Petra Haden: Sings The Who Sell Out (2005)

Having included Petra Haden's cover version on today's write-up of Shuggie Otis' "Strawberry Letter 23," I came to the devastating realization that I had yet to feature Haden's astounding tribute to The Who Sell Out on these pages. A shonda!

Haden, for those not up to speed, is musical royalty. The singer & multi-instrumentalist and her two sisters (triplets!) are daughters of late jazz bass legend Charlie Haden; she's recorded countless solo albums and collaborations, while first coming to my attention as a member (with sister Rachel) of indie noise pop band That Dog.

Anyway, back in 2005 she opted to cover The Who's classic 1967 album, recreating it note-for-note as an a cappella record, singing the vocal parts as well as the instrumental parts--and not just the songs, but the between-song faux commercials from Townshend's original.

It's a remarkable feat, something that would've been perfectly cool had she tried a track or two, but she showed full commitment to the bit, remaking the entire record--and while the sheer novelty and audacity is what grabs your attention, it's ultimately just a really cool listen from a musical standpoint. A must-hear for Who fans as well as those who enjoy a capella music (ok, I'm not really the latter, but I'll make an exception here). She even assembled a choir to perform it live; now that's dedication.

(Haden has since recorded a ton of other a capella covers, from movie themes to pop standards to King Crimson. You can really go to town on YouTube!)

"Our Love Was, Is":

"Mary Anne With The Shaky Hands":

"I Can See For Miles," live 2005:

BTW, here's her version of Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" (complete with drum breakdown):

Unexpected and captivating take on "Matte Kudasai," from King Crimson's Discipline: