The Cavern
Rock & Words
A QUICK ONE (The Who 1966)
Artist: The Who (B+)
Recording Dates: Sep-Nov 1966
Release Date: December 9th, 1966. UK
Record Label: Reaction Records / DECCA
Producer: Kit Lambert
Rating: 7
Era: Rock & Roll II, Early Sixties (1960-1966)
Subgenre: Psychedelia
Best Song: A Quick One While He’s Away
Tracklist: 1) Run Run Run; 2) Boris The Spider; 3) I Need You; 4) Whiskey Man; 5) Heat Wave; 6) Cobwebs And Strange; 7) Don't Look Away; 8) See My Way; 9) So Sad About Us; 10) A Quick One While He's Away; (BONUS TRACKS) 11) Batman; 12) Bucket T; 13) Barbara-Ann; 14) Disguises; 15) Doctor Doctor; 16) I've Been Away; 17) In The City; 18) Happy Jack (acoustic version); 19) Man With The Money; 20) My Generation/Land Of Hope And Glory.
This is a considerable drop compared to their debut. If we were to stick strictly to the material on the original album, we'd probably have to give it a 5 or a 6, but fortunately, with the bonus tracks on the reissue, there's enough to give it a weak 7. This is the Who's lightest album, at least in the 1960s. The change of producer, Shel Talmy, was a very slight improvement in sound; however, Kit Lambert went crazy demanding at least a couple of original songs from each member of the band. On the positive side, we discover that Entwistle, while not a genius like Townshend, is a good songwriter, giving us two good songs here, and from this album onward, he becomes a constant contributor of some good melodies. On the other hand, Daltrey, who has no talent with the pen, delivers a very weak composition ("See My Way"), which is thankfully short. The second song he was supposed to contribute must have been truly awful to leave out. Keith, for his part, isn't such a terrible songwriter, but frankly, his forte is the cymbals. Pete shows several very interesting things, but he also displays a very commercial, lightweight, and uninspired side, with Beatles and Beach Boys imitations that have nothing to do with The Who's sound.
However, it's not all bad here. At least the sound is a bit better than the debut album, and the rhythm section is much clearer this time around. Maybe they took my suggestion to stick a corkscrew in the back of Talmy's head. Keith sounds tremendous; even though the songs are simple and more or less idiotic, Moon manages to throw in wild cymbal crashes, drum rolls, and arrangements that always sound amazing. Furthermore, the title track is considered by many to be the first rock opera in the history of the universe. I think that's an exaggeration. I don't believe a single song can be considered a rock opera, even if it's nine minutes long. I think it's an excellent multi-part piece, quite experimental and all, which gives us one of the best examples of the sound the band would develop with greater maturity on subsequent albums, and which also somehow lays the foundation for the concept album that would become Sell Out. It might even hint at what the now-real rock opera Tommy would be, but I don't think this song alone should be considered a rock opera. The truth is that it is undoubtedly the best thing on the album.
Another point in its favor is that this album is a perfect reflection of the so-called "Swinging London" of 1966: Light, without too many commitments, encompassing as much as it can, taking influences from here and there, with touches of pop and psychedelia, a crazy and pulsating sound... You can already feel the vibes of the Summer of Love germinating in this album, although in its most "Light" form.
Now, I think part of the blame lies with the new producer. The album seems very scattered, lacking focus or a specific direction, unlike their debut and subsequent albums. It gives the impression that they're trying to cover too much ground, creating a kind of "Pet Sounds" mixed with "Fresh Cream" and "Revolver," which at the time were considered the eighth wonder of the world. The problem is that Lambert wasn't George Martin, and the Townshend/Entwistle partnership wasn't exactly Lennon/McCartney. Furthermore, the pressure to have material ready so quickly, presumably to avoid bankruptcy (smashing guitars and drums live doesn't come cheap, guys), and to capitalize on the overwhelming success of their first album, led to a lot of filler material that falls far short of their usual standards.
Roger's voice has improved somewhat, but he's still far from the great vocalist he'll become, with his roars and powerful vocals. Their vocal harmonies, however, are still quite lacking. There's far too much falsetto throughout the album, from all four members, and all in the same key! Someone should tell these guys that the Beach Boys sang in different keys, creating songs with varying depth and texture. Here, they all do the same thing without much variation, which sounds stupid and flat. Fortunately, yes; someone did point this out, and the next album will show a significant improvement in vocal harmony. In fact, the next album will be an improvement in EVERY aspect…
A Quick One opens with “Run Run Run”, a furious rocker full of guitar feedback, with a very catchy melody and a groovy, fun vibe. At the one-minute mark, before the solo, Pete plays with the volume and feedback of his guitar with the amplifier, which he repeats at 1:40 at the end of the solo. I like the song; it's good, but it's not exactly a masterpiece from Mr. Townshend. Let's just call it a decent opener. Interestingly, the Velvet Underground recorded a song with the same title a few months later, and while it doesn't have the same harmony or structure, it's very similar in that groovy, light atmosphere.
Then there's "Boris the Spider", Entwistle's first composition. As expected, the song features a masterful bass line, but surprisingly, John also showcases some good harmonies, perhaps a bit repetitive. The eerie, deep vocals interspersed with high falsettos make it a fun song. The lyrics aren't meant to be taken seriously; it's more of a children's scary story, but this contributes to its playful nature. It's perhaps one of the songs with the strangest vocals up to that point, and I don't know if The Who influenced death metal vocalists seeking to achieve a "black voice," just like Boris the spider, in any way with this song.
The third song is “I Need You”, one of Keith's songs. It's not a masterpiece, but it's not as bad as you might expect from a drummer's first attempt at a song. “I Need You” features tremendous drumming, with Keith exploring every inch of his instrument and hitting it so hard that you wonder how his drum kits ever held up, let alone for this song, let alone an entire concert! The drumming is truly remarkable, and it's one of the reasons Keith is considered among the three best drummers in history. However, the melody is simplistic, a pop song with somewhat silly lyrics that sound like a proto-psychedelic ballad. According to the book “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” “I Need You” was written for the Beatles… Hmm, maybe that's why it shares the same title as a song by the Fab Four! The lyrics say: “We want to learn, Let us come and sitar with you-You talk to them, They laugh aloud, Yet they run to you, In any crowd…” According to this, the voices heard at 1:15 have a strong Liverpool accent… I don't know how true this is, but what is certain is that by this point both bands were inseparable partying companions, and Ringo and Keith were close drinking buddies.
"Whiskey Man" is John's other song, again featuring a great bass line and a very good guitar effect right from the start, although it's somewhat of a minor track on the album. For the second time, John gives us some very strange, but funny, lyrics: it's about how there's no money for Whiskey Man in a psychiatric hospital. Good grief! Didn't John have any "normal" friends?
"Heat Wave" is a fresh song, but it suspiciously sounds too much like the Beach Boys. The song is originally by the Holland Bros and was performed by the Vandellas, I believe, so it's more of a Motown song than a Surfer track, but hey, the arrangement sounds like it was made specifically for the Californians. It's not bad, it's fun, but The Who will never surpass the Beach Boys' harmonies, and besides, much of their sound is lost here. Only Keith's brutal drumming remains, but even the guitar gets lost in the Motown-style arrangement.
"Cobwebsn And Strange" is Moon's second song. Well... if you can even call it a song. It's more of a bizarre musical piece with a circus-like atmosphere that overshadows what is perhaps the closest thing to a Keith Moon drum solo you'll ever find. Which is both good and bad, naturally. Good because Moon's work is always great drumming and is better without vocals, and this is further proof that Keith is the star of this album. His drumming here is truly fantastic and crushing. The bad part is the circus atmosphere. I've never been a fan of circuses, and even less so of songs set in that environment. I absolutely hate The Beatles' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." So this song can be great if you block out everything that doesn't come from Keith's drumsticks; otherwise, it's a rather irritating mess of pseudo-psychedelic sounds. The biggest problem with this song, like some others on this album, is that if you take them as somewhat talkative comedy sketches you can almost enjoy them… but if you consider them as serious songs, then they are a miserable failure.
The seventh track is “Don’t Look Away”. The rhythm is catchy and upbeat, but this is another of Pete’s minor contributions. The melody is good, and at times they manage to pull off the choruses, but it’s too lightweight, lacking substance, with country undertones that ruin what little good this Beach Boys-style cover might have had. At least this is perhaps one of the best moments on Roger’s album.
“See My Way” is Daltrey’s composition and the worst track on the album. Not even Moon’s drumming can save it. Roger himself has admitted that he has about as much talent as Avril Lavigne for writing good songs, only at least the wannabe-punk pop star’s songs have semblance of melody. In The Who’s entire catalog, there are at most three or four songs by Daltrey, and this is a clear example of why.
“So Sad About Us” is the ninth song, where the band finally sheds outside influences, takes the best elements from their debut, and delivers a great track. It has a good rhythm without being rock, beautiful harmonies without being a ballad, and the teamwork pays off, resulting in one of the album's best songs. Here you can hear Pete's attempts at guitar riffs that he would later perfect and make his signature. There's also a certain charm in the part where Roger sings the “lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala's” after the poignant line: “you can't turn off my loving like you can't turn off the sun!” Undoubtedly one of the album's highlights.
The original album closes with “A Quick One While He's Away”. As I mentioned, I don't think this is a rock opera, but rather something akin to the Abbey Road medleys, where different pieces and fragments fit together perfectly to create a solid piece with a very specific direction. In my opinion, it's a magnificent piece, reflecting the qualities of all four musicians. During its nine minutes, it tells the story of a wife who takes advantage of her husband's absence to cheat on him with a chauffeur named Ivor, only for him to return and dramatically forgive her with an almost operatic coda: “You Are Forgiven.” The suite has many sections—slow, fast, some more structured than others, some are fragments of other songs—but overall, it achieves a successful unity and the idea of a conceptual work. This song would later become a live favorite and would have some performances that far surpassed this studio version, especially the “Live At Leeds” version.
Then come 10 bonus tracks on the remastered version of the album, which gives it a bit more substance and saves it from a guaranteed 5. They're not exactly masterpieces—mostly B-sides—but they sound more interesting than some of the original tracks on the album. "Batman" isn't a major addition; it's almost identical to the theme from the '60s TV series, but with a Who vibe. And the bass line is really good. Another song to have fun with and not take too seriously, hehe.
“Bucket T” is another non-original song by the band that sounds quite a bit like the Beach Boys. This single was a huge hit in some northern European countries. Okay, it's also pleasant and fun; honestly, I can't listen to it without grinning from ear to ear, but I admit it's not one of the band's classics.
"Barbara Ann" was indeed performed by the Beach Boys. And this is an almost exact and impressive copy. Even the vocal harmonies are well done, a carbon copy, and the only difference, besides Keith's brutal drumming, would be that playful whistle halfway through the song.
"Desguises" is one of the album's highlights, an experimental psychedelic track with Pete's guitar sounding like a hammer and oriental-inspired arrangements midway through. It's one of the less breezy songs on the record, and even the drums maintain a hypnotic rhythm that perfectly complements the song's atmosphere.
“Doctor Doctor” is another nice track, with a dark feel that I really like. This song is also by Entwistle, sung by him an octave higher than his natural range, and with an impressive bass line. In my opinion, this is one of John's best songs from the sixties.
“I’ve Been Away” is a little waltz also written and sung by John. The song is quite cute, though light. And catchy! Those parts where his voice rises are lovely. The song basically has nothing to do with The Who, but it’s impossible to hate it.
Next up is “In The City”, a great song with all the spirit of Californian surf rock that could easily be by Jan & Dean. But it's Pete's original! And Keith's too! To our surprise, Moon also has credits on this great song that fills us with sun and sand through its melodies. Pete's ability to do this from cold and foggy London is remarkable.
“Happy Jack (acoustic version)” was another highly successful single and later a live classic. This is a very well-executed acoustic version, with that tension starting from the guitar, the “Uhhhhhhh la la la la la”s that seem to appear out of nowhere, and a great acoustic solo that culminates in a great musical climax.
"Man With The Money" is the penultimate bonus track on the 1995 reissue of A Quick One. I like the way the tension builds, how they gradually emerge from the silence until Keith's drum rolls make the song explode. Aside from that, it's just another one of the tracks on this album.
Finally, there's a reissue of "My Generation/Land of Hope and Glory", which was quite predictable after the success of the single and the previous LP. It's curious to hear how it devolves into chaos to become "Land of Hope and Glory." The downside is that the bass solo is lost in this version. Ultimately, they managed to generate the controversy they were hoping for, only matched by Hendrix's rendition of the American national anthem a few months later.
An interesting album, which I recommend listening to, although it showcases The Who's lighter, more commercial side. The album is easy to listen to and fun, but it lacks real weight and significance. I want to emphasize that the songs are mostly solid and well-constructed, but… how to put it? They just need to explode; they always seem to be missing that spark to truly rock.
This is just one more step towards achieving the mastery of their later albums. After all, to take a giant leap, you have to take a step back, right? At least it's interesting as a historical curiosity and has some genuinely cheerful and fun moments, although if you're a fan of Tommy or Quadrophenia, you might find this album immature and unadventurous. And it is.
By Corvan
Apr/14/2009
