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The Who - The Who Sell Out CD (album) cover

THE WHO SELL OUT

The Who

 

Proto-Prog

3.59 | 291 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer
2 stars This album is definitely holding some "concept" elements but I'm afraid that these will only please the die-hard fans of the band (to which I belong). It is by far their most psyche album (don't forget that "Sgt Pepper's..." also saw the light in 67).

If you want to listen to a pre-version of "Rebel Rebel", just get in "Armenia City In The Sky" and you'll know from where the riff comes from...

The psychedelia of one of their earlier song '"The Ox" is present almost during the whole album ("Odorono", "Tatoo", "Silas Stinge", "Surnrise" (an acoustic and childish song with some notes of "The Overture"...) Early Floyd as well as Jefferson Airplane fans will be pleased...

Lots of commercial jingles will make the listening of this album a funny experience.

"Mary..." with its sexually oriented lyrics is much more than a nice litlle tune (remember, we are in 1967).

Some "Tommy" (again) elements can also be found here (very short ones like at the end of "Our Love Was" and more extensively during "Relax" (for its mood).

I guess that little of you would have thought that The Who could be real close to the Floyd, right ? Well, just listen to the fabulous "I Can See For Miles" and you'll get there ! Fantastic beat and great drumming ("Astronomy Domine" or "Set The Control..." are not that far away).

The two transition numbers "Heinz Baked Beans" and "Medac" announce more to come in "Tommy" (but in general in almost all "concept" albums). An almost psychedelic / religious tune (another genre maybe ?) would also have fit on "Piper" without any problem. I'm talking about "Silas Stingy".

Again, "Tommy" is announced with "Rael 1" (the end of it is almost taken as such during "Overture" and "Underture"). This song was closing the original album.

This album is the least accessible of their first era. Only one super song "I Can See..." and lots of standard music like "I Can't Reach You". Two stars.

If you want to get the essence of their work, just grab a "Best Of". For maniacs, "Tommy", "Live At Leeds", "Who's Next" and "Quadrophenia" are of course essential.

ZowieZiggy | 2/5 |

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