Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy

Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Greatest hits 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, and The Who
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Robert Christgau (A-) link
The Who compilations chronology
Magic Bus: The Who on Tour (1968) Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (1971) Odds & Sods (1974)

Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album by British rock band The Who, released by Track/Polydor in the United Kingdom and Decca/MCA in the United States. It is one of the first in a long line of Who greatest hits albums. The album mostly consists of singles that did not appear on The Who's LPs.

Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy (Decca DL 79184) entered the U.S. charts on 20 November 1971, and peaked at number 11 on the U.S. charts.^{[citation needed]} The UK release was held up because The Who and Bill Curbishley had failed to clear it with manager Kit Lambert.^{[citation needed]} Lambert tried to have the track order changed but failed because too many copies had been pressed. The LP was eventually released as Track 2406 006 and first entered the UK charts on 3 December 1971, peaking at number 9.^[1] In 1987, Rolling Stone ranked it #99 on their list of the 100 best albums of the period 1967–1987.

The original vinyl album featured a version of "Magic Bus" extended to 4:33 in fake stereo which was not included on the original CD version, due to the fact that the true stereo or mono source could not be found for the long version of the song. However, on 25 July 2007, Universal Japan re-released the album in a mini LP sleeve that includes the extended version of Magic Bus in fake stereo, as per the original LP. The album title on the 2007 Japanese re-release is shown on the CD as Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy (with the commas and ampersand), as it was on the label of the original vinyl release by Track Records in the UK. The title on the cover art has the ampersand but not the commas, which is also consistent with the original Track Records release. The original Decca cover art had the word "and" spelled out with no commas.

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. However, the children pictured are actually four kids rounded up in 1971 and dressed up to 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 album 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".

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. 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. 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]}

Song notes

Several songs on the album had previously been released on LP. The Who's debut album My Generation (released in 1965) included the title track, "A Legal Matter", and "The Kids Are Alright". A Quick One (1966) included "Boris the Spider" and (in the US only) "Happy Jack". "I Can See for Miles" appeared on The Who Sell Out (1967), and "Pinball Wizard" was from Tommy (1969).

"Pictures of Lily" and "Magic Bus" also appeared on the compilation album Magic Bus: The Who on Tour (released as Direct Hits in the UK) (1968).

The album features an alternate mix of "I'm a Boy", which appeared in abbreviated form on the Limited Edition bonus disc of The Who's "Ultimate Collection" compilation.

Most of the tracks on this album would also appear on subsequent compilations of Who material.

Track listing

All songs written by Pete Townshend unless specified.

Side one

1. "I Can't Explain" – 2:05
2. "The Kids Are Alright" – 2:45
3. "Happy Jack" – 2:12
4. "I Can See for Miles" – 4:06
5. "Pictures of Lily" – 2:43
6. "My Generation" – 3:18
7. "The Seeker" – 3:11

Side two

8. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend) – 2:42
9. "Pinball Wizard" – 2:59
10. "A Legal Matter" – 2:48
11. "Boris the Spider" (John Entwistle) – 2:28
12. "Magic Bus" – 3:21 (CD), 4:33 (vinyl, alternate mix)
13. "Substitute" – 3:49
14. "I'm a Boy" (Extended Version) – 3:41

Sales chart performance

Album

Sales certifications

Personnel

The Who

• Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
• John Entwistle – bass guitar, brass, vocals
• Keith Moon – drums, percussion
• Pete Townshend – guitar, keyboards, vocals

Additional musicians

• Nicky Hopkins – keyboards

Production

• Bill Curbishley – album design
• Steve Hoffman – CD mastering (uncredited)
• Graham Hughes – photography
• Kit Lambert – production
• Mike Shaw – album design
• Shel Talmy – production

References

External links

• Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy liner notes - Song-by-song liner notes for the album
• The Who Location Guide - Features a section on the Railway Hotel.