MovieChat Forums > The Who : The Kids Are Alright (1979) Discussion > Blue, Red and Grey

Blue, Red and Grey

posted 19 years ago by zingzangspillip
10 replies | jump to latest

Hi there.

I recently listened to The Who By Numbers for the first time. I enjoyed the album as a whole, with my favourite track on it being Blue, Red and Grey. However, Entwistle's horns in the background annoy the hell out of me. Does anyone know if there's been a Beatles Anthology-type recording issued without the brass? If so, any help would be appreciated.

I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the God they made.

[–] Billy_McAvoy 18 years ago

heh...you like Townshend's vocal better than the ox's brass, eh? you're a brave brave soul... don't get me wrong, I'm almost sure I have damn near every song Townshend's ever released (and probably a few he hasn't), but for the most part, and including this song, his vocals are high and whiny. I thought the brass here was tastefully done, but I'm just an old recording engineer, what do I know.

[–] iluv2moo 18 years ago

I love 'blue red and grey' (its my fave song on that album) and i think its perfect how it is! Each to their own tho...

- Screws fall out all the time, the worlds' an imperfect place-

[–] intermissiontime 18 years ago

Blue, Red and Grey is okay, a little too sappy for my tastes...I prefer "How Many Friends" or "Slip Kid".

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] xmonn 18 years ago

There is an abridged bootleg version of the WHO BY NUMBERS album out there with just Townshend doing demo versions (something he did for every WHO album) - no brass backing score. It's awfully hard to find; I'm a major WHO fan and have yet to find it - good luck!

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] pepperdoggie 17 years ago

I'm partial to "Dreaming From the Waist" myself.

[–] madafaka 17 years ago

Definitely the best songs on this album: "How many friends" and "In a hand or a face". For me, of course :)

[–] gamefreak95 16 years ago

What about "Squeeze Box"? Sure, it may not be the best song on the album, but it deserves some recognition. Other than that, "Success Story", "How Many Friends?", and "Slip Kid" are awesome, as well as the rest of the album.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=15136537

[–] darryl-tahirali 10 years ago

What about "Squeeze Box"? Sure, it may not be the best song on the album, but it deserves some recognition. - gamefreak95

It does, but I'm biased. I think, though, that because By Numbers is in essence Pete's "singer-songwriter" album and the lyrical themes are generally moody and reflective, "Squeeze Box" and its lighthearted tone comes off as a little incongruous. I suppose you could say the same about "Success Story," but by this point Entwistle's wry sardonicism was providing the definitive counterpoint to Pete's angst-ridden ruminations, and in some ways his songs cannot be compared to Townshend's.*

My favorite BN track is still "Slip Kid," with "Success Story," "How Many Friends," and "However Much I Booze" coming in close behind. I'll listen fondly when "Squeeze Box" comes on a radio station, but I don't go out of my way to listen to it, and in the Who canon, I regard it as quite minor--certainly higher than "Cobwebs and Strange" or "See My Way," but not even at the "Our Love Was, Is" or "Silas Stingy" level.

* I will say that until I really looked the credits for Who Are You, I had thought for years that "Had Enough" had been written by Pete. I was floored when I realized that it was John's--and then the song's critical tone took on an entirely new meaning. That's when I realized that Entwistle had been supplying these wry ripostes to Townshend all along. You can put together a nice little mix of Who songs just from John's songs, and in fact I have--"An Ox's-Eye View of the Who."
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"Man becomes the food of the divinity he worships." - Chris Stevens