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The Who: The Who Sell Out (33 1/3 Series)

by John Dougan

The Who: The Who Sell Out (33 1/3 Series) Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Released in the U.S. in January 1968, The Who Sell Out was, according to critic Dave Marsh, a complete backfire...the album sold well, but not spectacularly [and was] ultimately a nostalgic in-joke: Who but a pop intellectual could appreciate such a thing? Further rarifying its in-joke status was its unapologetic Englishness; 13 tracks stitched together in a mock pirate radio broadcast, without a DJ, with cool, anglocentric commercials to boot. In the 36 years since its release, Sell Out, though still not the best selling release in The Who's catalog, has been embraced by a growing number of fans who regard it as the band's best work; one of the few recordings of the late 1960s that best represents the ambitious aesthetic possibilities of the concept album; without becoming mired in a bog of smug, self-aggrandizing, high art aspirations. Sell Out, powerfully and ecstatically, articulates the nexus of pop music and pop culture.

As much as it is an expression of the band's expanding sonic palette, Sell Out also functions as a critique of the rock and roll lifestyle. Not the clichéd mantra of sex, drugs, and rock and roll but in the ways that commercial advertising fabricates a youth-oriented cultural reality by hawking pimple cream, deodorant, food, musical equipment, etc., and linking it with rock and roll. In this sense Sell Out is a reflective work, one that struggles with rock and roll as a cultural expression that aspires to aesthetic permanence while marketed as ephemera. From this conflict emerges a pop art masterpiece.

Review:

"It was only a matter of time before a clever publisher realized that there is an audience for whom Exile on Main Street or Electric Ladyland are as significant and worthy of study as The Catcher in the Rye or Middlemarch. The series... is freewheeling and eclectic, ranging from minute rock-geek analysis to idiosyncratic personal celebration." The New York Times Book Review

Review:

"Ideal for the rock geek who thinks liner notes just aren't enough." Rolling Stone

Review:

"One of the coolest publishing imprints on the planet." Bookslut

Review:

"These are for the insane collectors out there who appreciate fantastic design, well-executed thinking, and things that make your house look cool. Each volume in this series takes a seminal album and breaks it down in startling minutiae. We love these. We are huge nerds." Vice

Review:

"A brilliant series... each one a word of real love." NME

Review:

"Passionate, obsessive, and smart." Nylon

Review:

"Religious tracts for the rock 'n' roll faithful." Uncut

Review:

"We... aren't naive enough to think that we're your only source for reading about music (but if we had our way... watch out). For those of you who really like to know everything there is to know about an album, you'd do well to check out Continuum's 33 1/3 series of books." Pitchfork

Synopsis:

33 1/3 is a series of short books about a wide variety of albums, by artists ranging from James Brown to the Beastie Boys. Launched in September 2003, the series now contains over 50 titles and is acclaimed and loved by fans, musicians and scholars alike.

Synopsis:

Since its release, Sell Out, though still not the best selling release in The Who's catalog, has been embraced by a growing number of fans. As much as it is an expression of the band's expanding sonic palette, this work also functions as a critique of the rock and roll lifestyle.

About the Author

John Dougan received a Ph.D. in American Studies from the College of William & Mary and is an associate professor in the Department of Recording Industry at Middle Tennessee State University.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
lukas, June 14, 2007 (view all comments by lukas)
The 33.3 series is a Godsend for serious music fans, treating albums both classic ("Velvet Underground & Nico") and cult ("Bee Thousand") in the same reverent, detailed manner as literature. Sure, you may quibble with their choice of artists (Abba, Steely Dan) or albums (do we really need another book on "Exile on Main St."?), but their cause is just. In this book, professor John Dougan celebrates and critiques one of the Who's lesser known albums. Though not a big seller, it is a lighter, funnier, more inventive album than their later pretentious "rock operas" like "Tommy." In some ways, it's their last album before they transformed from a scrappy, clever, occasionally violent band into a huge, bloated, capital r rock band. Dougan does a good job of setting the album in its London context, esp. the pirate radio stations which served as an inspiration. No one's going to give him high marks for style or personality, but it will give the reader a better understanding of the album's intentions and send them back to the original source. If you like the "Sell Out," check out Petra Haden's all a capella cover album (including adverts).
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780826417435
Author:
Dougan, John
Publisher:
Continuum
Subject:
Composers & Musicians - Rock
Subject:
Who (musical group)
Subject:
Genres & Styles - Rock
Series:
33 1/3
Publication Date:
November 2006
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
131
Dimensions:
6.52x4.88x.35 in. .30 lbs.

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