A review by pascalthehoff
The Who Sell Out by John Dougan

5.0

I've read some reviews by people who were complaining about the book not providing enough information on how the album was recorded and stuff like that. Fair enough, that's a valid complaint. But I think the author does an absolutely marvellous job in painting a picture of the whole cultural (and pop-cultural) aspects that surrounded the album's production and reception. Shining a light on the era of pirate radio stations, the stubborn conservatism of the BBC (and why things were like they were) as well as examining the state of British 60s pop art are far more interesing and relevant than which guitar and amp Pete Townshend used on which song. That doesn't mean that the book didn't provide sufficient information about the individual songs. By focusing on the exterior of the album more than the interior, however, the book becomes more than just a simple "making of"-documentary for die-hard-fans only.