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Released: October 18, 1975

Rating: 3.808 (average of 18 ratings)

Genre: classic album rock

Quotable: --

Album Tracks:

  1. Slip Kid (Townshend) - 4:31
  2. However Much I Booze (Townshend) - 5:01
  3. Squeeze Box (Townshend) - 2:43
  4. Dreaming from the Waist (Townshend) - 4:06
  5. Imagine a Man (Townshend) - 4:00
  6. Success Story (Entwistle) - 3:20
  7. They Are All in Love (Townshend) - 3:00
  8. Blue, Red and Grey (Townshend) - 2:46
  9. How Many Friends (Townshend) - 4:05
  10. In a Hand or a Face (Townshend) - 3:24

Sales:

sales in U.S. only 1 million
sales in U.K. only - estimated --
sales in all of Europe as determined by IFPI – click here to go to their site. --
sales worldwide - estimated 1 million

Peak:

peak on U.S. Billboard album chart 8
peak on U.K. album chart 7

Singles/Hit Songs:

  • Squeeze Box (11/29/75) #16 US, #10 UK
  • Slip Kid (8/7/76) --

Notes: The 1996 CD reissue adds live versions of “Squeeze Box,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and “Dreaming from the Waist” as bonus tracks.

The Who by Numbers
The Who
Review:
“The Who by Numbers functions as Pete Townshend's confessional singer/songwriter album, as he chronicles his problems with alcohol (However Much I Booze), women (Dreaming from the Waist and They Are All in Love), and life in general. However, his introspective musings are rendered ineffective by Roger Daltrey's bluster and the cloying, lightweight filler of Squeeze Box. In addition, Townshend's songs tend to be underdeveloped, relying on verbosity instead of melodicism, with only the simple power of Slip Kid, the grace of Blue Red and Grey, and John Entwistle's heavy rocker Success Story making much of an impact” (Unterberger).

Review Source(s):

Related DMDB Links:

previous album: Quadrophenia (1973) DMDB page next album: Who Are You (1978)

Last updated April 5, 2008.