My Generation

There were slight variations between the UK track-list and its US release, The Who Sing My Generation, which came out later. I'm A Man was replaced by a newer recording, Circles, from 1966. This had been recorded as their intended fourth single, but had been abandoned when the band left the label (Brunswick cheekily released it later as the B-side to A Legal Matter, which was lifted off the album; they mistitled it Instant Party). Both items are included on Disc One, which also houses both sides of their first single and the UK B-side of their second (Anyway Anyhow Anywhere), which was the Otis Blackwell song Daddy Rolling Stone, covered first by Jimmy Ricks and the Ravens but known to the Who from a Sue label single by the Jamaican former-Top Note and Raven, Derek Martin. All of these are also mixed in stereo.

Disc Two begins with "additional bonus tracks", the first twelve tracks comprising material unreleased at the time, though some have subsequently appeared on 1980s compilations such as Who's Missing. Exceptions to this include the James Brown song Shout And Shimmy which became the UK B-side to My Generation, and Anytime You Want Me (Garnett Mimms and the Enchanters), unreleased in the UK at the time but found on the US B-side of Anyway Anyhow Anywhere. An a cappella version is also included, as is the instrumental version of My Generation.

It was the practice of the time to include well-known songs on albums and the Who's set was full of R&B, soul and Motown covers, many of which were recorded for their debut album, although Shel Talmy says in the notes that he was admirer of Pete Townshend's writing and would have been happy to include only original material. When early acetates of the sessions went out for review, the paucity of new material was commented on by Beat Instrumental reviewer John Emery, and so the release date was put back while some covers were replaced with Townshend songs: La-La-La-Lies, Much Too Much, It's Not True, A Legal Matter (featuring an early Pete Townshend lead vocal) and The Good's Gone.

The replaced tracks included, as well as those mentioned, Leaving Here (a Motown cover, originally by Eddie Holland), Lubie (Come Back Home) (an adaptation of Paul Revere and the Raider's Louie Go Home), Heat Wave and Motoring (both from Martha and the Vandellas), all collected here. Leaving Here exists in a number of different forms: a 1964 demo appeared on the expanded CD version of Odds And Sods, a version from April 1965 appeared on Who's Missing, and it was also recorded for the BBC's Saturday Club programme the following month (available on The BBC Sessions). The version here is an unknown alternative take from the April 1965 session. Heat Wave was re-recorded for the album A Quick One, copying the arrangement used by the Everly Brothers, whereas its clear from this earlier version that its genesis in the Who cannon was the Motown original.
Instant Party Mixture was recorded at the same time as Circles and was to have been its flipside. Circles was later re-recorded for the Ready Steady Who EP but Instant Party Mixture never saw the light of day until this release.

Full length versions of two of the album tracks follow. Their version of I Don't Mind is considerably adapted from James Brown's original, whether by design or out of necessity for a 3-piece group and a singer, and benefits from the extra minute or so, while what The Good's Gone owes to its inspiration, The Kink's See My Friends, is made much clearer by the guitar on the extended fade. Incidentally, See My Friends and other Kink titles were produced by Shel Talmy on 14 April 1965 at Pye Studios, while the Who were at IBC Studios cutting Anyway Anyhow Anywhere and several tracks for this album with the same producer. He must have been quite busy.

The band's extraordinary second single, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, is unfortunately not included, but a rare early version with a slightly different title, which was released by accident on a French EP in 1966, takes its place. Apparently it was impossible to include a stereo mix of the released version as the vocal overdubs had been performed directly onto the final mono mix-down, a common practice at the time in order to minimize tape hiss.

This same practice affects the stereo presentation of a number of the album tracks, which are missing those final touches that were added at the mixing stage. These include vital guitar parts and some back-up vocals on My Generation and A Legal Matter, John Entwistle's french horn playing on Circles and vocal overdubs for La-La-La Lies and Much Too Much. This is partially addressed by the final two tracks on Disc Two, which are "monaural versions with guitar overdubs" (the great original mono versions of A Legal Matter and My Generation), and is made up for by the chance to hear these historic tracks in full stereo for the first time.

All of what is found here is so important and so fantastic to hear after all this time, and in such high quality sound, that one really doesn't want to carp. However, it would surely have been a good idea to have the entire original mono album on the second half of Disc One, with its three bonus tracks added to the second disc, along with the original mono version of Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, a top ten hit in the UK after all, and perhaps the Who's Missing version of Leaving Here. Maybe next time

One listen was enough convince me! The sound is truly superb - crystal clear and just leaps off the CD to invade your space and leave your senses reeling. I was particularly taken with the awesome drumming of Moony - you can almost see him laying into the drumkit. Roger's vocals and John's bass are equally clear and impressive. Shel Talmy has achieved what sounds to me like the perfect mix. Startlingly good!

Two minor gripes - some might find the more restrained Pete Townshend sound takes a bit of getting used to, with his guitar lower in the mix and overdubs missing from a couple of tracks. However this is compensated for by including the original mono versions of "A legal matter" and "My generation" for comparison.

Also, some of the material on the second CD has previously been available and is of variable quality, although some of its belting - the previously unreleased a cappella version of "Anytime you want me" is fantastic.

If you're a Who fan who hasn't heard the 'My Generation' album (or even a non-Who fan!) then this is an absolute must, and for those of you who are already in love with the original, this is still well worth shelling out for - the sound is incredible!

There is a poignant quality that it should be released now so soon after the untimely death of the greatest English Rock Bass player, John 'The Ox' Entwhistle.

Just in case you need reminding,John transformed the bass guitar into a lead instrument here. There are no less than 3 separate versions of 'My Generation'. Marvel at the musical athleticism of his bass solo on a paired down, backing track version that hardly misses the infamous D-D-D-altrey vocal at all. More striking is the sheer funk he brings to Godfather James Brown covers 'Please, Please,Please','Shout and Shimmy' and 'I don't mind' that were a staple of their live set at that time.

This extended package is also bang on the money as an historical document, conveying as it does a great sense of time and place: 'Swinging London' when time was money and the royalty rates were costed in farthings. If this really is the sound of four socially incompatible young men steering their weary way through a succession of low big city dives, it makes for some great music.

Of course when you record in hours rather than months or years you retain a certain spontaneity, an endearing roughness that is never crude but always energetic. The whole thing bulges with blue beat majesty.

The reputed organised chaos is here in an alternate version of 'Anyway, anyhow, anywhere' where Moon is in a galaxy all of his own but still comes back on a crescendo of feedback to nail a beat as tight as the checks on Daltrey's jacket. Ah yes, Mr Daltrey - sir to me and you - tough as teak with the original cockney blues voice at full throttle and tough enough to make you believe they really do have cotton fields in Shepherds Bush.

The real maestro in the ensemble is of course Pete Townshend...the creative leadership of the group. God he was only 20 when this record was made! As were they all... but consider the perception, the tenderness and the bile he brings to his compositions. Anthem for 'My Generation', 'kids are alright' 'The good's gone' Truth is Townshend really could explain and does so with an inarticulate eloquence that lets you know he thinks feeling is better than thinking.

The guitarplaying featured here is not that of a virtuoso, no Pete is a working man using the tools of his trade and woe betide those 12 strings if they fail him by the end of the night......The informative sleeve has a terrific picture of a deadpan Pete flanked by the casualties of battle, a gallery of Beautiful but wrecked Rickenbackers.

So I tell no la-la-la-lies when I say forget all substitutes -'My Generation' is my album of the year, 1965 and 2002.