Parting Should Be Painless

Last updated

Parting Should Be Painless
Parting Should Be Painless.jpg
Studio album by
Roger Daltrey
ReleasedFebruary 1984
Genre
Length40:03
Label
Producer Mike Thorne
Roger Daltrey chronology
Best Bits
(1982)		Parting Should Be Painless
(1984)		 Under a Raging Moon
(1985)

Parting Should Be Painless is the fifth studio album by English singer Roger Daltrey, released in February 1984, on the label Atlantic, in the United States, and on WEA in Germany, and Japan. The album was Daltrey's first solo album since the initial break-up of rock band the Who, and the first by any member of the band since the break-up. "Walking in My Sleep", "Parting Would Be Painless", and "Would a Stranger Do" were all released as singles. Two of those singles failed to chart, while "Walking in My Sleep" was a success, peaking at No. 4 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Contents

On release, the album was received negatively by the majority of music critics. It was also Daltrey's poorest selling studio album up to that point, peaking at No. 102 on the US Billboard chart, however it did make the Top 60 in the Netherlands, peaking at No. 45 on the MegaCharts. The album was produced by Mike Thorne, with the executive producer being listed under the pseudonym "Spike". This is presumably the same woman who was credited as the executive producer of Pete Townshend's compilation album Scoop , later revealed to be Helen Wilkins. The album was re-released as a limited edition audio CD on 12 October 2004, by Wounded Bird Records, but it vanished from the market almost as quickly as it was issued, becoming something of a rarity and by 2014 copies in very good condition were trading for £250. [1] [2]

The album was a concerted effort on Daltrey's part to vent his frustrations in the wake of the Who's break-up by assembling a set of roughly autobiographical songs. These included a track contributed by Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry ("Going Strong"), and a cover version of a song by the Eurythmics ("Somebody Told Me"). The album featured contributions from bass player Norman Watt-Roy, and keyboardist Mick Gallagher who were both members of Ian Dury and the Blockheads. It also features contributions from the critically acclaimed saxophonist Michael Brecker, and from two prolific session musicians, guitarist Chris Spedding, and drummer Allan Schwartzberg (both of whom had worked with Ferry/Roxy Music).

Production and recording

Musically, according to Daltrey the album covered areas that he had wanted The Who to pursue. "Pete [Townshend] and I both said the Who was an alternative to heavy metal, but toward the end, John [Entwistle] got more into that and Pete and I further away from it. Because we were compromising so much, we ended up just settling into what we knew how to do best. It bored me to tears, and I know it bored Pete to tears, too." [3]

Composition

The track Parting Should Be Painless was one of two tracks written by the former Marshall Hain bass player, Kit Hain, whose songs were written for or covered by many artists. Daltrey was again relying on other artists writing contributions to make a cohesive album, and this time, the list included songs written by former Roxy Music lead singer, Bryan Ferry ("Going Strong"), the Eurythmics co-founders Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart ("Somebody Told Me"), and ex-Ian Gillan keyboardist Colin Towns ("How Does the Cold Wind Cry"), as well as successful professional songwriters Nicky Chinn and Simon Climie.

"I'm not a songwriter, but within this album I tried to get songs that — the majority of the songs, anyway — sum up my feelings in the last year," he explained during an appearance on Good Morning America . "Parting Should Be Painless" is a song that refers to the demise of the Who." [4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

The album received negative reviews upon its release, with William Ruhlmann of AllMusic retrospectively writing that the album "contains some interesting tracks, including Bryan Ferry's "Going Strong," which gives you an idea what Roxy Music would sound like if Daltrey was its lead singer", but "for the most part, it consists of mediocre material indifferently sung." [5] Writing for The Wall Street Journal , critic Pam Lambert described the album as "bland". During an interview in promotion for his 1987 album Can't Wait to See the Movie , Daltrey defended the album explaining, "it's a depressing album. It wasn't what people wanted to hear from me. To appreciate it you have to be depressed. That's the frame of mind I was in." [6]

Cash Box said praised the title track's "self-assuredness and consistently choice musicianship" and Daltrey's "powerful" vocal. [7]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Walking in My Sleep"
3:28
2."Parting Would Be Painless" Kit Hain 3:41
3."Is There Anybody Out There?"
4:17
4."Would a Stranger Do?"
3:33
5."Going Strong" Bryan Ferry 5:08
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Looking for You"Kit Hain3:20
7."Somebody Told Me"
3:07
8."One Day"Gerald Milne3:10
9."How Does the Cold Wind Cry" Colin Towns 3:46
10."Don't Wait on the Stairs" Steve Swindells 6:33
Total length:40:03

Personnel

A promotional poster for the album. Parting Should Be Painless Advert.jpg
A promotional poster for the album.

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [8]

Production team

Charts

Chart (1984)Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [9] 90
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [10] 45
US Billboard 200 [11] 102

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Daltrey</span> English musician and lead vocalist of The Who (b. 1944)

Roger Harry Daltrey is an English singer, musician and actor. He is co-founder and lead singer of rock band the Who.

<i>A Quick One</i> 1966 studio album by the Who

A Quick One is the second studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 9 December 1966. A version of the album with an altered track listing was released under the name Happy Jack on Decca Records in April 1967 in the United States, where the song "Happy Jack" was a top 40 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Spedding</span> Musical artist

Christopher John Spedding is an English guitarist and record producer. In a career spanning more than 50 years, Spedding is best known for his studio session work. By the early 1970s, he had become one of the most sought-after session guitarists in England. Spedding has played on and produced many albums and singles. He has also been a member of eleven rock bands: the Battered Ornaments, Frank Ricotti Quartet, King Mob, Mike Batt and Friends, Necessaries, Nucleus, Ricky Norton, Sharks, Trigger, and the Wombles. In May 1976, Spedding also produced the first Sex Pistols recordings.

<i>Empty Glass</i> 1980 studio album by Pete Townshend

Empty Glass is the second solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, and his first composed of original material, released on 21 April 1980 by Atco Records.

<i>The Who by Numbers</i> 1975 studio album by the Who

The Who by Numbers is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 October 1975 in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records, and on 6 October 1975 in the United States by MCA Records. It was named the tenth-best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

<i>Its Hard</i> 1982 studio album by The Who

It's Hard is the tenth studio album by English rock band the Who. Released in September 1982, it was the final Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002. It was also the second and final Who studio album with drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was released on Polydor Records in the UK, peaking at No. 11, and on Warner Bros. in the US where it peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The US rights to both this album and Face Dances subsequently reverted to the band, who then licensed them to MCA Records for reissue. The album achieved gold status by the RIAA in the US in November 1982. It was their last album for over two decades until Endless Wire in 2006.

<i>Face Dances</i> 1981 studio album by the Who

Face Dances is the ninth studio album by English rock band the Who. It was released in 1981 by Warner Bros. in the United States and on Polydor in the United Kingdom. It is one of two Who studio albums with drummer Kenney Jones, who joined the band after Keith Moon's death three years earlier.

<i>Odds & Sods</i> 1974 compilation album by The Who

Odds & Sods is an album of studio outtakes by British rock band the Who. It was released by Track Records in the UK and Track/MCA in the US in October 1974. Ten of the recordings on the original eleven-song album were previously unreleased. The album reached No. 10 on the UK charts and No. 15 in the US.

<i>Lets Stick Together</i> 1976 album by Bryan Ferry

Let's Stick Together is a 1976 album by Bryan Ferry. His third solo release, it was his first following the disbanding of Roxy Music earlier in the year. Unlike Ferry's two previous solo releases, Let’s Stick Together was not a dedicated album project, instead predominately made up of singles, B-sides, and an EP. Three tracks were exclusive to the LP, all remakes of Roxy Music tracks: "Casanova", "2HB", and "Chance Meeting". It had a generally favourable critical reception, but only just made the UK Top 20.

Christopher P. Thomas is an English record producer who has worked extensively with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Procol Harum, Roxy Music, Badfinger, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Pete Townshend, Pulp and the Pretenders. He has also produced breakthrough albums for the Sex Pistols, the Climax Blues Band and INXS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slip Kid</span> Song by The Who

"Slip Kid" is a song from the Who's seventh album, The Who by Numbers. Written originally for Pete Townshend's shelved Lifehouse rock opera, "Slip Kid" was revived in 1975. The song was originally written as a warning about the music business, though Townshend has pointed out the song's relevance in different contexts. The song was released as a single in the US, backed by "Dreaming from the Waist", but failed to chart.

<i>One of the Boys</i> (Roger Daltrey album) 1977 studio album by Roger Daltrey

One of the Boys is the third studio solo album by the Who's lead vocalist, Roger Daltrey. It was released in 1977, on Polydor in the UK, and MCA in the US. The sessions were recorded at the Who's Ramport Studios during the winter of 1976, and Daltrey allowed students from the local Battersea technical school to film them as an educational project. This also marked the first time that Daltrey had written or co-written a song since "Here for More" in 1970, and Lisztomania in 1975. Daltrey's original choice for producers were Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, but they declined.

<i>Under a Raging Moon</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Roger Daltrey

Under a Raging Moon is the sixth solo studio album by English singer Roger Daltrey, released in September 1985 by Atlantic Records. The album reached No. 42 on the US charts, and the single "After the Fire", written by Pete Townshend, reached No. 48. It includes a tribute to Keith Moon, former drummer of the Who who died in 1978, on the track "Under a Raging Moon". In Canada, the album reached No. 33 on the RPM Magazine charts, and "After the Fire" reached No. 53.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Yeah (Roxy Music song)</span> 1980 single by Roxy Music

"Oh Yeah", also known as "Oh Yeah (There's a Band Playing On the Radio)" or "Oh Yeah (On the Radio)" on certain releases, is a hit single by the English rock band Roxy Music. It was released as the second single from their 1980 album Flesh and Blood. The song is featured prominently in the fifth episode of the Stephen Merchant comedy series Hello Ladies.

<i>Moonlighting: The Anthology</i> 2005 compilation album by Roger Daltrey

Moonlighting: The Anthology is a compilation album released by Roger Daltrey on 7 February 2005. The collection includes tracks from various projects throughout his career, such as stage and film appearances, as well as a good sampling of songs from his discography. It was released on the Sanctuary label in the UK and also included "A Second Out," a previously unreleased song written by Daltrey and Steve McEwan of the band UnAmerican.

<i>Martyrs & Madmen: The Best of Roger Daltrey</i> 1997 greatest hits album by Roger Daltrey

Martyrs & Madmen: The Best of Roger Daltrey is a compilation album of Roger Daltrey recordings issued in 1997. The CD was released on Rhino Records R2 72846 USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking in My Sleep</span> 1984 single by Roger Daltrey

"Walking in My Sleep" is a song written by Leslie Adey and Jack Green and recorded by English singer Roger Daltrey for his fifth solo studio album Parting Should Be Painless (1984). The single was produced by Mike Thorne, with executive producer listed as "Spike". This is presumably the same woman who was credited as executive producer of Pete Townshend's compilation album Scoop (1983), later revealed to be Helen Wilkins.

<i>Spirits Walking Out</i> 1981 studio album by Kit Hain

Spirits Walking Out is the debut solo studio album by the British pop singer Kit Hain. The track "Danny" became a minor success in the charts. The tracks "Looking for You" and "Parting Would be Painless" were both covered by Roger Daltrey of the Who and released on his solo studio album Parting Should Be Painless (1984).

<i>School for Spies</i> 1983 studio album by Kit Hain

School for Spies is the second studio album by Kit Hain. The track titled "Fallen Angel" was covered by Roger Daltrey and released on his 1985 solo album Under a Raging Moon.

<i>Who</i> (album) 2019 studio album by The Who

Who is the twelfth and final studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 6 December 2019. The band's first new studio album in thirteen years, and the second overall comprising the duo of vocalist Roger Daltrey and instrumentalist Pete Townshend, it comprises ballads, rock music, electronic experimentation and "classic Who-ish" songs, according to Townshend.

References

  1. ↑ "Roger Daltrey Discography". Archived from the original on 2 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Who - Roger Daltrey Albums - Page 2".
  3. ↑ How The Who's breakup shatters Roger Daltrey's illusions about the power of rock, 25 May 1984, retrieved 18 September 2014
  4. ↑ Roger Daltrey Parting Should Be Painless , retrieved 18 September 2014
  5. 1 2 Parting Should Be Painless , retrieved 18 September 2014
  6. ↑ "Daltrey and the Who--Who Knows?". Los Angeles Times . 26 July 1987.
  7. ↑ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 19 May 1984. p. 12. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Parting Should Be Painless liner notes. Atlantic, WEA. 1984.
  9. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6708b". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Roger Daltrey – Parting Should Be Painless" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Roger Daltrey Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.