This 1975 collection excels in large part due to its modest goal. It's the Who's singer-songwriter record. Without the ostensible shield his "rock operas" provided, Pete Townshend's personal demons strut about nakedly. Not a pretty sight, but an involving spectacle nevertheless. "They Are All in Love" and "How Many Friends" are forgotten Who songs, but they've aged beautifully.
John Entwistle's "Success Story" sequences nicely with the rest of the album. And "However Much I Booze," "Dreaming from the Waist," and "In a Hand or a Face" are great decade-early exercises in mid-life self-pity.
The Who – The Who By Numbers
A1. Slip Kid
A2. However Much I Booze
A3. Squeeze Box
A4. Dreaming From The Waist
A5. Imagine A ManB1. Success Story
B2. They Are All In Love
B3. Blue Red And Grey
B4. How Many Friends
B5. In A Hand Or A Face