Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25850 in Digital Music Album
• Published on: 1995-06-20
• Released on: 1995-06-20
• Running time: 3380 seconds

Customer Reviews

How to get "A Quick One" in STEREO!
Alot of people have had problems finding "A Quick One" in stereo. Here's the deal, your best bet is to buy the Polydor UK version of the CD. The artwork on the US MCA version is unchanged so it's impossible to know if it's the correct CD without taking the shrinkwrap off. Once you do that, you can't return it if it is the incorrect CD. With the Polydor import, all of the artwork on the package is the same (including the 1995 copyright date) EXCEPT for the catalog number on the binding. This will allow you to see if you have indeed received the correct CD without tearing the shrinkwrap off.
Here are the different catalog numbers:
* Polydor 527758-2 - maily mono
* Polydor 589800-2 - mainly stereo

I hope this helps everybody!

A classic 60's pop album made even better.
Like so many mid-60's UK groups the Who saved thier best songs for thier singles. The group's first two albums are a varying inconsistent mix of great-to-weak originals and cover versions. Despite those drawbacks, "A Quick One" is a legendary British Pop album, and a necessary listen for Who fans to find out how this band quickly evolved to create thier later masterpieces. Get around the weak tracks and you'll discover the amazing title track (foreshadowing "Tommy" by 2 years) and the Power Pop classic "So Sad About Us" which was later covered by The Jam.

This CD has come out in the USA in 3 Versions - all from MCA.

1) The original "A Quick One (Happy Jack)" CD from the late 80's - with a "Compact Disc-Compact Price" ad on the insert and a generic green design back with a simple track listing. The sound quality ranges from tinny to muddy due to MCA's using of the old LP master tape (and some tracks appear in simulated stereo just like they did on the original Decca/MCA album). No bonus cuts, but it does have the original version of "Happy Jack" which SHOULD have been included in the remastered version to keep us American fans happy. If you're curious about this album you can pick this CD up dirt cheap...but I reccomend the later versions.

2) The remastered CD with notes and bonus cuts from 1995. But most of this CD used the mono mixes instead, along with some cuts in stereo and simulated stereo. Producer Jon Astley told ICE magazine that he used the mono mixes because he thought they sounded better. The original master tapes were stored at former Who manager Kit Lambert's house in France and were supposibly destroyed in a flood decades ago, so Astley couldnt remix them.

3) The remastered album with the same number and packaging, but now back in Stereo. My copy had a sticker that said "CLASSIC WHO remixed & remastered in STEREO for the first time". If it doesnt have that sticker dont buy it. Since 1995 copies of the master tapes have been discovered and the entire album has been remixed almost in true stereo (Almost because "See My Way" appears once again in fake stereo!). The rest of the album has never sounded better. Tracks like "Heatwave" and "Don't Look Away" that were orignally in distorted fake stereo now jump out of the speakers with a powerful true stereo presence. This is the version of "A Quick One" you should buy.

Go find the LP
If you like the Who's later work-- the guitar-smashing stuff-- you probably won't like this album. That said, A Quick One is my all-time favorite Who record. The songs are weird and funny and a blast to sing along with. Even though, as others have mentioned, the songs were written by various members of the band, the album has a distinct flavor of its own.

Unfortunately, when the record folks put together the CD, they BUTCHERED the album. The original recording of 'Happy Jack' was not included at all (!!), and a whole bunch of irrelevant tracks were thrown in which completely shattered the mood and sound of the original album. They did pitch in an acoustic version of 'Happy Jack' as if to make up for dropping the original track, but the extras should have been saved for a separate CD. It is jarring to hear the Who singing the Batman theme on the same CD with 'Whiskey Man.'

I love this album and you should hear it and love it too-- so crank up your record player and go find the LP.