The Who - Lifehouse Singles

After the Who released Tommy - and toured with it relentlessly -  they had to come up with a worthy successor.  Pete Townshend worked on an ambitious project he was calling 'Lifehouse.'   It was not to be as the next Who album.  Some of it got released as a series of singles.  Some showed up on Townshend's first solo record 'Who Came First.'  A lot of it ended up forming the backbone of 'Who's Next'

The recurring theme of 'one note rules us all'  crept up in a lot of these.

The following singles are referred to as the 'Lifehouse Trilogy'

1.  Let's See Action b/w When I Was a Boy

The first one.  A version appears on Pete's solo record, but this is the definitive Who version.  B-Side is written by John Entwistle.  It was common for the Who to give the B-Side to a non-Townshend composer.  Since royalties were distributed equally between A-Side and B-Side, the composer of the B-Side gets a cut even if only the A-Side was a hit.  UK pressing of this one.  I don't think it was ever released in the USA.

2.  The Relay b/w Wasp Man

The second one and one of my favorite Who tracks. Still gets an occasional airing in their post-Keith Moon shows.  B-Side is by Keith Moon and is primarily an instrumental riff with Moon repeating the word 'sting.'  I tried to get the sticker off.  Honest.  It might have another year or so worth of work left.

3  Join Together b/w Baby Don't You Do It.

The third one and the only one that could be considered a 'hit.'  The B-Side is a cover of an old Motown classic.  The performance of Entwistle and Moon during the verses is the same as 'The Real Me' from 'Quadrophenia'  It was recorded in England at Winterland in San Francisco, California. (Yes, I know this doesn't make sense)  

Bonus - The Seeker b/w Here For More

This is the single that came out after Tommy.  Not really part of the 'Lifehouse Trilogy' but it certainly is a missing link between those singles and Tommy.  To the best of my knowledge, the B-Side is the only Roger Daltrey composition The Who ever recorded.  They couldn't get it together to spell his name right on the label.  Got this one a long time ago at the Capitol Records Swap Meet in Hollywood.

Extra Bonus - Here's a picture sleeve I have. Art by Ralph Steadman.  Somebody penciled in the names of the band members, but they got 'em wrong.  Couldn't spell Daltrey's name right on this one either.