\nMy Generation<\/b><\/i> (1965) \u2013 Some weak points, showcasing a band still in the process of developing its sound. More of an r&b\/soul flavor than one will find on subsequent releases. At least two classics in \u201cMy Generation\u201d and \u201cThe Kids are Alright.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nA Quick One<\/b><\/i> (1966) \u2013 Wildly uneven, it includes amusing throwaways like \u201cCobwebs and Strange\u201d alongside the brilliant \u201cSo Sad About Us\u201d and the proto-epic \u201cA Quick One.\u201d The latter is still best heard in the live version included in the Rolling Stones\u2019 Rock and Roll Circus<\/i> film.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nThe Who Sell Out<\/b><\/i> (1967) \u2013 The band\u2019s first classic album. Brilliant conceptually, and a damn fine listen. Humor, rock power and lyrical sophistication.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nTommy<\/b><\/i> (1969) \u2013 Influential beyond compare, but a bit lacking in sheer rock power. Essential, of course, but not as thrilling as it could be. Worth seeking out is a Smithereens album that recasts the material into a harder-edged format.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nWho’s Next<\/b><\/i> (1971) \u2013 If you don\u2019t own this, one might well question why you\u2019re even reading this. One of the greatest LPs of all time. Best among the best is \u201cThe Song is Over.\u201d It hints at what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nQuadrophenia<\/b><\/i> (1973) \u2013 for me, the high point of the Who. All the power and majesty of Who\u2019s Next<\/i>, with a quasi-narrative that makes more sense (we\u2019re grading on a scale here) than did Tommy<\/i>. Even the instrumentals are superb.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nThe Who by Numbers<\/b><\/i> (1975) \u2013 Pete Townshend\u2019s \u201ccoming to terms with middle age\u201d album is a tough and emotional listening experience, but it\u2019s not as visceral as Plastic Ono Band<\/i> or Tonight\u2019s the Night<\/i>. Flashes of fun and humor, and some very good songs. Keith Moon\u2019s last hurrah.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nWho Are You<\/b><\/i> (1978) \u2013 Keith had moments of brilliance here, but he was also on his last legs. Entwistle brought some excellent tunes, as he often did. The title track is overplayed now (thanks, CSI<\/i>) but \u201cSister Disco\u201d remains brilliant.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nFace Dances<\/b><\/i> (1981) \u2013 Not nearly as bad as detractors would have you believe, though it\u2019s perhaps better thought of as a Pete solo album featuring The Who backing him up. \u201cAnother Tricky Day\u201d is an underrated cut.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nIt’s Hard<\/b><\/i> (1982) \u2013 I remember Rolling Stone<\/i> awarding this record five<\/i> stars! I think not. Still, it too has its moments. Kenney Jones did his job replacing Moon, but his style never quite gelled. More Pete-centric tunes, and for my money the greatest late-period Who song ever, \u201cCry If You Want.\u201d Listen to Townshend slash those chords; stick around into the fadeout.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nEndless Wire<\/b><\/i> (2006) \u2013 After a long quiet period, this was seen as a return to form. It may have sentimental value, and it deserves points for emotional openness, but the music isn\u2019t very memorable.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\nWho<\/b><\/i> (2019) \u2013 A surprising return to the qualities that made the Who great. Not trying to capture old glories, not struggling with (long since passed) middle aged, The \u201cTwo\u201d instead do what they do best. A fine note upon which to end. (The CD version, which I do not have, includes a stunning track started in the \u201860s and finished in present day. \u201cGot Nothing to Prove\u201d must be heard to be believed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s quite easy to overlook the fact, but considering only studio releases of new material, The who released a mere twelve albums in the period 1965-2019. True, many say that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,65],"tags":[2190],"class_list":["post-22529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essay","category-review","tag-the-who","cat-27-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22529"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22672,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22529\/revisions\/22672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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It\u2019s quite easy to overlook the fact, but considering only studio releases of new material, The who released a mere twelve albums in the period 1965-2019. True, many say that The Who were best experienced live, and while there\u2019s much in favor of that argument, the band always took its studio project very seriously. Here\u2019s my very brief capsule rundown of the dozen LPs. My standard caveat applies: every one of these releases deserves a deeper dive; this is merely a quick rundown, perhaps of use to those seeking a way to begin exploring a body of work.<\/p>\n