BY NUMBERS

I love "Squeeze Box", no matter how silly anyone else may find it. Pete Townshend's deadpan banjo solo just brings a smile to my face. But the rest of BY NUMBERS is a downer. Prior to this release, the Who had come up with three of the most exuberant albums in rock history. And now their main songwriter had lost most of his energy and courage. What were they do do?

If you play all of THE WHO BY NUMBERS in a single sitting, it feels dispiriting. Most of the songs reflect Pete Townshend's bitterness and despair. That doesn't mean they aren't beautiful. "Slip Kid", "Imagine a Man" and particularly "Blue, Red and Grey" are exquisite. Two of these tracks, together with an excellent live version of "Dreaming from the Waist", can be found in the box set 30 YEARS OF MAXIMUM R&B, which is definitely a better buy than this album, since it also provides you with the best songs from WHO's NEXT and WHO ARE YOU, and from the 1960s.