Going Mobile
Encyclopedia
"Going Mobile" is a song written by Pete Townshend
and originally released by The Who
on their 1971 album Who's Next
. It is one of the lighter songs on the album.
"Going Mobile" was originally conceived as part of Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project. Townshend described the use of the song in the proposed project as ""As the story unfolded, because of the vagaries of the modern world, because of pollution being caused mainly by people's need to travel, to be somewhere else. (People) had been told, 'You can't do that anymore. You have to stay where you are.' But people have got this lust for life, and adventure, and a bit of color." It celebrates the joys of having a mobile home
and being able to travel the highways at will. The lyrics include the lines:
"Going Mobile" was recorded without Who lead singer Roger Daltry. Rather, guitarist and songwriter Townshend handled the vocals on the song. Instrumentation includes acoustic guitar
, bass guitar
and drums.
Sputnik Music described "Going Mobile" as "another cool, diverse song." Rolling Stone Magazines John Mendelsohn described the song as "inane." llmusic] critic Tom Maginnis states that "Going Mobile" "shows the tremendous energy of the band without the support of powerful guitar amplification." The Who never played "Going Mobile" live in concert.
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and originally released by The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
on their 1971 album Who's Next
Who's Next
Who's Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who, released in August 1971. The album has origins in a rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend called Lifehouse. The ambitious, complex project did not come to fruition at the time and instead, many of the songs written for the project...
. It is one of the lighter songs on the album.
"Going Mobile" was originally conceived as part of Townshend's abandoned Lifehouse project. Townshend described the use of the song in the proposed project as ""As the story unfolded, because of the vagaries of the modern world, because of pollution being caused mainly by people's need to travel, to be somewhere else. (People) had been told, 'You can't do that anymore. You have to stay where you are.' But people have got this lust for life, and adventure, and a bit of color." It celebrates the joys of having a mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
and being able to travel the highways at will. The lyrics include the lines:
- I don't care about pollution
- I'm an air-conditioned gypsy
- That's my solution
- Watch the police and the taxman miss me
- I'm mobile
"Going Mobile" was recorded without Who lead singer Roger Daltry. Rather, guitarist and songwriter Townshend handled the vocals on the song. Instrumentation includes acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and drums.
Sputnik Music described "Going Mobile" as "another cool, diverse song." Rolling Stone Magazines John Mendelsohn described the song as "inane." llmusic] critic Tom Maginnis states that "Going Mobile" "shows the tremendous energy of the band without the support of powerful guitar amplification." The Who never played "Going Mobile" live in concert.