The 563 By Letters
Overall Album Score: 8.1 out of 10 I never knew that The Who was in the Bible. The title of this albums says The Who is listed right by Numbers, and I never knew it. I've seen Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, but somehow, I missed The Who! ... That must be in the Catholic Bible or something ... Anyway, The Who By Numbers is where Pete Townshend decided enough was enough with the big concept albums and told all of his Quadroplegia, Loveboat, and Shoddy ambitions to bite the big one! Fortunately, Townshend isn't a normal person, so even if he is being starkly unambitious in a musical project, he can still sound awesome. Unfortunately, this album is always being compared to the band's grander, previous efforts, so it never gets what little recognition that it might deserve! The Who By Numbers is a good album, simply put. It has good songs on it ... most of these songs are rather heartfelt (Pete expresses his soul multiple times within the course of this album ... whether we're ready for it or not) ... and I like it! That's all that really matters. As far as bombs go, there really aren't any. Although, I am almost annoyingly indifferent toward the album's closer, "In a Hand or a Face," but everything else on here is hella cool! Unfortunately, however, only half of the songs are anything that rises beyond mild entertainment. My candidate for the best song on here is undoubtedly that heartfelt and lovely "They Are All in Love," but I also really like the country-westernish "Squeeze Box," the soaring "Imagine a Man," and the touching "Blue and Grey." All in all, this is a fine album! It's not a great work of rock-and-roll art or anything, but it's pretty entertaining! Overall Album Score: 8.1 out of 10 (This is a pretty good album. It's a bit disappointing if you hold it in the same light with Quadrophenia, though. Who fans do need to own this.) Average Song Score: 8.4 (It's a strong set of enjoyable songs ... but this is pretty danged below-average for The Who.) Album Tilt: 8.0 (It's not an altogether bad album ... it's fun to listen to and all that.) Artist Rating: 8.0 (Of course, this isn't up to the gargantuan artistic accomplishment of Quadrophenia, but this is far from an artistic failure. It seems that Townshend and company were ready to wind down, as this is their simplest album since A Quick One.) Track Reviews Slip Kid 8.5/10 This was a VERY well-done song. If it were by somebody like Mott the Hoople, I might have been excited about it. But since it was by The Who, pardon my non-enthusiasm! This is a nice song to listen to. It's mid-tempoed ... the instrumentation was skillful ... the melody is pretty good. It sounds like an average band wrote it, though. And The Who AREN'T average! Just the same ... this is a good song. However Much I Booze 8/10 Pete Townshend, raving alcoholic, sings a song about it! ... But why doesn't he have a slurry voice???? Everyone and their mother wants to know why this desperate song sounds so bleeding upbeat (...and it's not like Elton John's more ironical "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" ... this is supposed to be a personal song about his alcoholism). All in all, though, this is a pretty good song. Again, it fails to pick up on that classic Who vibe, but it's an entertaining one to listen to overall. Squeeze Box 9/10 I always thought that country-western was the most worthless pieces of dribble on the planet. (I'd be wrong, of course, because hip-hop is actually the world's most worthless pieces of dribble.) It doesn't help the Who's status in my mind that their next song reeks too much of country-western. Although, the country western-ness of it is cleverly hidden among a nice melody and good instrumentation. "Squeeze Box" is a nice, pleasant ditty! Dreaming From the Waist 8/10 Dude! Does that reveal where your brain is? ... Whoah! Pete Townshend's brain in his waist ... hmhmhmhmhmmmmm! Again, this is a song that would be considered great on the average band's catalogue! The tune is nice, the instrumentation is modestly clever ... it's just something that's fun to listen to. ... But this is that same band that just did Quadrophenia two years ago! Arg! Imagine a Man 9/10 Awwwwwwwww! This song is so sweet, that my heart is melting! ... No really! My heart is melting! ... ... AND IT HURTS! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhh! Okay, that was a metaphor and ... stuff ... But really, this song is so heartbreakingly (*ouch!*) sweet. The melody is a good one ... the instrumentation is good, too ... and everything's what is to be expectedly wonderful. Success Story 7.5/10 Does this John Enthwistle song sound like an above-average Kiss song to anyone else? Really! The vocals sound a lot like Kiss, too! ... What the crap, anyway? Seriously! Enthwistle's songwriting ought to have stopped with "Boris the Spider." That said, if Kiss could continuously put-out song like this, then there would be no practicality to Kiss bashing ... and Kiss bashing is what takes up so much of my time as an amateur music critic. They Are All in Love 10/10 Heeeeeeey! This is such a gorgeous song! Check out those PERFECT piano chords in here! ... . AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWW!!!! That's so BLEEDING WONDERFUL! AWWWWW!!!! AND THIS IS SUCH A HAPPY SONG, TOO! (Even though there's a little bit of sarcasm in here.) BUT IT'S SO OPTIMISTIC AND STUFF! Anyway, there's nothing I can find to hate about it ... and I can find every reason to love it. So a 10 goes here! Blue and Grey 9/10 It's a ukuleleleleleleeee! I like the ukulele! Do you like the ukulele? I LIKE THE UKULELE! ... That's not all I like about the song (it might be the only thing I like about it that's important, but) ... it's both pleasant and thoughtful. How Many Friends 7.5/10 Lalalalaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!! Oh ... Um ... This song is, okay, I guess. Surprisingly, even though this song is supposed to convey 'intense emotion' and stuff (PLUS considering this is The Who, who have done this using only their little pinkies ... which is particularly amazing considering they had to play guitars and drums and stuff), it's rather cold and calculated. Nice guitaring in here, though. Senor TOWNSHEND was the coolest! In a Hand or a Face 7/10 Yikes! This is the first time, I think, that I've ever felt ill toward a Whosian riff! That's craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzyyyyyy!!!! I guess that it's better than crap like Kiss or stuff, but ... really ... this is so excruciatingly dull that ... it was an awful way to end a Who album. Seeeeee meeeeee, feeeeeeeeeeeeel meeeeeeeeee ... E-mail me a comment about the wrong album here! |
All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. Rubbing your eyes will give you germs, and make you sick, and probably make you die!!!! I chose to *listen* to my elementary school nurse.
