I think this is a POLL of shit while John Sinclair rots in prison: THE WHO RESULTS THREAD (ilm artist poll #25)

The way this band decayed and atrophied and the way Pete n Rog are still going as "the who" makes me very, very sad. This band was so important to me growing up and I look back and feel like all the lessons I should have learned from them are how NOT to do things.

Townshend has repeatedly expressed regret over not stopping the band:

- after the 1997 tour
- after the 1989 tour
- after the 1982 tour
- the morning after the Cincinnati tragedy
- after Keith died
- after the 1976 tour
- after recording Quadrophenia

That said, the 2000 shows were the best since '76, and Endless Wire was their best record since The Who By Numbers. So if they want to keep doing it, good. It's when they didn't want to -- as was the case from 1980-82 -- that they shouldn't have.

7. Tommy (350 points, one #1 vote)
http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/35080012/aview/_B209pUwEWk___KGrHqV__h8E_qqEGRffBMj_uhWk7w___1.JPG

Tommy album cover is so cool. So trippy.

I saw them in '96 or so with the Quadrophenia tours and it was great, and again in the 2000's before Entwistle passed and that was amazing. At least they were touring as The Who and not selling their songs to P. Diddy for that lousy Godzilla movie.

That list of shoulda-stopped-thens is great. Should be mandatory for everyone past a certain point, me included.

surprised people consider "The Real Me" a radio staple, i don't think i'd even heard it before my brother bought Quadrophenia

It probably has to do with approaching a band from the viewpoint of a session musician (which 1/2 of Zep were) vs. a non-session musician. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones did studio work before and after Zeppelin, whereas The Who was to a greater extent all Pete, Roger, and John have ever done.

voted "The Real Me" (not worst but best), great Daltrey vocal on the chorus

also wtf at Tommy #7, you people are deaf dumb & blind

my #1

6. My Generation (407 points, one #1 vote)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3540047765_7732567b24.jpg

Real Me one of the worst? Really?

5. Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy (502 points, four #1 votes
http://www.thewho.info/images/71MBBAB-UK-Who.jpg

One of the best first tries at a greatest-hits ever, and I'm guessing one of the first twenty albums I bought.

4. Quadrophenia (524 points, one #1 vote)
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/4274/5478108_1.jpg?v=8C81BC5F42FB830

I was going to vote in this if I'd had more time to absorb the parts of the discog that I don't know very well, but it didn't happen. (A Quick One is a really solid album though, innit?)

Anyway, re: "Squeeze Box." I remember an interview with Pete Townshend in Hit Parader - prolly from around the time of Face Dances - where he was bashing Paul McCartney's commercialism - but then admitted The Who sold a shitload of t-shirts and "Squeeze Box" was "every bit as bad as Ebony & Ivory." I agree.

I love those "if you enjoyed this recording, you may also like...." suggested albums on the back cover of the original pressings of The Who Sings My Generation - all put there by some Decca guy plugging whatever their recent releases were by a guy who'd apparently never actually listened to The Who. If you enjoyed "My Generation", may we suggest, the Kingston Trio?

"Squeeze Box" is redeemed by the exuberant groove of the fun part, and the expression of true love in the slow pretty "I'm so in love with you" part. I never quite got the metaphor though. "Mama's got a squeeze box she sits in her lap, when daddy comes home he never gets a nap."

Yeah, Decca's cluelessness is a (the?) main reason the Who's early singles stiffed in the US.

xp

3. Live At Leeds (628 points, five #1 votes)
http://www.concertposterart.com/images/posters/detail/Who-Live-At-Leeds-LP-Album-Promo-Poster-Type-Ad-1970-Concert-Poster-Type-Ad.jpg

Gonna finish the albums now, have to run soon.

A curious thing about decca's cluelessness about the early Who was that (as pointed out in Bomp by Mike Sanders back in the day) they managed to place full page ads in Billboard for the first four singles.

2. Who's Next (669 points, five #1 votes)
http://i53.tinypic.com/21nh66h.jpg

True, but they didn't have an independent promo person (standard practice in those days), distribution was spotty at best, and magazines didn't always, or often, receive promo copies.

xp

Yeah, and they let Atco issue "Substitute".

1. The Who Sell Out (1008 points, nine #1 votes)
http://www.thewho.info/images/67SOad-Who.jpg

Not American, not teenagers.

Haven't y'all heard the Kingston Trio cover of "The Ox"? Fuckin' slays, man.

unusual packaging!

The top 50 countdown starts tomorrow!

I see that alot in the liner notes in mid-1960s albums. For whatever reason, the A&R execs of the time seemed to believe only teenagers could possibly like rock music

Reprise inner sleeves of the late 60s were awesomely O_O, especially the one for Are You Experienced? that had ads for Trini Lopez, Frank Sinatra and Dino Desi & Billy records...along with the Electric Prunes of course.

Next thing you're gonna tell me, Hendrix was an opening act for the Monkees....

and Mickey Dlenz owned one of the first Moogs!

they were probably the first to use a Moog on a pop record. Tim Buckley guested on one of their TV show episodes, so did Zappa. The Monkees were cool.

Really happy to see that number one!

The "unique packaging" did the trick.

bah, "Unusual Packaging". Stupid bookmark.

Thing is, I'd never heard the original Sell Out lineup til years after the 90s reissue with all the bonus tracks. With all those bonus tracks, it's almost a more fun version of the White Album.

I love the jingles

I decided early on to reserve a spot on my ballot for one of the Sell Out jingles

I just realized I forgot to vote for A Quick One While He's Away

D:

omg what is wrong with you

yeah forgetting "A Quick One"...that song IS the Who!

but you are forgiven

the definition of fail ;_;

I think "I Need You" was pretty high up on my ballot.

in other news I watched Kids Are Alright today and I want to timetravel back in time & run away with The Who

are there 4 cooler guys in rock? like, a fuck-off stadium band that you would have beers with? even grumpy rog. filled with love atm :)

I just realized I forgot to vote for A Quick One While He's Away

I don't even know who you are anymore!

You would love the new Quad doc.

xp

head = oven