Sell Out!

["Kevin O'Neal" <kevinandt@xxxxxxxxx>]

>From: "Schrade, Scott"
>Subject: Re: SELL OUT
>
>I wasn't turned
>off; I thought the added dimension was cool.

Agreed.  I just wasn't ready, or prepared for yet another added dimension.
I was still learning the various faces of The Who.
And who said Bowie was the master camilian.

>Best:  "Tattoo"

Rooty-toot-toot....

>Worst: "Sunrise"

Mark's gonna kick your a-ass.  Mark's gonna kick your a-ass.

>Happy?

That Mark's gonna kick your ass?

>Aw, Kevin.....  That's sweet.  Come here & give me some sugar!

Jesus.
That's exactly what my Grandma used to say to me.
Stop freaking me out.

>But it makes you think:  Was Pete not able to come up with
>a final lyrical stanza?

Anything!  Say anything!
So, I guess The Who is also the first to use "nonsense lyrics".
That's probably not the official name for it, but I do remember the style
being coined a name after Red Hot Chilly Peppers did it....

>> > "Our Love Was" -
>> > A difficult time signature handled effortlessly by Moon.
>>
>> Exactly.  I always concentrate on Moon on this song.
>> But, did I detect multiple drum tracks?
>
>I don't recall that thought ever jumping out at *me.*  Perhaps some
>overdubbed cymbal washes?

WHOOOPS!
I was referring to Glow Girl.
Sorry.
I had to search the whole album to find it.
Right channel has neet little "ding ding-ding-ding ding" on the bell (?)
cymbal (large cymbal usually to the right of floor tom, that often is tapped
at the very center for a high bell sound), vs. Left channel that also has
the same cymbal but a different beat.
First time I ever detected over-dubbs (multiple tracks for same cymbal).

>Oh, stop it.  I love plenty of soft Who/Pete songs.  That's not the reason
>I don't like it.  I just don't like the melody.  Or Pete's singing.

No, Mark!
Don't do it!
He doesn't know what he's saying!

>If that's the case, then people on the boat (or the Captain himself)
>have decided they *won't* go back to that spot on Christmas Day & look
>for his signal.  They think dude is crazy.  Why that is, I don't know.

That's my take.
The Captain is now talking with his crew in response to the commanders (?)
orders.

>> How the fuck can it "fail completely" in the US?
>
>Because The Who weren't well-known yet.  The songs are.....obtuse?
>(In a good way.)  Maybe many people just bought the ICSFM single &
>said "Fuck it" to the album.  People were more interested in singles
>in 1967, too.

Good points, but I was thinking more along the lines that the album was just
too English for us ignant Yanks.
Too much Radio London, and Tea.  Also, I detect *much* more English accent
on Sell Out, than on latter albums.
Ever since Pete wrote about how English bands in his day purposely sang with
American accents, I've been facsinated about this.
Actually, as a kid, I used to wonder why an English band like The Who would
gear many of it's songs to American culture, with references to strictly
American things.
There was a song I was listening to the other night that had Pete ( I
believe) singing very English, and Roger singing *very* Yank.  It was
blatant.
I can't remember what song or album.  It's either on Sell Out or MG, since I
turned my boy Ethan onto his first Who album (MG) last night.
<changing the subject....>
 Now that he's
into dancing, I figured it was a good time.
The first few songs can be a bit heavy, but by the second half, he was
gettin' jiggy with it all over the living room.
Danced for just about the entire album.  He was working up a sweat!  It was
increadible watching this so young human being shaking his body to the
sounds in a completely uninhibited way.  Then, to my surprise, he lunged at,
and obliterated a stack of empty christmas decoration boxes.
Auto-destructive art!
I swear to god!
My wife and I just looked at each other like.."did you see that?!"
Then, I threw my hands over my head like "touchdown!   I win!"
The little guy felt the music, and acted accordingly.

That's my boy.

Kevin in VT