The Who Album: “Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy”

Two songs, these versions of "The Magic Bus" and "I'm A Boy" are unavailable, as far as I know, which should make this a must for your collection, even if you already have all the other Who essentials on CD. Also, this collection has a nice song flow to it. Quadrophenia, Who's Next, and Who Are You are all great albums, and everything else they've done is good, too, but if you've never heard the Who, this collection is the perfect place to start.

Yes, it's true. The long version of 'The' Magic Bus, available on the vinyl version of Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy, is actually available on CD. You'll find the 4:30+ mono masterpiece on "The Who Collection," a 2-CD set released by Impression Records/Polydor release no. IMCD4/1 and IMCD4/2, manufactured in Japan, 1985.

When I saw that Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy was available on CD, I nearly jumped for joy. I bought the LP (that's right, L.P., all you whipper-snappers) when I was 9 years old after hearing my older brothers copy of "The Kids Are Alright" and very quickly fell in love with The Who. Playing the cd brought me back to my youth and I have fell in love with The Who all over again. My CD collection is quite Large (600+) and I consider this one of my all-time favorites. Do yourself a favor, pick up this CD and Crank it up, you won't be sorry. When you are done with this, go out and get yourself a copy of "The Kids are Alright" to reinforce what makes Rock & Roll so great.

The first song on the Who's 1971 album "Meaty Big Big and Bouncy" is "I Can't Explain." The first song on the Clash's 1979 American version of their album "The Clash" is "Clash City Rockers." Listen to the first few seconds of each of those two songs. They are the same! Obviously, the Clash is paying tribute to the Who. And such a tribute is well deserved, for the Who were the first real, genuine precursors to the punk movement of which the Clash was the greatest act of all time. "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" is a compilation of early music by the Who. It is a very well blended mix of punk-ish and garage-band music. It's high power, strong, and intense in every respect. If you like the early Clash, then you will probably like this album.

"Happy Jack" is a wonderful anthem of the individual believing in himself, and being secure against those who would taunt him for being different. If you can believe in yourself, then all the teasing in the world won't break your spirit.

"I Can See for Miles" is one of the most powerful songs that the Who ever did. Wanna know why many people consider Keith Moon to be the best drummer ever? Check this one out. And it's not just the drums. The whole song takes on a life of its own. It's like somebody is trying to break through a door, and they have to keep hitting and pounding, until they finally are free. What a rush of energy!

"Pictures of Lily" is a song about, uh, well, heh heh, it's about how teenage boys manage to get themselves to fall asleep at night. What a bold move to have written about this subject in the 1960s. I wonder if Tipper Gore knows about this one?

"My Generation" is probably the most famous song by the Who. There's a very precise calculation in Roger Daltrey's stuttering. He's actually very much in control of his voice. And that represents the bigger picture that he is also in control of his life. He's not about to let other people push him around. He will run his own life. He will make his own decisions. He is free.

"The Seeker," "A Legal Matter," and "The Magic Bus" all have a certain urgency and seriousness to them. There's a lot of power in the singing and instrument playing.

All of the songs on here are quite low-fi sounding by today's standards. But that's not a problem. On the contrary, it's an asset, because it lends a certain rawness to the songs. If this stuff was being recorded today, most likely the record company would have overproduced it, and it would have sounded overbright, glossy, and watered down. This is the kind of music that could only be recorded in the 1960s. I like the low-fi, low-tech sound of these songs.

Really, this is a great album. I actually own the American release of it. Right now, it's only available as an import. I don't know why it's out of print in the U.S. Over the years, the Who have had a huge number of compilation CDs issued, and as far as I am concerned, this is their only compilation CD that is worth owning. I also strongly recommend getting their CD "Who's Next."

OK so Anyway Anyhow Anywhere never did much for me but other than that this LP rocks! All of the Who's most popular songs from their debut up to Tommy (actually shortly after Tommy), combining big hit singles like I Can't Explain, My Generation, Substitute and I Can See for Miles woth popular album tracks like A Legal Matter. And of course it's got Pinball Wizard, the best track on the uneven Tommy LP, and the fine single-only releease The Seeker, which is an anthem even though it wasn't a big hit back in the day.

Though I would've liked Call Me Lightning and Go to the Mirror Boy on the compilation, this is a great way to get into the Who...if you can find it.