The Who - Who's Next
- FaceOff - עימות חזיתי
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
On August 14, 1971, "The Who" released one of the greatest rock albums of all time - "Who's Next".
How do you surpass a masterpiece like "Tommy"?
If you ask Pete Townshend, the answer is straightforward: crafting a larger, more ambitious, and wild rock opera on every level. And he indeed wrote it: "Lifehouse" was a project inspired by Pete Townshend's experiences during the tour for the album "Tommy". He observed the audience during performances and noted that the sound and vibration produced by the band had become so pure and unifying that he believed the entire audience was in a state of ecstasy. This concept of a connection between sound and spirituality was linked to the ideas of Inayat Khan and Meher Baba, whom Townshend admires. He was keen to use music as a means of communication and wanted to broaden the band's horizons and reach audiences through other forms of communication, including film. Townshend aimed to create a rock opera that would be recorded live and incorporated into a pre-written film script. The storyline of this futuristic rock opera was set in a time when rock and roll did not exist, human culture had collapsed, and experiences were only programmed through TV screens. The villains were those who infiltrated the masses with "intravenous" entertainment, while the heroes were those who preserved the primitive rock and roll culture.
However, Pete Townshend's ambitious concept was too overwhelming for the rest of the band and their management, who didn't fully comprehend his vision. This led to crises, tensions, and even a nervous breakdown for Townshend, who later admitted he had contemplated suicide. After abandoning "Lifehouse" in New York, the band returned to London to start anew with a different producer, Glyn Johns. Nonetheless, several elements from the "Lifehouse" project were retained on the "Who's Next" album, notably Townshend's extensive use of synthesizers. Although the expansive project was set aside, some of its songs made their way onto the acclaimed "Who's Next" album, albeit without the unifying theme. In fact, eight of the nine tracks on the album were intended for "Lifehouse" and were penned by Pete Townshend, with only "My Wife" being written by bassist John Entwistle.
The profound influence of "Lifehouse" is evident from the opening notes of "Baba O'Riley." Consider the boldness required for one of the era's most significant and influential rock bands to start their album with organ sounds transmitted through the VCS3 synthesizer, played by Pete Townshend. The song's title combines the names of Townshend's two philosophical and musical inspirations: Meher Baba and Terry Riley. It stands as one of the most significant and impactful songs ever, making it onto the list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the 500 songs that shaped rock 'n' roll. This remarkable anthem, centered on the theme of "Teenage Wasteland," evolves and builds up to Dave Arbus's violin solo with a "Hassidic" touch from the band "East of Eden," culminating in a climactic, abrupt ending.
The second track, "Bargain," is another song written by Pete Townshend about his guru Meher Baba, who was a spiritual advisor to Mahatma Gandhi and a significant spiritual figure. The song explores the theme of detaching from materialism to achieve a higher spiritual state, similar to the practice during Yom Kippur. This is the favorable "Bargain" Townshend refers to in the song. Townshend plays the ARP 2500 synthesizer and a 1959 "Gretsch" guitar, which he received from Joe Walsh, who would later join the "Eagles." Townshend also performs a solo with lyrics beginning with "sit looking 'round, I look at my face in the mirror...".
The third track, "Love Ain't for Keeping," is the shortest song on the album and one of the few not featuring synthesizer sounds. The original version was more rock-oriented and can be found on the 1974 album "Odds & Sods".
Next is "My Wife," written and sung by John Entwistle, who also plays brass. Entwistle narrates a night of drunkenness that leads to a conflict with his wife. He also recorded the song for his third solo album, "Rigor Mortis Sets In".
The song that closes the first side of the vinyl, "The Song Is Over," stands out as one of the most intriguing tracks on the album. This is largely due to the alternating vocals of Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, with Townshend delivering the verses in a gentle ballad style and Daltrey bringing his powerful voice to the chorus. Originally intended to accompany the credits of the rock opera "Lifehouse," the song features guest keyboardist Nicky Hopkins.
The flip side of the vinyl kicks off with "Getting in Tune," a magical song celebrating the immense power of music. The creation of this track began with improvisation by guest keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, followed by John Entwistle on bass. This is another album track that does not utilize synthesizers.
Next is "Going Mobile," a lighthearted and cheerful song sung by Pete Townshend that describes life in the futuristic world of "Lifehouse" with a mobile home on wheels. Notably, the unique sound of the guitar solo in the song was achieved by Townshend using an effect called "Envelope Follower," which gives the guitar an underwater sound.
The album then moves to the captivating ballad "Behind Blue Eyes," penned by Townshend after the band's performance in Denver, Colorado, on June 6, 1970. Inspired by a spiritual encounter with his guru Meher Baba, Townshend resisted temptation from a band groupie, returned to his hotel room, and began writing the song from the perspective of "Jumbo," a villainous character in the rock opera "Lifehouse."
The album reaches its peak with "Won't Get Fooled Again," also intended as the closing track for "Lifehouse." This eight-minute anthem features synthesizers, Pete Townshend's guitar riffs, and Keith Moon's dynamic drumming. The song explores themes of revolution, with the first verse depicting an uprising and a subsequent coup, only for the new regime to mirror the old one ("Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"). Roger Daltrey's iconic scream at 7:44, following Keith Moon's intense drumming, is a highlight of the track, cementing its status as a rock classic.
Regarding the album cover, the image depicts the band members, seemingly just after they have finished urinating on a large concrete structure situated in a coal mine in Durham County, England. This concrete structure was inspired by the monolith featured on the moon in the 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." In 2003, the "VH1" channel ranked the album cover second on the list of "Greatest Album Covers."
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
Comments