"A Legal Matter" is a song written by

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Townsh ...

and recorded by the British rock band

the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

for their debut album ''

My Generation "My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, which became a hit and one of their most recognizable songs. The song was named the 11th greatest song by ''Rolling Stone'' on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It becam ...

''. It was recorded on 12 October 1965 at IBC Studios, and released both as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

to " The Kids Are Alright" in the U.S., and as the A-side of a single that reached number 32 in the UK. Both singles were released by

Shel Talmy Sheldon Talmy (born August 11, 1937) is an American record producer, songwriter and arranger, best known for his work in the UK in the 1960s with the Who, the Kinks and many others. Talmy arranged and produced hits such as "You Really Got Me" ...

without the permission of the Who and were a result of a legal dispute between Talmy and the band at the time and an attempt to sabotage the release of the band's chosen single " Substitute".

Composition

The subject of the song is

fear of commitment In self-help literature, fear of commitment is the avoidance of long-term partnership and/or marriage. In popular culture and in psychology, the concept is often much more pervasive and can affect an individual's school, work, and home life as well. ...

and it marks the first time Townshend sang lead vocals, rather than

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

, possibly because the song was too close to home for Daltrey who was divorcing his wife at the time. Who biographer John Atkins describes Townshend's voice on the song as being higher and less abrasive than Daltrey's. But ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone (magazine), ...

thinks that although the vocal has some charm, it does not suggest that Townshend's voice would be good enough to be the band's full-time lead singer. Author Mike Segretto describes the vocal as a "noncommercial adenoidal croon." According to

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic Stewart Mason, "adenoidal whine actually makes the singer sound like he's sneaking out in the dead of night, scared to death that his wife's going to catch him." Atkins describes the two note guitar figure used in the introduction to the song as being "memorable and catchy." He states that the song incorporates a "short, jolting

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...

" similar to that on their more famous song "

Steve Grantley Steve Grantley (born 8 March 1962) is an English rock drummer who plays for Stiff Little Fingers, and formerly the Alarm and RTZ Global. Between 1982 and 1987, he played drums for Jake Burns and the Big Wheel. He has also worked with Alicia K ...

and Alan G. Parker state that "the band sound like they have been let off the leash and really let rip to create another early classic." Segretto describes the melody as being "excellent."

Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. Hopkins performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, most notably ...

joins the band on piano, and Segretto claims that his "hyper piano runs contribute much

amphetamine Amphetamine (contracted from alpha- methylphenethylamine) is a strong central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. It is also commonly used ...

fuel to the song. Atkins also notes the "ironic humour" of the song. Mason also finds the song "funny." Segretto points out that the lyrics are surprisingly

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...

coming from Townshend, but that is softened by the "playful tone and cute lines like 'Just wanna keep on doing all the dirty little things I do." According to Townshend the song "is about a guy on the run from a chick about to pin him down for breach of contract. What this song was screaming from behind lines like 'It's a legal matter, baby, marrying's no fun/It's a legal matter, baby, you got me on the run' was, "I'm lonely, I'm hungry, the bed needs making.' I wanted a maid, I suppose." Marsh suggests that the protagonist really doesn't want to marry because "he's terrified of discovering who he really is (boring, middle-class and conventional.)"

Reception

Several commentators noted an influence from

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

on this song, particularly their song " The Last Time." For example, Segretto states "A Legal Matter" has "a nagging, droning

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...

that may share DNA with 'The Last Time.'" Mason states that the song "proves conclusively that Pete Townshend was working on a different plane than just about every other songwriter in London in 1965."

References

External links

TheWho.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legal Matter, A The Who songs 1966 singles Song recordings produced by Shel Talmy Songs written by Pete Townshend Decca Records singles 1965 songs Brunswick Records singles Songs about divorce