Sep. 26, 2010 at 11:16pm with 5 notes
top 25 albums

17. The Who - Who’s Next

This was absolutely going to be The Who Sell Out until I heard this record again on a whim and realized how much I love it. It’s a two-sided coin for me, really: if I want to hear the Who’s adventurous, humorous side, Sell Out is where it’s at. If I want to hear their best hard rockers mixed with their sweetest ballads, I go for Who’s Next. I guess the latter is just what I’m in the mood for right now.

Yeah, it’s a little overplayed on classic rock radio. Sure. That’s part of the reason I didn’t want to put it here; too predictable, too worn out. But man, I love all these songs so much, and two of my favorite tracks - the gorgeous ballads “The Song Is Over” and “Gettin In Tune” - aren’t really played on the radio much, so they’re all the better for it. This is the record where the Who started emphasizing the vocal interplay between Roger Daltrey/Pete Townshend - Roger’s the tough guy who belts out the anthemic choruses, while Pete’s the sweet sensitive dude who gets all the gentle parts. It’s a great schtick that sadly got a little tiresome as the decade wore on (mostly due to Roger singing EVERYTHING in that tough guy bravado), but it’s so well-utilized and fresh here. Only one Entwhistle song, but it’s “My Wife”! Oh man!

I have a deep affection for Who’s Next. Hearing it now just reminds me of my senior year of high school, deep in the midst of my classic rock phase. More than a few records from that period haven’t aged particularly well for me, but Who’s Next always sounds great.

The “Baba O’Riley” video above is a must-watch. It’s from The Kids Are Alright, one of my favorite rock movies ever, and single-handedly began my love affair with everything Pete Townshend. He is one of my all-time favorite performers, and this video is pretty solid evidence as to why. I mean, look at that guy! He’s great!!

AaaaH!!

  1. jasonarewhy said: You did it. You crazy son of a bitch, you really did it.
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