7 Jul 2022
Half-speed remastered Tommy and The Who Sell Out out now!
Today, 7 July, sees the release of the third and fourth in a series of half-speed mastered studio albums from The Who: The Who Sell Out and Tommy.
These limited-edition black vinyl versions have been mastered by long-time Who engineer Jon Astley at Close To the Edge and cut for vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios with a half-speed mastering technique which produces a superior vinyl cut. Both albums are packaged in their original sleeves with a libretto (Tommy), a psychedelic poster (The Who Sell Out) and with obi strips and certificates of authenticity.
Released in 1967, The Who Sell Out was the third album released by the band and is revered for being one of the first concept albums, celebrating the short-lived pirate radio stations of the late 60s with its groundbreaking use of fake adverts and jingles between songs.
Highlight tracks include ‘I Can See for Miles’, ‘Armenia City in the Sky’ and ‘Tattoo’, and it has been mastered by long-time Who engineer Jon Astley from the original tapes and is housed in its original sleeve with psychedelic poster, obi strip and certificate of authenticity.
Regarded as one of the most important albums of all time, Tommy is a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind boy, which, when released in 1969, reached #2 in the UK charts and #7 in the US. The 2-LP album includes songs such as ‘Pinball Wizard’, ‘The Acid Queen’ and ‘See Me, Feel Me’ and it has been mastered by long-time Who engineer Jon Astley from the original tapes. It is packaged in the original triple-gatefold sleeve with the 12-page full-colour libretto.
Both The Who Sell Out Half-Speed Master vinyl LP and Tommy Half-Speed Master vinyl LP are available to order from here.
THE WHO SELL OUT – HALF SPEED MASTERED VINYL TRACK LIST
SIDE 1
Armenia City In The Sky
Heinz Baked Beans
Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand
Odorono
Tattoo
Our Love Was
I Can See For Miles
SIDE 2
I Can’t Reach You
Medac
Relax
Silas Stingy
Sunrise
Rael (1 and 2)
TOMMY – HALF SPEED MASTERED VINYL TRACK LIST
SIDE 1
Overture
It’s A Boy
1921
Amazing Journey
Sparks
The Hawker
SIDE 2
Christmas
Cousin Kevin
The Acid Queen
Underture
SIDE 3
Do You Think It’s Alright?
Fiddle About
Pinball Wizard
There’s A Doctor
Go To The Mirror!
Tommy, Can You Hear Me?
Smash The Mirror
Sensation
SIDE 4
Miracle Cure
Sally Simpson
I’m Free
Welcome
Tommy’s Holiday Camp
We’re Not Going To Take It
My Generation Half-Speed Master vinyl LP was released on 6 May and is available to purchase here
A Quick One Half-Speed Master vinyl LP was released on 6 May and is available to purchase here
The Who is my favorite band of all time. I’m 85 years-old and I listen to their music all of the time.
If “Odds & Sods” isn’t going to be a part of this series, is anything going to be planned for the other miscellaneous tracks, such as “I can’t explain”, “Substitute”, “Magic bus”, “Relay”, & “Old red wine”?
Is “The Who Sell Out” going to be in mono or stereo?
Hi Jared, stereo.
Odds & Sods Half Speed Master was released in 2020 Record Store Day
Special guest in Philadelphia will be Amythyst Kiah. All special guests can be found here: https://www.thewho.com/the-who-announce-special-guests-for-their-2022-north-american-tour/
Are you going to be repressing copies of the 3LP Live At Leeds half speed masters?
Does Tommy feature the original tri-fold sleeve?
Yes, it’s exactly the same triple gatefold sleeve including the 12-page libretto. LP1 has sides 1 and 2 and LP2 has sides 3 and 4 – unlike the 1969 album which had LP1: side 1 and 3 and LP2: sides 2 and 4 which was done for auto-change turntables back then.
Is “The Who Sell Out” gonna include John and Keith’s ‘Track Records’ gag on the inner groove of side two?
Hi Jared, yes, the Track Records jingle is there in the run-out groove. The psychedelic poster is inside the sleeve and the little sticker that says ‘FREE PSYCHEDELIC POSTER INSIDE’ is on the front cover. Everything is as it should be.
Will the lifehouse album be released on vinyl?
Hi
Will the awesome Who’s Next ever be getting the Miles Showell half-speed mastering treatment? Or, have I been living under a rock and missed out?
Yes, it will, Jay.
Lifehouse! Now that will get me excited!!
Hi guys,
Wll it be reissued live at Hull together with live at Leeds? Or the latter alone? On vinyl)
Thanks
When will Whos Next and Quadrophenia be released half speed? Loving these!
When will Whos Next and Quadrophenia half speed masters be released?
Now that Sell Out and Tommy half speed remasters have come out, when will New Half Speed Masters of Who’s Next & Quadrophenia be released? Will this happen in 2022?
In 2023, Bobby.
What will be the next albums re-released at half speed and when will they be on sale?
Next up for half-speed mastering are Quadrophenia (the 1973 studio album) and The Who By Numbers. We will be posting on thewho.com once we schedule release dates for these two albums.
Who’s Next Won’t it be released in a half-speed version?
It will be remastered at half-speed
Goodnight! Will all future Who studio albums be remastered at half speed? If so, how long will it take? Thank you very much in advance.
Yes, all studio albums are being remastered by Jon Astley at Close To The Edge with half-speed masters cut at Abbey Road by Miles Showell. The whole collection should be available within the next couple of years.
I wish half speed master expanded of Who’s last. Is it only a dream?
Will live at Leeds get the miles Showell treatment
WHEN WILL BE REALISED THE WHO BY NUMBERS HALF SPEED MASTER? Thank you very much in advance.