The Who - My Generation | REACTION 

Roger Daltrey sang the lead vocals with a stutter, which was very unusual. After recording two takes of the song normally, The Who's manager, Kit Lambert, suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British kid on speed. Daltrey recalled to Uncut magazine October 2001: "I have got a stutter. I control it much better now but not in those days. When we were in the studio doing 'My Generation', Kit Lambert came up to me and said 'STUTTER!' I said 'What?' He said 'Stutter the words - it makes it sound like you're pilled' And I said, 'Oh… like I am!' And that's how it happened. It was always in there, it was always suggested with the 'f-f-fade' but the rest of it was improvised."

if you listen to isolated tracks of Entwistle he is unbelievable. One of the best bass players ever and the true foundation of The Who.

I could watch Keith Moon play the drums for hours , totally unique and brilliant.

"Hope I die before I get old" is one of THE classic lines in rock. The stuttering is supposed to represent burned (drugged) out British youth. Guitarist-singer Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) paid homage to it with their 1970s hit You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet.

The Who are a British rock band formed in London in 1964. They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century & have sold over 100 million records worldwide. They have so many great songs such as "I Can't Explain", "The Kids Are Alright", "Substitute", "Happy Jack", "I Can See For Miles", "Behind Blue Eyes", "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Baba O'Riley", "Boris The Spider", "Pictures Of Lily", "Magic Bus", "Who Are You" etc. The group's 1969 concept album "Tommy" included the single "Pinball Wizard".

One story I have heard is that when the band submitted this recording to be pressed into records, the pressing company sent it back to them, with a note that said: "Technical error" or something. Speaking to them about what the problem was, engineers said: "Don't you want to fix that ending part? There's feedback on the guitar"...To that point, those engineers had never heard anybody do that sound deliberately...

This is the 60's in a song. Such fun.

This was pretty revolutionary for ‘65. People were still used to Pat Boone and Dion and such. Then the Stones came around with “Satisfaction” and its snarling riff, and The Who smashed their guitars in “My Generation”, and the game changed. The Beatles were the biggest game-changers, but they were still in their Beatlemania phase at this point.

This was an anthem of that generation. I came of age in the 80s, but the 60s and 70s have always been my favorite. This is a seminal song, also one that signaled the coming punk movement. Great stuff.

This song is about the Mods of 60's Britain they wore suits, fishtail parkas, levis, listened to soul, RnB and Ska and drove Lambretta and Vespa Scooters festooned with lights and Mirrors

This is one of the earliest songs by The Who. 1966? I was 13 yrs. old. Man, we had the best Bands, and the Best music in the 60s and 70s. Thanks guys

The "Mods" were a Brit movement in the '60's that very much really were punk before punk, and The Who was at the forefront. The stuttering was a nod to the Mods and their use of amphetamines - stuttering was sometimes a side effect of heavy amphetamine use.

Nightclubs used to fade down the music during "FFFFFade away" and the crowd would shout "FUCK OFF!"...great fun!!

The bass line by John Entwistle is iconic and awesome, He died not that long ago as the band lived, In a motel room with a hooker and had drugs in his body, Sums up Rock n Roll in a tee.

Keith Moon was an absolute monster on the drums.

This was punk of its time rebellious R&R linked to the Mod movement (they were the guys in Parkas, riding scooters with hundreds of rear view mirrors attached and having bike chain fights with the Bikers (black leather and MotorBikes) up and down the Brighton seafront ). You should watch the film Quadrophenia which features the Who’s music and documents this epic battle of 60s sub cultures , the stutter mimics what happened to people on the drug PCP (Angel dust) which was in common use at the time.

Lets not forget this track has always been tied to the Mod movement in the UK and appears in the film Quadrophenia, a classic British film about the '60s and featuring Bank Holiday clashes between the Mods (scooters and parkahs) and Rockers (motorbikes and leathers)

It's usually Pete, not Roger, who plays the harmonica - check out their song "Join Together". The Who started off doing pop-rock songs like "My Generation", "Substitute", and "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere", then produced an excellent rock opera (Tommy) and movie (Quadrophenia) before moving into longer "epic" songs like "Won't Get Fooled Again". Their early track "A Quick One While He's Away" was an indication that Pete in particular was always interested in long, convoluted songs, though. A lot of early UK punk rockers loved The Who - the infamous accidental meeting in a pub of Pete and two members of the Sex Pistols led to the song "Who Are You" and Pete's solo song "Rough Boys". The stuttering on this track is meant to imitate someone drugged up on amphetamines - and the "why don't you ffffff-fade away" line caused a stir when it came out - everyone knew the (at the time banned) word he was really meaning!

If y’all think THIS is Punk…pull up the Monterey Pop live performance of the same song…and prepare to be both stunned and freaked out. THAT performance is even MORE Punk…and some of the equipment does NOT survive!

That Keith Moon solo at the end is like a machine gun! And it was 1965...

The Who had a lead guitarist, lead singer, lead drummer and lead bassist. They were kind of like the Band-Maid of the ‘60s in that way. Check out Substitute, which is a commentary of their rivalry with the Stones. But if you only listen to one more song, make it “A Quick One While He’s Away”. Do the live version from The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. And watch the video. It’s fire and then some.

This one of those songs that the more you hear the more you appreciate. Came out the year I was born.

This is a song that used to end their concerts with because they would finish with smashing Peets guitar and Keith moon blowing up his drum kit

Phenomenal drumming by Keith Moon.

I saw multiple Who gigs. Great band. The drummer (Keith Moon) famously wanted to wash his Rolls Royce car...so he drove it into a swimming pool.

Songfacts®: . After recording two takes of the song normally, The Who's manager, Kit Lambert, suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British kid on speed.

Another good 60’s Who song is Magic Bus.

Used to be a night club DJ and this is a brilliant rock tune to fill the dance floor along with I can't get no satisfaction and Brown Sugar from Rolling Stones, Gean Jenie from David Bowie

In the mid 60’s the British Invasion bands were categorized as good boy or bad boy bands. The Beatles were seen as clean cut vs the Stones who were the rough bad boys of rock. The Who leaned towards the bad boys. Mostly because of Kieth Moon.

One of my favorite moments ever happened in 1985 at Live Aid. The Who played this song. Now, remember the start of the second verse begins with "Why don't you all.... ffff ffffade awaaay", right? He's how we all saw it on TV. Daltrey: Why don't you all.... ffffffffff [overtaken by the sound of static as the feed is lost]. Then silence.

My Generation is a really good song by The Who

The stutter is a nod to the youth sub culture called “mods” and their love of taking speed so they could dance all night to American r&b all night. The Who came out of mid 60’s Mod culture.

Even knowing the stuttering was supposed to reflect someone on pills, but as a young kid (8) I thought it was being so mad that it was hard to get the words out.

Back in the 60's they used to destroy their instruments at the end of some songs. As for their songs they have so many great ones, but give a listen to "My Wife".

Since the sixties every generation has had this attitude, whether there is a song this good about it or not. And talking about it in your face (yeah, The Who were the more punkish of the British Invasion) was started in the sixties. This was a hippies culture defining song--another catch phrase back then was never trust anybody over 30. John Entwistle was one of the most creative and influential bass players in the world of rock. Have a listen to "Boris the Spider", nothing earth shattering on the bass, but was written by "The Ox" and not many songs featured bass prominently like this before.

Anthem for a generation

Punk before punk!! Trashing all that came before - the stutter was a reference to the speeding kids

The album my generation is great

fantastic song

I clicked for My Generation; I stayed for the going off the rails for Looney Tunes. Very entertaining gents! You have to check out this song on their Live at Leeds epic performance. Ridiculous.

Remembering their first concert in St. Louis in the mid 60's when they opened for Herman's Hermits. They completely tore up the stage and instruments at the ed of this song.

Hey 502: It's important to look at the singles chronology in the mid 60s NOT albums. In the UK this was not their debut as The Who. First was "I Can't Explain", then "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" then "My Generation". "I Can't Explain" was Townshend's "You Really Got Me" which preceded it by 5 months. For me, the real WTF moment was the feed back and distortion on "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere". As an 18 year old Londoner I had never heard anything like it on record before. Set the scene for "My Generation" and Entwistle's bass 💥 They then changed record labels and in 1966 had a series of superb singles ""Substitute", "I'm a Boy", and "Happy Jack" along with tracks from their previous label. Try them all and in mono. Great stuff.

Ooooooh! I love how Hunky, I mean Ryan, is moving on this beat. Great jive! Repeat!!! 😉. Hi Ty 🍬 & Nick 🍭😊

You should check out the Live at Leeds version. A powerful and much longer song as it's a medley of about six other songs, all bangers that will blow you away. Few bands have ever played with such force.

if it's British it's banging!! Stones, Zep, Floyd, Clash, Kinks, Who, the list is endless. I guess you guys had the Doors and thanks for that.

Thanks for your reply 502s

The stuttering was also to extend the masked F off, " why don't you f.f.f.ade away..".

Love Reign O’re Me!!! It’s a masterpiece. ❤️😁

the stuttering was mimicking the way the kids spoke on the uppers of the day dexedrine.durophet,black bombers,purple hearts,etc.... disco biscuits of the day

The Smothers Brothers version with Moon's drum kit (industrial strength M50) explosions at the end is the ultimate version. Too bad it deafened Pete in one ear and singed some of his hair off. It kicks their movie "The Kids Are Alright" off perfectly.

My favorite song by The Who is "Another Tricky Day". I never see it suggested for a reaction and would really like to see someone do it. It has very weird harmonics which I love.

Thanks for posting the reaction in July 3 2022

A person would never stutter during a song.........My Generation.

Not my favorite Who song, but definitely iconic. “Hope I die before I get old” 😂 The ship’s sure sailed on that one. Both Daltrey and Townsend must be 80 by now.

At the end, Keith Moon made me envision Animal from the Muppets!! I pictured them tightening that collar around his neck to hold him back til then! 😂

As I was a teenager when this came out, yes killer song. Better early album is The Who Sell Out which mimics the Pirate radio stations on ships outside London defying the BBC and British laws.

Back in the 60s and even into the 70s to get your song on the radio it had to be basically 2 minutes 59 seconds or wouldn't get played That's when Pete says screw it Songs that are longer than that I don't care if they're played on the radio

Killer tune, killer band, You might wanna have a listen to a band called, The Eyes, with their innuendo laden classic "My Degeneration" from 1966.

The stutter in Roger's vocals is a nod to the use of French Blues, a pill that teenagers used in the 60s that made them talk really fast and stutter. The mono version is better than the stereo version.

You weren't wrong The studio version Of Barbara O'Reilly Features violin but The live version videos show roger doing that section on the harmonica

It might be interesting for you guys to check out The Zimmers do this! It's a bunch of really OLD, older than ME, people singing this song! Really fun!

HAPPY 4TH & THANKS for the smiles today guys. You're making this old lady laugh. This is absolutely the best reaction I've seen to this song. You guys are spot on clever and you're right about it being punk. Many people considered it to be early punk maybe even one of the first in the genre. It's like the debate over whether the Beatles Helter skelter is the first hard rock song. I was only 11 I was listening on my a.m. transistor radio every night to the brand new rock and roll station when aI was supposed to be sleeping. The new bands from across the pond were all we talked about on the bus going to school the next morning. I got my first 45 RPM player for Christmas that year and started collecting records. I wish I still had them all. It's hard for people now to understand what a contrast that music was to what was being played on mainstream radio at that time. Besides Elvis and the big bopper, there was Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and the crooners. That's what my parents were listening to. Every important event of my life growing up has a 60 70s 80s or 90s rock anthem to it. I'll be rocking out a few years from now when I'm in the nursing home!! 🤘😃 Keep it up! You've got fans down here in Music City and I'm one of them.

Proto-Punk!

This was the "anthem" of the beginning of what would-be known as "The counterculture." We're not going to do things, the way our parents want us to" type attitude. And then you had Hippies, Drugs, Woodstock, etc. The 60s were both great and horrible. Vietnam war, race riots across the entire country, assassinations of President John F Kennedy, his brother Bobby Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. It was crazy every day. We had the moon landing in 69, along with Woodstock Rock festival with 500,000 people. Like I said, it was both amazingly cool, and equally bad.

They were making fun of a group of kids in England who talked like that because of the pills they took

The who are great! Lot's of amazing songs, but yes I think Generation takes a few listens, fits well in the film Quadrophenia 👏

Watch the live video when they did it on the smothers brothers show

The stuttering was to imitate the effects of amphetamines.

Check out this song on the smothers Brothers show......moon literally blew the place up

The stuttering was to mimic the impaired speech of an inebriated/high individual on 'my generation'....

The UK was miles ahead in style and music at this point ....Interesting fact.... The stutter is to replicate the way pilled up mods would speak

Anyhow anyway anywhere from 65 is another mad one from the Who

_#cheers_

This came out during the height of the "Mod" craze in the mid sixties...the stuttering is intentional, pretending like he's on pills...uppers/downers.

Nick, you got the wrong version. Their “Live At Leeds” version is such a hoot.

Lovin' your reactions guys! If you haven't yet, could you delve into a British Invasion of a later kind...The Clash..'London Calling', 'Rock The Casbah' , etc. You lads are hella entertaining!! Subbed 👍.

We were rebellious, anti establishment.

My generation is now a bunch of old codgers - like me. :-)

The stuttering of his words was completely intentional. Call it a gimmick, or whatever, it sure as hell worked.

If you want to hear some great violin check "Out of the Blue" by Roxy Music!!!

You should check out the live performance video from The Smothers Brothers TV show! Epic!

If you want a real treat, watch them do 'Who are You' the promo video! Get a real taste of the band dynamics, and Keith being Keith!!

The stutter us a reference to “blues”, the amphetamine of choice for the mods who were the Who’s original fanbase. Taking them made you talkative and tend to stumble getting your words out.

Roger does play that part on a harmonica live, so you should get a pass on that one.

Look at pink floyd comfortably numb ..pulse version ...child in time deep purple ...the way we walk by genesis ....supertramp fools ouverture paris ....

Find a video of Entwhistle actually playing the bass solo. The Ox is The Boss🤘🏻

Rogers stutter is mocking a fan that he talked to after a show. The kid was all pumped up on speed and kept stuttering

Ringo Starr voice of Thomas the Tank Engine.

I gots grandparents n yano how most fams go .. Via my fams generations. I know 1950s threw current

Pre punk y'all said .. So Beatles org look was that of RAMONES. Some record sleaze I'm confident fukd up wit there look

Fun song - sounds 60's. Has a "Cagey Cretin" vibe. Looney Tunes is the best! It's not a smooth song, so many things happening at once... All sorts of noises. But fun! Keith Moon always going off but no one can touch him. Just fun!

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I think you three should listen to who are you.

Try "Baby Don't You Do It" if you want to hear them really go punk.

Funny fact is that Jimmy Page plays on this

Live it's a harmonica in studio its violin

Hey, Could you plz react to Mornin’, The Theme from Moonlighting and Just to be Loved by Al Jarreau? This guy is AMAZING

How about listening to the following line and anticipating that Roger is going to use an expletive Why dont you all f - f - f ........... I think that was Petes idea when he wrote it

Could you please send another reaction

The farthest thing from camo, Mods and Rockers. 😁