The Who are an English rock band that released ten studio albums between 1965 and 1982, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia. They started during the early sixties beat boom when singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist–songwriter Pete Townshend, and bassist John Entwistle evolved from West London hopefuls The Detours. In 1964, drummer Keith Moon joined […]
Pete Townshend (born May 19, 1945) is an English musician, composer, and singer who rose to global prominence as the guitarist and songwriter for The Who, which released 10 studio albums between 1965 and 1982. His first proper solo album, Who Came First, appeared on Track Records in 1972. As the Who’s activities became more […]
John Entwistle (1944–2002) was an English rock bassist and songwriter, known as “the quiet one” in The Who, his band of four decades. Renown for his deep, fluid tones, he wrote the Who staples “Boris the Spider,” “My Wife,” and “Trick of the Light.” As a solo artist, Entwistle released the 1971–73 albums Smash Your […]
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rockers The Who, released on October 23, 1973, on Track/MCA. Quadrophenia stands as their second completed rock opera and second studio double-album, a monumental follow-up to Tommy. Building upon the ambitious, high-tech arrangements conceived for the aborted Lifehouse concept, Quadrophenia presents a tighter, more direct narrative with […]
Who Are You is the eighth proper studio album by The Who, released on August 18, 1978, on Polydor and MCA. The album is the final studio appearance featuring drummer Keith Moon and showcases the band’s shift toward complex, synth-heavy arrangements. It features extended instrumental sections and polyrhythms, particularly on the lengthy title track, which […]
Thought experiment: correlate each class of ’77 UK punk/new wave act to their class of ’64 British beat antecedent (or correlate the ’64 beat act to their ’77 doppelganger). I offered ten comparisons for consideration (A–J). Explore the parallels and similarities that distinguished each pair from their respective kin. Class of ’64 vs. Class of […]
Everyone knows the first British Invasion of 1964, spearheaded by The Beatles and codified as a movement by The Dave Clark Five. They opened the US charts to UK acts that ranged from Mersey-lite Northerners (Gerry & The Pacemakers, Herman’s Hermits, The Hollies, The Searchers, Freddie & The Dreamers) to rough/edgy Londoners (The Rolling Stones, […]
What did each of these albums bring to the table in rock’s transformation from Beat through psychedelia and the subsequent emergence of suite-driven symphonic progressive (Genesis, ELP, Yes) and orchestral pop (ELO, Alan Parsons Project, Klaatu). The period from 1966 to 1968 was a pivotal moment in rock history, as the “Beat” era of three-minute […]
The Who Sell Out is the third album by English rockers The Who, released in December 1967 on Track. Tracklist: A1. “Armenia City in the Sky” (3:47) A2. “Heinz Baked Beans” (1:00) A3. “Mary Ann With the Shaky Hand” (2:28) A4. “Odorono” (2:34) A5. “Tattoo” (2:51) A6. “Our Love Was” (3:23) A7. “I Can See […]
Tommy is a concept album by English rock band The Who, released in 1969 as a two-LP set on Track/Decca. The songs concern the coming of age of the disabled titular character, whose traumatic inner-war childhood is salvaged by his mastery of pinball. Essentially a rock opera, the album’s concept and songs have formed the basis […]
Who’s Next is the fifth studio album by English rockers The Who, released in 1971 on Track/Decca. Tracklist: A1. “Baba O’Riley” (4:59) A2. “Bargain” (5:33) A3. “Love Ain’t for Keeping” (2:11) A4. “My Wife” (3:35) A5. “Song Is Over” (6:16) B1. “Getting in Tune” (4:49) B2. “Going Mobile” (3:40) B3. “Behind Blue Eyes” (3:40) B4. […]
