The Who By Numbers by the Who

Released: 1975 (Polydor Records)

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The Who By Numbers

I have to start this with a confession.   I really like the Who, so I’m certainly biased from the start.  However, I have always made it a point to not go out and listen to everything ever made by a band all at once… that way down the road, when the stars are right, you can still go back and hear something great for the first time.   I came across the entire Who collection on vinyl at a garage sale for $1.00 a piece (mint with all the books and everything!).   I couldn’t say no…  and while I probably know every note and word to every Who classic (which still get played every single day on every single classic rock station in the world) – I was eager to explore some of the lesser known tracks and LP’s.

Several of the tracks on ‘The Who By Numbers’ were new to me, but none of them were unfamiliar.   In a strange way, you know instinctively how Keith’s drums and John’s bass should interact…the scope of Roger’s vocals…the strength and subtlety of Pete’s guitar should all sound.   I was most surprised at how consistent all the tracks were with the body of work that I already knew.   (and for a band like the Who, that is a real compliment!)   Here’s a good example – “Dreaming From The Waist”

The themes across the LP range from the dark to the whimsical and often has the feeling, at least, of being very personal, especially lyrically.   The LP went top 10 in both the US and UK, so it’s not like it was an obscure release – but 30+ years out, it doesn’t seem to enjoy the ongoing popularity of other Who releases.   Precisely for that reason, if you aren’t familiar or haven’t heard it in awhile, it is absolutely worth a listen.   Here’s Pete doing a great solo version of “Blue Red and Gray.”

The big “single” from the release was ‘Squeeze Box’ and while the Who version is great…,

I wanted to share this version by Tenacious D.

It’s nice to hear a collection of songs rather than an opus – it feels more ‘in the moment’ somehow.   It’s hard to believe I’d say it, but I only modestly missed the synths…

I’ll leave you with my favorite “However Much I Booze” and a line that just might be the overall point of the record…

“There Ain’t No Way Out.”

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Siegel–Schwall ’70 by Siegel–Schwall Band

Released: 1970 (Vanguard Records)

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Siegel–Schwall '70

Sometimes there is just no substitute for the blues.   You can play around, muck it up, add all you want, but in the end, sometimes you just want to hear that blues rock and roll topped with some rough vocals and a great guitar.   I found this one for .50 cents at the used store and had only heard the name in passing before so I thought I’d give it a shot.

Seigel (piano, vocals, harmonica) and Schwall (guitar and vocals) were both music students looking for some gigs.   They became the house band at Pepper’s Lounge in Chicago (talk about being in the right place at the right time) which allowed them to sit in with just about everyone! (from Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, the list makes me cry!)

This was their fourth LP and the first with former Sun-Ra bassist Rollo Radford and Shelly Plotkin on Drums.   Billboard reviewed their show at the Fillmore West and called them the “Best visual act in America with the music to back it up.”   You can hear their energy in this clip of “Angel Food Cake.”   (only video out there that I could find, unfortunately!)

While I’m not sure this was their best record, there’s a lot to like!

Solid blues and some great musicianship, it’s hard to not tap your foot…

Here’s another clip from this LP – “Walk In My Mind”

Though not on this record, they also were the first blues band to ever perform with a symphony!  Blues/Classical – Awesome!   For me, this is where they really stepped beyond the crowd and really did something unique and groundbreaking.   (Siegel continued this path with the crazy good Chambers Blues Band, but that’s another post )

I’m giving it four.   The record itself is probably a three, but the band is definitely a five so I’m splitting the deference…    The band reformed in 87 and has played regularly since.   Their 2005 release, Flash Forward, was top 20 on the Billboard blues chart.   I suspect that, much like the Dead, their live shows make the recordings look like an afterthought…

I’ll leave you with one of my favorites (again, not from this LP),

“I Think It Was The Wine” from May 2009.

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Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell

Released: 1981 (Columbia Records)

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I hit high school in 1981 and Tainted Love was everywhere.   I had no idea who Soft Cell were, but you just couldn’t escape how popular their version of that song was.   Thirty years later, I saw that LP sitting on the shelf (.50 cents) and I just couldn’t help myself.   I had not heard of anything else they had done and I was simply just curious!

The LP hit #22 in the US and was a top ten LP in Canada, the UK, and New Zealand.  In fact, CMJ lists it as one of the top 25 college music LP’s of all time.

The single everyone knows is “Tainted Love,” which was a remake of the 1964 song originally sung by the Northern Queen of Soul, Gloria Jones.

Soft Cell is:

• Marc Almond (Vocals)
• David Ball (Instruments)

For me, the LP itself has trouble finding a groove.    Tainted Love seems out of place and much of the rest seems to struggle for something that grabs you and makes you want to remember it.   It’s not that the music and vocals aren’t interesting, they just don’t really seem to go anywhere…

 I give you exhibit A, ‘Seedy Streets.’

It’s not bad, but frankly I just get bored…

This was definitely an LP that I decided to take a few key tracks from and let the rest go…

As you might expect, there are a bagillion versions of ‘Soft Cell’ with Tainted Love up on Amazon and around the web.   One that might be worth a look is the deluxe version which seems to be much more interesting.

Well, I clearly can’t talk about this CD without going into Sex Dwarf…

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Sex Dwarf

Music video mega-guru Tim Pope (David Bowie, the Cure, Neal Young, Men Without Hats, etc., etc, ) made a few videos for this LP which stirred up some controversy… to say the least.    It was confiscated by police and banned before it was ever released!  (all because it featured Almond and Ball in a bloody butcher shop surrounded by chainsaws, nude actors, and dwarves…   Heck that’s normal Sunday TV these days…)

There’s also an incredibly wrong Teletubbies version…

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