The Who - Quadrophenia

An excellent and frequently astonishing album, Quadrophenia is both more ambitious and less accessible than Tommy, the first and most well known rock opera. At its simplest level, Quadrophenia is a coming-of-age story with an awesome soundtrack. The album features some of the Who's finest material, in songs like the enraged "Real Me," the cynical "Punk Meets the Godfather," the wistful "5:15" and "Sea and Sand," and the powerful "Love, Reign O'er Me." The songwriting (courtesy of Pete Townshend) is top-notch, as is the production (the Who actually managed to use synthesizers in an original manner, something few rock bands can aspire to). The mix of powerful songwriting and skillful composition makes this one of the Who's finest moments. --Genevieve Williams Amazon.com essential recording

 The Who and their masterpiece.
I remember buying this in 1973, and being slightly disappointed, that Daltry's vocals at times, seemed buried in the mix. However, this was Pete Townshend's writing, at it's best. I saw them perform this in Los Angeles,as those that were around for the strange 1973 North American Tour, knows. We didn't know at the time, that this would be the last time that Keith Moon would perform with fearless abandon. The Who died, when Keith Moon did, in 1978. Everything else since, pales in comparison. March 11, 2008

 Zoot Suit and a fantastic record!
Pete Townshend's other opera rock, Quadrophenia is, with Who's Next, one of Who's best record in the 70's and one of the best records of that decade. Great songs as Love Reign O'er Me and Cut My Hair. March 2, 2008

 the K-2 to the Everest of Who's Next
After more than thirty years, I'm still angry about what punks like Lester Bangs wrote about this album. "Pretentious", "ponderous", "overproduced", "not in the spirit of their 60's singles" - the kind of snottily contrary bull---- that gave rock music writing a bad name and made needless enemies of what turned out to be some of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century.

Every song here has something to offer, but there are four that include every last quality that made The Who such an object of admiration and devotion, meaning that these rank among the greatest performances in the history of rock and roll:

1. "The Real Me"
2. "The Punk Meets the Godfather"
3. "Bell Boy"
4. "Love Reign O'er Me"

In all of these you hear Townshend's guitar fusing the power of Page with the emotion of Clapton, the unmatched passion and drama of Daltrey's vocals making the term 'opera' completely apropos in describing The Who's most famous works, the singular imagination and talent of Entwistle which enables his bass to come to the very front of a song ("The Real Me" breathtaking in that regard). And then, my God, Keith Moon - what he did here can not only not be recreated by the greatest drummers, but can't even be recreated by the greatest programmers of computerized drums.

Yeah, this guy doesn't like the way the LP sounds, and that guy doesn't like the way the CD sounds, and this other guy doesn't like the way the MP3 files sound - WHO CARES?! If you don't have this you have to get it - even the least sonically "pure" version blows away anything done in rock for the last fifteen years.

February 18, 2008

 One of The Who's Best!
Off of the success of 1971's Who's Next, The Who were able to pursue what might be their most ambitious project. Similar in scope to Tommy, Quadrophenia is yet another concept album/rock opera but, in my opinion, it's a much more successful effort, despite lesser fame. Whereas Tommy included a great number of very short tracks, Quadrophenia consists of only full length songs. Some are short, clocking in at under three minutes in length, but they are still more clearly songs, rather than simply plot continuations. To this end, the album is more consistently musical, moving from one track to the next in a well thought out series of musical expressions, and one of The Who's best efforts. February 9, 2008

 The Who's Masterpiece
My favorite rock album of all time. The Who's masterpiece, and a work of art in so many respects. At times powerful, angry, somber, bitter, passionate....what else can you ask for from great rock music? February 8, 2008

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