This remastered edition of WHO'S NEXT features seven bonus tracks.
The Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals); Pete Townshend (guitar, piano, organ, ARP
synthesizer, background vocals); John Entwistle (brass, piano, bass instrument,
background vocals); Keith Moon (drums, percussion).
Additional personnel: Leslie West (guitar); Dave Arbus (violin); Nicky
Hopkins (piano); Al Kooper (organ).
Liner Note Authors: Pete Townshend; John Atkins.
Recording information: Olympic Studios, London, England.
While both THE WHO SELL OUT and TOMMY have their passionate devotees,
WHO'S NEXT is the Who's masterpiece. Originally, Pete Townshend intended these
songs for an even larger-scale project than TOMMY, a massive multimedia
extravaganza, called LIFEHOUSE, that the songwriter eventually abandoned.
Townshend was initially keen to keep at least the basic structure of the story
for the Who's next record, but associate producer Glyn Johns convinced him that
a straightforward single disc of the project's best songs would make a stronger
album. Wise counsel indeed, because WHO'S NEXT is by far the group's most
focused and powerful effort.
Bracketed by “Baba O'Riley” and “Won't Get Fooled Again,” two classic
rock epics that did more to advance the cause of synthesizers in mainstream rock
than Kraftwerk's entire career, this album is basically flawless, ranging in
mood from the heartbreaking “The Song Is Over” to John
Entwistle's bitterly funny “My Wife.” Although nearly every song on the
record, barring only the bluesy acoustic interlude “Love Ain't for Keeping,”
is a saturation-level FM-rock-radio mainstay, WHO'S NEXT is that rarity–an
intimately familiar album that never gets tiresome.
What the critics say…