Naked Eye (The Who song)
| "Naked Eye" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Who | |
| from the album Odds and Sods | |
| Released | 4 October 1974 |
| Recorded | 1970–71 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 5:10 |
| Label | MCA |
| Songwriter(s) | Pete Townshend |
"Naked Eye" is a song by the Who, written by Pete Townshend. The song was performed live beginning in 1969 and a studio version was released on the 1974 compilation album Odds and Sods.
Background
The roots of "Naked Eye" lay in a descending riff in the key of "F" played during the Who's end-of-show improvisations during their North American Tour in mid-1969.[1][2] The Who closed their performance at Woodstock with one of these "Naked Eye" improvisations, cultimating in Townshend smashing his Gibson SG and flinging it into the crowd.[3]
After Townshend developed "Naked Eye" into a full song, a studio version was originally set to be released on a 1970 EP entitled 6 Ft. Wide Garage, 7 Ft. Wide Car, which was also to include "Water", "I Don't Even Know Myself", "Now I'm a Farmer", and "Postcard",[2] but this record never materialized.[4] "Naked Eye" was eventually completed in the spring of 1971 during the sessions for Who's Next, which included several numbers originally intended for the ultimately unreleased rock opera Lifehouse.[4]
While "Naked Eye" never saw release on a studio album, Townshend said it was "one of our best stage numbers".[2] The song's riff appeared as part of the long "My Generation" medley on Live at Leeds, and the full song appeared on the album and film of their performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.[1]
Reception
Author Mike Segretto wrote that "Naked Eye" is about "the self-delusions that guide us through our relationships" and is a plead for open communication. He also noted that Roger Daltrey sang the song's emotionally sensitive verses, while Townshend sang the angry one, a reversal of their usual roles.[5]
John Atkins, author of The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998, wrote that "Naked Eye" is "dynamic and philosophical" and was a memorable part of the Who's live repertoire, but the studio version failed to capture its energy. He considered the 1971 performance at the Young Vic Theatre, available as a bonus track on CD reissues of Who's Next, to be the definitive version.[6]
References
- ^ a b Howard, Will (30 June 2025). "'Naked Eye': The Who hit that never was". Far Out. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Cady, Brian. "'Odds & Sods' liner notes". The Hypertext Who. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ^ Harkins, Thomas E. (2019). Woodstock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Fabled Garden. Guilford, Connecticut: Backbeat. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-61713-666-5. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ^ a b Grantley, Steve; Parker, Alan (2010). The Who by Numbers: The Story of the Who Through Their Music. London: Helter Skelter. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-9051-3926-2.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2014). The Who FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Fifty Years of Maximum R&B. Milwaukee: Backbeat. p. 361. ISBN 978-1-48036-103-4. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
- ^ Atkins, John (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 134–136, 167. ISBN 0-7864-0609-7. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
