10 Underrated Hard Rock Songs Of The '70s
4. Slip Kid - The Who
As the Who were coming off of Quadrophenia, you could tell that they were a bit world-weary of the idea of the concept record. Despite making some of the greatest conceptual pieces on their previous effort and with Tommy, it was finally time for them to step back and just deliver a straightahead rock and roll record. Though The Who By Numbers is not necessarily a glowing installment in their catalog, it did seem to promise a lot with Slip Kid.
Contrary to the rootsier approach, this song has a lot more going for it than just three chords. Standing at just 4 minutes, this tune paints a picture of a down on his luck man trying to find the best way to make a living for himself while keeping his integrity. Compared to the lofty ambitions of Jimmy in Quadrophenia, this track takes all of the melodrama of the rock opera narrative and crams it into a neat package.
Even the actual song construction is a bit overqualified for a standard rock tune, as the chords fluctuate between different keys as we go throughout the chorus. It also doesn't hurt that Pete Townshend's guitar fluidity hasn't gone anywhere, with most of the guitar stabs hitting just as hard as it did on previous albums. The Who by Numbers is far from perfect, but when you put something like this next to a single like Squeeze Box, you start to realize how much kickass is on display here.