Trick of the Light (The Who song)

Last updated
"Trick of the Light"
Trick of the Light single cover.jpg
Single by The Who
from the album Who Are You
B-side "905"
Released2 December 1978 (US)
Recorded30 September 1977
Genre
Length
  • 4:06 (original mix)
  • 4:45 (1996 remix)
  • 3:37 (single edit) [1]
Label MCA
Songwriter(s) John Entwistle
Producer(s)
The Who singles chronology
"Who Are You"
(1978)		"Trick of the Light"
(1978)		"Long Live Rock"
(1979)
Who Are You track listing
9 tracks
Side one
  1. "New Song"
  2. "Had Enough"
  3. "905"
  4. "Sister Disco"
  5. "Music Must Change"
Side two
  1. "Trick of the Light"
  2. "Guitar and Pen"
  3. "Love Is Coming Down"
  4. "Who Are You"

"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. [2]

The lyrics describe fear of being sexually inadequate in the face of a prostitute. [3] [4] The singer wants to have an emotional connection with the prostitute but she only sees him as dehumanized and recognizes his sexual insecurity. [2] He is concerned that he didn't bring her "to the height of ecstasy." [5] It features a guitar-like assault throughout the song, described by Pete Townshend as sounding like "a musical Mack truck" [1] and is actually Entwistle's heavily distorted eight-string Alembic bass. [2] [4] Chris Charlesworth feels that the bass dominates the song to an extent that none of the other elements of the song matter. [4] Billboard described the guitar riff as "furious" and "unrelenting," and also praises drummer Keith Moon's ability to "[sustain] rhythmic tension." [6] Cash Box said that the song is "driven by powerful guitar work by Pete Townshend and aggressive drumming from Keith Moon." [7] Record World said that the song "features the group's familiar song structure carried by wall-of-sound instrumentation." [8]

Who biographer John Atkins says the song has a "muscular texture" and is "fully realized" but that it represents an "orthodox heavy rock format" that the band usually shunned. [2] The Who FAQ author Mike Segretto considers it one of Entwistle's "catchier songs," attributing its lack of chart success to its being "too heavy" and "too mean" for the 1977 singles chart. [5] Segretto considers the song to be underrated, finding humor in the situation but stating that "genuine vulnerability makes the song more than a good giggle and undercuts the performance's cock-rock attitude." [5] But it was not a favorite of Who lead singer Roger Daltrey, who complained that it went "on and on and on and on." [5]

It was performed occasionally on The Who's 1979 tour with Entwistle on eight-string and Townshend playing one of Entwistle's Alembic basses used on the 1975–1976 tours. It made its return to the setlist in 1989, with Townshend originally on electric guitar on the two Toronto dates in June and acoustic guitar for the rest of the tour.

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. A version of the album with an altered track listing was released under the name Happy Jack on Decca Records in April 1967 in the United States, where the song "Happy Jack" was a top 40 hit.

<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 21 August 1978 by Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Won't Get Fooled Again</span> 1971 single by the Who

"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.

<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">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.

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

"Substitute" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend. Released in March 1966, the single reached number five in the UK and was later included on the compilation album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy in 1971. In 2006, Pitchfork ranked "Substitute" at number 91 on the "200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere</span> 1965 single by the Who

"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" was the second single released by the English rock band the Who in 1965. It features call-and-response lyrics and some of the first ever recorded guitar feedback. The song was composed by lead singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend, the only time they wrote together. The guitar feedback, although not the first to be heard on a record, is thought to be the first solo with feedback. This is the first Who release with Nicky Hopkins playing piano.

"The Song Is Over" is a song by the English rock band the Who, appearing on Who's Next. It was originally to be the ending song on Lifehouse. It takes place after the police invade the Lifehouse Theatre and the concert goers disappear.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slip Kid</span> Song by The Who

"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.

"Drowned" is a song written by Pete Townshend, the guitarist for the Who, for their sixth album, Quadrophenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La-La-La-Lies</span> Song by The Who

"La-La-La-Lies" is the fourth track on the Who's debut album My Generation. It was written by lead guitarist Pete Townshend.

<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

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy Jack (song)</span> 1966 single by the Who

"Happy Jack" is a song by the British rock band the Who. It was released as a single in December 1966 in the United Kingdom, peaking at No. 3 in the charts. It peaked at No. 1 in Canada. It was also their first top 40 hit in the United States, where it was released in March 1967 and peaked at No. 24. It was included on the American version of their second album, Happy Jack, originally titled A Quick One in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (song)</span> 1968 single by the Who

"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is a song by English rock band, the Who. It was written by the band's bassist, John Entwistle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Good's Gone</span> 1966 single by the Who

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreaming from the Waist</span> 1976 single by The Who

"Dreaming from the Waist" is a song by The Who, written by Pete Townshend and released on the group's 1975 album The Who by Numbers ; it also served as the B-side of the "Slip Kid" single, released in 1976 in the United States. The track's lyrics deal with sexual frustration and the restlessness associated with getting older, while the music features a bass solo from John Entwistle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's Hard (song)</span> 1982 single by The Who

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postcard (The Who song)</span> 1974 single by The Who

"Postcard" is a song by the Who, that was written, and sung by the band's bassist John Entwistle. It appears on the Who's album Odds & Sods.

References

  1. 1 2 The Hypertext Who. "The Hypertext Who › Liner Notes › Who Are You". thewho.net. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Atkins, John (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963-1998. MacFarland. pp. 237, 241. ISBN   9781476606576.
  3. ↑ "The Who - Trick Of The Light Lyrics - SongMeanings". SongMeanings.
  4. 1 2 3 Charlesworth, C. (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of the Who. Omnibus Press. p. 76. ISBN   0711943060.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Segretto, M. (2014). The Who FAQ. Backbeat Books. pp. 59–60, 82–83, 343. ISBN   9781480361034.
  6. ↑ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. December 2, 1978. p. 86. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  7. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 2, 1978. p. 17. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  8. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. December 2, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
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.