Critical Reception
Music critic Robert Christgau considers "Tattoo" one of his three favorite songs from The Who Sell Out, an album he considers The Who's "only great album" and one with "no bad songs." Rolling Stone magazine considers "Tattoo" to be "one of those gems of guitar playing from Peter Townshend, one which shows flawless mastery of rock and roll chording." Allmusic critic Richie Unterberger states that "Tattoo" "how introspective, vulnerable sides to the singer/songwriter that had previously been hidden." Charlesworth calls it a "standout track" and "one of finest 'rite of passage' songs. Grantley and Parker note that "Tattoo" is "full of pathos" and "an excellent example of Townshend finding in the humdrum something of universal resonance and appeal." Atkins, calling the song "masterly" puts forth similar views, and Atkins and Grantley and Parker all find that this element of the song is a characteristic that only The Kinks might be able to match.
Read more about this topic: Tattoo (The Who Song)
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