Ignored   Obscured Restored

Another anniversary deluxe album release is due out soon, this time for The Who’s The Who By Numbers.  While it’s not my favorite Who album, it contains some excellent music, including my favorite deep cut, “Imagine a Man.”

For The Who By Numbers, songwriter Pete Townshend moved beyond the grand fictional narratives of Tommy and Quadrophenia, turning inward instead.  The album is one of his most personal works, an intensely first-person record that plays out directly inside his own psyche.

“Imagine a Man” reflects the immense psychological burden Townshend felt as the band’s principal songwriter and creative force.  The song captures a rare moment of vulnerability, exposing the doubts and pressures that accompanied his success.

Lead singer Roger Daltrey, who was often selective about which of Townshend’s lyrics he was willing to sing, immediately recognized the song’s power.  “Imagine a Man” became an instant favorite.  In 1975, he told New Musical Express:

“One song particularly, called ‘Imagine a Man’ [originally misprinted as ‘Imaginary Man’], I think is the best song Pete’s ever written.”

Daltrey has frequently spoken about the challenge of inhabiting Townshend’s deeply personal songs.  When Townshend handed over acoustic demos sung with raw, painful honesty, Daltrey felt tremendous pressure to match that emotional intensity.

For “Imagine a Man,” he deliberately set aside his usual bare-chested rock swagger in favor of a restrained, delicate performance.  Critics and fans alike often cite it as one of his finest vocal achievements.  Daltrey manages to command the song dramatically without ever breaking its emotional fragility.

The new 50th-anniversary super deluxe edition of The Who By Numbers, due for release on October 30, features 92 unreleased tracks along with two archival live shows.  Among the early previews is a previously unheard mix of “Imagine a Man” featuring Townshend’s guide vocal.  Listening to it, you can easily understand why Daltrey was so moved by the song — and perhaps why he was inspired to deliver one of the most nuanced and affecting performances of his career.

So which version do you prefer: Townshend’s intimate original vocal or Daltrey’s masterful interpretation?

Enjoy… until next week.