Reviews (page 9 of 12)
I don't really feel any type of way about this album - it really just sounds like most of the albums on the list... They're starting to blend together a little bit, honestly. Nothing really sets this one apart from the rest, in my opinion.
Typical 60s rock
My Generation is a banger but there’s a lot of filler here.
Some songs are outstanding and some are underwhelming. But listening to the album made me contemplate how music that really spoke to you when you were a teenager will bask forever in this warm glow of the mind. And music made for teenagers that you listen to as an adult will always exist outside that warmth. My Generation is still fantastic. But since it wasn’t an anthem of my youth, when Roger Daltry sings ‘I hope I die before I get old’ I found myself thinking “Now, Roger, that’s a dreadful thing to say, stop being so dramatic” which… er… was probably not the intended effect. La-La-La-Lies didn’t resonate either, I just sat there thinking “Aww. That’s a wee shame.” I also wasn’t entirely convinced by the James Brown covers. Solid overall, though. Declarative. Anthemic. I understand why it’s part of the canon, even if it won’t be part of mine.
My Generation is The Who’s debut album, but for me, it doesn’t quite stand out compared to what they would later accomplish. It’s filled with early pop rock tracks like “My Generation,” which are fun and light, but the album as a whole feels simpler than their more complex later works like Tommy. It’s not bad at all, but it doesn’t hit the same level of sophistication that came with their later releases.
Kind of fun music, but I don't have a strong opinion here.
Correct album, nothing exceptional either
brogan shmogan hogan burns
The pop/rock songs are mostly very good and the blues/R&B songs are mostly very mediocre, so kind of a mixed bag. Definitely the beginnings of something good, though. Keith Moon’s drumming is so insane. Best song: My Generation
who knew The Who were wicked
Not the sound I expect from the Who. Album is ok, but prefer their later stuff.
Only saved a couple, but it is fun and happy
boring classic that is completely fine but impressive for a debut??? i don’t care too much about this 2.5/5 maybe a 3/5
Quite enjoyed it but a little dated.
I would give it an extra half star if I could!
Enjoyed album more than the last picks.
Nice sound, wanted a bit more from the vocals
Some decent songs
Solid 3, this one.
71/100
From what it seems this if the first Who album. It feels like blues mix with the Beatles. I feel like yo have to be in the mood for it. This would not be an everyday listen but it's interesting to hear where influences come from.
Pretty good debut but they had much stronger work ahead of them. Garagey and arguably proto-punky, but also melodic and somewhat pop. Plenty of flashes of the brilliance and potential of this band, showing what’s to come without fully hitting their stride yet. Solid band, good album with a few great songs - but not one I revisit in full often.
A couple of good singles and a cohesive sound, but nothing too interesting here
Hatte mir mehr erwartet. Plätschert so dahin.
It's fairly good
Not what I was expecting from The Who. All I know from them is much trippier and hippy 60's-70's vibe, which you started to get in The Ox. At first listen it reminded me a lot of the Beatles sound, so I can see at the time why it wasn't as well received since it didn't have a super unique sound. Overall it was good, and there were glimpses of who they would become but I'm glad they evolved because their later sound was much more enjoyable and unique.
This was a good debut album. Some fun tracks in here, feels very 60s, even got a Beatles vibe here and there.
Never listened to this one before, only really listened to their greatest hits, Live at Leeds and Who's Next. This album is good but they went on to do much better later in their career. The raw power and energy on here is palpable though, and obviously the title track is one of the best ever written. Some other solid tracks on here, but apart from the Kids are Alright and A Legal Matter, nothing very memorable. Great musically though, and I imagine would have been seen as a very promising debut.
A solid, energetic debut album that blends Black American blues with the sonic hallmarks of early hard rock and punk.
Favorite track: Much Too Much.
with a couple of exceptions, most of the songs are pretty generic sounding for the time. they clearly hadn’t found their sound yet and it shows.
Not A Hard Day’s Night or anything, but it’s a fun piece of early british rock-pop, though with dminishing returns.
It's a decent album. One song is not enough (in this case).
Definitely punkier than the 60s Beatles, yet- with the Beach Boys inspired melodies and vocal harmonies- less wilder than the Stones. Some insane drums by Keith Moon throughout. Lyrically uninteresting. Instrumentally listenable. Favorites: Out in the street, I don't mind, My Generation, I'm a Man.
Nothing offensive but not outstanding either.
Good songs, but not a great album. This would have greatly improved if it originally included some of their singles from those years.
Yeah this album is good. Can easily tell where their later, more unique sound came from based on this. Their influences are much more distinct. Good. Fine.
Like many iconic names, I am not familiar with The Who. Recognized a few songs and overall dug their sound, but not enough to go back for more. This was a double album and 4hrs long.
Nice, some songs surprisingly Beatles like. Entwistle's bass is interesting. Did not move me very much emotionally but a pleasant listen with no bad songs on the album.
Ok
Never been a big The Who fan and kinda lean toward thinking they suck, but I am glad for a classic rock album that doesn't fall into the "blues rock" genre (altho i think theres two tracks on this album that would be categorized as that. Anyways it's pretty decent for a debut and the title track is a fav from childhood.
So far not great start very slow not really dragging me in not for me
The song "My generation" is genious - I like, if they are playing songs like "I'm a man" - cool version. The rest is ok - but nothing what kicks me today.
Enjoyed this more than previous Who records on here. I still don’t think I’m a fan of them, but I reckon if I was about in the 60s I’d be way more into these than The Beatles or Beach Boys. It’s a bit less polished, more raw, hints at what is to come. Quite edgy for its time but still has nice poppy chorus’ here and there. Aye it’s alright this, can’t see me rushing back but a strong 3.5
Never heard this album before..... Way more poppy sounding than I was expecting. The track my generation is actually quite poppy really. Thought this sounded of it's time, and not how I was expecting it to sound. Not bad by any means, but nowhere near as good as who's next and the sound they later found I'm going to say 2.5, as I gave who's next a 3 and this is not as good
I’ve been listening to more 50s and early 60s so I appreciate the heavier sound this has but still wouldn’t listen to most of the tracks on a whim Rating: 3.1
Great background music
It wasn't too remarkable
- solid album - cool elements of blues
Better than the majority of 60s rock, but still very much of its time.
Apparently this was as heavy as it got in 1965. Makes me want to don a duffel coat, ride a Vespa and fight some rockers.
Even though I prefer 1970s Who over 1960s Who, this was OK. The title track is still strong albeit dated. There is some proto punk here that I do like. But the guitars have that 60s psychedelic jangle that aren't my cup of tea. Overall decent but Who's Next is better.
Fun to hear where these guys started off from. Some stuff is very early Beatles to me, in other songs you can already hear the later who.
Pretty good listen, but I much prefer Who's next.
Not as good as later albums for me, but enjoyable all the same. Best track My Generation 3/5
The Who's debut album "My Generation" (or "The Who Sings My Generation" in the U.S.) is a snapshot of a band on the verge of greatness. Released in 1965, it captures the raw energy and youthful rebellion that would become the band's trademark. The album's standout tracks, including the iconic title track and "The Kids Are Alright," are filled with the swagger and attitude that defined the mod era. Pete Townshend's guitar work is sharp and energetic, Roger Daltrey's vocals are full of bravado, and Keith Moon's drumming is chaotic and thrilling. The rhythm section of John Entwistle and Moon provides a solid foundation for the band's sound. However, the album isn't without its flaws. Some of the tracks, particularly the covers, feel like filler and lack the spark of the originals. The production, while capturing the band's rawness, also sounds a bit dated at times. Overall, "My Generation" is a promising debut from a band that would go on to become one of the biggest in rock history. While not every track is a winner, the album's highlights are undeniable and offer a glimpse of the brilliance to come.
This is more one of those rock for the sake of rock albums. Obviously a classic album that I'm happy to be listening to finally, but I don't think anything super special was done. Another debut album that shot them onto the scene to produce some of their greater works years later.
Not bad, but I definitely prefer their later work
Hits aside, it’s stale blues. I like their later albums.
although they were finding their sound at this time, we have an eclectic mix of blues and 60s aggro rock. an underrated era of the who. production is pure lofi bordering on softish garage punk in conjunction with keith moon's ferocious pounding drumming, the riffs from pete and john, and roger daltrey's IDGAF lyrics and attitude. i like it. some of the bluesy tracks are pretty mid though. not clicking with me. fav tracks; much too much, MY GENERATION, the kids are alright, i can't explain least fav tracks; everything else, due to the classique 60s misogyny of the lyrics and the bland blues takes. if i had to listen to a Who album before i die, it'd be something like tommy, quadrophenia, or the live at Leeds album.
This album is fine, nothing wrong with it. Not impressed by anything, but it was nice to listen to. Cool to listen to the debut album. Standouts: I Don’t Mind, La-La-La-Lies, and It’s Not True.
It's not my favorite Who album, but you can see the beginnings of the band and what they would become. It was an easy album to listen to.
I didn't think of it. But it's importance to rock music and culture is obvious.
It's amazing to think that this album's sound could once have been edgy and rebellious. Listening to it now it is outright quaint, especially My Generation, which sounds amateurish and full of teenage angst. I'm A Man is a kind of embarrassing take on American blues. I enjoyed the simple The Good's Gone and It's Not True, but the absolute best track is the astounding final instrumental The Ox, great drums and great sound, which has single-handedly earned the album an extra star.
A solid album which has aged well, my generation is the standout track, although the goods gone and la,la lies are great, please, please, please is slighty too repetitive for my liking however and a legal matter is beyond odd. overall sounds great for its time, is still listenable now, a solid piece of work that neither turned my head to it or away. 3.5
My Generation is such an excellent song. “I hope I die before I get old.”
This is fun, but the other one is way better cover to cover. Glad I listened but I won’t return to more than a couple tracks.
Ja Nice
Not Quadraphenia but I like how rough some of it sounds
don't think i ever knew/realized that this was their debut album. all in all, its a good album. there are a few songs that really punch above the rest, namely 'My Generation' and The Ox. I think a few of the songs of this album, end up sounding pretty similar to Beatles songs and kinda sound similar, but i think this album has glimmars of what The Who would ultimately become in rock history.
Early Who. A few classic songs.
early Who, is just ok, but still pretty good
Much more my type of music - however there were a lot of songs and tbh I got bored by the end but very funky groovy angsty
Good album but besides "my generation" i cannot make any big distinctions between the songs. Also was not expecting to get such a heavy Beatles vibe from this album. Would give it a 3.5 if I could
I generally loath the earlyvto mid 60's British pop sound so I was not looking forward to this one. I was pleasantly surprised at the different elements they fused into this. Still a lot of the 60's sound I hate but somewhat balanced out by the thunderous drums and guitar tone. "The Ox" was a great way to end the album.
The Beatles definitely infiltrated this album with The Kids Are Alright.
An interesting blend of songs whose inspiration was clearly drawn from several popular artists at the time - from The Beatles, Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ray Charles, Rolling Stones, and others
For its time this album seems a lot more heavy than other albums being released. That being said, if The Who had stopped after this one they would be a footnote in the history of rock music. Most of this album is forgettable, there are a couple songs that have stood the test of time and the rest have rightfully been ignored. Aside from being heavier most of the album is standard fare for what was being released at the time. It is not The Who at a creative peak, it is them working out what they would someday become. I don’t think this album should be on this list. If there was a list of singles to hear before you die, I could see My Generation being on it, it’s an iconic song. But this album is just ok.
I’m
This was ffffffffff fine. Stylistically it felt all over the place and a lot of it I did not enjoy.
I was disappointed in this! It wasn't a very creative album. There was nothing really groundbreaking. It was good music, but I feel like I've heard so many albums from before and after it that sound exactly the same.
i feel nothing. 2.5
Not my favorite album by them for sure, but they could have had a worse beginning. To me, this album feels like a few great songs combined with lots of filler.
morceau My Generation +++ Quelques autres morceaux entrainant, basse batterie sympa 3.5/20
Eh, ok, but like, not really rock and not really roll.
Just a "regular" album for me. " My generation " is the highlight of the album. I will try to re-listen it again to see if magic appears! 3/5
Surprisingly but also unsurprisingly bluesy in places.
Too long
It’s really interesting to hear how similar all of these bands were when they first started out. 2.5 but I’ll round up
a 2 for enjoyment and a 3 for appreciation
I mistakenly listened to the 30 song version and it definitely didn’t help them. My biggest complaint would be that it’s too long. Trying not to hold that against them though, the song that stood out to me is love is like a heat wave. I don’t necessarily like all of the talk-singing in the middle of the songs in general, but this album did feel like one of the albums you could throw on and do any activity. Good nostalgia factor.
Not the who. Know
not good music for pipetting 3/5
Concrete block album was better but this one was still enjoyable!
Not the best I've heard from them
My generation comes in like a train. You can start to see where they are going. From “borrowing” black music to forming their own sound.
This is a hard one to rate for me, because I do like some "The Who," but I think this album has greatly been overshadowed through the years and mostly falls flat today. The song, "My Generation" is still great, but "I'm a Man" is very cringey. Then, most of the other songs are forgettable. So, while I want to give this a 4 just based on influence, I think I have to round down and give it a 3, since I can't give it a 3.5, which may be my real score.
Early The Who is lovely. Moon's drumming and excellent singles set them apart from their peers. Although the collection of singles (Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy) is better than their full albums, their debut My Generation is rightfully heralded as one of the most important Mod albums of all time.
I think this is another case of The Band Effect, where the influence has been so thoroughly internalised that it’s difficult to see just why it was so special in the first place. Lots of artists have done the mixture of Hard Rock and R&B that made for great Mod music since, and The Who made much better albums that outside of the two big singles, The Kids Are Alright and the title track, My Generation seems a little inconsequential. It was a big influence on The Jam, who were a big influence on Britpop, which had a big influence on later Indie on both sides of the Atlantic. The influence is there, but which of the Indie Bands nowadays could claim that The Who are a direct influence? It’s on it’s third or fourth steep at this point. And that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I liked the two James Brown covers a lot, I liked The Good’s Gone and The Ox a lot, and of course I liked the two big singles. But the other half of the songs feel a bit outdated. I understand why the albums on the list, and I could make more of a case for it’s inclusion than some of the entries I’ve had recently, but I didn’t feel this as much as later Who projects
5/10 A stark contrast to what would come later. boring, but what wasn't in 1965. At least this had a little bluesy edge. 5-3-2024
I never was much of a Who fan. DOCTOR WHO, yes! But THE Who, not so much. ;-) 2.5 stars
How many times has My Generation been covered? I know Green Day covered it 30 years ago. This is a decent album.
Some great tracks, some terrible tracks, but mostly just mid. Glimpses of what they'd become.
Pretty good, early glimmers of the band they'd become, but little currently to differentiate them from other Brit-blues bands of the time.
beatles vibes, good mood, nice album
This is a perfectly acceptable album. The only bad song is the fucking blues song. Theres nothing worse than 1960s UK bands thinking they can do blues. They all did it and all of them are embarrassing. Other than that this is very clearly a good band trying to figure out their sound.
Группа The Who сама сказала, что это проходной альбом. Ну вот и ставлю я ему проходную оценочку, чё тут. Базовый прикол наверное в том, что ещё было много чего придумывать на свете. И The Who что-то смогли воплотить даже на первом альбоме.
Album was enjoyable- nothing notable except for songs that I was familiar with already but I don’t necessarily gravitate to. Out In The Street I think is a good precursor for later released songs and starts to have a bit of their stamp. Other tracks felt more generic and less original. I can see how it could stand out more when it was released, but albeit the classic status it holds, it’s not memorable or captivating enough to me as a whole.
Overall, I think this album is fine, not much stands out outside of My Generation being the obvious hit
Some bops. Some flops. Fun overall
A great band still finding their sound with very mixed results. The first half up to and including the title track is actually great but the drop in quality from there is pretty significant
I like the blend of 1950s/60s sound combined with early rock and roll. Cool groove.
One cracking track and a lot of middling filler.
Didn't know anything about The Who before listening to this album. I always thought they were some forgettable old (80s, maybe?) dime a dozen Brit-Rock band. Turns out I was off by about 20 years, and the lads actually rock. Pretty old school, but still solid today. Considering that this was "only" their debut album, I am excited to hear what a more refined The Who album will sound like. 3.5/5
It's a cool album with nothing special about it. It's a bit boring during the middle. Robert's voice is really good. The lyrics are like any other song in the mid 60s. At least it's not bargain bin compilation material. 3 stars for some nice songs.
The Ox helped
mid
I have difficulty with rock music pre-1967 but admittedly this has some pretty immortal jams on it. A lot of the early British rock of the ‘60s sounds pretty similar to me so I’m probably more of a ‘70s Who guy but it was nice hearing the earliest stuff.
Doesn't sound as polished as some of their later albums. "A Legal Matter" was one of the better songs, in my opinion. I think the only song I had heard before was "My Generation" which is good but I prefer some of the remakes better.
01) Out In The Street - 7,5 02) I Don't Mind - 7,0 03) The Good's Gone - 7,0 04) La-La-La-Lies - 7,0 05) Much Too Much - 6,5 06) My Generation - 10,0 07) The Kids Are Alright - 8,0 08) Please, Please, Please - 7,5 09) It's Not True - 8,0 10) I'm a Man - 7,0 11) A Legal Matter - 8,0 12) The Ox - 7,0 TOTAL: 7,54 (75/100) Once upon a time, it was called "the hardest rock in history" but today it sounds to me like a sugar-sweet pop with doo-wops backing vocals a la Beach Boys. "My Generation" is a classic though.
It’s interesting. Some of the songs are straight-up appropriation, like “Please, Please, Please” and “I’m a Man” while others are more original like “My Generation” and “The Ox.” Then there are the songs that just sound like other popular music of the era. It’s a decent album, but they hadn’t yet found their identity as a band. 3.0 Side note: I find “My Generation” to be ironically prescient given they’re of the Boomer generation. Poor Booms have been disparaged since day 1!
It's a pretty awesome debut album. And for the time, it must have been really great. It holds up, but there are several songs I wasn't keen on. Could "My Generation" be the perfect rock n' roll song? 3.6
Pleasant listening, nothing to get too excited about , obviously my generation is a good song but on its own not enough to warrant the album a higher score.
A pleasant rock album. I didn't think I would like The Who as I don't enjoy a lot of classic rock, but this has a nice 60s sound to it. "My Generation" is definitely a skip though, as I've heard it too many times. There are a couple of interesting covers/interpolations such as "Shout and Shimmy" and "Heatwave". 3.25 stars
Not a Who fan, I only like a very limited part of their music and this is not part of that.
There were some good hits on this album, but thats all it really felt like. Attempting for one of the songs to take off
Some classics, but rough. Never quite realized exactly how this early british stuff took from R&B bands.
Listening to the whole album for the first time in 2024 is ... fine. My Generation's stutter gimmick doesn't age well as an aesthetic choice.
A hint of blues and the beach boys
(personal trivia/talking to myself about social poetry in songs, and what they mean): My Generation - written by Pete Townsend. Whether a plea or a rebellion, the titular opening song (depends on album version) says, essentially, we are here, see us, deal with it. It seeks Identity, recognition, acceptance and belonging - and maybe approval from the older (hypocritical and amnesic?) generation who finds them and mod/punky sensibilities, puzzling/concerning. I know because I thought *hard* about this under exam conditions, during a heatwave in Perth so bad, they served water during our exams so we wouldnt pass out. Australia, 1989 (24 years after its release) that meaning of the song - My Generation - was an exam question in my ENGLISH LITERATURE paper for my university entrance exam. You could say its 'respect us' - we want to live in the moment, and live in the possibilities of post war Europe, not just subsist. So many irionies to this, It a voice to power, and rallying call indirectly, to die living and not getting old rich comfortable and complacent. its a call for the full throttle struggle and defiance, if not rebellion (quite). The irony is these Boomers became the richest generation there will be, with an extraordinary progression in standard of living never to be seen again. Se-se-stutter your way through a song that pretends to swear and says to old people (censorhsip was strong) we have identity and worth, and are a tribe with our own language, distinct form yours, different habits, not worse, and ready to live. So 10 20 and 30 years later it resonated for youth and most of all, was as catchy as a jingleso stayed popualr and had lots of airplay thorugh the 80s.... I love how the cover looks like an off balance selfie of mouth breathing pale english boys with Big Ben. the references to the Stones make sense as there is polenty of blues inspiration here and yes, some beatles - the predominant sounds... Yes an ok album - talent is there (but make up your mind, are you rebelling, doing blues, or copying the beetles!) a bit of a sampler and showcase fo what they can do - it your can masterfully imitate, you can masterfully do your own stuff too - like The Ox, and while they choose which muse to love most. general tick, and score of 3.5. As if we're making requests, I want to hear Quadrophenia in quadrophonic 4-speaker array next. Surely its better than that too long too indulgent shite called Tommy. Sorry Brits - I wasnt there so I dont care. Funny how music and memory bind this way, isnt it?We are all a Generation. But I wasnt gorwing up when this came out so it didnt , couldnt, bind more than this. good stuff tho'
Well, it's a pretty great debut album, especially for its era. Certainly better than the Stones' debut, and arguably stronger than the Beatles. Mind you, it suffers some of the same weaknesses; quick and dirty recording, an over-reliance on slavish covers of songs by Black American artists. Mind you, the band is extraordinarily tight and powerful, smashing through their live set. Nicky Hopkins is reliably great on piano, doing his best Mose Allison impression. The singles really pop out, and we can see how distinctive Townshend's songwriting would become (especially The Kids Are Alright, which highlight his gift for harmony). It's a strong example of sixties mod, but I'm not sure it would be on the list if The Who hadn't moved on to bigger and better things.
bit hit and miss, some great tracks, and some poor, good sound in mono
Some all timer singles here, padded out with absolute fluff
Basic some good songs some ok songs.
it was fine listening, not too exciting, but interesting
Fun and classic rock at its best - I think Who's Next is still a lot better IMO
Never been a big fan of The Who. I liked Tommy and some of their bigger hits. This album had a couple songs I knew and liked but the album overall didn't grab me.
Pretty good.
Interesting how they sound very much like The Beatles on many of their songs here on their first album. Feels like they hadn't quite found their identity yet. 'My Generation' does feel very much like a The Who song though, and is easily the best song of the album. The rest are pretty forgettable actually, not much to get excited about.
They hadn’t really found their thing yet, this is a bit all over the place stylistically
Classic rock. It's okay. A couple of good ones.
Well, had not listened to this classic before. Some very solid and classic songs, My Generation, obviously, and The Kids are Alright. And some others I liked as a precursor to what I feel is their more signature sound. But the songs Please, Please, Please and I’m a Man grated on me so badly that I’m going to have to go with a three.
A classic. But not one of my favourites.
Самое забавное, что эта группа звучит лучше всего, когда косплеит Битлз... Лучшая песня - The Kids Are Alright.
Really basic compared to their later albums. Title songs of course is a classic in itself.
Why do they think they are black?
Just listening the The Who, you can see how fans of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys would like them, but it was the live performances that set them apart with Townsends wild antics and the destruction of property. Personally, I would rather listen to The Beatles or The Stones, but I’d jump to see The Who live.
Гавно для бумеров 6/10
I didn’t love it but it did grew on me. I like their later stuff better. 3
If it was playing in the car, I would not be offended
Keith Moon is too cool of a name to be in a band with alongside names like Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle.
I’m a big 70s classic rock fan so it was kind of cool to hear something from the 60s.
It was good. My generation was probably my favorite.
I know most of these songs already - early Who - '60s pop rock with a little bite. Standouts for me today were "My Generation" (the performance from the Monterey Pop doc is awesome) and closer, "The Ox"
I thought I liked The Who, but after sitting through this I'm less sure. Based on reputation, and my own imagination, I was expecting a rebellious hard hitting album. What I got was fairly boring pop rock. Not bad, but really not noteworthy either.
Yeah not bad, only favourited 1 song, my generation. But overall good, 6.5/10
I actually liked these songs more than I expected!
First time I listened, I hated this. Tried again and it was less bad (not good tho). It’s just really long - after 10 songs I was over it. I wouldn’t seek this out but if someone put it on as background noise I wouldn’t be mad.
I really really like The Who but this album just doesn't do it for me. "My Generation" is good and really the only thing that dragged this album up from a 2 for me. The blues tracks are decent but the rest just sounds like boring 60's pop for me. I'm thankful for their later work!
Fine to have on in the background, but not something I’m going to usually put on.
It was fine 3/5. You can tell they'll go on to be amazing, but this was just a decent starting point. Great Songs: My Generation The Ox
Classic rock for the north bay
The Who have always felt like a pot about to boil over, just on the cusp of totally wrecking their instruments and exploding mid-set. This debut album prominently showcases that wild energy that made them cornerstones of the heavier subgenres of rock, but lacks the musicality and refinement of their later work. Vocals and guitar are driving and fuzzy, bass is picked and pounding, and Keith Moon is unhinged in his over-playing, all-fills-all-the-time style. The lofi recording quality also adds an element of nonchalance and nostalgia, but also feels sloppier then the band's later titanic, anthemic rock sound. In this album, the band mainly sticks to blues rock and typical 60's UK Invasion songwriting, sounding a little bland and indistinguishable from other acts of the time. Later albums will see them spread into prog rock, hard rock, and other synth-driven greatness, but these beginnings are still loudly humble. Stand out tracks include "My Generation", "The Kids Are Alright", and "The Ox".
- Only ever heard later Who albums - Good but not as good as the later stuff and parts are a bit dated - Title track kind of overshadows the rest of it - Fav songs: My Generation, La-La-La-Lies, I Don't Mind
Love The Who. But this album has never been my favorite.
Some classics and some questions. Clearly some blues influences (though I would’ve stayed away from “I’m a Man” if I were The Who) and mor pop sounds than I expected but the album is a bit all over the place. But I do like The Who.
The titular song, while the most famous one on here, is perhaps my least favorite. A lot of really good songs on this, but nowhere really close to what The Who would become. Grateful it exists, but there's better The Who out there.
a classic
A straight forward rock n’ roll album — nothing more, nothing less.
It wasn't too bad
Of these mid 60s rock albums on the list so far, this one is certainly my favorite. The others have been heavy with redo from other musicians. This one is not without them, but they feel more original. And the song by the same name as the album is iconic.
Idk it was probably cool at the time, but it just sounds like a 60s rock album to me
Will always like The Who because they played the Super Bowl halftime the year the Saints won. Unfortunately this album doesn't have Pinball Wizard.
Boring 60s classic British rock
Bien. Un poco largo.
Debut album by The Who. So basic - it was 1965 after all. Most songs written by Pete Townshend, but includes two James Brown tunes (I DON'T MIND; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) and a Bo Diddley (I'M A MAN). What's interesting about this album is that you can clearly hear the roots of what they'll become - lead vocals, harmonies, and instruments - but they're trying out a whole bunch of genres to figure that out. Therefore, a good percentage of the album is filler throwaway material, which was pretty typical of albums at the time - a handful of good tunes (or even just one!) and quickly record a bunch of shit to get the album out. But there in the middle sit MY GENERATION and THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT. Both songs are classics and have held up for almost 60 years!!! That's pretty amazing. THE OX (last cut on the album) - you can easily imagine that here is where they decided to smash their instruments on stage. I guess I can understand that this belongs on the list for historical purposes, but doesn't warrant 5/5 for me. ⭐⭐⭐ __________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 29 🎧 LPs left to review: 972 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 8 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 9 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 8
Very sixties sound. There’s also that slightly schizophrenic nature to this that I don’t find helpful and that I associate with the decade. Some stuff I like and then some I don’t ever want to hear again. Odd how Muddy Waters and Otis Redding can produce albums that are so solid and then you get ones like this that are just so flakey. I managed two listens though so it wasn’t that bad.
In completely different areas I've seen either documentaries or articles about Keith Moon and John Entwisle being unique talents with their instruments, and I'm glad I was able to go into this album with that in mind because they were the highlight of a somewhat disappointing album. I thought I was fairly familiar with the Who's songs, but I think only the title track was one I knew pretty well, and maybe another couple of heard of but not much beyond that. For a debut album that is nearly 60 years old is likely it would have been more impactful at the time, but I know what this band does later on and there are better things in store on this list (I expect). Favorite track "My Generation" 2.5/5
Ok
Typical for that era, can't wait to see and hear what would develop.
I mean…it’s okay
I wanted to give it a 4 so badly. But I came in with such high expectations and the album just did not meet them. I wanted to love it so badly but I didn't.
Me pasó un poco desapercibido
Objectively good but does absolutely nothing for me.
The standouts here are My Generation (obviously), which is just phenomenally good, and The Ox. Everything else is decent mid sixties blues/rock. A high 3.
This album from The Who was alright. It was nothing spectacular, and most of it was standard rock'n roll from the mid-60s. Besides their famous song "My Generation", there were not many memorable tracks. I highly recommend this album if you enjoy the genre. Favorite Song(s): "My Generation", "It's Not True", "Circles", "I Can't Explain"
Fascinating to hear them at this stage of their career. You can almost feel the band pushing against the constraints of the packaged sound they were being asked/told to create as a foreshadowing of the instrument destruction that was to come...
Lots of great songs.
The title-giving track "My Generation" is still a banger, the rest is too much beat, R&B, and stuff, nothing outstanding, besides "The Ox", where Keith Moon was showing his amazing talent.
Better than their later stuff. 3 long-eared owls out of 5 🦉🦉🦉
The band's charisma seems to explode despite not yet really achieving stardom. Keith Moon's drums are a standout. The entire album, lyrically and musically, sounds like a group nearly ready for big time.
Sounded similar to the beatles. I liked a few of the songs. Decent vibe overall.
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background. You can hear all of the elements of what will eventually make the Who great....but not quite there yet as the song are a bit derivative of the time, with a couple of exceptions.
Good album, but not as many bangers as I expected.
Despite being from the 1960s, it's not a monotonous rock or just "yeah, yeah, yeah." It features funk elements, especially in the early tracks, and towards the end, it has a more jazzy vibe. It was an album that influenced many bands, albums, and songs, like "The Kids Aren't Alright" or even the live cover of "My Generation" by Maneskin (which, by the way, turned out even better). The vocalist's voice and singing style on this album strongly remind me of James Brown's funkier tracks, not to mention the incredible skill of Keith Moon on the drums. Engaging melodies, and many of the songs (if not all) would easily fit into indie film credits.
Much more of the R&B and classic rock 'n roll sound than their more experimental/synth stuff that came later. More vocal harmonies and blues licks. Whole album rocks pretty hard for 1964, the title track being the obvious standout. Moon and Entwhistle are brilliant throughout. Probably an album I'll mostly just revisit via singles.
yawn
This is where context plays so much in my ratings. Other than My Generation and The Kids Are Alright, most of this album is middling mid-60s guitar pop indistinguishable from most other mid-60s guitar pop. While I like this kind of music as a whole, this album is just ok. That said, without the success of these two songs, do The Who go on and become “The Who” of Quadfina and Tommy? I dunno. I guess I gotta go 3 stars instead of 4.
Allt í lagi stöff. Dálítið bítla-wannabe-vibe sem er alveg skiljanlegt m.v. útgáfuárið.
Outside of a few songs it sounds almost beach-boy-ish. Despite having my generation I found too much of the rest lacking.
Pretty much what I expected this to be
Maybe I’m stuck in a rut, nothing has of yet come along to wow me for a while. This was a nice listen - I could feel the chains of musical connections reaching out from albums before and after this and there’s a couple of good jams on there I grew up with.
I remember first hearing The Who and being struck by how unique their sound was. 20 years later I see some shades of early punk in the mix, know who Bo Diddly and James Brown are, and think it’s kinda “meh”.
Am I an idiot? I had no idea the who originally sounded like the beatles.
I like the Who. I didn't get to listen to the whole album (my daughter switched it to Katie Perry, what can I say), but it was solid classic rock.
was okay
Pretty good, never been a big fan
6.5 Very early who, my generation and some of the later instrumentals were pretty good sound rock. For 1965, definitely good but doesn't hold up perfectly
Early sounds. Reminiscing of the beach boys. I agree with the wiki article saying it's a unique sound for it's time
It seems so wholesome now, but this record must have been controversial when it came out. I can just imagine kids listening to it for the first time on vinyl thinking "That's right, man. We do get around." It's easy to tell which tracks they intended to be radio friendly hits and others where they were just having fun rocking out.
Classic rock I hadn’t heard for years. Easy to see it’s R&B roots in this album.
Pretty okay but not a lot of variance in the songs.
Ok
Original Blues Brothers
Talkin' bout my generation! eh? again, one I grew up on, so it's not new, but I feel like i've also grown out of a lot of this music.
The Who are...fine? Once you put them in the 70s I think they become one of the best bands of all time, but this just feels mostly void of character. The Kids Are Alright is mostly just a Beatles track, many others just feel like something off the Stones. The only track that REALLY stands out to me here is The Ox. I think this song is the best example of what makes The Who so great, more specifically what WOULD make them so great. They're still finding what clicks, but it just wasn't right the first time around. Favorites are The Kids Are Alright, Please Please Please, and The Ox.
Sounded way more like the Beatles than I expected!
Liked it, chill
Rockiger Sound der 60er. Hat ganz ordentliche Tracks z.B. „The Kids Are allright“ aber absolute Highlights waren nicht dabei. Auch der lead/Song „My Generation“ reihte sich in diese Impression ein. Trotzdem wird das Album in der 2. Hälfte deutlich stärker z.B. mit dem Song „I am a Man“ oder dem schon Heavy klingenden „The Ox“
Some random thing I noticed in this listen is the song The Kids Are Alright reminded me of the Beatles. Similar sound. I don't think I have listened to this album all the way before. Definitely heard a bunch of these songs. Classic 60s rock and roll sound. Throw yours hands up and Shout!
Pretty damn long and pretty mid. Some solid classic rock sounds throughout with no blemishes. However, nothing really stood out to me. It felt like they played out of rhythm a ton, which I assume was done on purpose. Not nearly impactful enough to warrant the length.
Pretty standard enjoyable 60s rock album. Nothing really of note stuck out, but it was a good listen while walking the dog on an early Sunday morning
Something about the Who just doesn't do it for me. I definitely like some of these songs but overall meh. Really do dig Townshend's and Moon's Guitar/Drums (especially The Ox) on a number of these tracks. Definitely not bad for a debut but there is better Who for me.
I really wanted to love this one - I had listened to some songs here and there but never the whole album. But alas, despite the greatness of My Generation and a couple of other good songs such as The Kids Are Alright, this album didn’t really grab me. If I could, I’d give it a 3.5
Überraschend nahe an den Beatles, zu anderen Zeiten sehr bluesig - und ziemlich eitel.
Not the best The Who album
Kinda average album
Nice listen, nothing exceptional
Solid 60s rock. Gotta say though, the guitarist is putting in most of the work to keep the tracks interesting.
2.75 per track. I didn’t really care for this but can hear why it’s important l.
It was ok. I still don't like the who
Vivant, rythmé, presque fiévreux parfois. Pas mon style, mais plusieurs bonnes chansons
The sound must have been a sledgehammer to the speakers in 1965. Sixty years on, and accustomed to distortion and frenetic drumming, most of it sounds like what it was, awkward covers of American soul and blues. The titular song is amazing as is the Kids are Alright. Everything else is just filler. Paul, John, and Brian hadn't yet turned the rock and roll world onto the pursuit of making great albums.
Great
The British bands of the 60s definitely had that special something. The music just has an edge. You can see why kids in America went mad for it. This is definitely one of those bridge albums that takes the safe, poppy rock and roll and starts the morphing into the harder, weirder sounds on the 70s. It's good stuff.
I like the piano work (after reading the album summary I learned it was provided by a session musician). Most of the songs sound pretty much the same, similar to the Beatles' early records.
This is a pretty solid album overall, but probably not absolute top tier for them or for the time. There's a few classics ("My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright" for instance) and it's enjoyable overall, but it lacks anything really stellar. This does rock a bit harder than most of what else was going on at the time, so they were definitely starting to stand out a bit. Favorite song: The Kids Are Alright Other: I Don't Mind, La-La-La-Lies, My Generation, A Legal Matter 12/17/23
My favorite The Who album so far! 3.4
I've always considered The Who to be a greatest hits kind of band for me not knowing their work well or really caring to go beyond the hits but this album may cause me to reconsider. Sure, the songs and sound are dated but listening to this album taking that into perspective, it was a decent listen.
Thought I'd like this one more based on the strength of the title song, but this turned out to just be a good rock album, not an amazing one.
Helt okidoki. Gammelmannsmusikk
Covers. Some good songs.
I imagine it was crazy hearing My Generation for the first time and then flipping the record to The Kids Are Alright during the 60’s. Knowing what The Who would go on to make later really diminishes the impact of this album. Most of it feels very derivative of similar acts at the time as they hadn’t fully established their sound yet.
There are some good songs here but a few of them never really get going, I'm surprised at the time when this came out and how relevant some of them stayed.
Aside from My Generation, this sounded like depressing Beach Boys.
This was a really interesting listen. As an album its sound is pretty chaotic, which is clearly part of the appeal. You can hear all of these different elements coming in that are foreshadowing the explosion of musical genres that is about to come. The drums and guitar are often madly experimental which is so fun to listen to but also a hint to the technical and stylistic developments that Townsend and Moon were pioneering. It’s wild to compare this to the music the Beatles were making at the time - sometimes you can see the similarities but other moments sound completely alien, like music from a parallel planet. That all being said, the quality is ropey in many ways. The lyricism is comically crap for a number of songs. My Generation stands out as this innovative gem in a sea of experimental chaos. Liked it, had fun, learned a lot. Will maybe return occasionally for the whole album but not going into regular rotation.
Hang on. Where's the anger and angst? This is generic 60's white-boy blues rock.
Unremarkable
i feel like i should know this album more than i do -- i vaguely recognize "my generation" even tho it seems like a very seminal song. dont hate it, not really loving it so far, cool 60s vibes for sure but not doing anything crazy for me not the biggest fan of like the blues-rock "I'm a Man" song at all lol -- ok that gets better when it gets to the ending jammy type part. i think i just have something anti-that type of chorus kinda fun jammy thing at the end with "the ox"
Re-listenend. Still as good as the first time.
3.5 - Ok but would not be top choice
One or two good tracks, the covers sound alright but not as good as their originals. 4 more The Who albums to go...
Not the Who's best but very good. A glimpse of things and albums to come.
3.5
The songs I like I like a lot but some songs are kind of water. Solid 3.5
Much like the other 3 big british invasion bands (The WifeBeaters, rolling rock, and the fetishes), the who really hit their stride in the latter half of the 60’s, a few albums into their career. Interesting hearing the roots of greatness here though. Moon and entwistle, often considered some of the GOATs of drum and bass respectively, are not quite as virtuousic as they would be in the years to come. Also, seems like a weird decision to not include can’t explain on the standard track listing??
Enjoyable garage rock album. I had heard some of these songs before but not the whole album. Pretty fun and definitely worth listening to.
很有年代感。。。
I think this will forever be the album that perfectly captures that gap in life between graduating high school and becoming a functional adult (a dangerous void from which some never return). The vibe reminds me a lot of what you get from the Scott Pilgrim movies/comics/animated series. An undeserved sense of competence matched with an earnest humanity
Fun album, high on the strut-ability index
I've listened to Tommy and that one grabbed me more on my first listen, seems cool tho
This is fine. Not very memorable tbh
50/50, blues tracks kind of suck or are weird pastiche copycat nonsense, the more british invasion rock tracks are actually quite good and obviously the kids are alright and my generation are classic; the Ox is a surprisingly fun closer and sort of interesting given where they'd go in the future
Reminiscent of The Beatles around the same era, just before their best albums. Not bad but also not particularly striking.
Nothing special
This is really fun, a little bit less pop version of the Beatles classic rock sound. It feels like young American summer life in the late sixties, which is weird to say of a band that is British I think. Still, can't fault a classic sound. Favorite song is please please please.
Ok
This is a very pop sounding album. I've never really listen to The Who but I always thought that they were more rock. Either way, this is a good set of songs. I wouldn't turn it off if these songs popped up on a playlist.
Nice album like the tital song rest was kinda meh tho the final couple tracks were good
Opzich wel oke, paar leuke hitjes maar niet allemaal knallers
It’s fine
Damn, Isley Brothers and Sam Cooke. The song My Generation is cool
It's giving The Beatles vibes. Some songs are pretty cool. "I Don't Mind" was my favorite.
The Who still hasn't quite grabbed me, but this is still a good listen. There's a lot of youthful energy the performances, attitude, and rougher production. The title track especially exemplifies these qualities.
Maybe felt revolutionary at the time, but 60 years on seems pretty standard 60s fare
meh
Eh. Wasn't as impressed as I expected to be actually. I'd give it another go, but as an overall album I wasn't grabbed. Was distracted a bit though
Really great album, enjoyed it more than I thought I would. One thing this generator has been introducing me to is a lot of old school mono mixes. Added 2 skipped 1.
Nonce
This must have blown their socks off in 1965
#23. Not The Who's best album, but a pretty solid debut to be sure. 3/5: acceptable
Classic. Not necessarily my cup of tea, but it was good.
I like this burgeoning sound of a harder rock to come later on Similar to the stones before they went to America.
Big cup of meh.
3.5 der er kun en virkelig banger, ikke?
Tiene temas buenos y otros que mhe
Out in the Street: Are songs like this really any better or worth lauding over those of the American bluesmen from whom Pete Townshend took his inspiration? I Don't Mind: Similar question here - are these 20-year-old Brits doing anything other than emulation when they choose to record a James Brown song? The Good's Gone: This one is really interesting and gets away from the blues-worship of the first two songs, really more like something you might hear from a 80's alternative rock band. Wikipedia says it was inspired by a Kinks song - that group being the true geniuses of the British Invasion era. La-La-La-Lies: Would've been better with some Beach Boys-style harmonies and backing vocals. Much To Much: Nothing much to say about this one - a solid but forgettable little pop song. My Generation: Now here is something original, utilizing call-and-response vocals and a blues song structure, but speeding it up and adding a lot of attitude. The Kids Are Alright: Very Beatles-y to me, and definitely my favorite song on the album. Please, Please, Please: Great song, totally superfluous recording. It's Not True: Another Beatles-esque composition, but The Who play it with so much more reckless energy than the tightly-managed Liverpudlians ever would. I'm A Man: The vocal affect is pretty embarrassing, but I like I do feel like the band had an idea that drove the recording of this Bo Diddley song, unlike the other covers on this record. A Legal Matter: This song is great, even if Townshend is not much of a singer at this point. The Ox: More Americana, this time in the form of a surf rock instrumental. Strange way to end the album, but these are early days in the development of the format's conventions.
The Good's Gone is amazing. The covers are reminiscent of more punky beatles early covers. It’s not true is great as well- bass sound is amazing. Entwhistle is underrated. The Ox is a true highlight
3/5 -B
I mostly listened to the mono version since that's the one that's linked, and quick search suggests it's the authentic version. It's weird, there are some songs here that hardly feel like "rock" because I'm poisoned by being aware of really hard rock. But when I look for a genre to label this, I definitely feel like it's quintessential rock. Definitely interesting that "My Generation" is from their first album. Definitely a song that's so famous I can sing it just from hearing the title. The album is a lot cleaner and jazz/blues-ier than I assume when I think of The Who. It could almost be confused with a Beatles album for a few bits - just with a little more guitar solos. I feel like the drum set The Who uses is very iconic - idk what it is about the drums, maybe they're flatter than normal, or have less bass drum or something? But compared to some newer music, it's nice for the drums to be busy, but not noisy - you can hear what's happening still. There's a lot more "Beach Boys" harmony than I would have expected - although there is some in the most famous Who songs so I should expect it. I don't hear a lot of this harmony in the music I typically listen to, but I really like it. It gets slightly noisy at certain parts, but not in a bad way. (Eventually it got to be a bit too noisy.) The Ox is pretty neat - seems like no lyrics, basically like a jam session. The end of the album got a little bit noisy to me, but might have been related to my mood rather than the actual music. Actually it's the horns, like the mellophones or some thing, they're not great imo.
Was ok
While there were a couple of standout moments (My Generation, I'm a Man), the majority of the songs sound very similar.
Not really my taste, but not bad I guess
The Who is nice
A few great classic rock tracks, but the album, as a whole, lacked the coherence and flow of of some of its better-known and respected contemporaries.
This is good. Except even for 65 it sounds like it was recorded through a payphone
Great summer car trip album. Appreciate the stripped-back production of oldies. Not for me.
pretty solid debut effort, got samey to me after a while. I don't know that I will return to it necessarily. Sounded like the Beatles.
It's fine, The Who's fine. But nothing more. Fight me.
I grew up listening to a lot of The Who's stuff from the 70's (my dad was a fan), but for some reason never heard their stuff from their earlier years. As a huge fan of garage rock revival, it was so fun to listen to this album! Songs that stood out to me upon 1st listen: 3 - The Good's Gone; 5 - ; 6 - Much Too Much; 7 - My Generation; 8 - The Kids Are Alright; 12 - The Ox Would I revisit this album: Maybe!