Shane’s Rock Challenge: THE WHO – 1965 – My Generation

Shane | 13 May 2014 | Reply

Shane’s Rock Challenge: THE WHO – 1965 – My Generation
7.5/10

The Who’s first album is a beast with two faces. Having hit with a couple of singles they were rushed into the studio to lay down their hyper-dynamic Maximum R&B stage show – but what it actually did was catch them in between their transition from high energy cover band to unique, game-changing rock lords.

Despite many critics rating this amongst the top 100 albums of all time, most of My Generation is more R&B than rock – covers of James Brown I Don’t Mind and Please, Please, Please see Roger Daltrey imitating the Godfather of Soul rather than forging his own legend. Most of Townshend’s originals are very much in the R&B vein as well and could have been any of a dozen U.S. songwriters output of the time.

That’s not to say it’s not good, nor important in the context of the times – but where My Generation excels is in the two songs which are truly original – the start of the immense legacy that The Who forged.

The Kids Are Alright and My Generation clearly stand out like sore thumbs here – A Legal Matter, La-La-La Lies and I’m A Man are all okay, but obviously a stepping stone for nascent songwriter Townshend and a band looking for themselves.

These two songs – along with non-album singles I Can’t Explain and Anyway Anywhere Anyhow, both included in the 2002 Deluxe Edition, alongside a myriad of bonus tracks including a pumping and thrusting Leaving Here, and Lubie (Come Back Home) – are the sound of The Who making a unique identity for themselves, and changing popular culture forever in the process.

Check out the clip above of My Generation played live on The Smothers Brothers TV show in the U.S. to see the point where Pete Townshend blames his hearing loss, as Keith Moon’s little prank at the end goes off with a far bigger bang than even he had expected!

By Shane Pinnegar