The Who By Numbers (Half-Speed ​​Remastered)

WHO

The Who By Numbers (Half-Speed ​​Remastered)

Polydor

February 20, 2024
Web Exclusive

By Frank Valish

By 1975, The Who had reached their peak. Starting with peak early classic R&B, My generationto the more experimental of 1967, The Who Sell Outthe band transitioned seamlessly into greater territory, with their two major rock operas, Tommy and Tetrapheniaamong which was perhaps the greatest rock and roll album ever recorded, 1971 Who is next.

In this context the group was launched in 1975 The Who By Numbers. And the album bore little resemblance to the bombastic Who of old, instead betraying a torn and frayed version of the band and found its leader Pete Townshend, who had just turned 30, facing something of an existential crisis. Hence, The Who By Numbers it may well be the band's best album.

The two singles from the record, the suggestive “Squeeze Box” and the less commercially successful “Slip Kid” were more reminiscent of The Who from previous albums, but these songs on With numbers are extreme values. Overall, the album is one of the most personal the band would ever release. Townshend's “However Much I Booze” finds the songwriter, in one of two songs he sings on, baring all the questions, the frustrations of an aging rock star summed up in one sharp line at a time and finally breaking the fourth wall, singing, “You at home can easily decide what's right by taking a very brief look at the songs I write / But it doesn't help that you know / There's no way out.”

Roger Daltrey's vocals, for the most part, are some of the most restrained of his work with the band to date, especially on the delicate rendition of “Imagine a Man” and the depressing slice-of-life tale “They Are All in Love,” the latter accompanied by Nicky Hopkins' gentle piano accompaniment Adding to the mix Townshend's vulnerable, ukulele-satisfied “Blue Red and Grey” and the tale of the pitfalls of fame and ubiquitous recognition, “How Many Friends”, The Who By Numbers it's clearly the sound of The Who in transition. John Entwistle even tackles “Success Story,” which the bassist himself brings up the rock 'n' roll life.

Cut at Abby Road Studios using a half-speed mastering process that's supposed to produce the best high frequency and stereo sound, this vinyl reissue really lives up to the hype. The sound comes through the speakers and the clarity and separation between the instruments will make you hear things you missed from your old tattered original. In places, Daltrey's vocals seem less overwhelming in the mix, which accentuates the rest of the songs' details. Entwistle's bass is impressively present and Keith Moon's drum sound anchors even the most tender songs with rhythmic perfection. It fits the subtlety that the band brought The Who By Numbers, and it's the perfect way to revisit the band's masterpiece. (www.thewho.com)

Author Rating: 9/10