Re: The Who Sell Out

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> I've always thought that TWSO is a very overlooked album as far as
> innovation goes.

Carl:

You could say that about almost any Who album, really. Starting with MG.

> Not only did it contain Rael 1&2, which had some music

This makes me think you've heard only the remixed release...there was only
one Rael on the original. And if you think Rael 2 is good, you should hear
the complete demo! It opens with another song, called That Motherland
Feeling, and then lasts roughly 10 minutes (I'm guessing). However, even as
the released ending shows, the hero still wants to bail on his homeland
("If a yellow flag is fluttering..."), rather than save it from the "Red
Chins."

> from Tommy, but the concept of an album as a advertising commercial seems
to
> be revolutionary in itself (but it also seems very Kinkesque).

I'm curious what you mean by this. Being a Kinks fan as I am. My only guess
is that you mean their `66 LP (FACE TO FACE), which had non-musical touches
like thunder and phones ringing and waves and so on.

> Was there any pop album before TWSO that was like that?

With commercials? No. A so-called "concept album?" Exactly when was SF
SORROW released, 1968 wasn't it? SGT. PEPPER was definitely released before
SO, but is a concept album only by virtue of the similarity of the music
(the songs are completely unconnected, except for the SP reprise). The
Kinks' VILLAGE GREEN was in `68.