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The Who - Who's Next (Deluxe Edition)
Music CD CoverArtist: The Who Brand: WHO Edition: Music CD Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered CD Release Date: 2003-03-25 Music Label: Mca Soundtracks: Music CD 1- Baba O'Riley
- Bargain
- Love Ain't For Keeping
- My Wife
- The Song Is Over
- Getting In Tune
- Going Mobile
- Behind Blue Eyes
- Won't Get Fooled Again
- Baby Don't You Do It (Bonus Track)
- Getting In Tune (Bonus Track)
- Pure And Easy (Bonus Track)
- Love Ain't For Keeping (Bonus Track)
- Behind Blue Eyes (Bonus Track)
- Won't Get Fooled Again (Bonus Track)
Music CD 2- Love Ain't For Keeping (Live At The Young Vic)
- Pure And Easy (Live At The Young Vic)
- Young Man Blues (Live At The Young Vic)
- Time Is Passing (Live At The Young Vic)
- Behind Blue Eyes (Live At The Young Vic)
- I Don't Even Know Myself (Live At The Young Vic)
- Too Much (Live At The Young Vic)
- Of Anything (Live At The Young Vic)
- Getting In Tune (Live At The Young Vic)
- Bargain (Live At The Young Vic)
- My Generation (Live At The Young Vic)
- (I'm A) Road Runner (Live At The Young Vic)
- Naked Eye (Live At The Young Vic)
- Won't Get Fooled Again (Live At The Young Vic)
Free Music Notes for Who's Next (Deluxe Edition)Free Music Review: Who's for a listen! Hit: 5 Stars
Who's Next (1971.), the Who's fifth studio album
The rock powerhouse that is the Who are rightly regarded as one of the great band's that has ever existed. From the moment that the band came on to the scene in the mid-1960's, it almost seemed pre-ordained that this band was going to be destined for great things. If the timeless classic song of 'My Generation' wasn't proof enough, the band went onto build up a number of other great songs and concept based works in the late 60's, culminating in Pete Townshend's mastermind project in 'Tommy'. With the 70's then rolling around, Pete Townshend set upon the task of putting together some more material. This came about in the shape of the 'Lifehouse' project. Sadly though, this fell apart causing problems for the band. However, from the ashes of the project, a new studio album was cut in early 1971. 'Who's Next' is regarded as a hard rock classic by many fans of the band, and perhaps as the Who's greatest album. So is it deserving of its great reputation?
'Who's Next' will always be for me, one of the greatest albums that has ever been made. I loved it when I first listened to it and I haven't tired of it ever since. This is literally an awesome album and I think that it is pathetic that this albums overall rating has dropped to 4.5 stars on this site; whoever's been giving this album a low rating to pull its average down obviously has no decent music taste at all. It is quite hard to believe some of these songs were destined for the `Lifehouse' project since the nine tracks on the album are completely unrelated rock songs; a singer-songwriter album. However, this is where `Who's Next' really succeeds, becauses each and every one of the tracks holds up on their own and are in their own right all awesome songs. The album never has a weak moment and covers dramatic scope be it from the Irish-themed rocker `Baba O'Riley' to the lyrical perferction of `Behind Blue Eyes' or to the sheer epic scale of `Won't Get Fooled Again'. Some of the Who's best work is featured on this album and for me it's the best album they made. Instrumentally, the band are also at their very best on the album, and the work is cohesive and brilliantly executed. Townshend's trademark guitar play features throughout as does the sheer power of Roger Daltrey's voice. John Entwhistle shows his diversity with fluid bass lines, French horn play and with a bit of songwriting in `My Wife' and Keith Moon's god-like drumming is probably at its best on this album; some of the beats and drum passages are simply breathtaking.
`Who's Next' is available in a number of different editions, due to occasional remasters and such. The most readily available version is the single CD bonus tracks edition. This is the version I originally purchased and it contains the original 9 album tracks plus 7 bonus tracks. Some of these extras are great songs, especially the alternative take of `Behind Blue Eyes', `Pure And Easy' and the live performance of `Water'. However, if your willing to shell out more cash on this album, the `Who's Next' deluxe edition is available. This double CD set features the original album, session out-takes and alternatives and a complete CD with a live performance from the Young Vic featuring plenty of songs from this album. All in all, you can't go wrong with either edition of this classic album, it just depends on how much your willing to spend.
So how does each song on the album measure up? `Baba O'Riley' is one hell of an opening track; one of my favourite album opening tracks of all time. The racy keyboard theme opening the album is legendary and follows into some crushing guitar chords from Townshend's guitar. Daltrey's vocals are powerful, especially his screams of `Teenage Wasteland!' and the Irish jig styled finish to the song builds to a great climax. `Bargain' is an excellent follow up; a laid back start builds into another great rock song with more vintage guitar play from Townshend. The song has plenty of intense sections, beautifully contrasted by a brief acoustic section in the middle. `Love Ain't For Keeping' is next; a short acoustic based song to break up the longer songs on the album which is a great listen. `My Wife' is the amusing follow up. This is probably the best song John Entwhistle wrote whilst in the Who. Its an amazingly catchy song with some funny lyrics and great guitar play. Entwhistle's songs, like this one especially always have that quirky aspect to them and they're always a great listen. `The Song Is Over' closes the first half of the album. Many have criticized this slow-tempo song but I personally think it's a great song. The piano harmony is beautiful and the vocals, this time sung by Townshend, are great. As the song progresses, it gets more guitar pronounced, making a good build-up.
`Getting In Tune' opens up the album's second half. Another classic rocking song with a nice piano integration. Some of Townshend's guitar play at the end of the track is very creative. The upbeat `Goin Mobile' follows, where Daltrey gives a great vocal performance singing about roaming the land without a care. More great guitar sections on this song. Then we come to two of the Who's greatest songs. First is `Behind Blue Eyes' with its beautiful opening acoustic section and yearning verse. The chorus is brilliant where the song takes a more aggressive and punchy turn and the lyrics have a harsh edge to them. Following this is my favourite Who song of all time. People don't praise `Won't Get Fooled Again' for nothing, this is the band's epic and was their classic concert close thereon. The punchy electric keyboard sounds fused with Townshend's deftly executed but loud guitar play are the perfect base for Daltrey's inspired vocals, with lyrics based on revolution. Townshend jams out some great solos throughout the song and Keith Moon plays some thrilling drumming sections, especially where the band begin a surprise heavy re-entry at the end of the track. The end of the song, were Daltrey shouts `Meet The New Boss; Same As The Old Boss!' over crunching guitars marks an emphatic finish to a great album.
`Who's Next' is one of the greatest albums of all time. With this album, the Who hit the mark totally producing a set of truly memorable and hard-rocking songs. This, on the back of a failed musical project in `Lifehouse' just shows how musically talented the band were, that they could quickly churn out this classic. No rock collection is complete without this masterpiece; it is an essential buy and definitely the perfect place for someone looking to start listening to the Who.
MY RATING: 10/10, a classic that rises above the rest
Who's Next (Deluxe Edition) PosterBelieve it or not, this landmark album, the record that changed FM rock forever in the early-'70s, has never been reissued from the original master tapes...'til now! But that's only the beginning...in addition to the original nine tracks, disc one adds six bonus tracks that were recorded at The Record Plant in March 1971, ('Baby Don't You Do It', 'Getting In Tune', 'Pure and Easy', 'Love Ain't For Keeping', Behind Blue Eyes' & 'Won't Get Fooled Again') three of which have never been available and the other three of which are here in their full-length versions for the first time. Then disc two captures a largely-unreleased April 26, 1971 gig at London's Old Vic Theatre (including the previously unreleased tracks - 'Love Ain't For Keeping', 'Pure And Easy', 'Young Man Blues', 'Time Is Passing', 'Behind Blue Eyes', 'I Don't Even Know Myself', 'Too Much Of Anything', 'Getting In Tune', 'Bargain', 'My The success of Who's Next and its slate of classic-rock tracks has often obscured its true roots--Lifehouse, the unwieldy multi-media project that Pete Townshend originally concocted as the follow-up to Tommy. Variously informed by apocalyptic visions, sci-fi notions of interconnectivity that neatly presaged the internet and, of course, an unwavering conviction that rock & roll would save the world, the core tracks of the sprawling Lifehouse were recorded, cut, re-recorded and finally boiled down into a collection that seems to represent as much alienation ("Behind Blue Eyes") and overweening cynicism ("Won't Get Fooled Again") as it does liberation and unity. Aside from Townshend's own self-released, multi-disc meditation on the project, this expanded new edition is the most rewarding attempt to place Lifehouse and the over-exposed classic it spawned in their proper context. Six tracks from the album's original, but abandoned New York sessions flesh out the familiar material, with previously unreleased outtakes of "Getting in Tune" and a revealing, early arrangement of "Won't Get Fooled Again" warranting special note. The second disc documents one of Lifehouse's most quixotic elements with the first-time release of one of the series of concerts staged at London's Young Vic theater during the project's gestation, events during which band and audience would somehow mystically become One. Core tracks from the project are interspersed with typical hard-rocking Who fare of the time, resulting in a show whose focus and dynamics belied something very different from the arena-rock clichés that would eventually overwhelm them. --Jerry McCulley
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