 |  | The Who - Meet The New Boss Same As The Old Boss........ |  |
After the enormous success of the band's previous album "Tommy" it was going to be very difficult for The Who to top it. Pete Townshend started off writing another concept piece called The Lighthouse Project. The recording sessions went on and on with the project eventually suffocating under its own weight. The band gave up on it, and went back into the studio to pick up the pieces. What emerged was the ultimate Who statement and probably one of the ultimate statements of rock n roll. "Who's Next" is about as close to a perfect album as you could get. Starting with the fist pumping anthem "Baba O'riley" and closing with what is in my opinion one of the greatest and most important songs of all time "Won't Get Fooled Again". "Meet the new boss.....same as the old boss", indeed. Words that are as relevant today as when they were written 30 plus years ago. Roger Daltry's famous scream near the end still sends shivers up my spine. In between these two tracks are 6 more great songs, "Bargain", "Love Ain't For Keeping", John Entwistle's "My Wife", "The Song Is Over" which featured the main theme from the abandoned Lifehouse Project, "Getting In Tune", and "Going Mobile". All just classic stuff. This is The Who at the top of their game and solidified their place as one of the greatest rock bands of all time. As great as this album is, in my opinion they topped it with the next one "Quadrophenia".
July 2, 2008Every one can argue back and forth on the Who's greatest album. But this album goes sooooo far beyond that. This album is one of the few fundamental pillars that define rock and roll. Its place belongs right between Sgt Pepper and Led Zeppelin IV. Any one who does not get that is musically illiterate. Period.
June 12, 2008ive been looking for one song, baba o reilley for a while. the local store had a copy for 29 dollars. what a rip off. this cd came to me in a short amount of time undamaged. i am extremely happy with this product.
June 3, 2008| | | Who's Next -- A Hard Act To Follow | |
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.
June 3, 2008What can I say? This is THE Classic Who album. One of the all time best albums ever produced by anyone. The extra tracks threw me off though. I've listened to this album hundreds of times over the years and hearing extra songs seemed to tarnish the original.
May 2, 2008More reviews at Amazon.com ...
