For the album's recording, the band recruited producer Glyn Johns. The band had previously worked with Johns on the 1971 album "Who's Next". Compared to previous Who albums, "The Who by Numbers" took an unusually long time to complete (as noted above, nearly three months) and was marred by numerous breaks and interruptions due to the band members' growing boredom and lack of interest. Only four of the ten songs on "The Who by Numbers" were performed live, two of which ("Squeeze Box" and "Dreaming from the Waist") became concert staples. Townshend said of the album's recording sessions: