Who’s Next (1971)
I wish I liked this album just a little bit more than I do. Why? Because I “admire” the songs more than I actually LIKE them. There are lots of good points on the album, but also a lot of something I don’t like. No, not filler…there isn’t a truly weak track on the whole thing. I’m talking about maudlin sentimentality. If Pete Townshend could (or would) just rock a little more, I think the whole album would improve. It’s got a fey sort of quality that turns me off even as it turns me on. Very strange, I know. And there are definite rocking and/or intriguing moments aplenty. At the heart of the album is “Behind Blue Eyes”, which I like completely and without reservation, partly because like many others, I can relate to it on some level. And because the lyrics, for lack of a better term, kick a$$.
(“Behind Blue Eyes”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”)
Grade: B+
2010: I’ve grown to like it more.
Grade: A-
Quadrophenia (1973)
This band seems to enjoy sampling itself on some albums. Basically, using the same riff and musical structure over and over again in different songs. This could signal two things, depending on how much you like and “trust” them. Either Pete Townshend has a limited musical resource collection and uses this “building riff” system to make songwriting easier, or he’s intentionally building up to several climaxes at the “high points” of the albums. ‘Tommy’ is an obvious example of this. The one thing that always seems to be different on this album is the lyrics. Townshend obviously enjoys the rock-opera stylings that grace this album and others, and he seems self-absorbed enough to write the entire thing any which way he chooses, without regard for public regard and/or sales. Personally, I get sick of it pretty quickly. When he doesn’t try so d@mn hard to make a story out of an album, this gets pretty good. But those moments aren’t enough. Townshend’s rock-opera stylings have much in common with musicals. And as far as musicals go, I don’t go for them with some notable exceptions (‘Rocky Horror’).
(“Love, Reign O’er Me”)
Grade: C
My Generation- The Very Best Of The Who (1996)
Never been a big Who fan, so even their best isn’t all that great to me. Lots of it, though, and it’s mildly enjoyable (almost) throughout.
(“I Can See For Miles”)
Grade: B
2010: …VERY enjoyable (almost) throughout.
Grade: A-