Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere by The Who

Album: Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy (1965)

Charted: 10

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Like many early songs by The Who, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" captures the band enjoying the unfettered freedom of youth: they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want. Pete Townshend, who wrote the lyric, described it as "anti-middle age, anti-boss class, and anti-young marrieds."
Townshend thought up the title while listening to a Charlie Parker album. Parker, known as "bird," sounded free when he played.
This was The Who's second single, following "I Can't Explain." Their producer at the time was Shel Talmy, who could wrangle a lot of noise into something coherent. After "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" was released, the group made their first album with Talmy: My Generation. The title track to that one was another feat of controlled chaos and a defining hit for the band, but The Who had their manager, Kit Lambert, produce their next one, breaking their contract with Talmy and setting off a legal battle that ended up giving Talmy royalties on every Who recording into 1971.
This contains one of the first uses of feedback on a record. The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey recalled to Uncut magazine October 2001: "We were doing this feedback stuff, even before that. We'd be doing blues songs and they'd turn into this freeform, feedbacky, jazzy noise. Pete was getting all these funny noises, banging his guitar against the speakers. Basically, the act that Hendrix is famous for came from Townshend, pre-'I Can't Explain.'"

"'Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere' was the first song when we attempted to get that noise onto a record and that was a good deal of time before Hendrix had even come to England," Daltrey continued. "The American pressing plant sent it back thinking it was a mistake. We said, 'No, this is the f---ing noise we want. CUT IT LOUD!'"
This is a rare songwriting collaboration between Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, who share the writing credits. Most Who songs were written by Townshend alone.
Nicky Hopkins played piano. A session man at the time, he would go on the work with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Comments: 11

Joshua from La Crosse, WiThis was my unofficial personal anthem during my late teens - even though the song is actually older than I am! It's still far and away my favorite Who song of the pre-Tommy era.
Babar from London, United StatesGood morning !!

I love the Who.

Please can you tell me the song "Bitter and Twisted" what was that about..........song by "The Who" MANY thanks

Babar

London, England :-)
Colin from New Egypt, NjWell the Who were more talented than the Beatles the Beatles were just the first to rock out. I mean The Who were on of the first REAL rock bands. I mean they were like the first ones to really rock, not softly like the monkees and the beatles and those bands but hard like influencing Led Zepp and the HARD rock bands. The beatles were awesome too but the Who are my all time fav band!
Guy from Woodinville, WaOn the whole, I would say the Beatles had more talent the the Who--I mean, get real! But the Who do rock out more and Pete certainly produced a lot of brilliant stuff.
Oliver from Fort Collins, Cothe only problem is that the beatles suck compared to THE WHO
Jonathan from Johnstown, PaThe Beatles beat The Who to it! "I Feel Fine", relased a year before this song, uses feedback!
Robb from Wantagh, NyActually Rex, this song wasn't used a lot during the 70's or during their early 80's tours for that matter.
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, Scthis is a great song to rock out to!!! Crank it up guys!!!
Rex Jackson from Sleze Lans, MaPlayed live at every Who concert from the begining!!!
Eddie from Petaluma, CaThis song doesent get the credit it deserves. it was one of the first tracks to use feedback and it is awesome
Stefanie Magura from Rock Hill, ScCool song! The feedback is pretty cool.

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