BALD HEADED WOMAN by THE WHO

There were times when the usually spirited and inventive wave of British bands covering American soul and blues slid into something far less admirable—performances that felt cartoonish, even faintly insulting in their exaggeration. The problem here centers on Roger Daltrey, an energetic and versatile frontman who, in this instance, comes off curiously colorless, offering a naive, minstrel-like approximation of a style better served by artists like Lightnin' Hopkins.The track’s provenance only deepens the unease. Shel Talmy, who produced the recording, reportedly claimed writing credit for what is in fact a traditional chain gang song of unknown authorship. As noted in Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else, Talmy defended the practice as a kind of industry “perk,” a way to secure publishing royalties from public domain material he had merely adapted. Common or not, the rationale feels opportunistic, and it casts a shadow over the performance.Still, the track is not without its moments. The closing section builds with an uptempo, almost gospel-like fervor that briefly lifts the song out of its earlier missteps. And Keith Moon, as ever, delivers with explosive force—his drumming in the final stretch is a chaotic, exhilarating barrage that nearly redeems what precedes it.