers
  1. "Squeeze Box"
    Released: November 1975
  2. "Slip Kid"
    Released: August 1976

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. [1] It was named the tenth-best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. [2]

Contents

Background

Pete Townshend has claimed that the band recorded practically every song he had written for The Who by Numbers, partially due to a writer's block that he was experiencing at the time. [3] The songs on the album were, for the most part, more introspective and personal than many other songs that the band had released. Townshend's 30th birthday occurred in May 1975; he was troubled with thoughts of being too old to play rock and roll and that the band was losing its relevance. [4] He began to feel disenchanted with the music industry, a feeling that he carried into his songs. He said of the songs on the album:

[The songs] were written with me stoned out of my brain in my living room, crying my eyes out... detached from my own work and from the whole project... I felt empty. [4]

After concluding the tour for the Quadrophenia album in June 1974, the Who took an extended hiatus and did not perform live for more than a year. John Entwistle kept himself occupied by playing solo gigs. [5] In addition, the band spent this time filming Tommy , based on their rock opera of the same title.

This was the band's first album on Polydor. The sessions for The Who by Numbers began in April 1975 and continued through early June. The album was released in October and the band supported it with a tour, which spanned some 70 concerts before concluding in the autumn of 1976.

For the album's recording, the band recruited producer Glyn Johns. The band had worked previously with Johns on the 1971 album Who's Next . Compared to previous Who albums, The Who by Numbers took an unusually long time to complete (as noted above, nearly three months) and was marred by numerous breaks and interruptions due to the band members' growing boredom and lack of interest. It features some of the darkest songs ever recorded by the band. Only the songs on the first side of The Who by Numbers were performed live, and only "Squeeze Box" became a concert staple. "Imagine a Man" was performed live for the first time by the band in May 2019, [6] [7] nearly 44 years after its release. Roger Daltrey had featured the song in a solo concert in February 1994. [8] Townshend said of the album's recording sessions:

I felt partly responsible because the Who recording schedule had, as usual, dragged on and on, sweeping all individuals and their needs aside. Glyn worked harder on The Who by Numbers than I've ever seen him. He had to, not because the tracks were weak or the music poor but because the group was so useless. We played cricket between takes or went to the pub. I personally had never done that before. I felt detached from my own songs, from the whole record. Recording the album seemed to take me nowhere. Roger [Daltrey] was angry with the world at the time. Keith [Moon] seemed as impetuous as ever, on the wagon one minute, off the next. John [Entwistle] was obviously gathering strength throughout the whole period; the great thing about it was he seemed to know we were going to need him more than ever before in the coming year. [4]

Album cover

The album cover, on which the band members' bodies are depicted as connect the dots puzzles, was drawn by John Entwistle. In 1996, when asked about the cover, he replied: "The first [piece of artwork] release[d] is The Who by Numbers cover, which I never got paid for, so now I'm going to get paid. (laughs) We were taking it in turns to do the covers. It was Pete's turn before me and we did the Quadrophenia cover, which cost about the same as a small house back then, about £16,000. My cover cost £32." [9]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Christgau's Record Guide B+ [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
MusicHound Rock 4/5 [13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Tom Hull B [15]

The Who by Numbers peaked at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart and number 8 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape album chart in the US. "Squeeze Box" was also a Top 20 hit in both Britain and America, although the US follow-up, "Slip Kid", failed to chart.

The Rolling Stone review of The Who by Numbers stated: "They may have made their greatest album in the face of [their personal problems]. But only time will tell." [16]

In an interview from Thirty Years of Maximum R&B , Townshend declared "Dreaming from the Waist" and "Sister Disco" (from Who Are You ) as his least favourite songs to play on stage. In contrast, Entwistle declared in the same series of interviews that "Dreaming from the Waist" was one of his favourite songs to perform live. Daltrey referred to the album as his favourite in his memoir. [17]

Remasters and reissues

The 1996 remaster was remixed by Jon Astley.

On 24 December 2011, the album was remastered and reissued in Japan using the original mix. The live bonus tracks from the previous edition were included on the reissue. The packaging replicated the original vinyl release of the album.

Track listing

All songs written by Pete Townshend, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Slip Kid"4:29
2."However Much I Booze"5:03
3."Squeeze Box"2:41
4."Dreaming from the Waist"4:08
5."Imagine a Man"4:00
Total length:20:21
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Success Story" John Entwistle 3:20
2."They Are All in Love" 3:00
3."Blue Red and Grey" 2:47
4."How Many Friends" 4:06
5."In a Hand or a Face" 3:25
Total length:16:38
1996 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Squeeze Box" (Live at the Vetch Field, Swansea, Wales on 12 June 1976)4:13
12."Behind Blue Eyes" (Live at the Vetch Field, Swansea, Wales on 12 June 1976)3:41
13."Dreaming from the Waist" (Live at the Vetch Field, Swansea, Wales on 12 June 1976)4:52
Total length:12:46

Personnel

The Who

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for The Who by Numbers
Chart (1975–1976)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [18] 29
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [19] 9
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [20] 29
UK Albums (OCC) [21] 7
US Billboard 200 [22] 8

Certifications

Certifications for The Who by Numbers
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [23] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [25] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Who</span> English rock band

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.

<i>Quadrophenia</i> 1973 studio album by the Who

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.

<i>Whos Next</i> 1971 studio album by the Who

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.

<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>My Generation</i> (album) 1965 album by The Who

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).

<i>The Who Sell Out</i> 1967 album by the Who

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.

<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>Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy</i> 1971 compilation album by The Who

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.

<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>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">5:15</span> Song by The Who

"5:15" is a song written by Pete Townshend of British rock band The Who. Part of the band's second rock opera, Quadrophenia (1973), the song was also released as a single and reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, while the 1979 re-release reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real Me (The Who song)</span> Original song written and composed by Peter Townshend

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love, Reign o'er Me</span> Song by The Who

"Love, Reign o'er Me", subtitled "Pete's Theme", is a song by English rock band The Who. Written and composed by guitarist Pete Townshend, it was released on 27 October 1973 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia. It is the final song on the album, and has been a concert staple for years. The song peaked at number 76 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 54 on Cash Box.

<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.

<i>The Kids Are Alright</i> (soundtrack) 1979 album

The Kids Are Alright is a soundtrack album by the British rock band the Who, a companion to the band's documentary film of the same name. As a compilation album, it serves as a retrospective look at the band's biggest hits throughout their career to the point it was released. Most of the tracks are live recordings, rather than the original studio versions.

Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock was the title of an unreleased 1972 autobiographical album by the British rock band The Who. In the liner notes for the Who's 1974 rarities collection Odds & Sods, guitarist and lead songwriter Pete Townshend said, "I had an idea once for a new album about the history of The Who called Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock. That idea later blossomed into Quadrophenia." The sessions for the album spanned from 19 May to 6 June at Olympic Studios in London. Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock was to be produced by The Who and Glyn Johns and scheduled for release in October 1972, but although the album was nearly completed the band felt as though it sounded too much like their 1971 LP Who's Next. Townshend later stated that Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock was also going to be a TV special about The Who.

<i>Quadrophenia</i> (soundtrack) 1979 soundtrack album by the Who

Quadrophenia is the soundtrack album of the 1979 film Quadrophenia, which refers to the 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia. It was initially released on Polydor Records in 1979 as a cassette and LP and was re-released as a compact disc in 1993 and 2001. The album was dedicated to Peter Meaden, a prominent Mod and first manager of The Who, who had died a year prior to the album's release.

<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.

"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. "RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America .
  2. Christgau, Robert (29 December 1975). "Jazz & Pop 1975: Critics Poll". robertchristgau.com. The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
  3. "The Who by Numbers liner notes". Thewho.net. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Grantley, S. & Parker, A.G. (2010). The Who by Numbers. Helter Skelter. pp. 138–150. ISBN   9781905139262.
  5. "John Entwistle Tour Archive 1974". Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  6. On May 7, 2019 at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, USA, first date of the Moving On! Tour.
  7. www.setlist.fm > The Who Setlist - May 7, 2019 at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
  8. "Roger Daltrey live in New York, NY, Thursday, 24. February 1994". Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Who: The Who by Numbers". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  11. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: W". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  12. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  13. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p.  1227. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  14. "The Who: Album Guide". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  15. Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Rock (1960s)". tomhull.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  16. Marsh, Dave (20 November 1975). "The Who By Numbers". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  17. Roger Daltrey, 2018. Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite: My Story, Blink Publishing; Henry Holt & Co ISBN   978-1-788700-28-3
  18. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  19. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4082a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  20. "Charts.nz – The Who – The Who by Numbers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  21. "The Who | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  22. "The Who Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  23. "Canadian album certifications – The Who – The Who by Numbers". Music Canada.
  24. "British album certifications – The Who – The Who by Numbers". British Phonographic Industry.
  25. "American album certifications – The Who – The Who by Numbers". Recording Industry Association of America.