NUMBER CRUNCHING – The Who & ‘THE WHO BY NUMBERS’

[email protected] October 28, 2021

Despite evidence to the contrary, the previous year bringing a star-studded, big screen adaptation of their rock opera ‘Tommy‘ along with a run of sell-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the world’s greatest rock band were in a state of turmoil as 1975 began to unfold.

To their idealistic guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend, The Who were in danger of developing into a parody of themselves and as he approached thirty was increasingly aware of the contradictions in being an ageing rock star. Mainly through a series of articulate, yet aggressive hit singles, expressing the frustrations of youth – written for the most part by Townshend – The Who had exploded onto the mid-60s as the most dynamic act rock had seen.

Performing with a menace that would see hard nut front man Roger Daltrey prowl the stage, their shows climaxed with Townshend and propulsive drummer Keith Moon trashing their instruments – taciturn bassist John Entwistle standing to one side as the mayhem ensued but adding to the tumult with ominous bass lines that rolled like thunder.

Leading the group to the concept double album ‘Tommy‘ in 1969, Townshend saw his wildly ambitious follow-up project ‘Lifehouse‘ go unrealised but spawn the 1971 opus ‘Who’s Next.’ Two years later he addressed their ‘mod’ origins, a UK youth movement with whom The Who had identified when emerging, on ‘Quadrophenia,’ an album of great excitement and literacy. But much of the music across this enthralling double-set proved too layered and complex for a one voice, three instrument line-up to reproduce on stage – even for a group as remarkable as them.

So, with many ‘Quadrophenia‘ tracks proving too unwieldy to be performed live, The Who, a group more than any identified with the notion of rock music being a form of rebellion, reverted to performing their angst-ridden anthems – the point not lost on Townshend of these songs being performed by a quartet closer to thirty than twenty years of age.

His sense of The Who treading water was accentuated by ‘Tommy‘ becoming part of the cultural landscape, its lengthy shadow encompassing songs in their live performances, a London stage show and now a commercially successful film in which Daltrey had played the lead role.

But more worrying still was Moon decamping to Los Angeles where the California high life was exacerbating his descent into alcohol and drug abuse, the fragmented nature of their existence underlined by Entwistle and Daltrey releasing solo albums before 1975 was halfway through.

What cordiality there was between the four members was put under further strain when Tonwshend and Daltrey took verbal pot shots at each other through the UK music press before the summer of 1975 was out – so it was something of an accomplishment for The Who to release an autumn album and even more admirable ‘THE WHO BY NUMBERS’ (October 1975) should be such an enthralling listen.

Which is not to say The Who and in particular their deeply conflicted leader had suddenly forgotten all his troubles and made a record high on expectation the difficult days were behind them. Far from it. Most of the nine Townshend compositions on this affecting, but in lyrical terms mostly downbeat ten song set, depict a man wracked by doubt and self-loathing. Yet as a composer he sounds fired by his day-to-day demons – and while Townshend is not exactly reveling in his own misery, the problems facing him and by extension The Who, are addressed with brutal honesty.

Solutions remain elusive, but alone among a generation of luminaries who sang of getting no satisfaction or nowhere men, Townshend has the sense of purpose to question the relevance of not only what they had accomplished, but more importantly how – or in fact, if – they could remain pertinent as the second half of the 1970s approached.

For the first time since their ‘My Generation‘ debut album of 1965, Townshend is addressing the here and now – but ten years on the emphasis is dealing with how problems came to be rather than responding to people who put them down because they got around.

To that end, the same four musicians who played on the first album, Entwistle, Moon, Townshend and piano session ace Nicky Hopkins are those creating the music. The Who effectively go back to basics as the synthesiser patterns that so decorated ‘Who’s Next‘, ‘Quadrophenia‘ and the recent ‘Tommy‘ film soundtrack, (overseen by Townshend as musical director), are dispensed with, as musically and lyrically The Who lay themselves bare.

Indeed, even ‘Success Story‘ the sole Entwistle contribution, is a broadly drawn, hard rocking commentary on reaching the top and travails experienced along the way – John’s tongue a long way into his cheek singing the line: ‘I may go far, if I smash my guitar.’

Whatever doubts Townshend had about himself or the group do not transpose to the playing. Leading them with a count of eight into opening cut ‘Slip Kid,’ as the song surges and pulls back The Who immediately sound more buoyant than anyone could have expected. With no synthesiser intruding on their astonishing musical telepathy, Pete, Keith and John appear in sublime form, the sound fleshed out with tasteful piano fills from Hopkins.

During the verses Townshend has a tendency to a be a touch abstract with his words, although Daltrey delivers the key message of ‘There’s no easy way to be free,’ with supreme gusto. After his recent ‘Ride A Rock Horse‘ solo outing, Roger has reverted back from fine singer to front man of The Who, in other words rock vocalist par excellence, sounding far more convincing when sinking his teeth into a set of Townshend lyrics – even if we are not entirely sure what Pete is trying to be free of.

But if he has been somewhat vague on ‘Slip Kid‘ Townshend is direct to the point of being dogmatic on ‘However Much I Booze.’ Another fine example of how effectively The Who could function as a trio, the composer performs lead vocal duties while switching between acoustic and electric guitars, the upbeat, almost jaunty tune belying the gravity of his grumblings. The bile and sarcasm are focused on the ultimate target, namely himself – self-condemnation overflowing from the opening lines:

‘I see myself on T.V., I’m a faker, a paper clown/It’s clear to all my friends that I habitually lie; I just bring them down.’

As alluded to in the title he seeks solace in the bottle, but this is far from celebratory after-show drinking, Townshend morose to the point of ‘(I)have to drench myself in brandy/In sleep I’ll hide.’ While the melody is rarely less than exuberant – Townshend once again proving himself a master when it comes to flourishes on acoustic guitar – he is still at pains to describe just how conflicted he has become. The opening lines of verse two allude to his main bones of contention, the dilemma of being a husband, father and famous rock star set against a complicated relationship with the lead singer:

‘I lose so many nights of sleep worrying about my responsibilities/Are the problems that screw me up really down to him or me?’

By the end Townshend cannot find anything of merit, career wise, in what he has achieved, declaring himself ‘a failure‘ the fact as obvious to him as it should be to us when he states, ‘you at home can easily decide what’s right, by glancing very briefly at the songs I write.’

The dichotomy of touring set against a stable home life, the validity of The Who continuing opposed to establishing a solo career based on a more personal lyrical perspective, would inform his writing over the next seven years.

But anyone believing ‘The Who By Numbers‘ was just an exercise in Pete pulling his face saw this notion contradicted by ‘Squeeze Box‘ and ‘Blue Red and Grey,’ songs on each side of the album that provide light to the shade.

The former is a merry folk-rock piece in the style of Lindisfarne or Stealers Wheel, Townshend doing a nice turn on banjo as Daltrey breezes through a whimsical set of lyrics, the sexual innuendos contained within not preventing it from becoming a hit single on both sides of the Atlantic.

‘Blue Red and Grey‘ on the other hand sees The Who paired down to just a duo in the strange combination of Townshend on ukulele and Entwistle gently blowing on a French horn. Due to being such a wistful and eloquent composition on an album where antipathy prevails, it has become the most overlooked gem in The Who canon, Townshend finding joy in simple things (‘I get a buzz from being cold and wet, the pleasure seems to balance out the pain‘), his serenity depicted through a series of engaging lines.

Townshend later revealed he was coaxed into including ‘Blue Red and Grey‘ by producer Glyn Johns (another veteran of the ‘My Generation‘ album when as a young engineer he assisted Shel Talmy who handled production), Johns persistent in overcoming reservations on the part of the writer.

‘Glyn Johns wanted it on the album,’ reflected Townshend, ‘I cringed when he picked it. He heard it on a cassette and said, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘Nothing.’ He said, ‘No. Play it.’ I said, ‘Really, it’s nothing. Just me playing a ukulele.’ But he insisted on doing it. I said, ‘What? That thing? Here’s me wanting to commit suicide and you’re going to put that thing on the record?”

In this instance Townshend seems to have no issue with being maligned or misunderstood, the delight apparent in his voice when singing, ‘And so you see I’m completely crazy, I even shun the south of France‘ – a playful dig in the ribs maybe for Mick and his fellow Stones who headed that way a few years before in becoming tax exiles, Pete remaining in London to take Inland Revenue demands on the chin.

With overtones of ‘5.15‘ from ‘Quadrophenia‘ (although minus piano and blaring horns), ‘Dreaming from the Waist‘ shows The Who at their most rampant and therefore untouchable as a three-piece, one voice rock ensemble. Townshend and Moon hit all their targets, but the song is carried by the piercing bass lines of Entwistle and a rampant Daltrey vocal. Throughout Townshend clouds his observations with self-doubt (‘I know the girls that I pass just ain’t impressed/I’m too old to give up but too young to rest‘), uncertain of what constitutes progress in life, unsure where to begin in looking for a start point.

Side one closer ‘Imagine A Man‘ finds him in contemplative mood. This acoustic ballad explores a spiritual exit from his current malaise, the journey needing to begin with some urgency as despite more vague connotations along the way, the gist of ‘Imagine the sand, running out as he struts, parading and fading, ignoring his wife,’ is clear enough – Daltrey delivering an expressive vocal while behind him Townshend and Entwistle do a fine job with the harmonies.

The title of ‘They Are All in Love‘ seems ironic as nobody within the piece seems enamoured by anything. Framed by acoustic guitar and Hopkins tinkling the ivories to good effect, Townshend paints some poetic images (‘Where do you walk on sunny times/When the rivers gleam and the buildings shine‘), but just when you are not quite sure where things are heading, Daltrey delivers the chilling couplet:

‘Hey, goodbye all you punks stay young and stay high/Just hand me my cheque book then I’ll crawl out to die.‘

Inadvertent or not, there is no more telling lyric in 70s rock, a veteran rock star – by 1975 standards – giving notice his time is done, leaving the stage to younger artists for them to continue the fight in relation to the youthful ideals which Townshend believed were at the core of rock music. Thirteen months before the Sex Pistols burst forth, it is almost as if he heard them breathing, or perhaps spitting, down his neck.

The most acute sense of Townshend feeling sorry for himself is contained in ‘How Many Friends,’ a commentary on the fickle nature of fame – the contradictions apparent as he is ennobled and dismissive in equal measure. The stinging guitar work which opens this mid-tempo rocker is transposed into the lyrics, his cussedness evident in the opening couplet:

‘I’m feelin’ so good right now, there’s a handsome boy tells me how I changed his past/He buys me a brandy/But could it be he’s really just after my ass?’

During the chorus the question asked in the title is answered with the powerful assertion from Daltrey of ‘You can count them on one hand‘ – but not he, Moon or Entwistle can dodge the shower of vitriol that begins the final verse:

‘When I first signed a contract it was more than a handshake then, I know it still is/But there’s a plain fact/We talk so much shit beyond each other’s backs.’

Closing track ‘In a Hand or a Face‘ is a foot to the floor, unmistakable Who rock track, Townshend crunching out trademark power chords while alongside him John and Keith are heard in irrepressible form. To the listener the lyrics again appear a touch obscure, but Daltrey barks them out with complete and utter conviction, the key line ‘Ain’t it funny how they all fire the pistol at the wrong end of the race,’ in keeping with the overall theme of the record – aptly described by Townshend in this song as ‘a soul in torment.’

For all his pithy comments in side two opener ‘Success Story‘ Entwistle too is not averse to the odd moment of wry, almost weary reflection, the line ‘Back in the studio to make our latest number one/Take two-hundred-and-seventy-six, you know, this used to be fun,’ comes close to summing up what Townshend has been getting at only in not so many words.

On release fans and critics gathered from ‘The Who By Numbers‘ that Pete Townshend was not a happy bunny and while one reviewer made the point that a non-concept album from The Who was a concept in itself, such a comment was misleading. There is as much a theme in play as can be heard on ‘Tommy‘ or ‘Quadrophenia‘ and although not a character driven piece, Townshend puts himself at the centre of the narrative. Anxiety and frustration are the framework for the most articulate rock star of his generation to convey his personal struggle in making sense of what he and The Who had come to represent – and where, if anywhere, they could go next.

Just as nobody other than Townshend could have created the grand conceptual works already on his resume, so he was the only writer with the intellect to confront the dichotomies faced by rockers of his era – hence in their review of ‘The Who By Numbers‘ the New Musical Express concluded ‘it confirms his position as the thinking man’s rock musician, rock music’s thinking man.’

While ‘The Who By Numbers‘ was favourably received and reached high placings in the UK and US charts, attached to it were more conundrums than answers. By the time it appeared The Who had committed to a lengthy period of touring that would keep them on the road for twelve months (much of their capital was tied up in litigation against former managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, this painful parting of the ways another burden for Townshend to carry).

Yet of the new material only ‘Squeeze Box‘ and ‘Dreaming from the Waist‘ made regular appearances on the nightly set-list – the running order built on early singles, showstoppers from ‘Who’s Next‘ and yep, you’ve guessed it, half an hour from ‘Tommy‘.

For the most part, an occasional health lapse from Moon aside, the performances were magnificent and they remained unrivalled as the greatest live act on the planet. Clearly there had been more to the Daltrey-Townshend music press spat than the ‘pre-tour publicity‘ Entwistle dismissed it as, although by all accounts the band remained on good terms as the shows went by.

But as venues sold out in an instant and stadiums rose to acclaim them, one wonders if the line ‘There ain’t no way out‘ from ‘However Much I Booze‘ went through the mind of Pete Townshend as another audience responded ecstatically to a song which in some cases he had written twelve years before.

Just a month after The Who played the final show of their marathon jaunt – ‘The Who By Numbers‘ now over twelve months old – in November 1976 the Sex Pistols released an incendiary debut single entitled ‘Anarchy in the UK.’

Edgy and confrontational in the way The Who had once been, they became standard bearers for a new wave of ferocious young bands conveying the alienation felt by their followers. They were welcomed by Pete Townshend more than most, who for the moment at least disappeared into the sunset.

Cheque book in hand.

THE WHO – ‘THE WHO BY NUMBERS‘ (Released October 3 1975):

Slip Kid/However Much I Booze/Squeeze Box/Dreaming from the Waist/Imagine A Man/Success Story/They Are All in Love/Blue Red and Grey/How Many Friends/In a Hand or a Face;

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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.