Track Listing

1. I Can't Explain
2. Kids Are Alright
3. Happy Jack
4. I Can See for Miles
5. Pictures of Lily
6. My Generation
7. Seeker
8. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere
9. Pinball Wizard
10. Legal Matter
11. Boris the Spider
12. Magic Bus
13. Substitute
14. I'm a Boy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12808 in Music
• Brand: WHO
• Released on: 1996-04-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Album Description
Deleted in the U.S. since MCA overhauled their entire back catalog & released the comprehensive 'The Very Best Of The Who', this is a 1985 reissue of their hit 1971 singles comp featuring 14 classics from 1965-1969. Includes 'I Can't Explain', 'Happy Jack', 'Pinball Wizard', 'My Generation', 'The Magic Bus', 'Substitute' and 'The Kids Are Alright'.

Customer Reviews

A must-have for every Who fan
This was the first best-of album of The Who, released back in 1971 on LP. It is still the best, especially in the CD version, mastered by Steve Hoffman (known from audiophile labels DCC and Audio Fidelity). The only other best-of CD you need is "Who's Better Who's Best".

A track-by-track review (all in my opinion).

1. I Can't Explain. This is the best version on CD you can find. True mono, powerful bass, punchy sound, almost no distortion. I never imagined that this rather primitive recording could sound so great.
2. The Kids Are Alright. This is the edited version (2:45) that was on the US album "The Who Sings My Generation", and that is also on "The Ultimate Collection" and the MCA "Who"s Better Who"s Best". It still sounds great, but the longer version (3:05) can be found on the Polydor "Who's Better Who's Best".
3. Happy Jack. True mono, good sound. The version on "Who"s Better Who"s Best" sounds a little cleaner, though.
4. I Can See For Miles. This is the original stereo album mix, with Pete's guitar moving between the channels during the solo. Great sound.
5. Pictures Of Lily. True mono. This is mastered just like the original single, with a fade-up at the beginning and a slight crescendo during the entire song. Good sound, but I prefer the cold start on "Who's Better Who's Best".
6. My Generation. True mono. This always sounds dirty, on every CD. But that is what it is supposed to sound. Still a signature song for The Who.
7. The Seeker. Stereo. This is the best version you can find on CD. The guitar intro blows you away.
8. Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere. True mono. Not the best-sounding recording. The version here is okay, but "Who's Better Who's Best" probably used a better source.
9. Pinball Wizard. The best version you can find. Amazing detail and definition. Just the right amount of hiss to make it sound real. Most other version have a delayed echo on the intro; it sounds much better here.
10. Legal Matter. The best version you can find. True mono.
11. Boris The Spider. Stereo version. Sounds good and not as distorted as on "The Ultimate Collection" or the fake stereo version on "My Generation - The Very Best Of The Who". (I prefer the mono mix, though.)
12. Magic Bus. Stereo mix with extended intro (3:21). Best version you can find. This is not the long version (4:36) that was on the "Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy" LP, because only a fake stereo tape of that one could be found. The background vocals always sound a little thin on the stereo mix; it still sounds better here than everywhere else.
13. Substitute. True mono. This does not sound good. Probably taken from an equalized 45 master. The version on "Who's Better Who's Best" is much better and cleaner.
14. I'm A Boy. This the an alternate, longer, earlier version. This is not the single version. True stereo and top sound. The same version is on the bonus disc of the limited edition of "The Ultimate Collecion", but there it is truncated and distorted.(The single version is on "Who's Better Who"s Best", even in (twin-track) stereo)).

The Perfect Collection
Two songs, these versions of "The Magic Bus" and "I'm A Boy" are unavailable, as far as I know, which should make this a must for your collection, even if you already have all the other Who essentials on CD. Also, this collection has a nice song flow to it. Quadrophenia, Who's Next, and Who Are You are all great albums, and everything else they've done is good, too, but if you've never heard the Who, this collection is the perfect place to start.

A Great Package of The Who's Greatest Hits!
After the success of The Who's 6th album, "Who's Next", Decca Records decided to throw together a compilation to reintroduce The Who's earlier stuff to new fans who had only heard "Who's Next". The end result was "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy", the second Who compilation to be released on either side of the Atlantic and the third overall (preceded by "Direct Hits" in the UK and "Magic Bus" in the US. The album was released on November 20, 1971 in the US peaking at number 11 in the charts. It was released on December 3, 1971 in the UK, due to the fact that Kit Lambert wanted to change the track listing but wasn't able to. In the UK, "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" reached number 9.

The album contains 14 of The Who's best tracks between 1965 and 1970. This album contained many non-album singles as well as album favorites. "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" does a good job summarizing The Who's career up to 1970 in under 45 minutes. While it might seem obselete to newer compilations like "The Ultimate Collection", "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" is still a fan favorite.

All songs written by Pete Townshend unless specified.

1. "I Can't Explain" - 2:05
2. "The Kids Are Alright" - 2:45
3. "Happy Jack" - 2:12
4. "I Can See For Miles" - 4:06
5. "Pictures of Lily" - 2:43
6. "My Generation" - 3:18
7. "The Seeker" - 3:11
8. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Daltrey-Townshend) - 2:42
9. "Pinball Wizard" - 2:59
10. "A Legal Matter" - 2:48
11. "Boris the Spider" (Entwistle) - 2:28
12. "Magic Bus" - 3:21 (originally 4:28 on the LP)
13. "Substitute" - 3:49
14. "I'm a Boy" (alternate version) - 3:41

NOTE: If you want the long version of "Magic Bus", you will have to either
(a) hunt down a copy of "The Who Collection, Vol. 2", which was only released in the UK and is long out-of-print
(b) find a Who bootleg that was kind enough to include the song
(c) get the vinyl version and have it transfered to CD
I'm not sure which one costs the least but whichever one is less expensive is the one I suggest doing if your desperate to get your hands on the long version of "Magic Bus"

"Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" was released on CD in the 1980's and has long since been deleted from the US catalog. Fortunately, it is still in print in Canada and a Canadian import of this CD is very easy to come by, as well as the price being somewhat reasonable ($8.99-$12.99 in any local CD store). If you are a collecter, I suggest buying the US version, as it is hard to come by, even used. But whoever you are, I would suggest buying this album as it is a great album to have in your collection.