59. The Who — My Generation (1965)

So British

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1. The first Who album is, to be honest, a bit of a mess. It’s a solid record, but it’s the sound of a group that doesn’t know what they’re about yet. A handful of James Brown covers are interspersed with Pete Townsend originals, and the R&B sound just doesn’t work as well as the harder rocking element. Even the hard rock didn’t come naturally; “My Generation” was originally written as a slow blues jam, before being sped up to the classic it is today.
2. It can’t be easy finding your way as a group in that kind of circumstance. The band underwent multiple name changes, three or four managerial changes, and an absurd amount of infighting in its first couple of years for a group that still tours today. It’s a minor miracle they survived. But you can hear here why they’d keep going.
3. “My Generation” is an obvious classic, a timeless piece of rock that every generation thinks is about them. “The Kids Are Alright” is an excellent upbeat rocker that hints at a poppier band they might have become, with a driving beat that explodes near the end. “Out In The Street” features some shimmering guitar work that announces the group, frankly, with more confidence than the rest of the album inspires.
4. Relevant to the above: Keith Moon was a god.
5. There’s not much here I dislike; there’s just also not enough that I really latch onto. It’s a high floor / low ceiling kind of album, but it does the job. I can’t wait to get to the rest of The Who’s work.

One Essential Song:

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