10 Overlooked Masterpiece Songs By Legendary Rock Bands
7. Armenia City In The Sky - The Who
From the equally-underrated 1969 album, 'The Who Sell Out,' (the band's third studio effort) comes this oft-overlooked song, which sums up pretty much everything The Who were about - progressive, melodic and heavy, with a big helping of tongue-in-cheek fun.
Blasting out with backwards-effects and a classic Keith Moon beat, Armenia City In The Sky was actually penned by non-band-member John David Percy 'Speedy' Keen, a musician best known for his association with the group, Thunderclap Newman.
Keen also wrote the enduring and much-covered classic, Something In The Air, and performs vocals on Armenia, alongside Roger Daltrey. The track is notable for its advanced (for the time) use of sound-effects, tape-manipulation and incorporation of disparate instruments.
It's been theorized by some that the song stands as a giant euphemism for an acid trip. Given the reverse-effects, strange drones and sometimes-comic voices, you can understand why. Whatever the song is actually about, it's a great slice of early Who, which well deserves wider listening.