Talk:Baba O'Riley

untitled

Resources used for the infobox: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]. --Interiot 06:03, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

this article speaks as if the who do not exist anymore which is quite untrue.. they are doing a world tour in 2005. i will completely re-write when i get the time.

synth

• who originally playes synth for this song? Sabrebattletank 03:14, 9 February 2006 (UTC)

In regards to the CSI theme songs. The theme for CSI: NY is Teenage Wasteland by the Who.

• • • Clarification: I meant which band member played this originally on the record.Sabrebattletank 01:12, 15 February 2006 (UTC)

• Pete. Joeyramoney 22:51, 1 March 2006 (UTC)

As stated in the article, as well as here: http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/guitar/lowrey.html, a synthesizer was NOT used on this song. Even though it sounds like a synthesizer, "...the sound we hear on Baba O’Riley is really a Lowrey home organ. The model Pete used was a TBO-1..." Therefore, in the "Personnel" section, I have changed Pete Townsend's instrument list to read "Lowrey TBO-1 organ" instead of "synthesizer". In light of these facts, I can see no legitimate reason NOT to make this change. Gil gosseyn (talk) 05:37, 11 September 2015 (UTC)

"O'Reilly" vs "O'Riley"

right|150px So the article has been renamed to "O'Reilly", and appropriate sources have been cited, backing up the assertion that "O'Riley" was a misspelling [7]. On the other hand, for most of the song's life, the title on official album releases has been "O'Riley" (eg. the single cover says "O'Riley"). Even if it's not what the original authors intended, the song is still known by most as "O'Riley", and I'd prefer to move the article name back to that (while clearly noting in the article that The Who intended it to be spelled "O'Reilly"). --Interiot 17:51, 5 April 2006 (UTC)

Did anyone bother to actually read the Blueman "source"? It's obviously toungue-in-cheek humor; the Blue Man Group mispelled it, not The Who. The song is named after Meher Baba and Terry Riley, not some imaginary cousin named Baba. --AttilaD

Agreed. At best, this makes Wikipedia look ridiculous and credulous; at worst, it's subtle vandalism. The article needs to be returned to the original name and the link to the Blue Man thing removed or at least explained properly; I will do so shortly if nobody beats me to it. Jgm

I moved it back, and moved the Blue Man / O'Reilly reference down, out of the lead paragraph. FWIW, it may not be subtle vandalism... I added the Blue Man URL (after someone else renamed the article), and it wasn't blindingly obvious to me at the time that it was intended to be humor. Either way, the album was originally released as O'Riley, so at the very least, that's justification for using that name for the article title. --Interiot 00:50, 19 April 2006 (UTC)

Why does the article not discuss the origin of the name? i.e. Meher and Terry? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 163.116.147.30 (talk) 14:08, 11 March 2022 (UTC)

Friday Night Videos

Wasn't Baba O'Riley the opening song for Friday Night Videos in it early years? --TishaStacey 22:44, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

Appearances cleanup

The Appearances section is overwhelming the rest of the article. Per Wikipedia:Avoid trivia sections in articles, Wikipedia:Embedded list, and WP:NOT an indiscriminate collection of information, the sectoin needs to be cleaned up a bit. Some items should be removed, and the rest should be the mentioned naturally as part of the article text if possible. --Interiot 09:02, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

At the very least, the current listings need to be separated: things like the CSI:NY theme song and the feature on House are appearances, but covers and trivia should be in different sections. The article generally needs more structuring and sub-headings. - LeaHazel 22:03, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

---

Okay did a lot of restructuring of the item . It looks much better but needs to be approved by the original author.

Now, for the real issue. The author puts this song as one of the top N (10?) and quote 3 other "RockAnthems". So applying a simple common sense, ne would expect the same level of details to appear in this item as for the other 3 songs. This is no the case. This give us an indication that the claim might need serious fact beefing-up or slight downplaying. Next, I tried to use the other 3 songs as a template for this one and this is the usual herding of cats. Obviously, compared to global warming this is a small issue but it is still worth mentionning because somebody migh take time to create a template or direct me towards an existing one. Dilane 20:52, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

I was questioning whether the mentioning of this song and the CSI:NY theme should be moved down to the pop culture section, or at least added there as well. That fact is notable, but also a pop culture quirk. Farglesword (talk) 05:53, 16 August 2009 (UTC)

NPOV?

The song has gained a prominent place in music history over the years next to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" as one of the greatest hard rock songs in history as well as a classic rock radio staple.

This is a very opinionated statement, who came up with this list? What is the criteria? Other than being on a list of someone's favorite song, what do they have in common (that they don't have in common with a long list of many, many other songs?) This intro paragraph should be reworked or striken (from this and the articles for the other songs as well). 65.120.75.6 16:03, 26 September 2006 (UTC)Tim

I can see how it could be construed to be POV. However I think what the writer intended to convey was the song's popularity on classic rock and AOR radio stations (which is worth noting). I think a more appropriate revision would be to indicate specifically that. Although I don't oppose to it being removed entirely.

As someone who listened a lot to AOR radio in New York City in the 1980s, and heard the top ten of a few "Greatest Rock Songs of All Time" countdowns, I agree that it was one of the most treasured tracks of that radio format. N.B. I would add Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" and The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" to the songs named above. --anon. 71.183.139.60 (talk) 00:06, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Rock Star

I have added the three people from the CBS show Rock star onto the list of covers

House

In the Trivia section, it reads that it is "often" played on House, but the TV series and commercials section correctly reports that it only appeared on one episode and not "often". I'm removing it from the "Trivia" section, as the information under the TV section is more accurate and more detailed. Ryanjunk 20:24, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

removed wakeboard ref

I removed the wakeboard ref due to the relative obscurity of the reference relative to the other known uses of the song. If everyone listed every time the song had been used in some sort of video, the list would be pages and pages long. The ubiquity of the song requires one to filter the list to possibly well-known or relevant uses, especially since it could never be a truly known comprehensive source at a more general level.

Blue Man Group

I added Blue Man's performance of the song in their latest tour. --Wzrds3 02:09, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

Album cover

It looks like somebody has changed the picture. I doubt its supposed to be the O RLY owl...

History Section

In the section "History" we find the following statement: ...the song has been a personal favorite on classic rock radio stations as well as a concert staple... Having no idea at all to which person the word "personal" could possibly refer, I will assume that this was a slip and that "perennial" is what was intended. Hi There 03:37, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Another Cover

I don't know if anyone would care but Third Eye Blind does a fairly well known cover of this song and it's referenced as "teenage wasteland." It was at a Hard Rock Live performance about 2 years ago and might still be in heavy rotation in their in-cafe video playlist. Dividebyzero 04:09, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Single chronology

Could someone please fill in the single chronology - that is, the single before this and after this? It's not listed on the discography page, so I couldn't figure out what the next and previous singles were.

--Rock Soldier 03:54, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

The discography page lists only UK releases and "Baba O'Riley" wasn't released as a single there. --Jd204 23:22, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

The article currently states, "The song was released as a single in several European countries, including the United Kingdom, but in the United States it was only released as part of the album." --anon. 71.183.139.60 (talk) 00:10, 26 January 2014 (UTC)

Lyrics cited

Can it really be "Don't braise your eye"? Other than here on wiki, it's always cited as "Don't raise your eye" Mike 14:55, 13 July 2007 (UTC) It IS don't briase your eye but,no one really gets it! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.72.168.138 (talk) 20:05, 23 January 2009 (UTC)

Live version on The Kids Are Alright

Should this article mention something about the version of BO'R on the semi-live album The Kids Are Alright?

The Wikipedia The Kids Are Alright article says very little: just that the version of BO'R on that album was "recorded at Shepperton Studios, London, 5/25/78".

This live version used to get a lot of airplay in its own right. I remember it was also a staple of the laserium shows at Griffith Park Observatory back in the early 1980's. It's somewhat more bombastic, since the power chords come in on the guitar, not just the piano, from early on in the song. Worth mentioning? — Lawrence King ^(talk) 08:37, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

Q: How was the synth line handled in concert? I'm assuming Pete was on guitar, did they use a backing recording? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.176.221.244 (talk) 18:37, 1 November 2007 (UTC)

They used tapes in the early days. See the "Who's Next" show from the "Classic Albums" series for confirmation. I believe they use samplers these days. John "Rabbit" Bundrick has played keyboards in the live band for many years. --Jd204 23:29, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

So Which Is it?

Drummer Keith Moon had the idea of inserting a violin solo at the coda of the song, during which the style of the song shifts from crashing rock to an Irish folk-style beat. Dave Arbus, of East of Eden, plays viola in one of the most recognizable solos in popular music.

Is it a violin or a viola -- because they are NOT the same instruments. Teenage wasteland in-very-much-deed. Wikialiy strikes again. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.132.94.226 (talk) 22:29, 1 November 2007 (UTC)

The album sleeve (and all of the CD releases) say it's a violin.

Apologies forgot to sign --Jd204 23:24, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Babaorileygerman45.jpg

Image:Babaorileygerman45.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.

BetacommandBot 11:46, 5 November 2007 (UTC)

Also know as

I don't think it should say "also known as "Teenage Wastleland", I think it should say "often mislabed as "Teenage Wasteland". It is also the most mislabled song of all time, that should be somewhere on the page, if you need proof go on Google and put in "Rolling Stone Baba O'Riley" or "VH1 Bab O'Riley".

Also know as

I don't think it should say "also known as "Teenage Wastleland", I think it should say "often mislabed as "Teenage Wasteland". It is also the most mislabled song of all time, that should be somewhere on the page, if you need proof go on Google and put in "Rolling Stone Baba O'Riley" or "VH1 Baba O'Riley". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.244.187.101 (talk) 05:27, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Violin?

Are you sure that the solo at the end is a violin? The pitch sounds a bit too low. I've always assumed it's a viola. Kelisi (talk) 16:56, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

From what I understand, it is played by a viola in the recording, but is usually play by a harmonica 'live' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.19.75.245 (talk) 05:05, 6 August 2009 (UTC)

It's violin. Source: album credits, tv series Classic Albums - Who's Next. Although it appears as viola mistakenly in some sources, such as a BBC review of Who's Next. Let's switch this to violin. 187.191.13.204 (talk) 00:18, 4 February 2013 (UTC)

Teenage Wasteland v. Baba O'Riley

Something that alot of people don't know is that they are two different songs, hence the reason they are actually "mislabled". They are essintally the same song, BUT Teenage waste land has different music and extended/modified lyrics. I can prove this with a few different websites.

The lyrics to Baba The lyrics to Teenage wasteland

And for safe measure 2 youtube videos of each song preformed at the same concert. Teenage Wasteland Baba O'Riley

As far as a solution, i think it would be nice to see the wikipedia page of Teenage Wasteland as its own page, not a redirect.

Pockysticks (talk) 02:39, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

That's a really interesting video, do you know what it's from? A key question would be if it was published as "Teenage Wasteland" (say, on a DVD sleeve or introduced as such by Townshend). This could just as easily be "an alternative version of Baba O'Riley" or even some completely different song name. I don't think we can go by what a YouTuber titled his video. One way or another, it will bear mentioning, since the words are quite different as well as the arrangement. Jgm (talk) 11:55, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

Well look here: http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Songs_from_the_Lifehouse_Project#Teenage_Wasteland <--That explains what i basically was saying. And just for the lazy people that arent gonna go there, it says "Teenage Wastland" evolved into Baba O'Riley. Also note that on the Lifehouse Chronicles both tracks are listed. Pockysticks (talk) 03:57, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

References

Suggestion to add some info to "Use in sport and media" section

The song has been used in House M.D. series:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0606014/soundtrack

That's actually how I learned about the song. Don't know if this info is important enough to be added to "Use in sport and media" section... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.19.0.24 (talk) 20:46, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Section "Lifehouse Story"

I've struck thru my own earlier versions, and offer a refactoring of them into a less repetitive version, below the struck out material. ^{--Jerzy•t 04:12, 22 November 2009 (UTC)}

Intial version

Under title "Lifehouse Story"

I removed the following for rework here on talk:

==Lifehouse Story==
It is about a self-sufficient, drop-out family group farming in a remote part of Scotland who decide to return South to investigate rumours of a subversive concert event that promises to shake and wake up apathetic, fearful British society. "Baba O'Riley" is sung by Ray at the beginning of the film as he gathers his wife Sally and his two children to begin their exodus to London.

It appears to intended to obviate the earlier link to [[Lifehouse], which intention is ill-conceived: at most it should draw on established views of the song's role in Lhs, and let the other article tell the plot. If the cryptic title reflects that intention, never mind how to reword to communicate that; the correct title for the appropriate section is probably -- remember, no links in section headings --

Relation to Lifehouse

(I could also go on and on about miswording, failure to identify the PoV as reflecting that of Lifehouse, and -- like much of the accompanying article -- it needing restatement in the active voice.)
--Jerzy•t 21:06, 21 November 2009 (UTC)

Attempted reconstruction

(Under title Section "Lifehouse Story")

Ugh! I thot i'd lost the first draft of this, and started from scratch, not realizing i'd unintentionally saved the first one, until i prematurely saved the second. The following is the 2nd, and i'll mention below the remaining thot i wanted to include.^{--Jerzy•t 02:56, 22 November 2009 (UTC)}

I've removed

==Lifehouse Story==

It is about a self-sufficient, drop-out family group farming in a remote part of Scotland who decide to return South to investigate rumours of a subversive concert event that promises to shake and wake up apathetic, fearful British society. "Baba O'Riley" is sung by Ray at the beginning of the film as he gathers his wife Sally and his two children to begin their exodus to London.

Supposedly "it's always best to start at the beginning" and it does seem so where chaos reigns. The intention

Lifehouse story

seems to be the only sense that could be made out of that title, and that's indeed almost all the sec'n tries to explicate. But that story is not within the compass of the accompanying article -- what would be is explaining the role of the song in the contemplated (and i gather eventual) larger work. That would be done
_ _ under a title like

Role in Lifehouse

_ _ in the active voice,
_ _ remembering that -- while there are places called "the South" -- when preceded by a verb denoting motion of the subject, that word is a adjective, not a proper noun,
_ _ saying something about the content of the lyrics, so it is distinguished from, say, a Baroque interlude, that merely functions as a more definitive version of a cut between scenes, and
_ _ being careful with the details of such fictional plot points as:

_ _ "self-sufficien[cy]" can only occur in a Shangri-La (or a fantasy version of Scotland) where the neighbors are benign and forbidding geography obviates dependence on warriors sufficient in number and skill to keep out bandits, raiders, and conquerors;
_ _ "to investigate" is a far-fetched purpose for a family's abandonment of its home over rumors (tho perhaps they did so "in the desperate hope of...", or based on a belief in their magical powers);
_ _ a journey, no matter how long or far, of a single family is not an "exodus" (unless the voices inside someone's head said to call it that -- which would require mention before using the noun).

In a line, the section is enuf of a train-wreck to justify its removal, awaiting the good offices of a subject-matter specialist who can do it justice.
--Jerzy•t 02:43, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

Refactoring

The following is a refactoring of two contributions which i unintentionally saved both of, and of which either would have alone approximated my view. Leaving them both would require effort by each reader to sort them out; getting rid of one would conceal things that i did, for good or ill, intend to say, and did commit to the edit-history record. I believe the following says everything in the two versions with a minimum of duplication; it is probably inevitable that i've said a little more.^{--Jerzy•t 04:12, 22 November 2009 (UTC)}

I removed the following for rework here on talk:

==Lifehouse Story==
It is about a self-sufficient, drop-out family group farming in a remote part of Scotland who decide to return South to investigate rumours of a subversive concert event that promises to shake and wake up apathetic, fearful British society. "Baba O'Riley" is sung by Ray at the beginning of the film as he gathers his wife Sally and his two children to begin their exodus to London.

Supposedly "it's always best to start at the beginning" and it does seem so where chaos reigns. The intention

Lifehouse story

seems to be the only sense that could be made out of the cryptic title

Lifehouse Story

and that ill-conceived project -- that story is not within the compass of the accompanying article -- indeed seems almost all that the sec'n tries to explicate. What would be appropriate is explaining the role of the song in the contemplated (and i gather eventual) larger work; that would be done under a title like

Role in Lifehouse

or

Relation to Lifehouse

(remember, no links in section headings) rather than seemingly attempt to obviate the earlier link to [[Lifehouse]: at most it should draw on established views of the song's role in Lhs, and let the other article tell the plot.

My first version (which i would not have intentionally saved since i was aware of the broken link-markup) was nearly finished, but i thot lost. In it, i was about to close with

(I could also go on and on about failure to identify the PoV of article as reflecting that of Lifehouse, and more.)

In the second, i was hardier, or less complacent, and did go on and on by fleshing out points that i had earlier intended to rely on making sense with fewer details:
Never mind just how to reword to communicate that role, but i have not attempted that rewording task bcz it would also be written
_ _ in the active voice,
_ _ remembering that -- while there are places called "the South" -- when preceded by a verb denoting motion of the subject, that word is a adjective adverb, not a proper noun,
_ _ saying something about the content of the lyrics, so it is distinguished from, say, a Baroque interlude, that merely functions as a more definitive version of a cut between scenes, and
_ _ being careful with the details of such fictional plot points as:

_ _ "self-sufficient [cy]" -- the removed section's apparently uncritical adoption of the PoV of Lifehouse, contradicting the established wisdom that self-sufficiency can only occur in a Shangri-La (or a fantasy version of Scotland) where the neighbors are benign and forbidding geography obviates dependence on warriors sufficient in number and skill to keep out bandits, raiders, and conquerors;
_ _ "to investigate" is a far-fetched purpose for a family's abandonment of its home over rumors (tho perhaps they did so left "in the desperate hope of...", or based on a belief in their magical powers);
_ _ a journey, no matter how long or far, of a single family is not an "exodus" (unless the voices inside someone's head said to call it that -- which would require mention before using the noun).

In a line, the section is enuf of a train-wreck to justify its removal, awaiting the good offices of a subject-matter specialist who can do it justice.
--Jerzy•t 21:06, 21 Nov. and 02:43 & 04:57, 22 November 2009 (UTC)

Escape Velocity (from The Chemical Brothers album Further)

Is it just my impression or the beginning of "Baba O'Riley" was sampled/mixed/has inspired The Chems on the 2nd song of their album Further, Escape Velocity? That synth is unmistakeable! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.112.16.252 (talk) 08:12, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

Rush by Big Audio Dynamite II

The keyboard solo is sampled in the song Rush by Big Audio Dynamite II, which was a bit of a hit in the 90's. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.3.108.199 (talk) 10:05, 18 December 2012 (UTC)

Is "Sally" a reference to The Catcher in the Rhy?

I was reading J. D. Salingers famous novel and a passage struck out to me. In Chapter 17, pp.132-3 in my edition, Holden suddenly takes Sally Hayes hand, and then proposes an exodus from both NYC and their lives - taking a car and going across the land to a rural spot and starting a new life without their parents, colleges plans etc.

This struck me because I had always wondered who "Sally" was in the lyrics to this song.

Sally, take my hand

We'll travel south 'cross land Put out the fire and don't look past my shoulder The exodus is here The happy ones are near

Let's get together before we get much older

Reading the article it tells me that "Sally" was the wife of an impoverished farmer in the UK who travels south through a wasted England. Has Townsend ever stated anything about Catcher being an inspiration for Lighthouse or Baba O'Riley' or it it just a coincidence?--Bellerophon5685 (talk) 20:48, 14 November 2020 (UTC)