The Who - the Studio Albums

[Thenop]

Of course Tommy is a stone cold classic, perhaps the definitive concept album. And that means it has it drawbacks: everything should fall into place, the story needs to coincide with the music which means one or the other sometimes has be suited to tailor the needs of the other.
Having said that: I really like the album. Like, not Love.
Yes I think the concept is brilliant as is most of the music, the Overture is a grand entrance and it literally sets the tone. Like Underture it repeats many of the musical patterns the album displays. And therein, you said it already, lies the crux: it is all a bit much.
I don't consider it being a rock album at all, not of the rock opera albums really are. The variety of styles and the fat the story is leading makes for a less concise collection of songs. That particular collection, as it would be, was just around the corner.
Anyway, my favourite tracks here (of course) Pinball Wizard, Acid Queen, I'm Free and of course We're Not Gonna Take It with the See Me, Feel Me part being the obvious highlight.

It is to me a bit like the Wall: I can listen to it as a whole, but am happy when it's over.

One thing that the album brought out though: The Who toured it so extensively that they became the ultimate live band at the time. Not sure whether you'll cover live albums, (or at least just the one) but if ever there was one that deserves all the praise it gets, it's Live at Leeds. 

The last thing: ever since I heard it I have been a huge fan of the edit of Sparks for the movie Almost Famous. It combines Amazing Journey and Sparks and makes for a fantastic listen under 4 minutes of brilliant music.

[Slim]

Who's Next [August 1971]

Although I'd known about Townshend's abandoned (or long-postponed) Lifehouse project for a long time, I didn't realise until I did a bit of background reading that this album had been salvaged from it. It doesn't feel like a concept album, still less a rock opera. Although it flows nicely, it comes across as a collection of songs in the usual manner.

Glyn Johns was brought in to produce it and I think he does a brilliant job, mostly - Daltrey's vocals have a bit of reverb and sound full, powerful and clear. Townshend's trademark powerchords sound great, plenty of attack and gain but musical at the same time. Everything sounds powerful and lush.

Interestingly on Baba O'Riley and Bargain Pete's guitar is a little bit subdued in the mix, it sounds a little bit atmospheric and distant and this works really well to bring the bass and drums to the fore.

I really liked all the tunes on here but the classics are the standouts for sure - Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes - and the brilliant Won't Get Fooled Again where Pete's crashing power chords are much more prominent, emphasising the inherent astringent anger of the song.

If the album has a weak spot, perhaps it's Entwistle's My Wife. It's a spirited ditty that the big man sings himself, but really it's crying out for two things - for Daltrey to sing it instead, and for Pete's guitar to be a bit louder and more in-yer-face. They really could have squeezed more juice out of it.

Here and there the synth parts on the album sound very dated.

I was really interested to hear The Song Is Over, which has a pleasing '80s stadium rock feel to it - definitely ahead of its time.

Surely the most distinctive element of the whole album is the long, hypnotic, repeating intro to Baba O'Riley. It sounds like a sequencer but apparently it's a late '60s Lowrey "home electronic organ" with some sort of auto-note-repeating function built in, hooked up to a synth. Years ago on his Saturday morning show on 5 Live, Danny Baker interviewed Glyn Johns, who described how Pete had recorded it as a demo at his home studio. Glyn was so impressed with it that he didn't attempt to redo it, he just transferred the demo recording to 16-track tape and that's what you hear on the record.

I think it's a good thing that the band put out a relatively straightforward album in the time-honoured format, rather than another concept album. It's a strong selection of powerful, melodic and in some cases brilliant songs, with subtly contrasting styles and plenty of light and shade.

I also listened to some of the bonus tracks that come with the CD edition. There's a live cut called Water that's very good - it's remarkably reminiscent of Led Zeppelin - but the most notable thing is that Townshend is right in the zone, he plays some really tasty blues lead guitar as well as bringing it with the usual crisp power chordage. Jimmy Page would have been proud, and Daltrey clearly tries to channel Robert Plant at one point. Great stuff.

[Thenop]

I need to do a deep dive again here. I have the Lifehouse Chronicles boxset Townsend had for sale on his Eel Pie website. It's a 6cd set. It has all the original demos for the project, orchestration and even a radio play. I can imagine it drove him insane..

The album then: it's one of the my all time favourites, a classic example of what Arena rock sounds like.
Moons opening break to Bargain is to me perfection in how to play an opening break. In timing it's only rivaled by the Back in Black riff, but thats guitar..

I don't think Roger ever sounded better than on this album, he is so incredibly powerful it feels like he could full a stadium with his voice alone.

It has only 1 flaw this album: the omission of Pure and Easy. It's on most of the latter day Re releases though.