The Who Sell Out

This is a very middling album from a great band. It's a 'concept' album, with lots of pseudo-ads scattered through it, as if we were listening to pirate radio off the coast of London or something....... All that aside (which gets tiring fairly quickly), most of the songs here are nothing to get too excited about. 'I Can See For Miles' is, well, miles above the rest, which just plod along without much purpose or interest. Special mention to 'Silas Stingy' which is pretty much a low point in The Who's recorded history - it's baaaaaad.

This is, once again, a classic album—a concept album, and a satirical, advertising-themed one at that. The Who were poking a bit of fun at themselves. Most of the songs are humorous; the music ranges from psychedelic and Byrds-esque folk-rock to power pop. "Odorono" takes the album’s ironic advertising concept to the extreme, adopting the format of a genuine radio soap opera complete with a product commercial. "I Can See for Miles" is surely known to everyone; it was the heaviest track of its time. It even inspired Paul McCartney to write "Helter Skelter" for the Beatles—he was determined to outdo The Who at any cost. "Relax" perfectly captures the "zeitgeist" of the 1967 "Summer of Love," while "Silas Stingy" strikes a completely different tone—sounding like a blend of a Victorian nursery rhyme (featuring an organ), a fairground waltz, and a Baroque opera. I believe the band Queen, in particular, was heavily influenced by this track. The album serves as a brilliant bridge between pop-art satire and the birth of the rock opera, showcasing The Who at the absolute peak of their creative vitality. It is far more than just a collection of songs; by framing the LP as a broadcast from the pirate radio station Radio London—complete with mock commercials—The Who created a perfect time capsule of 1967. It functions as both an ironic celebration and a parody of the emerging consumer society and the music industry. In doing so, the band demonstrated an avant-garde sense of humor that remains unique to this day.

Couldn't make it to the end and I like The Who.

Hard to truly rate this, when the current version of the album on streaming services stuffs it full of mono mixes and recordings that didn't make the cut of the album. If it didn't make the cut, why is it on here...

I can't believe the Who sold out, smh... What an interesting concept album to release early in your band's career. I'd imagine that these guys got into a lot of heat for referencing actual products for the sake of the theming, both in the fake adverts and the goofy album cover. All's to say that the bit here didn't really work on me. I'm not sure who, if anyone, considers this among The Who's best work. It just isn't interesting enough, despite what they set out to do. Almost didn't realize the album was over when it actually was.

Not a great Who album, but at least it wasn’t as pretentious and dull as Tommy.

A fine departure, not my favorite Who album though. Solid 3.5/5.

DNF… didn’t vibe with it, i’m sure it’s great or something

Expansive, musically adventurous 60s rock. Jingles done like psychedelic music. Not my favorite The Who album, but it sounds very unique, despite the sparse production.

Weird album

Quite enjoyed it

Not my favorite Who. 3.3

Un peu chéper pas mon album pref du groupe

M’oui

Sympa mais sans plus

The Who i ett mellanläge, har lämnat det charmiga modsbandet bakom sig men ännu inte blivit det fruktansvärda 70talsrockbandet. Reklamjingeltjafset kan man bortse från och "I can see for miles" är en utmärkt singel

En del fina 60-talsmelodier. Betydligt bättre än Tommy, men kanske inte lika bra som Who’s next.

Väljer att realtidsrecensera idag. Jag förstår inte. Det är säkert en generationsfråga. Antagligen var detta hur coolt och rebelliskt som helst på 60-talet. Ett rebelliskt fuck off till den äldre generationen. Idag känns det oerhört lamt och töntigt. The WHO vill vara putslustiga, men det lika intressant som när man som barn som tyckte Arne Weise var ett roligt namn. Riktigt bra poplåtar får man leta efter med ljus och lyckta. Efter första sidan är det bara avslutande I can see for miles som är någorlunda intressant. Blir det bättre i andra halvlek? Jag tvivlar. Tänka sig, om inte ännu sämre på B-sidan. Enligt boken ska albumet vara en samling med hittepåreklam. Gör det skivan bättre? Inte det minsta?

Tramsigt utan att vara underhållande. Reklamjinglar varvas med mediokra 60-talslåtar.

The Who are widely regarded as one of the most important bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Albums such as "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" have made rock history, bringing the concept album — typically associated with progressive rock — into the mainstream. "The Who Sell Out" is one of a series of early concept albums released in 1967. In effect, the album is a fictional radio broadcast complete with advertising jingles. The album also features "I Can See for Miles", a classic from The Who’s repertoire that hints at the band’s subsequent musical development. But apart from that, though? The album is more of a time capsule, reproducing the sound of an era that we can no longer view without a romanticised lens. I must admit that I found it a bit boring listening to it today, perhaps because I’m not really that keen on sixties mod pop. Musically, what stands out to me above all else is Keith Moon’s drumming, as he constantly attempts to break free from the simple 4/4 time signature. To put it bluntly, it's not my favourite album by the band. It's historically significant, but musically it could have been better.

My wife heard this and said, ‘I’m not a music aficionado like you, but even I can hear that this is awful’. There are songs by The Who that I do like. They are not on this album. They have not been on any of the three (!) Who albums we have had so far. I am not sure I want to have to put up with another of their albums to hear the two songs I do like.

I don’t particularly like The Who and this is as bad, if not worse than Tommy. The skits were crap and not at all funny or satirical enough to warrant inclusion, and just detracted from any music. Even so, the songs that are on it aren’t particularly good, and almost sound like someone parodying a mid 60s psychedelic band, only no-one’s laughing. I just don’t get the hype for them.

I don't understand what we are doing here, but I am bored

The concept of this album, a band selling out and recording songs with a commercial bent with interstitial radio broadcasts/ads, is fun. And The Who manage to pull it off in a way that's enjoyable without it hitting over your head too much (or at least too much for The Who). 3.5 stars rounding down.

Better than I remembered, in fact rather good, strong songs post mod near psyche!

Awesome

The miles and miles track is good, I wasn't that into all the other tracks

2.5 Early Who…on song exhibited what they would become. I Can See For Miles

for 67' this is plenty experimental and innovative but man did i not like listening to this.

This has one of the worst album covers, and it doesn't help that it is the worst The Who album on the list. It really is out of time, but not in a good way. The start sucked, and then it got boring, so it's not my jam.

Le concept de radio avec des pubs est original et bien fait, après c'est très rock des années 60 (logique, et c'est bien mais j'ai pas été vraiment accrochée) 3/5

This was fine. Not great, not horrible.

Maybe a half-point bump for sort of an interesting concept that took some risks.

Strange album, 3-stars feels about right.

I'd seen the cover, but never heard anything on this except I Can See For Miles. I was expecting a rock album, bit surprised to get a pop album, and with so much jingle stuff, which I didn't appreciate at all. Most of the songs left me unmoved - I can see that they were somewhat experimental within a straight pop context, but I can’t consider them seriously experimental, compared to eg Soft Machine. I looked forward to re-hearing I Can See For Miles, I enjoyed the instrumental side of it (loved the drumming, and integration of the whole package), but then focusing on the lyrics (as I never had before) was quite a downer - pathetic male jealousy and threats, sadly makes the song unenjoyable for me. So, notwithstanding this album’s apparently positive reputation amongst famous critics, this album doesn't seem remotely essential, I won't re-listen, for me it's Not Good, 4/10.

5/10

While I like the satirical concept this album was going for, I found the songs themselves to be generally underwhelming. Unfortunately a fun idea alone can't carry an album.

Fun concept but at times is a bit silly. A few good songs though.

O conceito da rádio pirata, com a voz robótica e os anúncios satíricos é incrivelmente a frente do seu tempo. E pra ajudar, as canções que compõem o álbum são ótimas. Composições brilhantes, muito bem cantadas e tocadas, e com efeitos experimentais até audaciosos. Tudo isso resulta em uma escuta extremamente engajante e memorável. É óbvio, mas preciso dizer que senti uma influência dos Besouros aqui neste álbum. Tanto nos dotes composicionais quanto nos líricos. E acredito que este disco consegue sim bater de frente com outros semelhantes do Fab. Não tem erro. Álbum imensamente satisfatório e legal. 5/5

Armenia City in the Sky - 3/5 Heinz Baked Beans - 2.5/5 Mary Ann With the Shaky Hand - 3.5/5 Odorono - 3/5 Tattoo - 3/5 Our Love Was - 3/5 I Can See For Miles - 4.5/5 Can't Reach You - 3.5/5 Medac - 3/5 Relax - 3/5 Silas Stingy - 2.5/5 Sunrise - 3/5 Rael (1 and 2) - 3.5/5 At first glance, this album just seems like a massive shitpost that also somehow includes a really good song just to show how good they could actually be. It turns out that the shitpost in question is actually a tribute to pirate radio that influenced the mod scene and I guess it works out in context. But that doesn't mean that the rest of the album has to pretty mediocre outside of I Can See For Miles. Overall: 3/5 Favorites: I Can See For Miles

More 60s .. Please randomiser I need some variety. That is 3 in a row :( The who are yet another of those iconic British bands I know for the hits only. Pinball Wizard is an absolute jam though. ---------------------------- Eh, I'm a miserable bastard, not ashamed to admit. The radio jingle concept gets old, fast. At least we know where Queens of the Stone Age got inspiration from! Despite this there are several tracks that exhibit the Who at their progressive best. The drums in particular are fantastic throughout. [I Can See For Miles] being a particular highlight. I'll snipe the songs I like, forget the whole concept album aspects and enjoy the handful of songs in isolation. 2*

It's too much Who! Curate to their best 2 albums.

The album concept, a pirate radio broadcast complete with advertisements, is really cool. Unfortunately, I find the music to be not that great. I can't help but feel like the Who are taking quite a bit from the Beatles' sound, so I guess the album title seems decently accurate at least. Stuff like "Heinz Baked Beans" is decently fun, and I enjoyed a few tracks, such as "Sunrise." But the whole package ends up as less than the sum of its parts. This one has not aged well, and I don't feel bad at all about leaving it behind. Favorite track: "I Can See For Miles," although I'm not a huge fan of the mono mix. It sounds kind of flat and tinny (a persistent problem with the mono mix of the album), so I think the version I've put on my playlist is a stereo remaster or something.

Armenia City In The Sky - 87 Heinz Baked Beans - 65 Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand - 85 Odorono - 81 Tattoo - 88 Our Love Was - 86 I Can See For Miles - 98 I Can't Reach You - 88 Medac - 72 Relax - 82 Silas Stingy - 74 Sunrise - 78 Rael (1 And 2) - 84 The Who Sell Out - 85

Même petit faible pour les Who que pour les Kinks.

Définitivement l'album studio le plus intéressant des Who à date pour moi (on doit tous les avoir rendu là...)! Soniquement on est ailleurs avec des gros murs de guit, un drum qui déchire et des arrangements vocaux dignes des Beach Boys. J'aime aussi le concept d'intercaler ça de pub et de segments radio. Et la pochette qui va avec! Bravo Townshend et sa gang vous avez fini par m'avoir !

Ça va les who là. Par contre concept original et cover rigolo

3.5 stars if I could. The music itself was pretty good, but I just love the absurdity of songs that have built in ads and jingles

Appreciate the weirdness but i just did not enjoy this. HATE the cover

This concept might have worked in the era when pirate radio stations were all the rage but it doesn't fit today. Which is a shame as there are some good tracks on here. I Can See For Miles is one of my favourite Who racks so it gets votes for that alone.

Meh....

Early Who is very much an enigma to me. When listening to this album, I can hear bits of who they are yet to become. Its enjoyable knowing where they end up. Its an enjoyable album from this perspective.

Not The Who’s best effort, but not a bad album. I liked the concept of it being a radio program. I understand why I can see for miles is the only song off here that’s put in hits compilations.

The only version on Apple music is the super deluxe and it's 5 hours 40 minutes long. :| Is any album that good? This one definitely isn't. What the feck even is this? 5 being generous, rounded up to 3/5 for I can see.

Easily the worst The Who album we've gotten out of 5 or 6. Just standard 60s rock but annoying.

ive liked other albums from the who but this was incredibly irritating

Yeawhoo, but actually just okay

Meh. Nothing of note in here. I don't mind the jingles though.

Have had some Who on here and this is an album I remember listening to years ago and not really enjoying too much. Very late 60s British Who. Not full rocking out. Harmonies and some fun melodies. There’s a theme about corporate commercialism that runs throughout. In between songs there are short ads that connect the tracks. It kinda misses as a whole and makes the actual decent songs have less of an impact. Theres some good music here but it’s kinda messy with all of this. Not sure how to rate this. Probably a 3. It’s trying something different but doesn’t always work.

Too much circus

I knew the song "I can see for miles" but didn't know the rest. It's interesting/random that it has all these radio jingle tracks. Some of the songs are kind of funny, like "Tattoo" (which is sung to the tattoo). I think the drummer is pretty solid, up there with John Bonham.

Proof that rap doesn’t have a monopoly on tedious momentum killing interstitial skits. There’s probably a solid fuzzy rock album buried in here, but there are also probably better albums by The Who.

The tongue in cheekiness of the advertising jingles dilutes the dream pop feel of much of the songs in a good way - like a little tartness in your dessert. Don't know that I'd revisit this, but a decent listen that gives a good feel for 60s psych pop fun.

It’s just a little Kinks-like in its quirkiness to be really satisfying: where is the drum and bass of Live at Leeds?

Yes, thats special!!!

5/10

Wasn't really a fan of the ads or the songs. I guess they did sell out. 1.5/10

I really like this. A concept of course and somewhat annoying when it works to fit the idea into the album, but overall a success. Also surprisingly self aware for a band at that stage of their career. "I can see for miles" is a stone cold masterpiece. Going back and forth between a 4 or a five, but think I have to come down on a 5.

Some decent Who tracks but this album is mostly filler. I get that is the point of the concept album but the gimmick is hard to maintain interest in for so long.

Maybe the cold I had when listening to it made the impression worse, but there was not a lot of enjoyment to be had here. Ok it's fun that they made a pirate radio album, but the songs were mediocre. I don't like the strained vocals of early The Who. 2 stars for the cover and the idea

Not a top tier who album but good in parts

Weird 60s stuff

It's great in it's absurdity. Some really good songs on here, but some very different songs from other Who songs. The whole concept of how the songs are written is really fun and unique though.

Last really good/fun Who album imo

I'm not really sure what to make of this. I actually like The Who, but “Sell Out” really is... something you have to get used to. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean it's particularly experimental or innovative. Instead, they're trying their hand at a weird concept album, where the whole concept consists of sounding like a teleshopping show. Does anyone really need that?

The concept of inserting fake commercials in the album is interesting but terrible. A few good songs on here but mostly forgettable.

Fun album, far from their best.

I like The Who

Lots of gear tracks but also some sixties silliness.

I love Rael and I have to say that the 90s expanded edition is the best because it has Glow Girl on it. People that hate the gimmick are a bore!

I thought this album was fine. It was interesting, but no takeaways and wasn't jamming out at any point. Maybe 3.25 at most?

This is definitely one of my top favorite albums from The Who. It’s a very tongue in cheek psychedelic album that plays directly off the album’s title, The Who Sell Out. The whole thing is structured like a pirate radio broadcast, with fake commercials scattered between songs, which adds a clever conceptual layer. Musically, it’s a colorful psychedelic pop album with an experimental edge, but still maintains a pop friendly and accessible sound that’s easy to latch onto.

Better than Coldplay

"I Can See For Miles" ist ein Klasse Psychedelic Rock Song. Die anderen wirklichen Songs hier sind größtenteils schwach bis mittelmäßig. Dann dazwischen diese gewollt lustigen Radio-Fetzen... nee. Nicht unhörbar, aber auch nicht viel mehr als das. 2/5 - unterdurchschnittlich

I get the idea but it’s bloated and the good songs are buried

Wtf did I just listen to

As soon as I found out this was a concept album I was ready to pan it. But it wasn't bad. Weird and funny, with some catchy songs.

This is very fun and very inventive, especially for 1967. I have to admit that the "adverts" can be intrusive if you're only here for the songs but I'm disappointed that everyone is taking this so seriously, humour is an essential part of the human experience and it's nice to have it on the list. Stray observations: Armenia City In The Sky sounds a *lot* like a Beatles cover, and I was very surprised to realise that the sample used by Young MC Roll With The Punches "More music, more music, more music" is from this album.

I love The Who and I'm not sorry. Give me The Who over the Beatles and Stones any day of the week. Is this their best work? No, of course not, but who cares? Sorry, not sorry.

Interesting concept with the interludes and funky electronic vocals but fell flat

Wow... it had been years since I last listened to this album. The Who is one of my favorite bands. Back then, I had the impression that the album wasn't very polished sonically, especially compared to other releases from the same year. But today, I realize that my 16-year-old self simply didn't have the ear to fully appreciate it. The album sounds crystal clear! One thing that hasn't changed, though, is how fascinated I still am by the dynamic that weaves the songs together, simulating a radio broadcast. I mean, what other album did that? Anyway: More Music. More Music. More Music. It’s a 4-star album, but I’m giving it 5 because of the nostalgia I’m feeling right now.

Idk I just didn't super overly vibe with this one. Maybe I don't like The Who? Idk I don't think I've listened to them that much. It's fun they're being like "oooh Heinz baked beans" but like... then what? Idk.

Hot take: apart from the Beach Boys and Jimi Hendrix (and only because he moved to London) mainstream America in the late 1960s was doing nothing nearly as interesting as the UK, even the second-tier records like this that are a bit all over the place are crazy creative and really fun. It's not so much a 'good' album as one that's throwing a lot of stuff at the wall and I admire that. Also I like this quirky weird Englishness that was in the water at the time.

A complete mess

Some really good songs on this one. Being an ex-advertising guy, I also appreciated the concept. “I can see for miles” was one of my first favorite songs 100 years ago so it brings back fond memories. Better Who albums out there, but this is still a good one.

What can I say, The Who sold me - both beans and a new fandom. This album was quirky, disorienting, and surprising. Even the commercials made me chuckle. Well executed, and hella fun to listen to.

It isn't the best Who album, but its kinda fun.

Very strange

Oof, that was rough. Not really sure what they were going for here. The advertisement gimmick may have had a chance of working if the songs weren't terrible.

Huh. I didn't realize there was a Who album from their classic days that I had never listened to. Only one song had any longevity, but there were more than a few hidden gems. I'm landing on 3 but it's on the high end.