‘The Who Sell Out’ still registers

Spencer Patterson

Friday, April 1, 2005 | 8:41 a.m.

The Who's catalog is loaded with monolithic, must-have discs.

Rock operas "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" are two of the all-time greatest concept albums.

The mighty "Who's Next" stands as perhaps the best single collection of power rock songs in history.

And what collection could be complete without "Live at Leeds," one of the two or three greatest live records ever?

Maybe the prominence of those seminal LPs explains the relative anonymity of the Who's third full-length album, 1967's "The Who Sell Out." Serious Who fans will tell you it's every bit as good as anything the band recorded, but few others bother to check it out.

They ought to. "Sell Out" contains some of the Who's best cuts, most of them -- apart from "I Can See For Miles" -- thankfully far off classic-rock radio's radar.

Even those long tired of "Pinball Wizard" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" should be recharged after hearing terrific tunes such as "Mary Anne With the Shaky Hands," "Tattoo" and "Our Love Was."

"Sell Out" is also historically interesting. It showcases the band in transition, from its explosive, instrument-bashing origins toward more mature work such as "Tommy" and the abandoned "Lifehouse" project (much of which became "Who's Next").

The song "Rael 1" even includes a snippet of what would become the "Underture" from "Tommy" two years later.

The Who had yet to fully abandon its silly side, however, as evidenced by the Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey ads on one of rock's most memorable record jackets. Keith Moon and John Entwistle adorn the back cover, reproduced faithfully on the CD reissue.

"Sell Out" also features fake radio jingles between tracks. Off-putting as they can be at first, through repeat spins those light moments become as much a part of the album's flow as the music itself.

Be sure to seek out MCA's 1995 remastered version, which nearly doubles the original by adding 10 bonus tracks. Some are throwaways, but others, such as "Early Morning Cold Taxi" and "Tommy" precursor "Glow Girl," are well worth hearing.

A final note: Vocalist Petra Haden, daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden, has just released an a cappella rendition of "The Who Sell Out," jingles and all.

Haden's version is interesting, in the same novel way Camper Van Beethoven's quirky update on Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" is.

Before anyone should even think about picking it up, however, they should scoop up the original, and discover a lesser-known component to the Who's lengthy list of classics.

Artist: The Who.

Title: "The Who Sell Out."

Year of release: 1967 (Reissued 1995, MCA Records).

Tracklisting: "Armenia City in the Sky," "Heinz Baked Beans," "Mary Anne With the Shaky Hands," "Odorono," "Tattoo," "Our Love Was," "I Can See For Miles," "I Can't Reach You," "Medac," "Relax," "Silas Stingy," "Sunrise," "Rael 1." Bonus tracks: "Rael 2," "Glittering Girl," "Melancholia," "Someone's Coming," "Jaguar," "Early Morning Cold Taxi," "Hall of the Mountain King," "Girl's Eyes," "Mary Anne With the Sky Hands" (alternative version), "Glow Girl."