Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
- Artist: The Who
- Rating:
- Release Date: 1971
- Total Time: 42:45
- Type: Compilation (best of)
- Genre: Rock
Review
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy has the distinction of being the first in a long line of Who compilations. It also has the distinction of being the best. Part of the reason why it is so successful is that it has an actual purpose. Meaty was designed as a collection of the group's singles, many of which never appeared on albums. The Who recorded their share of great albums during the '60s, but condensing their highlights to just the singles is an electrifying experience. "The Kids Are Alright" follows "I Can't Explain," "I Can See for Miles" bleeds into "Pictures of Lily" and "My Generation," "Magic Bus" gives way to "Substitute" and "I'm a Boy" -- it's an extraordinary lineup, and each song builds on its predecessor's power. Since it was released prior to Who's Next, it contains none of the group's album rock hits, but that's for the best -- their '60s singles have a kinetic, frenzied power that the louder, harder AOR cuts simply couldn't touch. Also, there is such a distinct change in sound with Who's Next that the two eras don't quite sound right on one greatest-hits collection, as My Generation and Who's Better, Who's Best proved. By concentrating on the early years -- when the Who were fresh and Pete Townshend was developing his own songwriting identity -- Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is musically unified and incredibly powerful. This is what the Who sounded like when they were a great band. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi| Meatsuit (2010 Album by Fallingice) | |
| Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy/Who by Numbers (1982 Album by The Who) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
| Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Compilation album by The Who | ||||
| Released | 30 October 1971 | |||
| Recorded | 1964–1970 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 42:54 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Track/Polydor | |||
| Producer | Kit Lambert, Shel Talmy, The Who | |||
| The Who chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album of singles by British rock band The Who, released in 1971 as Track 2406 006 in the UK and as Decca DL 79184 in the US. It entered the US Billboard 200 chart on 20 November 1971, peaking at #11,[3] and the UK chart on 3 December 1971, peaking at #9.[4] In 1987, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it #99 on their list of the 100 best albums of the period 1967–1987.
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Contents
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Content
Every track on the album with the exception of "Boris the Spider", the one song written by John Entwistle, had been released as a single in the UK, with all except "A Legal Matter", "Magic Bus", and "The Seeker" being top ten hits. "Happy Jack", "I Can See for Miles", "Magic Bus", and "Pinball Wizard" had also been Top 40 hits in the US. It was compiled by Pete Townshend over objection by manager Kit Lambert, who tried to have the track order changed but failed because too many copies had already been pressed.[citation needed] The UK release was held up because The Who and Bill Curbishley had failed to clear it with Lambert.[citation needed]
The album title is referential of traits of the members of the band, Meaty: Daltrey, who was quite fit at the time, Beaty: Moon, for his drumming, Big: Entwistle, who was a large person, often referred to as "The Ox", and Bouncy: Townshend, who jumped about quite acrobatically during performances.[citation needed]
The original vinyl album featured a longer alternate studio take of "Magic Bus" in fake stereo which was not included on the original compact disc version, because the true stereo or mono source could not be found for the long version of the song.[citation needed] However, on 25 July 2007, Universal Japan re-released the album in a mini-LP sleeve that includes the long alternate version of "Magic Bus" in fake stereo, as with the original album.
Album cover and photographs
The album's original title was The Who Looks Back and the front cover was meant to illustrate that—The Who can be seen looking at four children representing each member of the band in their childhood years.[citation needed] However, the children pictured are actually four kids rounded up in 1971 and dressed up in mid 1950s clothes in order to look like the Who's members as small boys. One of the boys is Who manager Bill Curbishley's younger brother Paul.
The panoramic photograph gracing the album's inside cover is an exterior shot of the side of the Railway Hotel, a pub that was sited on the bridge next to Harrow and Wealdstone railway station in north-west London.[citation needed] The Railway Hotel was a popular hangout for Mods and soon after Keith Moon joined the band, The Who became a regular attraction there from June 1964, performing every Tuesday night. It was here that Pete Townshend accidentally cracked his guitar's neck on the low ceiling above the stage.[citation needed] In response to laughter from the crowd, he then smashed his guitar for the first time in public; a gimmick he maintained for many years when playing live. In the album photograph, a poster advertising a 18 May performance by The Who dates from 1965; however, the photograph itself was actually taken in 1971.[citation needed]
The Railway Hotel was destroyed by fire in March 2000,[citation needed] after many years of running at a loss. The site is now occupied by four small blocks of flats, each of which is named after a member of the band.[citation needed] The cover makes a brief appearance as an in-joke / sight gag on the episode of The Simpsons that features The Who, "A Tale of Two Springfields."[citation needed]
Song notes
Several songs on the album had previously been released on long-playing album. The Who's debut My Generation included the title track, "A Legal Matter", and "The Kids Are Alright". A Quick One included "Boris the Spider" and in its American configuration "Happy Jack." "I Can See for Miles" appeared on The Who Sell Out, and "Pinball Wizard" on Tommy. "Pictures of Lily" and "Magic Bus" previously appeared on the US compilation album Magic Bus: The Who on Tour. That album features an alternate mix of the "I'm a Boy" single recording, which appeared later in abbreviated form on the Limited Edition bonus disc to the Ultimate Collection compilation. Most of the tracks on this album would also appear on many subsequent compilations of Who material.
Track listing
All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted.
Side one
- "I Can't Explain" – 2:05
- "The Kids Are Alright" – 2:45
- "Happy Jack" – 2:12
- "I Can See for Miles" – 4:06
- "Pictures of Lily" – 2:43
- "My Generation" – 3:18
- "The Seeker" – 3:11
Side two
- "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey, Townshend) – 2:42
- "Pinball Wizard" – 2:59
- "A Legal Matter" – 2:48
- "Boris the Spider" (John Entwistle) – 2:28
- "Magic Bus" – 4:33 (vinyl, alternate take); 3:21 (compact disc)
- "Substitute" – 3:49
- "I'm a Boy" (extended version) – 3:41
Personnel
- Roger Daltrey — lead vocals
- John Entwistle — bass guitar, French Horn, vocals
- Keith Moon — drums, percussion
- Pete Townshend — guitar, keyboards, vocals
Additional personnel
- Nicky Hopkins — piano on "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and "A Legal Matter"
- Kit Lambert, Shel Talmy — production
- Bill Curbishley, Mike Shaw — album design
- Graham Hughes — photography
- Steve Hoffman — compact disc mastering (uncredited)
Sales chart performance
- Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Billboard Pop Albums | 11 |
| UK Chart Albums | 9[4] |
Sales certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | 17 January 1972[5] |
| Platinum | 8 February 1993[5] |
References
External links
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AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums
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Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy/Who by Numbers
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Who's Better, Who's Best
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