The Who Sell Out 50 years later: song by song discussion

Yes, I know. Would it be accurate yo say that you dislike what other artists did later, inspired by these albums? Rather than disliking these albums for what they are?

 

I think there's a fair amount of fun mixed in the seriousness on all of those. Maybe not Pet Sounds, but plenty o'fun on The Beatles' LPs.

 

Heinz Baked Beans:
Admittedly there isn't a whole lot to say about this track, but it makes me grin.

 

I hate to admit it, but I only "discovered" this album a couple years ago. I was a huge fan of The Who in my teens, but aside from tunes featured on the Kids Are Alright soundtrack, I never ventured into the pre-Tommy material. And then in the intervening years, I kind of drifted away from classic rock in general, so stuff like Sell Out was never experienced.

Holy hell, what an album I missed. But like they say, better late than never.

 

Overall, that would probably be accurate.

I think The Beatles and The Beach Boys did their best work before these albums. I do like Let It Be by The Beatles because it was a return to simplicity mostly. I'll take Beatles '65 or Beatles VI over any later Beatles material though. I honestly think John never topped "No Reply". Kind of like John said he thought no one ever improved on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On".

I also like Wild Honey, Smiley Smile and Friends better than Pet Sounds.

As I say, I know these are minority opinions.

 

[QUOTE="Spazaru, post: 17529212, member: 79192"I think The Beatles and The Beach Boys did their best work before these albums. I do like Let It Be by The Beatles because it was a return to simplicity mostly. I'll take Beatles '65 or Beatles VI over any later Beatles material though. I honestly think John never topped "No Reply". Kind of like John said he thought no one ever improved on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On".

I also like Wild Honey, Smiley Smile and Friends better than Pet Sounds.

As I say, I know these are minority opinions.[/QUOTE] While I disagree, minority opinions are always more inteteresting than what most people think or say.

 

Any chance we could resume talking about "The Who Sell Out"? Those other albums get discussed plenty, elsewhere.

 

Absolutely Beach Boys influence. One of the many reasons I love it so much.

 

I never liked Silas Stingy as much as the rest of the album, opinions?

When first heard the album in 1969 I didn't appreciate Rael. Now I think it is outstanding.

 

I agree. Too bad Whiskey Man couldn't be swapped out for it!

 

You're right about Silas Stingy, but I don't happen to think it's a bad tune, just not up to the standard set by the rest of the album. Does not sink the album IMO.

Always thought Rael was swell ... too bad about the SQ and messed up edits though.

 

More music, more music, more music!



Recorded: 6 August 1967 at Talentmasters Studios (alternate version), 24 October 1967 De Lane Lea Studios, London (album version)

"Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand" is the first Townshend original on the album, known for its... well, suggestive lyrics. As Wiki states:

Unlike many Who songs from the 1960s, "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" recalls the typical pop song convention of praising a pretty girl[1] but does not provide any description of her appearance,[1] focusing instead on Mary Anne's hand tremor.[1][2][3] The reason for the shaking is not clear:[1][2] Mary Anne may have some affliction[2] or else the song may be, as Chris Charlesworth describes it, The Who's "second great song about masturbation" (after the band's 1967 single "Pictures of Lily"):[2][4] Steve Grantley and Alan Parker suggest that the reason can be inferred from the line "What they've done to a man, those shaky hands." However, some versions of the song use the lyrics: "What they've done to her, man, those shaky hands." [3] Rolling Stone praised the "barely-beneath-the-surface humor of the lyric".[5]

The song has a melody described by Allmusic's Mark Deming as "charming" and "a tune you couldn't forget even if you tried".[1] Author John Atkins describes the song as a "delightful pop song in the Everly Brothers mold",[4] while Charlesworth suggests that, regardless of the lyrics, the song "would have been a winner on melody alone".[2] Grantley and Parker describe the vocals as a cross between The Mamas and the Papas and Simon and Garfunkel.[3]

 

One of the highlights of the album for me, and whether you get the meaning behind Mary Anne's actions with her shaky hand or not, it's still a pleasant song with incredible harmonies. Very few Who songs capture that "Summer of Love" feel than this one.

I also originally misheard the proceeding commercial for Premier drums as "Mary Anne drums!", don't know if I'm alone in this.

 

Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand is my second favorite song on the album after I Can See For Miles.

However, I like the version with the vocal quiver that was the b-side of I Can See For Miles in the U.S. better than the actual album version.

 

Love everything about this album. By far my favorite Who record. I wonder what Townshend thinks of it? Hope we get a well done mono LP reissue and some live gigs from this pre Tommy era. And like The Kinks, The Who could've made a great compilation of songs for kids, like Silas Stingy.

 

14 year old me was shocked in the Fall of 1967 to hear the album version of this song. I had purchased the "Miles" 45 in September, and it never occurred to me that a group would record and release 2 different versions of the same song. FWIW, I thought the 45 version was stronger than the album version, though over time I grew to enjoy the album version a lot, too.

The 45 rpm single B-side version:
Mary-Anne with the shaky hands - The Who

 

Great song, and another double entendre after "Pictures of Lily".

Other than that, very nice pop song. I like the wavering effect on the last "shaaaaaaaaaky" on the 1995 remix. Overall the album version is my favourite.

 

My favorite Who album. I bought it in 1967 from Gimbles record department at Capital Court in Milwaukee. I remember going through the new releases and being blown away by the covers!

I still listen to it once or twice a year. Rael is my favorite track I guess. Great thread!

 

It was always a highlight for me when I tripped to the album. The comedy is bigger than the record and literally parades around your living room horn blaring and cymbals bashing.
what's for tea daughter?

 

Very happy this song was dusted off for the '89 & '00 tours and was preserved officially on the Royal Albert set.

I haven't listened to it in sometime, but I remember the version from the Bridge School Benefit Concerts being a highlight.

 

I live near San Diego and there's a super authentic British pub here called Shakespeare's that's run by British folks. I'm vegan and one of the only vegan things on the menu is Heinz Baked Beans on toast. I loved it. Not sure if it's still found much outside British food sections, but I grew up on Heinz Baked Beans here in America but it was in a different can and sold in the regular bean sections. Not sure if the actual contents were different than the British cans.

 

The album version of Mary Anne With The Shaky Hands is my favourite, too, in stereo for those acoustic guitars. They perfected the tune on the LP if you ask me.

 

The voices cracked up me and friends when we were kids, especially the old man's "what's for tea daughter"... gotta be Entwistle doing that voice, right?
And the whole thing has, again, a kind of pre Monty Python quality to it we all dug.

 

Growing up we ate B&M Boston baked beans on brown bread from a can. I think it’s a New England thing.

 

Entwistle did all the voices on Heinz Baked Beans? I always thought Moon did the young boy, Entwistle the old man, and Townshend the husband.