1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 104. The Who – The Who Sell Out (1967)

 

Apparently the working title for this album was “Sodding About”, which it largely is; The Who in a playful mode with the kind of whimsical vignettes that you’d associate with The Kinks, and what The Beatles were playing with at the time. It’s kind of a concept album, with the tracks interspersed with jingles for the pirate radio station Radio London jingles (which are fake, apparently, but sound an awful lot like those still in use by Radio London alumnus Tony Blackburn). Around the time I was listening to this was the time that another former pirate radio DJ, Johnnie Walker, announced his retirement, although he was with Radio Caroline. Also while I was listening to this on earpods, I walked past a For Sale board for Entwistle Estates; probably no relation. Anyway....

Some of the tracks are pitched as fake adverts, for Heinz Baked Beans, the anti-acne Medac, or the ballad Odorono where a young starlet doesn’t fall prey to the casting couch because she doesn’t use the deodorant Odorono – it's a good tune, the premise feels a little awkward by today’s sensibilities, especially as I thought that the song was going to be a cautionary tale with the lecherous boss as the villain. There are fake adverts interspersed as well as the jingles.

Probably the only well-known Who song on here is I Can See For Miles, one of the more straightforward songs on the album without a gimmick. Mary Ann With The Shaky Hand is also possibly one that will have been heard before. Daltrey is in fine, and high, voice, and the lush harmonies sometimes call to mind the Byrds or Beach Boys on tracks such as Sunshine. Occasionally Townshend puts in a bit of guitar work that brings to mind Hendrix. The tune Silas Stingy, about a miser who spends all of his money trying to protect his money, is very Syd Barrett.

Usually, if the version of an album on Spotify is the “extended” version, I’ve not bothered with too many of the bonus tracks, partly to be more true to the original experience, and partly because they are often alternate takes of tracks on the album, B-sides, and other trimmings. This time, though, it’s worth getting the extras as they are all pretty good (there’s one repeat of Mary Ann, the rest are all original).

This one was good – the gimmicks didn’t get too much in the way of actually having good tunes on here. Not as rocky as other Who stuff, but more experimental. And, well, sodding about.



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