Hip Hop Fan Reacts To My Generation by The Who 

The stuttering was on purpose. The Who were Mods, and many kids in that subculture used/abused amphetamines, which made them trip over themselves when they were talking. Daltrey sang those verses as if he were "pilled", and he might as well have been during the recording session. Also, when he sings "Why don't you all ffffffffffff-ade away" everyone knows exactly what it is he really meant to say.

I'm pretty sure the stuttering throughout this track is intentional - to sort of show a generational thing, as well as to mimic the effect of the drugs that generation were taking. Roger Daltry may have had a stutter as a kid, but it doesn't come out in any of his other tracks from this same period.

"My Generation" is the instruction manual for Rock. Two chords, 4/4 strum & break, and a mission statement of rebellion. Any kid could pick up an instrument & learn it in a few minutes - as some of the early Punks like the Sex Pistols and Patti Smith did in the 1970s.

I've always thought punk wouldn't exist without this song. I know there were other major factors that contributed to the rise of punk but I feel this was the spark. A perfect blueprint. A comment on the stutter - I feel that he was playing the part of a unconfident teen who is very nervous saying these things to someone older. Kind of like it's the first time he is trying to confidently express how he feels. He's nervous and a little scared that there may be consequences. "I hope I die before I get old" became a very famous line after this song. It has made it's way into the language as a common expression that people use even if they have no idea where it came from.

A key dynamic in the Who's 65-70 output is its reflection of (yes) the generational divide between those kids and their parents. In 1965, literally the bleeding edge of the baby boom was hitting 20 years old. Like in America, that generation of teens were growing up in an economy that was significantly more affluent than that of the 1930s worldwide depression and the wartime 1940s. However, in Britain, the rigid class system produced a lot of economic inequality so a LOT of kids reached their teens with no real prospects in the economy but still went to art school, etc. In some sense, the result was an entire generation of kids who had a lot of frustration but also a lot of exposure to art / literature to express that frustration in new, unique artful ways.

You started with Who's Next, which was extremely sophisticated. Like the Beatles, the Who went through an incredible transformation. In 1965, Pete was pressured to write radio singles, like most bands were. As time went on Pete started writing a series of songs that told a story, i.e. rock operas. Who's Next is a rock opera that didn't coalesce, as people have told you. Early Who is a series of singles, and they were GREAT singles. My Generation is probably one of my least favorite. The GENIUS single from that time is I Can See For Miles.

The stutter may have started out as a mistake in rehearsal (Roger did indeed have a terrible stutter when he was young), but they quickly decided to leave it in and even play it up because it perfectly mimicked the speech of a young Mod all hopped-up on amphetamines. That was their audience at the time, and Pete has often talked about how in those days the band was simply reflecting back what their Mod audience was doing. 🎸💥

You should totally listen to A Quick One (While He's Away), also by The Who. It was their first venture into creating a rock opera, which they would later expand on the idea with their albums Tommy and Quadrophenia. It would probably be better to listen to the studio version, but the live version at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is full of energy and is just a really great live performance.

The Who is one of those rare bands with an original sound. Great catalog. This song does have some Dylan and Beatles influence for sure which doesn't reach the original sound of their later catalog. "I'm Free", "Who Are You" and "Bargain" are among my favorite Who songs.

The band definitely grew as time went on but you hear the drumming, the bass and message is still there from day one.

A revolutionary song. Thanks. “Substitute “ was another great early Who song. Also the Kinks were the English Band that was maybe the first one to do that heavy riff based rock in 1964 with the song “You Really Got Me”. That would make a good reaction

I'd love to hear your reaction to Live At Leeds, one of the truly great live albums of all time. Recorded in 1970, when they were at their peak as a live act.

As a life long WHO fan, I've always appreciated the vast different eras of music they offer. My favorite era is during the time of their Live at Leeds album around 1971, when they had become more seasoned as musicians yet still youthful enough to play with a fierce abandon that was lost as they grew older. Few bands at the time played with such force and power, and when matched with their rebellious lyrics and incredibly gifted musicianship, it for some reason hits home for me. It may not be as technically sophisticated as their later songs, but I find the raw power and energy to be just as captivating. Check out Young Man Blues, Amazing Journey/Sparks, Magic Bus or my favorite My Generation which is a 15 minute version that includes many clips from other songs (mainly from their Tommy album). Live at Leeds remains one of the greatest live albums ever as well as one of their most successful, yet few people react to it's content. All I can say is "they're missing out".

Satisfaction was June '65. My Generation was October '65. IMHO The Who were not much of a studio band until Tommy. But in concert they were stunning.

I feel this song (and band) “rocked“ harder than anything else in this era. On of the greatest bands of all time. Can’t beat the incomparable John Entwistle on bass and Moon the loon on drums.

I agree with your assessment. They were so proto punk back then, before the term existed. Townsend has always been kind of a snide, unhappy sort, but I respect him greatly for being honest. I actually love his solo work in the early eighties, as some of his songs have a big band feel to them, such as face the face. You might want to check it out, some unique and very creative stuff going on.

By the way "My Generation" live from 1969-1970 is a completely different animal.

The best musician autobiography I’ve ever heard on Audible was from Pete Townshend. He is a true genius.

I think this was really ground breaking lyrically and musicaly for 1965. It was an in your face or middle finger to the critics of the new generation. It was an anthem for the generation. It was definitely over the line for many in the status quo, and was ment to be.

You should check out the live version from Live at Leeds. It's an extended version with many snippets of other songs in it (like a medley I guess). That whole album is worth checking out, one of the best live albums of all time.

I really appreciate all you Keith Moon references. He is the G.O.A.T!

Don’t forget this is 1964. Utterly groundbreaking and Punk.

You should check out their live performance of this on The Smothers Brothers show. Keith Moon rigged his drum kit with explosives unbeknownst to his band mates and nearly blew up the studio! Pete Townsend suffered hearing loss as a result. I think it’s a great song. It defines a generation. Rock N Roll doesn’t have to be complex. People sometimes dismiss the early work of bands like The Who and The Beatles. I think one of the hardest things to do is write and record a good 3 minute rock or pop song. The Beatles did it better than anyone. Without “I want to hold your hand” and “my generation” they never would have evolved to Hey Jude and Won’t Get Fooled Again.

Even as an 8 year old hearing this and Satisfaction in the back seat of my parents car I knew what it was about. While my parents would say what is that crap?!

The bands and pop/rock music in general were evolving so quickly during that time. No way could Who's Next have come out in '65, yet only 6 years later, there it is. 1965 Who is a different genre from 1969 Who, which is a different genre from 1971 Who. I happen to love them all, but for different reasons.

The stutter in Dave Marsh's book "Before i get old", was a homage to the fact they popped pills that were amphetamines - the stutter was a side effect of the drugs they were taking, kinda how rave kids carry pacifiers because the drug causes bruxism, its a subtle drug reference

Hey mate this is John Rocker from Oceanside California and you said it yourself brother they were 20 years old they're trying to make a statement and be really raw and hard and like every band they developed into the beautiful stuff in the seventies that's all have a fantastic day you're extremely intelligent!

Great video sir thanks for your honest reaction 👍 😀

This is an early Who single, in their thrashy mod phase, when they like all the other bands were writing songs for people to dance to in unglamorous clubs in the suburbs. Nothing especially deep and meaningful, just a bunch of unsophisticated kids airing their grievances, before all the bands followed the Beatles and Bob Dylan and morphed into writing deep and meaningful things, and experimenting with more sophisticated musical forms. You have to realise the speed with which everything changed in the 60s, from raw pop sounds to more complex ideas and sophisticated musical forms. it was a roller coaster ride! You only have to look at the Beatles' stunning development to understand this. All the other bands followed suit, and the Who were no exception. For all of us, bands and audience alike, our minds and perspectives on life were steadily exploding, in slow motion. This is the song that turned me into a teenage rebel at the tender age of 12, and helped persuade me to become an anarchist, briefly. 1964 was quite a year!

There' a great youtube video of them performing this live , in the 60's) this live. John stands out by shredding that bass...as per usual. Pete once said, (and I paraphrase) Everyone in the group is playing lead!

Great tune. On Live At Leeds is an extended instrumental version, highly recommended.

The last section of this tune is incredibly important, feedback and chaos were absolutely new, incredibly exciting and definitely a musical middle finger to polite society. If it’s ‘operatic’ Who music you’re looking for, well a couple of years later they wrote what is generally considered the first ‘rock opera’ - Tommy. It comes complete with an overture and everything. Another complete game changer from the Who, an entire double album of rock music that tells a story and deals with very complex themes.

It wasn't just the parents that wondered what D-D-Daltry was doing with the stuttering. We kids wondered too. :) BTW the big split in generations was first triggered by boys with long hair. And of course, that all started with the Beatles.

Have you done the mini-opera A Quick One (While He’s Away) from the Rolling Stones’ Rock & Roll Circus yet? If not then that should definitely be your next stop after this one! One of the greatest live performances in all of rock!🎸💥

I'm just waiting for the Punk Era to kick off, those lyrics are gonna blow some minds

Listen to "I Can See For Miles" for an early take of The Who.

You should see them play this from the Monterey Pop Festival. Awesome!

At the time this spoke volumes to us youngsters,those oldies telling us what to do didn't know what it was like to be young! Brilliant performances by all four band members

I have an idea that this came before Satisfaction. There is a great vid of a bunch of pensioners singing My Generation - '''hope I die before I get old" - out the back door😁

The stuttering is intentional- great job again 👏👍

There was a thing called The Generation Gap. The parents had been in WW2 and the men folk had done National Service. (In UK). Their teenage children had disposable income, consumerism and different attitudes to things.

This was very early. It was revolutionary. They hadn't yet developed to the songs on Who's Next. Without this, there is no Behind Blue Eyes Check out the bio video "The Kids Are Alright"

You need to react to Quadrophenia the real me or Tommy the acid queens anything off of these two albums you need to react to the whole album actually to get the full effect of how talented and creative they really were my favorite band

We always thought the stutter on fade away was a way of inserting f***off into the lyrics.

I just watched a 15 minute documentary that involves The Who, "The Aftermath of the Rolling Stones Drug Trial (1967)" by a channel called Yesterday's Papers. I think you would find it interesting, too. They have some great short docs.

I think the reason the stuttering works, on such a wonderful level, is that it pinpoints the common people, the ordinary working class people, the dropout teenagers standing up for a new life that they themselves have chosen. It kind of sends a message to the parents, like 'FU and your grammar correcting or finishing school obsession, I'm going to live the life I choose and see fit for me'.. Good stuff WHO!

I wish that everyone now would experience these bands like the Who, in chronological order. The Who evolved so quickly from this kind of pre-punk sound to more of a progressive sound later. I got to hear their hits at they gained Radio play, in the order they happened. When I was 17 I bough my first Who Album, "Who Are You". I just live the sounds they come up with on that one.

Now that you have a few songs under your belt, please react to Young Man Blues. It must be the live at The Isle of Wight. You will get the closest you can to the power and fury of The Who with their original line up. Simply the greatest live band I’ve ever experienced (I was lucky enough to see them in 1975)

You should check out "Quadrophenia" someday. The film if possible. That whole film and album is about "their generation".

I saw a movie on New York in the 50s. It was mainly about the writing scene. A comment that one of the writers made stuck with me. She said that the counterculture in the 50s was underground. It existed in beatnik cafes, with meditative jazz, cigarettes, and discussions of books and poetry. But with the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a great anger swept the new generation, and everything changed. There was an open demand to live completely differently. People took to the streets. Rock music became aggressive and political. You are very right to compare My Generation with I Can't Get No Satisfaction. They both express angry dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Satisfaction was recorded and released first. I think the production of this track is really good. Entwistle, the bass player, was already showing his virtuosity here. All in all, a classic any way you cut it.

I like what you said about this song. It is simple but so are many track of Rap...the beat are repetitive...Not a fan of Rap or Hip Hop.....really low tier kind of music in comparison to Jazz...Classical....or Blues.....it's cool though...to each his own....Due to the technology of today's music ..Hip Hop and Rap included.....your generation are listening more to music of the 60's and 70's and are buying a lot of vinyls...so many vintage vinyls are being purchase that the music industry are getting nervous.....Walmarts and Targets of the world now carry more Vinyls of 60's and 70's music artist and bands than CD's. Thank you....never thought I would see Vinyls returning.

In 1965 Paul McCartney was way behind still. He was still still playing a Rickenbacker with a pick which meant he was playing electric base of the past. John Entwistle was playing electric bass of the future that same year. Saed is unable to recognize the difference in technique. Maybe at some point he will see film of 1965 and 1964 and see the difference.

The original punks

You nailed it!

This is embryonic Who, when albums centered around a hit song. Keith was only 18 on this recording. Imho you should start your reacts with "The Who Sell Out", then "Tommy", etc. in the discography. Go back to the super early stuff later. 👍

The difference between this track and the likes of Baba O'Riley... this was 1965 - Baba was 1973. Music changed rapidly during the 60s and 70s... the "Who's Next" album wouldn't have been possible in 1965. "Great basswork" indeed - everyone comments on Moonie, Roger from Oz, and Towser... but the amazing basswork from "The Ox" often flies under the radar. Possibly the greatest rock bassist ever. Good point about links between this and Satisfaction, and linking it back to Dylan (especially "The Times They Are a-Changin'"). And you can link those lyrics forward to Neil Young's line "It's better to burn out than to fade away".

That bass solo kicks

They were mostly rebellious as a result of rock.n..roll and it's singers Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Gene Vincent etc. Although Bob Dylan was a huge influence on the Beatles and Sixties Music in general.

You should react to the Who "documentary" The Kid's Are Alright!

Hey Syed, how is the best way to send recommendations?

Two things..#1 the stutter was a reflection of the teens at that time taking speed pills, #2 this was 1965! There is 6 years of growing and maturing until the Who's Next album.

You have to appreciate that this song was recorded 1965. The difference in music even two years later is massive and the songs you cited were from 1971, by then everything had changed. Songs from 6 years ago now are not very different to something coming out today, then it was a time of discovery and new techniques were being implemented as the equipment became more sophisticated. The stuff from 1971 would not have been possible in 1965.

I saw them live with Joan Jett a few years ago at Madison Square Garden. They did all the hits. It was an epic show!!!!

The stutter is a nod to amphetamines.

Yeah, you should check out what Patti Smith did with it live.

Sorry to harp on but mentions of Quadrophenia reminded ne that Townshend used this rock opera to analyse what went on in 1964 from a more distanced perspective this time The comic vignette Bellboy performed by Moon as a burned out former Face in the Mod crowd is an example of a former teen rebel

A great, pioneering, classic rock tune that evolved into quite a jam live, to hear it in its best form, check out the My Generation jam on the legendary Live At Leeds live album. You can see a similar version from the Isle of Wight festival movie, they are also immense there and the video is great quality for 1970. Enjoy. 🎵🎸🎤🎶

AND THIS WAS WAYYYYYYYYYYY BEFORE HIP HOP, CRAZY STUFF HUH!😊 R.I..P TO KEITH AND JOHN🙃🙃🙃

They would destroy their instruments with this song. In a famous TV cast Keith Moon loaded up his drum with explosives and permanently damaged Pete Townsends hearing when the drum exploded. Great song though lol

the Who here are a raw, young, club band intimately connected to their fans. Later (post Tommy) Who are polished, arena rock stars.

The stutter was meant to simulate the effects of a drug that was fashionable at the time.

First rock song with a bass solo

This was released when the 'JukeBox' in the local caff was where you heard new music, therefore a short track. With reference to 'Fade Away (Fuck off) not much chance of being played on Radio at that time. Do you remember the complaints when in a series late night discussion programme a well known playwright Kenneth Tynan used the word , The BBC was nearly closed down by complaints. (Nov 1965) "I doubt if there are very many rational people in this world to whom the word "fuck" is particularly diabolical or revolting or totally forbidden.Spoken during a discussion on censorship, broadcast live on the BBC program BBC-3, (13 November 1965) Tynan was the first to say this word on British television, leading to an apology from the BBC and several motions in the House of Commons. From Wikipedia. Quite simply the lyrics of this song were really pushing boundaries at the time.

Yep after wwii We saw the world differently I’m 69 Very tumultuous times But us youth thought we had all the answers Many we did Some not….

Pete had matured greatly as a songwriter between 1965 and 1971, and yeah, the Who needed money and hit singles in those early days. The pop world was not ready yet for Who's Next 🙂

I’ve always assumed that the stutter was a way for them to sneak “why don’t you all fff” … and we all say in our heads what he wants to say before he says the safer “..ade away.” In the movie Quadrophenia, we hear a bunch of kids dancing to the song all shout “fuck off!” Like we all did whenever we saw them perform this one live.

According to my parents who were teenagers in the 1960's and everything I've seen, read and heard the entire decade was a big FU to the establishment regardless of what side of the Atlantic you lived on.

This single established the WHO as the band for the "Mods". Mods took Anphwtamins which cause stamering. Towwnsend was too adop t "Pop Art" clothes that swept Carnaby St., Mods discrded the Italian siuts in London at leasst.

My fave Who track is Who Are You. ✌🏼

AC/DC: The Razors Edge

I think you've done a great job indentifying some of the motivations of Pete (and Mick/Keith of the Stones) in their songwriting and their attitudes toward the older set. These kids were all War Babies, coming up in the aftermath of WWII and the older British custom of Stiff Upper Lip and all that, and the way the schools were, and the strict class-consciousness.... All of it. Pete also had some bad things happen to him growing up, within his family, that definitely shaped his view of humanity and his ongoing search for a greater redemption -- that comes out in Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia. But yeah, this song is a big FU to the older folks !

The stutter is absolutely intentional.

This song was punk before punk

Base was played with piano strings which kept breaking, Entwistle was the best.

I have a suspicion the whole stuttering thing may have evolved during development of the song after he sung "Why don't you all f-f-fade away," like he was threatening to use the f-word, then they added more stutters to help comically say, "See, it was just an accident."

The stutter is from the Mods "amphetimine stutter" when they were pilled out. Listen to Quadrophenia ya berk.

Stuttering by convenience. “Why don’t you just f-f (cough).” Loved it then, love it now.

Syed, please move on to the album "Quadrophenia" , I think you'll enjoy it even more than "Who's Next" Start with "Can You See the Real Me" and "5:15"

the first punk song!!

A slogan of the time was "Don't trust anyone over 30".

A lot of Who songs, particularly early on had angry lyrics with happy music

I watch and comment on a lot of your reviews. So I hope you noticed this comment. The thing is you are so insightful in your reviews but in this case, and I understand why, you kind of missed it. And you know what the remedy to that is? Rather than decide it doesn't go on your playlist, put it on your playlist at a very high frequency and then include other material from around that time or earlier. This way you will understand that the who is almost two different bands because they evolved so much. You can see the connections between the earlier and the later stuff, but I guarantee you they came so much earlier in it different musical landscape. The way that you got hurt on the radio is different the way people did songs was different and more simple. But once your ear adjusts to that and your history sense also a judges to that. Then listen to some of the other stuff like pictures of lily. Or Boris the spider. Just listen to those and really put them in rotation together with this song and you will really grow to like it I'm sure, because they were so good even back then and they are a thinking man's band as well as a blue collar band. And I know you like that kind of stuff. And guess what also, I really loved your comments about Hip Hop and comparing them. You nailed down exactly what I definitely feel.

The mods did speed around this time, and Daltry is mimicking how too much speed made them stutter. His Generation.

Young people at that time had a major distrust of government, (it had just came to light that the FBI was spying on student protesters); our President and the Generals lying about escalation of the war in Vietnam; and, 'the establishment' as a whole. The cynicism of young people came through with the saying "Never trust anyone over 30". Thus the line "I hope I die before I get old". True about the split between the generations. Not my favorite from The Who, their later work was more to my liking.

I don't know what's going on with either my connection, YT or your channel but this video simply will not play.

It was put in, not kept in. Awesome band. Try "A quick one while he's away."

Then listen to Quadrophenia next

At the time there were just Mods or Rockers(Teddies) in dress and demeanor. Who and Beatles were Mods. Stones were Rockers.

I like several early who songs Anyway anyhow anywhere Magic bus I can see for miles A legal matter Pictures of Lily