Whoâ¿¿s Next [Sea Blue Vinyl] [Barnes & Noble Exclusive]

by The Who

Overview

Much of Who's Next derives from Lifehouse, an ambitious sci-fi rock opera Pete Townshend abandoned after suffering a nervous breakdown, caused in part from working on the sequel to Tommy. There's no discernable theme behind these songs, yet this album is stronger than Tommy, falling just behind Who Sell Out as the finest record the Who ever cut. Townshend developed an infatuation with synthesizers during the recording of the album, and they're all over this album, adding texture where needed and amplifying the force, which is already at a fever pitch. Apart from Live at Leeds, the Who have never sounded as LOUD and unhinged as they do here, yet that's balanced by ballads, both lovely ("The Song Is Over") and scathing ("Behind Blue Eyes"). That's the key to Who's Next -- there's anger and sorrow, humor and regret, passion and tumult, all wrapped up in a blistering package where the rage is as affecting as the heartbreak. This is a retreat from the '60s, as Townshend declares the "Song Is Over," scorns the teenage wasteland, and bitterly declares that we "Won't Get Fooled Again." For all the sorrow and heartbreak that runs beneath the surface, this is an invigorating record, not just because Keith Moon runs rampant or because Roger Daltrey has never sung better or because John Entwistle spins out manic basslines that are as captivating as his "My Wife" is funny. This is invigorating because it has all of that, plus Townshend laying his soul bare in ways that are funny, painful, and utterly life-affirming. That is what the Who was about, not the rock operas, and that's why Who's Next is truer than Tommy or the abandoned Lifehouse. Those were art -- this, even with its pretensions, is rock & roll. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	09/15/2023
Label:	Barnes & Noble / Interscope
UPC:	0602445062201
Rank:	2848

Tracks

1. Baba O'Riley
2. Bargain
3. Love Ain't for Keeping
4. My Wife
5. The Song Is Over
6. Getting In Tune
7. Going Mobile
8. Behind Blue Eyes
9. Won't Get Fooled Again

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Who   Primary Artist
Leslie West   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Guitar,Lead Guitar
Nicky Hopkins   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Piano,Featured Artist
Al Kooper   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Organ
Pete Townshend   Primary Artist,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Lead Vocals,Synthesizer,ARP Synthesizer,Guitar (Electric),VCS 3 Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
John Entwistle   Bass,Brass,Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Lead Vocals,Guitar (Bass)
Roger Daltrey   Vocals,Harmonica,Lead Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Andy Neill   Compiled
Dave Arbus   Violin
Keith Moon   Drums,Violin,Vocals,Percussion

Technical Credits

Andy MacPherson   Remixing,Remastering
Bill Graham   Composer
Kit Lambert   Producer,Executive Producer
Chris Charlesworth   Producer
Lamont Dozier   Composer
Larry Williams   Composer
Don Nix   Composer
Eddie Holland   Composer
Ellas McDaniel   Composer
John Entwistle   Composer
Roger Daltrey   Composer
Jerry Capehart   Composer
Andy Neill   Research
Brian Holland   Composer
The Who   Producer
Andy Johns   Producer
Keith Moon   Composer,Producer
Eddie Cochran   Composer
Jon Astley   Producer,Remixing,Mastering,Remastering,Reissue Producer,Mastering Engineer
Pete Townshend   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Liner Notes,Restoration
Mose Allison   Composer
Glyn Johns   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Associate Producer
Pete Kameron   Producer,Executive Producer
Robert Rosenberg   Producer
Richard Evans   Design,Art Direction
Bill Curbishley   Producer
John Atkins   Liner Notes
Chris Stamp   Producer,Executive Producer
Ethan Russell   Photography
John Kosh   Design
Kosh   Sleeve Design
Ian Stewart   Assistant Engineer