The Who: The Who Sings My Generation CD Track Listing

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The Who The Who Sings My Generation (1966)
The Who Sings My Generation (Original MCA Version)\n1988 MCA Records, Inc.\n\nOriginally Released 1965 (US)\nOriginally Released 1965 (UK)\nCD Edition Released September 1988\n2CD Deluxe Edition Released August 27, 2002\nSACD Edition Released February 11, 2003\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: An explosive debut, and the hardest mod pop recorded by anyone. At the time of its release, it also had the most ferociously powerful guitars and drums yet captured on a rock record. Pete Townshend's exhilarating chord crunches and guitar distortions threaten to leap off the grooves on "My Generation" and "Out in the Street"; Keith Moon attacks the drums with a lightning, ruthless finesse throughout. Some "Maximum R&B" influence lingered in the two James Brown covers, but much of Townshend's original material fused Beatlesque hooks and power chords with anthemic mod lyrics, with "The Good's Gone," "Much Too Much," "La La La Lies," and especially "The Kids Are Alright" being highlights. "A Legal Matter" hinted at more ambitious lyrical concerns, and "The Ox" was instrumental mayhem that pushed the envelope of 1965 amplification with its guitar feedback and nonstop crashing drum rolls. While the execution was sometimes crude, and the songwriting not as sophisticated as it would shortly become, the Who never surpassed the pure energy level of this record. -- Richie Unterberger\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Deluxe Edition) As many Who fans know, disputes between the Who and producer Shel Talmy held back the release of a CD version of My Generation taken from the best available original sources for quite some time. Eventually the dispute was resolved, and 2002 saw the release of the deluxe edition of this classic album, expanded into a two-CD work with the addition of no less than 17 extra tracks. So is it time to celebrate and finally throw away that scratchy old My Generation LP, whichever version of that you have? Unfortunately, not quite. Pluses first: the sound, remixed in stereo by Talmy, is very good indeed, very clear and punchy without sacrificing the enormous power the band brought to the sessions, sometimes revealing parts with a clarity never before heard. This also, finally, adds some seminal non-LP tracks also recorded in 1965 (most notably their debut single, "I Can't Explain"), as well as a bunch of R&B cover outtakes that previously surfaced on the 1980s comps Who's Missing and Two's Missing. There are also slightly longer versions of a few tracks; an instrumental track for "My Generation" and an "a cappella version" of "Anytime You Want Me"; and one genuine previously unheard song, "Instant Party Mixture," a weird and not good takeoff on Dion's "Runaround Sue" that was recorded in early 1966 as a possible B-side. So what's to carp about? Well, some overdubs used in the original version of the LP have been lost, and their loss is not just something that audiophiles or unhealthily completist record collectors will notice. Specifically, on "My Generation," Pete Townshend's guitar is virtually missing from the instrumental break, and the group's backup vocals at the song's climax are likewise mostly missing. Other little omissions crop up too, and though this compilation makes up for that a bit with "monaural versions with guitar overdubs" of "My Generation" and "A Legal Matter," it's no small loss. Also, unbelievably, although "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" is here (and misspelled on the cover), it's an alternate version with different vocals from a French EP. It's fine to include that, but the classic single version itself, a tremendously exciting and important record, isn't present at all, and no one could reasonably claim there shouldn't have been room for both. Too, the version of "Leaving Here" is an alternate, and while that's fine to have as a marginally interesting addition, the version that first showed up on Who's Missing is, um, missing. These shortcomings are not unimportant. If a group and label are going to bill something as the ultimate package of a classic album plus bonus tracks, it should have everything you want to hear. This deluxe edition doesn't. This doesn't, of course, mean that it doesn't contain much great music, particularly the My Generation album itself, a tour de force of British mod music maturing from R&B rave-ups into melodic power pop with riveting instrumental and lyrical hooks. It is also good to hear the nice early R&B cover B-sides "Daddy Rolling Stone" and "Anytime You Want Me," and while the R&B-oriented outtakes of Motown songs like "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" aren't so good, as historical documentation they're important. The sessions are also documented nicely in a booklet of liner notes. But no doubt you'll have to wait for the SACD or DVD or some such configuration to correct some of these flaws and separate you from more of your hard-earned cash. -- Richie Unterberger\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nThe roaring, raging quartet heard on Who's Next, Live at Leeds, and Quadrophenia is scarcely discernable on much of this, their first album. But the Mod-fueled, American R&B-inspired sense of ambitious pop that powers A Quick One, Sell Out, and even Tommy isn't so hard to find here. This reissue not only expands the original with a bonus-disc treasure trove of 17 outtakes and rarities (including the Pete Townshend-penned, previously unissued "Instant Party Mixture"), but has been remixed from the original 1964-'66 session tapes by producer Shel Talmy and released in true stereo for the first time. Anchored by early Who/Townshend anthems "My Generation" (also included in an instrumental version), "I Can't Explain," and "The Kids Are Alright," disc one's original LP set veers somewhat schizophrenically from Townshend's nascent power-guitar thrashing on the anthems and Roger Daltrey's ill-advised James Brown and Bo Diddley impressions on "Please, Please, Please" and "I'm a Man," respectively, to the surf-inspired John Entwistle-Keith Moon instrumental showcase, "The Ox." Not surprisingly, it's the Townshend originals (like "It's Not True," "Legal Matter," and the proto-psychedelic "Circles") that point to what the band would become in a few short years. The bonus material on disc two leans equally heavily on covers, but also contains its share of signposts to the future Who, including a rare, alternate version of "Anyhow, Anyway, Anywhere." Also included is a new booklet with many rare photos and a history of the album's recording by Andy Neill (coauthor of Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958-1978). --Jerry McCulley \n\nAmazon.com Product Description\nIt's kind of odd that the Who's first album would be the last to be reissued in deluxe fashion, but, given the prominent role the late John Entwistle plays on it (his instrumental 'The Ox' was and is a sonic marvel), it's kind of fitting, too. But the real reason it took so long for the Who camp to release this is that they added so much to it! Disc one presents the original album mixed in stereo for the first time by original producer Shel Talmy, plus single sides like 'Bald Headed Woman' and Daddy Rolling Stone.' Disc Two is a collector's dream, with more loads of first-time stereo-in fact, 28 out of the 30 tracks here are in stereo! Previously unreleased, full-length versions of 'The Good's Gone' and 'I Don't Mind,' an unreleased instrumental version of 'My Generation' and an unspeakably rare, French EP-only alternate version of 'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere' the highlights. Three sets of liner notes analyze.\n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Deluxe Edition)\nWho's messed around debut, November 23, 2005 \nBy Ben (UK)\n'My Generation' was the Who's promising debut album way back in 1965. The original tracks were as numbered 1 - 12 on disk 1 in this collection, and of course it was heard in glorious mono then. With some of these tracks various overdubs are either missing or the versions sound different than on the original release. For example the lead guitar missing from the middle of the title track, MG is the worst case of this, yet the proper version of MG is on disk 2, so why include the disk 1 version??? So although some tracks may sound cleaner they are not improved upon overall. \n\nIn those days, the Who were largely a British R&B outfit, and Pete Townshend was just starting to find his feet as a songwriter for the band. Even though the Who sounded very different then, MG is full of raw energy. The opening track, 'Out in the street' is typical of how early Who used to sound. I never had a problem with Roger Daltrey doing his 'James Brown impressions' on some of these tracks. But alongside the R&B and Motown covers, the Who also were one of the first bands to start jamming live even then, before Cream made it fashionable. The best example of this is on 'Anyway, anyhow, anywhere', their second single, although the version included here on Disk 2 sounds more like a demo compared to the originally released one. Two of the most famous tracks from MG is the title track, which was their 3rd single, and 'The kids are alright', which was featured as a the title to a film about the band in 1979. Townshend penned 7 of the 12 original tracks of MG. Most of them unsurprisingly sound somewhat dated today, but are still very much listenable. Townshend developed more strongly as a songwriter over the next 2 years as can be heard on The Who sell out'(1967), two albums on. \n\nThe additional tracks on MG are ok but I'm never too happy about 'alternate takes' or'full length versions' simply used to pad out albums, when the originals were good enough or usually better. On disk 1, 'I can't explain' was a promising debut single by the Who, but was recorded before the original MG album sessions. 'Bald headed woman' was the B side, and again was just added as a filler. Curiously they included 'Circles', which was the B side to 'Substitute', the single following MG. But the version here is an inferior one, being stripped of John Entwhistle's French horn intro playing to Townshend's rhythm guitar. Check out the original release. \n\nSome of Disk 2 consists of The Who doing R&B cuts which were rejects from the recording of MG. They were omitted originally for good reason. The remaining tracks are poorer versions of the original cuts. So I find Disk 2 rather superfluous and really is bogus value, unless you happen to be a Who historian and want these rarer untypical Who tracks. \n\nIf you want the original sound of the MG album, 'The Who Sings My Generation' is a much closer match, except their cover of 'I'm A Man' has been omitted for some strange reason, and again another demo sounding version of 'Circles' is included. Why??? \n\nSumming up I just don't think this 'deluxe' version of MG does the Who justice musically as the original album did. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Deluxe Edition)\nGood,but not beyond criticism, October 10, 2005 \nBy Philip A.Cohen (Bay Harbor Islands, Florida United States)\nI accept that the original mono mixes of these songs had live-during-mixdown overdubs,which are not on the original 3-track multitrack tapes,and are therefore not available for a stereo remix.But,I'm disappointed by Shel Talmy's narrow stereo.He(Typically) had one track of vocals,one track of guitar,and the bass,drums & piano on the remaining track.Talmy's gives us everything in mono,except the guitar on the left(and mixed down much lower than on the original mono mixes).A much more satisfying stereo image could have been created,with the rhythm section on one side,the vocals in the middle,and the guitar on the other side.The omission of the french horn on "Circles" is inexcusable.It's a so-called creative decision because the french horn playing was supposedly out of tune.And if you listen to these so-called stereo remixes carefuly,"Circles" & "Bald Headed Woman" are still in mono sound,coutersy of the anti-stereo Mr.Talmy.And was there any thought of offering Pete Townshend & Roger Daltrey(and John Entwistle,who was still alive at the time when Talmy was remixing) the chance to re-perform the live-during mixdown overdubs? Furthermore,although there were no further songs on Talmy's multitracks,there WERE more takes,and yet MCA/Universal made a last minute decision to cut down the amount of selections in this set.By the way,be cautioned that the SACD(Super Audio CD edition) of this "Deluxe Edition" accidentally uses a different mix of "Anyway,Anyhow,Anywhere" with no backgrond vocals,and that the SACD is single layer,and playable only on SACD equipment. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Deluxe Edition)\nExcellent sound (for a change), yet a slight disappoinment, September 7, 2002 \nBy quentincollins3 (Woodinville, WA)\nFinally, we have here a Who reissue that hasn't even so much as touched the hands of Jon Astley. As a result, the sound is very good, without being *too* loud or compressed, and most importantly, the tape hiss is left intact rather than being removed. There *is* a God, after all! Both discs are a little on the bright side, and there are some occasional harsh spots, which isn't good, but it's not so bright and harsh often enough to the point where it makes me turn it down. All in all, the sound is better than anything Astley ever did with the rest of the Who catalog. This CD, by the way (in case you were wondering), was mastered by Erick Labson.\n\nThe remix itself is where I have some problems. My quarrels don't lie in the "missing" overdubs and whatnot, but with the stereoscape itself. I, for one, don't mind it. In fact, I like it, despite the fact that it's very narrow. I can't admit to liking that WIIIIIIIIIDE stereo sound as is found on Rubber Soul and other '60's, but this is practically mono with the guitars or whatever panned ever so slightly to the left or right or wherever. According to inside sources, Shel Talmy has always hated stereo. Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise, then, considering Talmy will always be a mono man at heart (and in fact, for most mid to late '60's recordings, so am I), but this a little *too* narrow. Oh well. It took me a little time to get used to it, but I don't mind it, all in all. But it still could've been better.\n\nNow, for those of you who are complaining about "missing" overdubs and the likes, let's consider that statement: the overdubs are NOT missing. Why? 'Cause they never existed on the stereo mix to begin with. This CD *IS* the first stereo mix. The overdubs, such as the guitar in "My Generation" and the French Horn in "Circles" are missing only in respects to the mono versions we'd gotten used to hearing for the past "x" years. You can't expect the stereo versions to be nothing more than everything the mono version is, just spread out. For instance, John Lennon's vocal on the mono version of "Help!" is an entirely different vocal take altogether than the stereo one. Not even the same track, a completely different take! And what about that harmonica overdub on the stereo version of "Thank You Girl" that isn't on the mono version? It's differences like this that make the different mixes what they are. All Talmy was doing, in essence, then, was preserving the style of the '60's in that the stereo versions AREN'T going to be identical to the monos. Personally, I would've been pretty disappointed to find that they utilized every single exact take as they did on the monos as with this stereo. That ain't what I want to hear. I want to hear something new! And that's what we're getting.\n\nBottom line is, if you don't like change and variations, don't buy this CD. If you welcome hearing differences in takes, mixes, etc., then by all means, pick this up. Despite the still narrow soundstage, the sound quality is as good as it will ever be, and on top of all that, the music is classic. How can you argue with that? \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Deluxe Edition)\nDisappointment, August 31, 2002 \nBy Mitchell Glodek (New York, NY United States)\nHow disappointing. Disc One is a stereo remaster of the original "My Generation," but four or five of the classic Townshend tracks (e.g.; "A Legal Matter", "My Generation", "La-La-La Lies", and "Circles") sound worse than the old mono tracks, with guitar sections, horns, and background singers de-emphasized or actually missing (some of the old tapes have been lost!) Some of this is a matter of taste, and others will disagree, but some of it is like issuing a new edition of a book with a few chapters left out!\nDisc Two is additional bonus tracks. I was really looking forward to this, as the additional bonus tracks on the remasters of "The Who Sell Out" and "A Quick One" included some real gems, many of which were as good as the pieces included on the original albums. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. Again, this may largely be a matter of taste; a lot of the bonus tracks are covers and adaptations of Motown and blues hits, and I generally don't care for these (I almost always skipped over the James Brown songs on my old mono "My Generation.")\n\nI'm curious to hear what other Who fans have to say, but for me these CDs have been a big let down, and I expect to be listening to my old mono MCA CD for years to come. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Deluxe Edition)\nI *can* explain , it's almost but not quite perfect, August 29, 2002 \nBy "avkjet" (White Plains, New York United States)\nMy heart leapt back in '98 when I first heard whispers that the icy impasse between the legendary producer Shel Talmy and the Who that kept this legendary LP and the other great early Who tracks from 1964-1965 from a proper rerelease was finally broken; I thought it would be a matter of months if not weeks before this long-awaited gem would be in my hot little hands and now, roughly 4 years later (due to complications that are too arcane to describe-however, all of the companies that released Who discs over the years are now one corporate entity, which ties things up in a nice bow) it's finally here. \n\nThe collection that I as a 17 year old Who fanatic scribbled a note to MCA to release (but was too naive / unknowledgeable to understand the myriad reasons why it could not be) has hit the shops in almost the exact format that I had imagined (albeit as a CD, which hadn't been invented yet- I thought that laser tracking tonearms would be the rage) Even though I got old, and didn't die before it came out, now that it's here I'm happy but I find it oddly and regrettably incomplete-I wish that I could send it back to Vivendi for some some minor retooling.\n\nReleased in rough coincidence with the definitive Who biography, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, the revamped My Generation does have much to recommend it and has something for every Who fan on both sides of the pond. Presenting the LP as it originally appeared, the set sports the UK front & back covers but the inner sleeves and inserts feature the US "Big Ben" cover and LP notes. In a nod to collectors and music historians, as has become a a recent and welcome reissue custom the CDs are done up in a homage to the original British (Brunswick) and US (Decca) 45 labels. The design chosen for disc 2 is the 50's style US Decca demonstration disc label that was used well into the 60's, but I would have preferred the "rainbow" style stock copy design. Some rarely seen photos and graphics grace the booklet, which is a nice touch, though in my presbyopic state I need the Hubble microscope to make out some of them!\n\nGetting to the music, the early tracks appear in stereo rather than mono mixdowns and "reprocessed" fake stereo-the main sonic benefit is that nuances that were heretofore buried in the mix constantly arise that even the most jaded fan will delight in (e. g. the cymbal, the previously unheard-except-by-dogs Kinks-ish piano, and vocal work surface on my all-time favorite track, "I Can't Explain" to surprise the listener and embellish and broaden its attack) One should not expect an ABBA-like gloss to these tracks, which sound more compressed than most British releases of this period. (excluding Joe Meek's of course) This release also proves beyond a doubt that even at this nascent stage, the late John Entwistle's superlative bass work was more creative than most of his contemporaries. The extra tracks are like tasty cherries on top of an already delicious and sumptuous dessert.\n\nSo what's not to like? For starters, I cannot comprehend why such a pivotal release in the history of British pop as the Who's second 45, "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere" \nwas completely omitted. To add insult to injury, the title is listed as "Anyhow, Anywhere, Anyway", and the somewhat inferior (yet essential to include for completists) French Brunswick EP version is provided but without a photo or release #. Is it that the 2 versions are so similiar that a few edits only totalling 10-15 seconds make them redundant? "Can't explain" why this happened. \n\nThe release notes also seem to assume that the set is basically for the Who and /or British beat fan who is already familiar and knowledgeable about these tracks and pop history, which will leave many scratching their heads or dribbling in confusion / apathy. To truly understand the labels and trademarks and the reasons why these tracks originally appeared as they did requires a comprehension of the international history of the recording industry that is beyond obscure to most! The early Who story does parallel the early Beatles story in that they issued a non-charting disc , retooled, faced repeated rejection but still managed to gain release (albeit on a less fashionable subsidiary label) by one of the UK recording giants-in the Who's case, British Decca. \n\nOverall, this is a long awaited and long overdue package that hopefully won't be overshadowed by the recent Greatest Hits set that has been flogged all over the airwaves the last few months. That set has "Anyway.." , but its Talmy-era tracks are NOT the stereo versions on the MG set so you'll have to buy both to own all the early recordings. If you are a new Who fan, I suggest you start here and work your way through successive releases. When you're done, don't be surprised if "My Generation" is your favorite-it's been mine for 27 years. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Deluxe Edition)\nYears of waiting..... for THIS?, August 28, 2002 \nBy "steronious" (Germantown, Maryland United States)\nAfter years of legal feuding, Producer Shel Talmy and people in The Who organization finally settled their differences, and a remixed version of The Who's first album is now available. Unfortunately, the group of talented people who worked on this set either didn't pay much attention to detail... or they pursued an amazingly wrong-minded approach - - re-writing history in the pursuit of making money with repackaged product. \nThe sound IS much clearer than before, but it is thin. It doesn't seem to have the power of the original mixes. By far though, the worst thing about the set.... is the missing overdubs! Pete Townshend's guitar overdubs on "My Generation" couldn't be located, so they are missing. Missing! All those slashing guitar chords from the bass break in the middle of the song are not there. \nHow can you release a "definitive" CD of this album.... and use a remixed version of the title song WITHOUT all the guitar overdubs! Insane. The original mono mix of "My Generation" is included as a bonus track, but buried at the end of the second disc, it just seems like an afterthought. Among other annoying choices, "Circles" is missing all of the french horn overdubs. \nThere are also some really disturbing examples of sloppy mixing. For example, at 1:18 into "La-La-La-Lies," the vocal part abruptly CUTS OFF before the end of a phrase. The original CD does not have this problem. It's a pretty obvious mistake.\nOK. This is a historically important album. The booklet is beautiful. The cleaned-up sounds lets us hear Keith Moon's drumming in glorious detail. But the new remix misses the big picture - forsaking the artist's original intentions in the name of prissy sonic clarity. This set can only be viewed as a major disappointment. \n\n\nHalf.com Details \nProducer: Shel Talmy \n\nAlbum Notes\nA remastered and greatly expanded version of THE WHO SINGS MY GENERATION was released in 2002 as MY GENERATION: DELUXE EDITION.\n\nThe Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals); Pete Townshend (vocals, guitar); John Entwistle (bass, background vocals); Keith Moon (drums).\nOriginally released on Decca (74664) in April 1966.\nIncludes original release liner notes.\n"Ours is a group with built-in hate." Pete Townshend said that in 1965, around the time that THE WHO SING MY GENERATION came out. That hate--or, more accurately, angst--jumps out of the grooves on the album. Although the line between righteous anger and self-centered bitchiness occasionally wears thin, there is no denying that the Who were truly revolutionary. The arresting teenage anthem "My Generation," the shaky solidarity of "The Kids Are Alright," the dizzy confusion of "Instant Party (Circles)"--never had pop music expressed such raw emotions in such an uncompromising manner.\nAt the same time, Townshend, despite his bluster, could not escape the fact that underneath his rage lay a melodist worthy of the Brill Building. On tracks such as the crystalline, harmony-laden "Much Too Much," he proved that he didn't need power to create a powerful pop song. In other words, you don't have to be a Mod to enjoy this album. But it helps.\n\nIndustry Reviews\n-never had pop music expressed such raw emotions in such an uncompromising manner (the Shangri-Las withstanding). At the same time, Townshend, despite his bluster, could not escape the fact that underneath his rage lay a melodist worthy of the Brill Building. On tracks such as the crystalline, harmony-laden Much Too Much, he proved that he didn't need power to create a powerful pop song. In other words, you don't have to be Mod to enjoy this album. But it helps.
This rock cd contains 12 tracks and runs 35min 34sec.
Freedb: 9808540c
Buy: from Amazon.com

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