Another 50th anniversary box set making the rounds is The Who By Numbers, the 1975 studio release from the Who. The box set contains the usual extras including a fresh new mix, Pete Townshend’s demos, studio outtakes, live tracks from Swansea (June 12, 1976), a 100-page book, and a Blu-ray Disc with high-definition, multichannel mixes and footage from the Who’s show on December 6, 1975, in Pontiac, Michigan. For those who have high-end systems and no patience or desire for high-priced unreleased demos and studio takes, the Blu-ray of The Who By Numbers is available as a standalone from the Super Deluxe Edition (SDE) Shop.
Released in October 1975, The Who By Numbers is the Who’s seventh studio album and a vast departure from the group’s previous double-album conceptual release Quadrophenia. Though the single “Squeeze Box” wasn’t initially embraced by rabid, fastidious Who fans, the album’s simple approach, offset by some of Pete Townshend’s most personal songs, makes for a highly accessible album with a healthy aftertaste. It’s truly an album that gets better with repeated plays. Producer Glyn Johns, previously on board for Who’s Next, was brought in to commandeer The Who By Numbers. Townshend is credited with the multichannel mixes, which size up well for PCM Stereo, Atmos, and 5.1 surround sound enthusiasts. Depending on your setup, the new mixes are revealing enough to make a full run-through well worthwhile.
The opening “Slip Kid” ticks along at a welcoming pace with broader shoulders and a full sail. Keith Moon’s cowbell takes its place up front with Roger Daltrey’s vocal, while Nicky Hopkins’ piano, John Entwistle’s bass and Moon’s drums line up in back with Townshend’s guitar suavely weaving through each speaker. Adding his “no easy way to free” vocal line to the back channel makes for a smoother winddown. “However Much I Booze,” Townshend’s confessional piece about the rigors of alcohol consumption and its effect on personal relationships and situations, thrives on Moon’s calculated drumming and Townshend’s jangly guitar work.
“Squeeze Box” deserves a mandatory listen, if to just hear how much brighter the guitars and banjo sound. And the accordion airs out enough on the back speakers to supplement the general theme. “Dreaming From The Waist” virtually pops, while “Imagine A Man” deepens the reverb on Daltrey’s vocal before the song sizzles and shimmers to an illuminating, yet unassuming conclusion. And we’re barely halfway there.
“Success Story,” John Entwistle’s lone musical contribution (maybe he was too busy creating the cartoonish cover art), may be one of his greatest Who songs. With a rambling chord sequence, Daltrey singing the verses, Townshend and Entwistle (utilizing his diabolical “Boris The Spider” voice) on the breaks, and Moon’s driving tom toms, it makes for a complete Who song in every sense of the word. From there, the album softens up a bit with “They Are All In Love” capturing the genius of Nicky Hopkins’ mad piano skills and “Blue Red And Grey” with Townshend’s ukulele and Entwistle’s horns assuming an otherworldly sensibility. “How Many Friends” rolls out with an optimistic tone, despite its suspicious nature. The wallop that “In A Hand Or A Face” packs, enhanced by Townshend’s crunchy guitar chords and Moon’s explosive fills that spans the spectrum, should convince anyone with any misgivings about The Who By Numbers and its regaled place in the catalog.
The previously unreleased concert, originally shot for large screens placed around the Metropolitan Stadium for the 76,896 in attendance — becoming largest indoor rock concert at the time — and preserved on two-inch videotape, is the cherry on top of the Blu-ray. While the 2012 Live In Texas ’75 DVD, a two-camera shoot with a heavy emphasis on a stage-right mid-level angle, offers an insightful glimpse of the band the month before with a near-identical setlist, the restored Pontiac show is testament to the power of the original Who at their absolute peak. As if to underscore its significance, this U.S. tour was the last one for Keith Moon.
Song-wise, the show has all your favorite staples — from “Substitute” and “I Can’t Explain” to “Behind Blue Eyes,” a healthy chunk of Tommy, “My Generation,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” You’ll hear “Squeeze Box” on every subsequent Who tour, with little else from The Who By Numbers, so having a live version “Dreaming From The Waist” makes this a sound investment of any fan’s time. For what it’s worth, Live In Texas ’75 features “Squeeze Box,” “Dreaming From The Waist,” AND “However Much I Booze.” All misgivings aside, the mixes, the footage, and the price make the SDE Blu-ray of The Who By Numbers a true winner for the discriminating Wholigan.
~ Shawn Perry
Purchase The Who By Numbers (SDE Exclusive)
