Who - Who's Next
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Free Music Notes for Who's Next
Free Music Review: WHO'S NEXT IS A ROCK MONUMENT ! (if it's not on your greatest albums of all time list, it should be.)
Hit: 5 Stars
The Who's 1971 album Who's Next brought in a new era for The Who, and for rock music in general. A very personal album, the songs are introspective, adult, and hold back nothing, musically or lyrically. Other than the hilarious My Wife, these are not fun songs, they cover serious matters, in an earnest way. From the first verse in Baba O'Riley, "Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals", the songs signify a determined stuggle for survival. Bargain is a hard rocking tempest of immaculate longing.
I'd gladly lose me to find you
I'd gladly give up all I had
To find you I'd suffer anything and be glad.
The song's devotion is complete, unconditional, and cuts to the soul. It's one of The Who's best songs. Love Ain't For Keeping and Going Mobile highlight the band's acoustic side. One describes the urgency and uncertainty of love and the other is about a life on the road. The Song Is Over and Getting In Tune are both very good piano-based songs (Getting In Tune also rocks). The acoustic/electric, lonely and bitter Behind Blue Eyes is a pure classic from The Who and also one of their most popular songs. Without this, there would probably be no Metallica, no Staind, or any other angry metal music. We Don't Get Fooled Again is The Who's anthem, and it's cynical (but sadly, on target) view of the changes that were taking place in the world during the tumultuous 1960s and early 1970s. Musically, the song is a mighty force, with Pete Townsend's electric guitar power chords, an explosive Keith Moon drum assault during the extended, spacey instrumental break, and the longest, loudest screams in the history of recorded music from Roger Daltrey. Of course, "The Ox", John Entwistle, as always, brings it all together with his legendary bass guitar. This album changed the landscape, and the direction of rock music. A more powerful, masculine, and maturely introspective era of music soon followed. Who's Next is one of the greatest albums of all time, and it has had a profound effect on many people's lives in the world (including my own).
Free Music Review: Who's Next -- A Hard Act To Follow
Hit: 5 Stars
Throughout the 1960's the Who were basically a singles band with the notable exceptions of "A Quick One While He's Away," supposed theme album "The Who Sell Out" and, of course, "Tommy." The latter's success would force the group to stay together when bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon had debated forming a group called Led Zeppelin with Jimmy Page (this fact perhaps leading to Who guitarist Pete Townshend's outspoken resentment of that venerable act). Further success with "Live At Leeds" would lead the band into the studio once again to commence work on yet another Townshend theme album titled "Lifehouse." While "Lifehouse" failed to reach fruition during the Who's lifetime, many of the songs from that project formed the nucleus for one of the group's greatest achievements: "Who's Next."
With "Who's Next," the Who would enter the world of AOR as well as provide themselves with sure crowd pleasures along the lines of "Baba O'Riley," "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." This being more than an ample enough amount of "hits" for the traditional album of the period, the group would continue to provide meaningful listening with "Bargain," "Love Ain't For Keeping" and "Getting In Tune." Even Entwistle's humorous "My Wife" and Townshend's bouncy "Going Mobile" maintain the pace of high caliber material on this, the group's finest hour as a working unit.
The Who would continue to make music into the 1970's, on through the untimely death of drummer Moon, eventually disbanding in the early 1980's before surviving members Roger Daltrey, Entwistle and Townshend revived the act--minus Moon replacement Kenny Jones of the Small Faces--until Entwistle's own unexpected demise at the turn of the century.
Outside of greatest hits packages "Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy" and "Hooligans," this is the one definitive Who album to have in your rock and roll arsenal. The later release of a double-disc CD set provides some interesting alternate takes, but nothing to rival the pure energy of the original album.
Free Music Review: Gettin' In Tune With The Straight & Narrow
Hit: 5 Stars
I think The Who were at their peak at this point. Although Tommy is a great album, The Who had progressed a lot in 2 years with Who's Next. Perhaps this is due to the inclusion of synthesizers on 2 of the most popular tracks "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" (Remember: this was 1971 and synthesizers weren't used as often as they soon would be in rock music). Originally, Who's Next was to be a rock opera like Tommy and Quadrophenia were (and the title was to be Lifehouse), but somehow Pete Townshend couldn't get everything to fall into place (simmilar to the Beach Boys' Smile concept). What came out, however, is one record's worth of the Who's finest material. Pete's lyrics portray angst, despair, identity crises, cynicism, and rebellion against the system."Behind Blue Eyes" is about the villain in the Lifehouse project. "Goin' Mobile" features some of Keith Moon's fastiest and most frenzied drumming. Session pianist Nicky Hopkins (who also guested on Jeff Beck and Rolling Stones records) helps out the Who on "Gettin' In Tune" and "Song Is Over". Roger Daltrey's vocals are fierce, especially the scream at the end of "Won't Get Fooled Again". Bass player John Entwistle composes 1 song here- "My Wife" (on which he features brass). Pete takes care of virtually everything else (save the violin on "Baba O'Riley") from guitar to synthesizer to lead vocals on "Goin' Mobile" and dueting with Roger on "Song is Over".
Other songs included with the rerelease are "Water", "I Don't Even Know Myself" (which wound up as a B-side on "...Fooled Again"), "Pure and Easy" (whose theme can be heard at the end of "Song..."), "Naked Eye", "Baby Don't Do It" and an alternate take of "Behind Blue Eyes" (featuring Al Kooper on organ).
Also, the Lifehouse sessions box set is due out sometime this year! I look forward to its release.
Free Music Review: The Who's most inspiring period
Hit: 5 Stars
Even if you are not a great Who fan, but enjoy music, you are going to find it difficult not to like at least one or more of the original 9 tracks this album has to offer. WN has been highly regarded from the year it was released (1971) up to the present time. The great success of the Who not only depended on Pete Townshend's talent as a strong songwriter, but the power of all the 4 members of the band working as one cohesive unit. This is superbly demonstrated on Baba O'Riley, as each instrument joins in the song (synthesizer first, to guitar last) until you feel the full energy of the group.
One of the great strengths of the Who was their musical ability. After all John Entwhistle was one of the first bass guitar players to play the instrument like a lead guitar. Keith Moon's drumming was sheer adrenalin as well as skill, and Townshend's power chords completed a very full and loud sounding band. Add Roger Daltrey's soaring vocals and you had near enough the perfect hard rock band.
I don't normally give a 5 star rec because most albums have one or more weak tracks on them. However, there is simply not one filler or mediocre track on WN. The whole album is a force of musical power from start to finish. It might simply be a question of what is your favourite track. But even that is difficult, as all the tracks are individual and have their special strengths. 'Behind Blue Eyes', 'Going Mobile', the aforementioned 'Baba O'Riley, the anthemic final track, 'Won't get fooled again'? It's impossible to say which is better. They are all that good. The whole album is superbly produced as well by Glynis Johns, and at no point here do the Who ever sound over the top.
The Who had made one of the greatest debut albums in 1965 with 'My Generation' I think it's fair to say the Who peaked with WN, and it certainly ranks as one of the most impressive and distinguished sounding rock records I ever heard in 1971, and still easily stands the test of time today.
Essential.
Free Music Review: Best Start in Recording History
Hit: 5 Stars
Baba O'Reily is the first track on the disc. It starts out with a three note ascending line played on the synthesizer. Pretty cool. In the very early 70's when the album came out, synthesizer music was still avant garde, not an everyday thing at all.
After a few bars, the piano kicks in. Duuum, DUM DUM. We're all familiar with the ditty. Pretty cool as well. We now have the keyboard over the synthesizer. Duuum, DUM DUM for a few bars.
Keith Moon then adds a thunderous drum intro, then picks up the beat. Moonie is playing very reserved, but hitting the skins as hard as he can. We now have the synth, piano, and drums for a few bars.
The Ox then comes in with that fat, awesome bass, just a heartbeat before Daltry starts "Out here in the fields". He sings the first verse, accompanied by the synth, piano, bass and drum.
Just after "Yeah yeah yeah yeah...yeay" BOOM...a stupendous power chord by you know who, and for several bars we are treated to the whole ensemble just pounding away..Duuuumm, DUM DUM. Heaven.
I used the intro to show classes of mine how the different layers in rock and roll are laid down. It never ceased to get their attention.
The song ends with a scintillating violin solo, and the album soars from there. "My Wife", "We Won't Get Fooled Again", "Going Mobile", the disc contains some of the absolute best music, songs, and playing ever produced. The Band (Moon, Daltry, Townshend, and Entwhistle) had been touring for years and years, and were at the peak of their powers. With a rhythm section rivaling Cream's, and the greatest power chording guitarist of all time, the musicianship is fantastic. Daltry added the rough-voiced vocals and great stage presence the band required to keep up with the frenetic drumming of Moonie and the windmilling style of Townshend. And under it all, Entwhistle, the late great Ox, lays down, as usual, the greatest foundation ever heard in rock and roll.