My Generation
Encyclopedia
My Generation is the debut album by the English rock
band The Who
, released by Brunswick Records
in the United Kingdom in December 1965. In the United States it was released by Decca Records
as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing.
The album was made immediately after the Who got their first singles on the charts and according to the booklet in the Deluxe Edition, it was later dismissed by the band as something of a rush job that did not accurately represent their stage performance of the time. On the other hand, critics often rate it as one of the best rock albums of all time: in 2003, the album was ranked number 236 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
, and named the second greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo
magazine. In 2004, it was #18 in Q
magazine's list of the 50 Best British Albums Ever. In 2006, it was ranked #49 in NME
s list of the 100 Greatest British Albums. In 2004, the title track was #11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
tunes, in addition to the R&B leanings of the tracks written by the band's guitarist Pete Townshend
.
According to the booklet in the Deluxe Edition, "I'm a Man" was eliminated from the US release due to its sexual content. The US album also used the edited UK single version of "The Kids Are Alright", which cut a brief instrumental section laden with manic drum rolls and guitar feedback before the final verse.
Many of the songs on the album saw release as singles. Aside from "My Generation
", which preceded the album's release and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
, "A Legal Matter", "La-La-La Lies", and "The Kids Are Alright" were also released as domestic singles by Brunswick after the band had started releasing new material on the Reaction
label in 1966. As they were not promoted by the band, they were not as commercially successful as "My Generation" or the Reaction singles. "The Kids Are Alright" was however a top 10 single in Sweden
, peaking at #8.
"My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright" in particular remain two of the group's most-covered songs; while "My Generation" is a raw, aggressive number that presaged the heavy metal
and punk rock
movements, "The Kids Are Alright" is a more sophisticated pop number, with chiming guitars, three-part harmonies, and a lilting vocal melody, though still retaining the driving rhythm of other Who songs of the period. Along with other early Who numbers like "I Can't Explain" and "So Sad About Us", it is considered an important forerunner of the "power pop
" movement. "Circles" was notably covered by contemporaries of the group, British freakbeat
outfit Les Fleur de Lys
. The cover version has found some notice after its inclusion on Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964-1969
.
The UK release featured a cover image of the band standing beside some oil drums and looking upward to the camera, with splashes of colour added by the red and blue stencilled letters of the title and a jacket patterned after the Union Flag
thrown over John Entwistle
's shoulders. For the US release this was replaced with a portrait of the band standing beneath Big Ben
.
The UK mono album was briefly reissued in Britain in 1979 by Virgin Records
, during the height of the country's Mod revival
. The bands of that scene owed a direct debt to The Who for inspiration, and the younger generations of their fans were keen to explore those original influences. This pressing of the album went out of print in 1980, meaning there was no official UK edition of "My Generation" again available until the Deluxe edition remaster of 2002.
In 2002 the album was remixed into stereo and remastered for a Deluxe edition. This was the first time any of these songs had seen a stereo release. While sounding clearer in stereo, this edition omits many overdubs that are prominent in the original mono mixes, notably the lead guitar parts in "A Legal Matter" and "My Generation" (though both songs in their mono mixes close disc 2) and the double tracked vocals in "The Good's Gone", "Much Too Much", "La-La-La Lies" and "The Kids Are Alright". In 2008 the album's original UK mono mix was remastered for the Japanese market, appearing in limited numbers as a double-CD box set and a regular single CD album. Both variations included bonus tracks recorded in 1965.
In June 2009, the edited 1966 US version of the album "The Who Sings My Generation" was selected for the National Recording Registry
of the US Library of Congress
. The album, deemed "culturally significant", will be preserved and archived.
Side two
Side two
Disc two
The second disc contains additional bonus tracks.
Singles
Additional musicians
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band 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...
, released by Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is a United States based record label. The label is currently distributed by E1 Entertainment.-From 1916:Records under the "Brunswick" label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company...
in the United Kingdom in December 1965. In the United States it was released by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track listing.
The album was made immediately after the Who got their first singles on the charts and according to the booklet in the Deluxe Edition, it was later dismissed by the band as something of a rush job that did not accurately represent their stage performance of the time. On the other hand, critics often rate it as one of the best rock albums of all time: in 2003, the album was ranked number 236 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
, and named the second greatest guitar album of all time by Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine. In 2004, it was #18 in Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine's list of the 50 Best British Albums Ever. In 2006, it was ranked #49 in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
s list of the 100 Greatest British Albums. In 2004, the title track was #11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
History
The album was made during The Who's early "Maximum R&B" period and features covers of popular R&BRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
tunes, in addition to the R&B leanings of the tracks written by the band's guitarist Pete Townshend
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...
.
According to the booklet in the Deluxe Edition, "I'm a Man" was eliminated from the US release due to its sexual content. The US album also used the edited UK single version of "The Kids Are Alright", which cut a brief instrumental section laden with manic drum rolls and guitar feedback before the final verse.
Many of the songs on the album saw release as singles. Aside from "My Generation
My Generation
My Generation is the debut album by the English rock band The Who, released by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom in December 1965. In the United States it was released by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track...
", which preceded the album's release and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "A Legal Matter", "La-La-La Lies", and "The Kids Are Alright" were also released as domestic singles by Brunswick after the band had started releasing new material on the Reaction
Reaction Records
Reaction Records was an independent British record label, run by music executive Robert Stigwood in 1966 and 1967. Although Reaction released only three albums, one EP and eighteen singles in its brief existence, its roster included two of the most popular British bands of the time, The Who and Cream...
label in 1966. As they were not promoted by the band, they were not as commercially successful as "My Generation" or the Reaction singles. "The Kids Are Alright" was however a top 10 single in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, peaking at #8.
"My Generation" and "The Kids Are Alright" in particular remain two of the group's most-covered songs; while "My Generation" is a raw, aggressive number that presaged the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
movements, "The Kids Are Alright" is a more sophisticated pop number, with chiming guitars, three-part harmonies, and a lilting vocal melody, though still retaining the driving rhythm of other Who songs of the period. Along with other early Who numbers like "I Can't Explain" and "So Sad About Us", it is considered an important forerunner of the "power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
" movement. "Circles" was notably covered by contemporaries of the group, British freakbeat
Freakbeat
Freakbeat is the name used for rare, collectable, and obscure British Invasion records, particularly from 1966 and 1967. Elements of the freakbeat sound include strong direct drum beats, loud and frenzied guitar riffs, and extreme effects such as: fuzztone, flanging, distortion and compression or...
outfit Les Fleur de Lys
Les Fleur de Lys
The Fleur de Lys were a British band originally formed in late 1964, in Southampton, Hampshire, England. They recorded singles beginning in 1965 in the transitional Beat to psychedelic music genre, later known as freakbeat. The band had varied line-ups; only drummer Keith Guster was a member...
. The cover version has found some notice after its inclusion on Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964-1969
Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964-1969
Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969 is a 2001 four-disc box set from Rhino Records.While the original Nuggets compilation concentrated on the American pop and rock scene, the second Nuggets shifted its focus to the rest of the world, collecting cuts from the...
.
The UK release featured a cover image of the band standing beside some oil drums and looking upward to the camera, with splashes of colour added by the red and blue stencilled letters of the title and a jacket patterned after the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
thrown over John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
's shoulders. For the US release this was replaced with a portrait of the band standing beneath Big Ben
Clock Tower, Palace of Westminster
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
.
The UK mono album was briefly reissued in Britain in 1979 by Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, during the height of the country's Mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
. The bands of that scene owed a direct debt to The Who for inspiration, and the younger generations of their fans were keen to explore those original influences. This pressing of the album went out of print in 1980, meaning there was no official UK edition of "My Generation" again available until the Deluxe edition remaster of 2002.
In 2002 the album was remixed into stereo and remastered for a Deluxe edition. This was the first time any of these songs had seen a stereo release. While sounding clearer in stereo, this edition omits many overdubs that are prominent in the original mono mixes, notably the lead guitar parts in "A Legal Matter" and "My Generation" (though both songs in their mono mixes close disc 2) and the double tracked vocals in "The Good's Gone", "Much Too Much", "La-La-La Lies" and "The Kids Are Alright". In 2008 the album's original UK mono mix was remastered for the Japanese market, appearing in limited numbers as a double-CD box set and a regular single CD album. Both variations included bonus tracks recorded in 1965.
In June 2009, the edited 1966 US version of the album "The Who Sings My Generation" was selected for the National Recording Registry
National Recording Registry
The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording...
of the US Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. The album, deemed "culturally significant", will be preserved and archived.
My Generation
Side one- "Out in the StreetOut in the Street (The Who song)Out in the Street is the opening track of English rock band The Who's debut album, My Generation. While the album was being recorded, the song was entitled "You're Gonna Know Me". It was also the B-side of the title track of the aforementioned album in the US...
" – 2:31 - "I Don't MindI Don't Mind (James Brown song)"I Don't Mind" is a 1961 R&B song recorded by James Brown & The Famous Flames. Originally recorded in the studio and released as a single, it was a Top 5 national Billboard R&B hit, peaking at #4, and reached #47 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" (James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
) – 2:36 - "The Good's GoneThe Good's Gone"The Good's Gone" is the third track of English rock band The Who's debut album, My Generation. The song was later released as a b-side for another album track, "La-La-La-Lies", in the UK after The Who left their first label, Brunswick...
" – 4:02 - "La-La-La-LiesLa-La-La-LiesLa-La-La-Lies is the fourth track of The Who's debut album, My Generation. It was also released as a single in the UK, backed with the album track that precedes it, by the Who's first label, Brunswick, to spite The Who for changing....
" – 2:17 - "Much Too MuchMuch Too Much (song)Much Too Much is the fifth track of English rock band The Who's debut album, My Generation. It is the first original on the album to not be a part of a single ....
" – 2:47 - "My GenerationMy GenerationMy Generation is the debut album by the English rock band The Who, released by Brunswick Records in the United Kingdom in December 1965. In the United States it was released by Decca Records as The Who Sings My Generation in April 1966, with a different cover and a slightly altered track...
" – 3:18
Side two
- "The Kids Are AlrightThe Kids Are Alright (song)"The Kids Are Alright" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. It appears as the seventh track on the group's first album, My Generation . It was not released as a single until more than six months after it first appeared on the LP, first in the United States, and in the UK the following...
" – 3:04 - "Please, Please, PleasePlease, Please, Please"Please, Please, Please" is an R&B song written by James Brown and Johnny Terry and recorded by Brown and The Flames. Released in 1956 as a single on the Cincinnati, Ohio-based label Federal Records, it was Brown's first professional recording and his first hit, eventually selling over a million...
" (Brown, Johnny Terry) – 2:45 - "It's Not True" – 2:31
- "I'm a ManI'm A Man (Bo Diddley song)"I'm a Man" is a song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. A moderately slow blues with a stop-time figure, it was inspired by an earlier blues song and became a #1 R&B chart hit. "I'm a Man" has been acknowledged by Rolling Stone magazine and has been recorded by a variety of artists,...
" (Bo DiddleyBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
) – 3:21 - "A Legal MatterA Legal Matter"A Legal Matter" is a song written by Pete Townshend and recorded by The Who for their debut album My Generation. It was recorded on 12 October 1965 at IBC Studios, and released as the B-Side to "The Kids Are Alright"...
" – 2:48 - "The OxThe Ox (song)"The Ox" is an instrumental piece by The Who. It was on their debut album, My Generation. It was improvised by Pete Townshend , John Entwistle , Keith Moon and keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. This track appears as the b-side of "The Kids Are Alright" on the single's UK release...
" (Townshend, Keith MoonKeith MoonKeith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
, Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
) – 3:50
The Who Sings My Generation
Side one- "Out in the Street" – 2:31
- "I Don't Mind" – 2:36
- "The Good's Gone" – 4:02
- "La-La-La-Lies" – 2:17
- "Much Too Much" – 2:47
- "My Generation" – 3:18
Side two
- "The Kids Are Alright" – 2:46
- "Please, Please, Please" – 2:45
- "It's Not True" – 2:31
- "The Ox" – 3:50
- "A Legal Matter" – 2:48
- "Instant Party (Circles)" – 3:12
Deluxe Edition
Disc one- "Out in the Street"
- "I Don't Mind"
- "The Good's Gone" [lacks double-tracked vocals]
- "La-La-La Lies" [lacks double-tracked vocals]
- "Much Too Much" [lacks double-tracked vocals]
- "My Generation" [lacks lead guitar, but is available on disc two in its original mono format]
- "The Kids Are Alright" [lacks double-tracked vocals]
- "Please, Please, Please"
- "It's Not True"
- "I'm a Man" [complete with ending]
- "A Legal Matter" [lacks lead guitar, but is available on disc two in its original mono format]
- "The Ox" [complete with ending]
- "Circles (Instant Party)" [lacks Entwistle's French horn and double tracked vocals]
- "I Can't ExplainI Can't Explain"I Can't Explain" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend, and produced by Shel Talmy. The song was issued as a single in December 1964 in the United States and on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
" (bonus track) [lacks tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
] - "Bald Headed WomanBald Headed Woman"Bald Headed Woman" is a song written by Shel Talmy and released by The Kinks on their eponymous debut album in 1964 and The Who in 1965 as the b-side of I Can't Explain. It is claimed that Jimmy Page, as a session guitarist, played lead guitar on "Bald Headed Woman" on both The Kinks and The Who...
" (bonus track) - "Daddy Rolling Stone" (Otis BlackwellOtis BlackwellOtis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
) (bonus track) [alternate version to that found on Thirty Years of Maximum R&BThirty Years of Maximum R&BThirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who released by Polydor Records internationally and by MCA Records in the US; since 2003, it has been issued in America by Geffen Records...
]
Disc two
The second disc contains additional bonus tracks.
- "Leaving HereLeaving Here"Leaving Here" is a song written in 1963 by Motown songwriters Holland–Dozier–Holland. Written at the beginning of the partnership, it is notable in several recordings...
" (Holland-Dozier-HollandHolland-Dozier-HollandHolland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
) [alternate version to that found on Thirty Years of Maximum R&BThirty Years of Maximum R&BThirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who released by Polydor Records internationally and by MCA Records in the US; since 2003, it has been issued in America by Geffen Records...
] - "Lubie (Come Back Home)"
- "Shout and ShimmyShout and Shimmy"Shout and Shimmy" is an R&B song written by James Brown, and recorded by him and The Famous Flames. It rose to #16 on the R&B chart and #61 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" (James Brown) - "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave(Love is Like a) Heat Wave" Heat Wave" is a 1963 hit single penned by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team and made popular by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. It was originally released in July 1963, on the Motown subsidiary label Gordy, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot...
" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) - "Motoring" (Mickey Stevenson)
- "Anytime You Want Me" (Garnet MimmsGarnet MimmsGarnet Mimms is an American singer, influential in soul music and rhythm and blues...
) - "Anyway, Anyhow, AnywhereAnyway, Anyhow, Anywhere"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" was a single released by The Who in 1965. It features call-and-response lyrics and some of the first ever recorded guitar feedback. The song was composed by guitarist Pete Townshend and vocalist Roger Daltrey, the only time they wrote together...
" (alternate take) - "Instant Party Mixture"
- "I Don't Mind" (full length version)
- "The Good's Gone" (full length version)
- "My Generation" (instrumental version)
- "Anytime You Want Me" (a cappellaA cappellaA cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
version) - "A Legal Matter" (mono version with guitar overdub)
- "My Generation" (mono version with guitar overdub)
Sales chart performance
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | UK NME Chart Albums | 5 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "My Generation" | Billboard Pop Singles | 74 |
| UK Record Retailer Singles Charts | 2 | ||
| 1966 | "A Legal Matter A Legal Matter "A Legal Matter" is a song written by Pete Townshend and recorded by The Who for their debut album My Generation. It was recorded on 12 October 1965 at IBC Studios, and released as the B-Side to "The Kids Are Alright"... " |
UK Record Retailer Singles Charts | 32 |
| "The Kids Are Alright The Kids Are Alright (song) "The Kids Are Alright" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. It appears as the seventh track on the group's first album, My Generation . It was not released as a single until more than six months after it first appeared on the LP, first in the United States, and in the UK the following... " |
UK Record Retailer Singles Charts | 41 |
Personnel
The Who- Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
– lead vocals, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Keith MoonKeith MoonKeith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals on "Instant Party Mixture" - Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter 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...
– six- and twelve-string acousticAcoustic guitarAn 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...
and electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, backing vocals, lead vocals on "A Legal Matter"
Additional musicians
- Perry Ford – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "I Can't Explain" - Nicky HopkinsNicky HopkinsNicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
– piano (except on "I Can't Explain") - The Ivy LeagueThe Ivy League (band)The Ivy League are an English vocal trio, created in 1964, who enjoyed two Top 10 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart in 1965. The group's sound was characterised by rich, three-part vocal harmonies.-Career:...
– backing vocals on "I Can't Explain" and "Bald Headed Woman" - Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
on "Bald Headed Woman", rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
on "I Can't Explain"