Despite their artistic appreciation, The Who were never the philosophically astute band that Pete Townshend hoped they would be. ‘Tommy’ (1969), an ambitious rock album that soared to the top of the charts, left its main songwriter hungry for a sequel to the tentatively titled ‘Lifehouse’, but with such a convoluted sci-fi plot. that Townshend might have been left with nothing. to understand what it meant, and found himself unable to translate for his three bandmates. Faced with defeat, Townshend transformed the album into something more accessible, ironically creating one of the band’s most satisfying albums in the process.
Despite its live prowess, The Who, prior to 1971, simply lacked the musicianship that propelled Led Zeppelin to stratospheric heights. Despite its seriousness, Roger Daltrey’s voice had generally been too soft, never reaching the range of notes that Robert Plant played on ‘Led Zeppelin II’ and IIÍ ‘. ´Next´ proved to be the exception, his roaring screams and whispered notes are the stuff of rock legends here, ´Behind Blue Eyes´ an exceptional example of how good he could be, still being his best vocal. Keith Moon, on the other hand, was no stranger to grandiose performance, he found himself at the mercy of producer Glyn Jones’ mic beautification, meaning his tapping was replaced by a more steady and refined rhythm, giving his presence more space. and cleaner weather, those bygone days of ‘I Can See For Miles’ a distant and indulgent memory. John Entwistle (himself the best musician in the band) played his bass lines delicately, his brass parts tastefully, before putting his whole range of dark anecdotes into his scathing ‘My Wife’ (the woman in question took it took well, he joked; she didn’t contact him, her attorney did!)
But Townshend, the leader of the band, is the most praiseworthy, both as a musician and as a songwriter. The album may have cost him his artistic opera, but it left him a catalog of songs remembered forever as some of rock’s greatest. Townshend later stated that The Who’s greatest achievement was the creation of the stadium anthem, the genesis of which can be heard in the book closing tracks ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, perennial favorites of rock stations, complete. with the synth still rarely used. Where the eighties would date the music, the use of Townshend in both points to the future of rock, using it as a backdrop, which future art rockers Arcade Fire, David Bowie and Talking Heads would make more use of. Brave for 1971, the screamadelics would be contrasted by the cerebral and mystical ´This Song Is Over´, the greatest Who song the radio ever played. A strong singer, Townshend’s whispered voice is supplanted by Daltrey’s larger-than-life coda, Entwhistle’s fluttering bass is the added ingredient that makes it all work. A defender of the blues, Daltrey spits out the lyrics to ‘Bargain’ with vigor, a way John Lydon would make a career out of it. Townshend and Daltrey formed an excellent partnership, their continued partnership is a testament to this fact.
But it is the aforementioned ´Won´t Get Fooled Again´ that would continue to be the band’s masterpiece. Anarchic, yet beautifully produced, their most politically charged song, but their most commercially viable hit, Townshend’s staccatos are at the forefront, their frenetic pace playing energetic, loud, but with notes far removed from the pop genius, the song left a lasting impression. with the public, his most revered song to date, though Daltrey has often omitted the infamous “meet the new boss / same as the old boss line”) for post-9/11 audiences. A monstrous track, he showed his veracity and hard work, proving his place as one of the greats of the seventies.
The album could best be summed up on its cover; the four men desecrating a Stonehenge with their urine. A declaration of defiance, intention and rebellion, he summed up in a photo what the band really was; Not the art lovers they wanted so badly to be, but the disgusting rockers most bands wish they could be!