Review: ‘The Who By Numbers (Super Deluxe)’ Box Set – Revisiting Their 1975 LP

“There’s no easy way to be free…” – The Who, “Slip Kid”

Rock and roll legends The Who have released a 5-CD (plus 1 Blu-ray) box set of their 1975 album The Who By Numbers. Unlike the Beatles recent box set for Rubber Soul, this box is full of extras and goodies with demos, rehearsals and live stuff from the tour.

It’s more akin to the big box Elvis Costello just dropped for My Aim Is True, and I mean that as a compliment. This is similar in terms of content to the big box they released for Who Are You recently.

I fear By Numbers may be the most overlooked album from the Who’s “classic period” with Keith Moon on the drums but I’ve always loved it. I actually didn’t hear it in full until I got to college when my roommate Drew turned me onto it. I made Drew put it on when I went to see him last November.

Of course I was aware of the big single from the album, the unlikely track “Squeeze Box.” And I think the “connect-the-dots” cover art, done by bassist John Entwistle no less, is iconic.

In 1975, it had been two years since The Who had released the aforementioned Quadrophenia. Guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend was suffering from terrible writers block. He was questioning The Who and his own relevance within rock n roll and if perhaps maybe they’d aged out. 50 years on, that notion is almost laughable.

Sitting home boozing he began to write some of his most personal, introspective songs ever even though at the time he says he was utterly detached from songwriting. There was no theme here, it was not an opera. It was the Who’s first album that was merely a collection of songs since The Who Sell Out. I would have said since Who’s Next but that album started out as the epic Lifehouse project that caused Townshend’s nervous breakdown before becoming “just” an album of songs.

I remember reading critics describe this album with a touch of derision as The Who’s “singer/songwriter” album. Um, when the songwriter is Pete Townshend, sign me up. Many of the songs are confessional in nature. There are more mellow songs and acoustic guitar than we usually expect from the bombastic Who, but I think this is as cohesive as anything they’ve ever done.

And as always, I will only be discussing the audio discs, not the Blu-ray.

Disc 1 is the original album remastered. I don’t hear much difference from my old vinyl copy, but I did notice that some of Townshend’s lead guitar is more pronounced in places. The band did have recent Rock Hall inductee Nicky Hopkins (Stones, Jeff Beck Group, Rod Stewart) on piano and his playing is exquisite. Glyn Johns was on hand to produce.

It took the band 3 months to record the record which was infinitely frustrating for them. They spent a lot of time across the street from the studio in the pub drinking and cracking each other up, which sounds like a fun work environment. Townshend depressed, Moon struggling with alcoholism…it must have also been a difficult time.

As mentioned, the big hit “Squeeze Box” is probably the most recognizable track to casual Who fans. It started off as a (possibly dirty) joke but when Pete played it for the band and Glyn Johns, they liked it enough it became the single.

The most, in my opinion, overlooked Who song ever kicks off the album, “Slip Kid,” quoted above. I’m not sure if it’s a song about a hipster or some gang member, but it’s a great song. The percussion elements are fabulous and singer Roger Daltrey gives a wonderful vocal.

As mentioned a lot of these tracks are almost confessional. “However Much I Booze,” a story of Pete’s alcoholism was deemed too personal to Townshend by Daltrey and he wouldn’t sing it. “Dreaming From The Waist” was Pete’s wish to control is libido. Good luck with that, man.

“How Many Friends Have I Really Got” is another lament about loneliness, only rocking. That last track may include a message to the band, “We talk so much shit behind each other’s backs, I get the willies.”

“Imagine A Man” is a gorgeous ballad. They did a wonderful version on the recent live disc, The Who With Orchestra (2019). “They Are All In Love” is another gorgeous ballad driven by Nicky Hopkins’ piano. One of my all time favorite songs by The Who is “Blue, Red And Grey” which is played on the ukulele. Pete didn’t want it on the album, but Glyn Johns insisted. It’s stood the test of time.

Entwistle provided the track “Success Story,” about The Who’s rise in show biz. “In A Hand Or Face” is the most rocking tune on the album.

Disc 2 is all Pete Townshend demos. Pete’s demos have become famous over the years. He would do completely fleshed out demos and arrangements. He’d play them for the Who and then The Who would record the songs like they were copying his homework at school. Many of Pete’s demos were released in the Scoop series on their own right. I think three of these have been previously released via those records.

I love these demos. “Squeeze Box” played on a farfisa, a rare Italian keyboard is pretty cool. It’s also a highlight to get two early versions of “Keep Me Turning” which didn’t see the light until 1977 on the Townshend/Ronnie Lane album Rough Mix. These songs could have been a Pete solo album.

Disc 3 is entitled “Tracking Sessions.” It’s the band jamming to get the songs down. Many are without vocals. There are a few songs that aren’t on the album and a few covers – “Hi Heel Sneakers Jam – With Nicky Hopkins” jumped out at me. I’m not sure how much I’d come back to this disc, unlike Disc 2.

Disc 4, “Early Mixes/Guide Vocals” is a grab bag of sorts. There are early, no overdub versions of songs. Several songs, the most interesting to me, are fleshed out versions of “Imagine A Man,” “They Are All In Love” and “How Many Friends” with Pete on lead vocals.

There are also some stripped down versions of album tracks that read like “unplugged” songs before there was such a thing. They round it out with some bootleg quality live stuff. I found all of this stuff much more interesting than Disc 3 and could see playing this again.

Finally, Disc 5 is a live disc from a performance at Swansea, Wales on 12th of June 1976. I’ll take all the live Who I can get, but I think this is an edited or truncated concert. It starts with Daltrey announcing the Entwistle song “My Wife.” Why not give us the whole show over 2 discs? Perhaps I’m complaining over a nit?

The thing the live stuff reminds us of is that a) Entwistle is a beast on bass, his nickname should have been “Rolling Thunder,”  b) Pete Townshend is an underrated phenomenal lead guitarist. And perhaps, (c) they shouldn’t have let Moon near a microphone.

I will say, besides giving us a truncated version of the show, they only play two songs from By Numbers. I wanted to hear more of the then new album. There are no Quadrophenia tunes on the concert disc, which was also a disappointment. They do a “Reader’s Digest” version of Tommy, and I was surprised they were still doing that in 1976.

I like the concert stuff but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was slightly disappointed in it. But then there’s great versions of “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” They stretch out “My Generation” as a medley and add “Join Together.” Daltrey even drops in a Howlin Wolf line from “Wang Dang Doodle.” It’s The Who, they’re live, how can I complain? And yet I am.

I know money is tight and the box isn’t perfect, but when are they ever perfect? This one is one I would recommend to Who fans and casual fans alike. There is so much here, it’s a totally immersive experience into one of The Who’s most overlooked and wonderful albums.

Enjoy this one at maximum volume. It’s another great job of putting together a box set by The Who! Cheers!