The Who Sell Out

I can see for miles is great but it's mostly annoying

Aged poorly

I got thru 1 & 1/2 songs, absolute rubbish & so fucking annoying! People really like The Who, I don’t get them.

This is some of The Who’s most interesting work. It has some of the satirical irreverence of The Kinks and the general psychedelic vibes of ‘67. This is my first time hearing it besides “I Can See For Miles”. I kinda wish Speedy Keen sang all The Who’s songs.

Actually, this is the forth The Who album I’ve listened to as part of this project. My relationship with the band has been a bit complicated. I was always more of a rocker than a mod. At some point, I found a way into their music and am enthusiastic about some of their stuff. Surprisingly to me, that doesn’t apply to this album. Perhaps the album is conceptual in its structure and music. But just like in real life, concepts can be a failure. And that seems to be the case here. I probably won’t listen to this album again. 2/5

chill! Hadn't listened to much The Who but they sounded basically how I expected them to. nothing super stood out to me on the album but it wasn't bad. good background music!

Pretty good, as a beans lover

If you asked me if I would enjoy an album with ads built in I would tell you you’re crazy, but here we are. The concept is easy to grasp and works well. This is a distant ancestor to Songs For The Deaf. Super creative from a music and artwork standpoint. My primary issue with this one comes from the second half being largely weaker than the first. Favorite songs were Armenia City In The Sky, Our Love Was, I Can See For Miles, and I Can’t Reach You.

In customary The Who fashion, this is rather pretentious (not least the silly "radio jingles", introductions/intermissions and laughable attempts at being abstract in a lyrical sense), and at times very grating. However, I did prefer the greater lean into psychedelia that can be observed on this album, and the songs generally seemed more cohesive, with clear structures and comprehensible ideas.

I'm still baffled as to their popularity and the esteem in which they are held, but this one won't be joining the shit pile as it wasn't without merit.

minus half a star for silas stingy. minus half a star for abandoning the concept around silas stingy. could have been their best album.

Nobody nails a concept album quite like The Who. Favorite track: I Can See For Miles

I’m at a 5.

I mean, it’s not the best album we’ve gotten by The Who, but it’s still pretty damn good in its own right. Conceptually, this is much easier to digest than Tommy (though obviously not as strong); it’s just a silly radio station, with the band choosing to pastiche some of their contemporaries & slightly poppier soundscapes of the era (obviously, the Beatles & the Beach Boys are the clear inspirations here), supplementing it with some ridiculous ads along the way. Yes, their poppier approach can feel a bit grating & a bit less compelling than their more seriously-driven rock work, but… just listen to a track like “I Can See For Miles”. That track alone proves they gave a damn about this album, and were invested in it to the same degree as their other work. It’s not as polished, but part of that is just the technology of the era – the mixing on this album is a little harsh at times in the mono mix, but if this were even just a few years later, they’d have enough room in each channel to make these tracks sound as full as possible. Even for 1967 though, this sounds pretty good in its own right.

Since the music speaks for itself (great harmonies / instrumentals / fun lyrics), I think it’s best to just leave it there, without going too deep into each track. I do understand why this has a flat 3 on the site; if you wanted an album by The Who, but wanted a more serious effort, then this isn’t quite the album to look for. However, I think the pastiche-heavy (yet respectfully done) musicianship at play here & their earnest attempt to play it straight works really well. I don’t think there’s a bad track here for the 40 minutes (though some of the “commercials” are just there), and while mileage may vary, I think they sold me on their ability to sell out effectively. I really liked it, and I think it’s just worth giving a 5 to.

Well I tried, but that really was heavy going and I gave up!

It sounded so dated and trapped in its moment.

Beating in mind I absolutely love Who’s Next, this was a massive disappointment.

2 and that’s being generous.

You would think a song titled “Heinz Baked Beans” would be the best track on any given album, but alas it isn’t. In fact it might just be the worst one

I suppose much of the music on here is three star worthy. But the ad concept annoys me and because it’s the Who and I know they can do so much better I’m only giving them two. (Would do 2.5 if I could)

This isn't good. Fair play for committing to a concept and trying something a bit unusual, but it doesn't work for me, at all. There's not many songs on here I actually get on with, and those that I do I simply find 'ok'.

Fine, I guess? The "humor" of it is lost on me, but whatever.

Okay. Not their best work - a little too similar across the board to each other and other music at the time.

Worst album I’ve listened to on this list so far. Lots of trash with a few decent songs in the middle, but even they feel unfinished.

They say don't judge an album by its cover. In this case you can. Both are fucking insane.

There’s a run of songs I actually really like in the middle here (Our Love Was, I Can See For Miles, Can’t Reach You) interspersed with batshit psychedelic adverts for no good reason.