"A Little Is Enough" is a single written and performed 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 ...

, also known for being the guitarist for

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 ...

. The track appeared on his album, ''

Empty Glass ''Empty Glass'' is the second solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, and his first composed of original material, released on 21 April 1980 by Atco Records. The album deals with issues that Townshend was struggling with at ...

''.

Background

pledged that "A Little Is Enough" was meant to make the best of

and Karen Townshend's fitful marriage. "I was able to very easily put into words something that had actually happened to me when I was a thirty-four-year-old," he said. "It's very emotional, but it's also very straightforward and clear." Townshend has also said that the song was inspired by an encounter with his spiritual guru,

Meher Baba Meher Baba (born Merwan Sheriar Irani; 25 February 1894 – 31 January 1969) was an Indian spiritual master who said he was the Avatar, or God in human form, of the age. A major spiritual figure of the 20th century, he had a following of ...

's, secretary, Adi Irani.

also said that he preferred "A Little Is Enough" to his US top nine hit "Let My Love Open The Door" by saying that "Let My Love Open The Door" was just a "ditty". The song also makes a reference to

Rémy Martin Rémy Martin () is a French firm that primarily produces and sells cognac. Founded in 1724 and based in the commune of Cognac, it is among the oldest cognac producers still in existence. and one of the "big four" cognac houses (along with Hennes ...

in the lyrics "I'm like a connoisseur of

champagne Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cog ...

, the perfume nearly beats the taste."

Release and reception

"A Little is Enough" was released on the 1980 ''

'' album, where it was the eighth track on the album. The track was then released as the second US single from said album, where it was backed with "Cat's in the Cupboard" (also from ''Empty Glass''). The single was modestly successful, hitting #72. It was followed up by " Rough Boys" in America. The single wasn't released in Britain, where another single from ''Empty Glass'', " Keep On Working" was issued instead. ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' called it a "stunning triumph" and said that "the vocal urgency is awesome." "A Little Is Enough" was cited as a highlight from ''Empty Glass'' by ''

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 ...

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

. Allmusic 'Empty Glass' review/ref>

Chart performance

Weekly charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little is Enough, A 1980 singles Pete Townshend songs Songs written by Pete Townshend Song recordings produced by Pete Townshend 1980 songs Atco Records singles