The Who - Who's Next

It's not often a classic pops up in the dollar bin. The last surprise that was this big was Tattoo You by the Stones, and that album was in amazing shape including the insert. Part of me wasn't to concerned so long as the big songs were playable. Besides I have the 2003 deluxe edition and that is almost two and a half hours of stuff - much of it I've maybe heard once while it played in the background.

Yeah, sad.

Anyway here was the 1980 MCA re-issue (at first this confused me as I thought this was an old record - I mean it is old, but older than the date suggested), and someone must have been having a bad day and dragged the needle across the first side. I could feel it with my finger nail so I figured best case was a repeating pop for a few songs. Thankfully "Baba O'Riley" was fairly clean, and frankly on the first side that's all that mattered to me. The songs still sound pretty fresh and while still being very much of their time. When I think of some of the songs particularly songs like "Going Mobile", "Behind Blue Eyes", and "Won't Get Fooled Again" - all eight and a half minutes of it (all on the second side, which was in better, but not great condition), and of course "Baba O'Riley" don't sound like 1971 to me. I love that song. The delayed organ combined with the violin was genius. It really was.

I think the first time I actually really listened to this album was back in 1984 when I borrowed my then girlfriend's copy as she was a huge Roger Daltry fan, and loved The Who. It doesn't hurt that the album was really well produced and didn't sound thin and anemic. It had punch, and John Entwistle's bass punctuated the beat.

Pete Townshend wrote all the songs on the album except "My Wife" which was written John Entwistle, and cracks me up, and I love the horn arrangement. Heck, even rock stars were pussy whipped. Poor John goes out for a drinking bender and has to hide from his wife because she thinks he's been running around with other women. I find it interesting that John actually has a decent voice - a weaker version of Roger with bits of Pete. I've always just assumed he sang "Boris the Spider" and that was it. Look what I learned today by paying attention.

I have to say I really did enjoy this. Too bad the condition of the record wasn't better, but dang it for a buck I got my dollar's worth.

The cover was a wink and a nod to Stanley Kubick, and the monolith from 2001. Whoever said The Who didn't have a sense of humour weren't paying attention. However, maybe they don't - or at least Pete didn't. I read a deliciously long quote about his opinion of the cover which can't be boiled down to him basically saying "It’s another piece of shit."

There's great article The Story Behind the Cover if you want to read more.

The Who may not reside near the top of my favourite bands but I have an appreciation for great rock, and this ... this is great rock.

Post script August 2023. I stumbled across a half speed master for a couple of bucks that was in fabulous shape that was a great score. Back in the day I never shelled out for the half speed masters that were supposed to appease the audiophiles who wanted the best sound ever ... but this was too good to pass up, and yes it does sound great. But then again what do I know?