Operation Appreciation Day 2: The Who - The Who Sell Out

I have been a little sick all day - headaches here and there, very tired, etc. But for some reason while driving home today I was digging The Who Sell Out more than I have in years. Maybe it's because I never realized how long "Odorono" goes before it hits the punchline, or I never noticed the faux-radio announcement, "Radio London reminds you: atteeeend the chuuurch of your choiiiice!" It's such a wonderfully kooky album with a great sense of humor, and yet the serious songs ("I Can See for Miles," "Our Love Was") kick high levels of ass.

This album was always in my top 5 Who albums, but tonight it gets easily in the top 3, even if the "album-as-fake-radio-station" idea does not stick on the second side.

Speaking of The Who, last week, I got The Who Sing My Generation on vinyl. Can we get a good CD mix of this album? Sometime? Please? The original CD mix, as with all original CD mixes, is awful and muddy. The Deluxe Edition that came out a few years ago rocks a faux-stereo sound that features too much spacial separation. The title track doesn't sound muscular, and everything's a bit off. I sometimes disagree with vinyl enthusiasts*, but this is one example of where it is totally worth it.

I apologize in advance for using the word "faux" twice in the same post. That's some kind of pretension fail**.

*(sometimes - all my Elvis Costello and Who albums sound better on the black circle, but the difference between a first-pressing Born to Run and the 25th anniversary remaster don't really set my ears on fire)

**I almost wrote "fale."