#316 The Who, 'The Who Sell Out' (1967)

Previously #115

The first concept album by the band that were one of the greatest to do it. This album pays tribute to pirate radio, which had been outlawed in the UK in 1967. The songs on the record are seemingly unrelated other than the fact they are all broadcast on fictional radio station, Radio London. The album is interspersed with fake adverts and fake announcements and is pretty hilarious. The title is a dig at the band themselves who had actually been making commercials around this time.

The band was incredibly convincing with the radio concept. It works, it’s fun and there are some great songs on the album. ‘I Can See For Miles’ was the hit from the record and ‘Tattoo’ is another great song which we’d previously heard on ‘Live At Leeds’ (#327). The release of the album was followed by lawsuits from the companies whose products were included in the fake ads. The album ends with the mini-opera, ‘Rael,’ a sign of things to come in the future.

#rs500albums