The Who By Numbers
| The Who
The Who By Numbers
The Who by Numbers is the seventh studio album by English rock band The Who, released on 3 October 1975 in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records, and on 25 October 1975 in the United States by MCA Records. It was named the tenth-best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
Nov. 1975 Typically, the Who face the fact without flinching. Indeed, they may have made their greatest album in the face of it. But only time will tell.
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Ultimate Classic Rock
Oct. 2015 The result, 1975's The Who by Numbers, proved a critical and commercial triumph in the face of personal adversity.
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All Music
However, his introspective musings are rendered ineffective by Roger Daltrey's bluster and the cloying, lightweight filler of "Squeeze Box." In addition, Townshend's songs tend to be underdeveloped, relying on verbosity instead of melodicism, with only the simple power of "Slip Kid," the grace of "Blue Red and Grey," and John Entwistle's heavy rocker "Success Story" making much of an impact.
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Classic Rock Review
Oct. 2015 The Who made a transitional record with 1975’s The Who By Numbers. The album contains some leftover tracks from early 1970s aborted projects, Lifehouse and Long Live Rock, along with a few other tracks which remain faithful to the group’s classic rock sound.
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Sputnik Music
July 2013 A depressing, autobiographical Pete Townshend record, essential for die hard Who fans.
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Sputnik Music
Feb. 2006 The Who By Numbers, released 1975, is Pete's most personal Who album, one on which he glances inward at himself and produces some of the most beautiful works of the Who's career.
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Escapist Magazine
Set. 2014 I guess it goes without saying that I recommend you get this album if you're a fan of The Who, but even then, I suggest you check some of the songs to see if it's up your alley: it took me a few listens before I could get into it.
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Vintage Rock
The Who By Numbers, the Who’s seventh album, might just be the band’s forgotten masterpiece. It’s an album that’s deeply personal, yet playfully deceitful. Mostly, it’s a lost gem time has been good to — worthy of repeated playbacks for years to come.
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Tangled Up In Music
July 2013 So this album doesn’t even set out to do that, marking a return to the basic “unrelated songs” ideology. Reprises and instrumentals? Nope, no such thing here. Layers of synthesizers and dozens of hours spent in studio? Not at all. Just songs. Some great, some good, and some decent enough. So what makes this album stand above the majority of its contemporary records?
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Prog Sphere
Speaking musically, there are no complex compositions here, or any form of progressive mentality to the music. Instead, these are straightforward rock songs, doing rock ‘by the numbers’ so to speak.
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Warr
two songs are classics: the manic, impishly smutty hillbilly romp "Squeeze Box" (a Top 40 hit), and the tightly arranged, goosestepping "Slip Kid," where the whole band shines. But don't move on to this until you have the earlier 70s Who records.
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Keno
2003 Overall, it might not be their best album, but it has stood the test of time nicely.
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Darren Goossens
May 2016 This is not a great album. But it is an interesting and oddly beguiling one.
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Musicko
Oct. 2009 As a fan, I find “By Numbers” appealing because it does sound good and I find it invaluable to see how Pete’s artistic vision was evolving. But non-fans won’t be that thrilled. Not at all.
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Starling
Depressing, and, unfortunately, not very satisfying musically. Where are the melodies?
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Ultimate Guitar
Oct 2006 All in all, it is worth checking out.
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Elusive Disc
Having to follow four monumental releases in succession, The Who By Numbers is often overlooked and unfairly overshadowed.
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Murashev
Oct. 2005 Album gets better with age. The lyrics display The Who struggling for relevance in the mid 1970's. The playing and singing is raw and crisp. It still remains under rated after all these years.
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NME
One of The Who’s most poignant and personal LPs
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Sound and Music
An undervalued and unjustly neglected record by many. Produced by Glyn Johns and published in 1975, this album is undoubtedly less ambitious than the previous ones, but this did not prevent him from overcoming the inexorable passage of the years. In what could be his most sincere and personal record, Pete Townshend sings with brutal sincerity.
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Melodic
I admit I didn't like the album that much back then but I have learned to love it later on.
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Whitgunn
“The Who by Numbers functions as Pete Townshend's confessional singer/songwriter album, as he chronicles his problems with alcohol
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Popflock
The songs on the album were, for the most part, more introspective and personal than many other songs that the band had released.
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Sputnik Music
Dec.2006 While it does take the listener through the deranged thoughts and worries of Pete Townshend, the mostly upbeat tunes and elementary instrumentation can make for a quick and easy listen.
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The Jonesy Report
Following up greatness has always been a difficult task.
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Daily Vault
July 2006 If you want to listen to The Who just play, pick up The Who By Numbers.
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