The Who By Numbers
	Produced by Glyn Johns
	Released on October 1975
	UK CHART POSITION #7 . . . US CHART POSITION #8
	Find it at GEMM
MCA-3026 cover

P ete Townshend temporarily abandoned the destructive force of earlier efforts for quieter, acoustic songs on The Who By Numbers. Dubbed by some their country album, the record didn’t resonate with many Who fans, who preferred the old anthems of teen angst to the bitter dregs of “Dreaming From The Waist” or “However Much I Booze.” While it’s arguably the least inspired of the band’s 70s albums (discounting the catch-all compilation Odds And Sods), there are some very pretty moments here. “They Are All In Love,” “Blue Red And Grey” and “How Many Friends” are some of my favorite Who songs, while “Slip Kid” fits seamlessly with the band’s revolutionary stance. That track and “Squeeze Box,” a countryfied novelty, garnered radio play and helped The Who By Numbers perform well on the charts, yet they couldn’t hide the fact that Townshend was struggling with his creative muse. John Entwistle contributes one track, the humorous rock and roll fairy tale “Success Story,” which temporarily shifts the record’s gaze away from Townshend’s own inner conflict. In retrospect, Townshend would have done well to yield more of the songwriting to his bandmates, since surely Daltrey and Moon could have written something as good as “Imagine A Man.” The album closes with “In A Hand Or A Face,” which signals a return to The Who’s heavier rock exploits and looks forward to the far superior Who Are You. Clearly, Townshend shoulders the blame for Numbers’ failings. The band does the best they can with the material, Daltrey in particular imbuing languid tracks like “How Many Friends” and “However Much I Booze” with a sense or urgency. But for a band that built its monument to epic proportions, The Who By Numbers seems unnecessarily modest. It’s worth checking out, though for the who’s who of Who albums look to Who’s Next, Who Are You and The Who Sell Out.

MCA-3026 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. SLIP KID    4:35
2. HOWEVER MUCH I BOOZE    5:07
3. SQUEEZE BOX    2:39
4. DREAMING FROM THE WAIST    4:05
5. IMAGINE A MAN    4:02
6. SUCCESS STORY    (John Entwistle)    3:20
7. THEY ARE ALL IN LOVE    2:59
8. BLUE RED AND GREY    2:46
9. HOW MANY FRIENDS    4:03
10. IN A HAND OR A FACE    3:20
    
    Expanded reissue bonus tracks...
    
11. SQUEEZE BOX (LIVE)
12. BEHIND BLUE EYES (LIVE)
13. DREAMING FROM THE WAIST (LIVE)
    
    All selections written by Pete Townshend unless noted

CREDITS

ROGER DALTREY -- lead vocals
JOHN ENTWISTLE -- bass, vocals, cover drawing
KEITH MOON -- drums
PETE TOWNSHEND -- guitar, vocals
Nick Hopkins -- piano

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