I have been a fan of The Who since the days when I would spin my dads Brunswick 45’s – to this day, I think Pictures Of Lilly is the greatest sounding single I own – but truthfully, for the most part, I find their studio albums to be inconsistent. Who’s Next is the exception. From the opening bars of Baba O’Riley to the thumping Won’t Get Fooled Again. There is something so incredibly powerful in the sound of the recordings and majestic in Pete Townshend’s song-writing. Who’s Next is an album that I fall in love with every time I stick it on. I’m listening to it now on my headphones. Whether it’s on in the car, the hi-fi on your iPod, the record never fails to have that incredible impact. IMO, Who’s Next is the very greatest of rock records. Possibly, the greatest ever released.

Great album for sure, I also love it, but greatest? Ever hear of an album called Let It Bleed, or even Sticky Fingers, not to mention Exile on Main St!

It's so very lonely, you're 2,000 Light Years from home

I think it's the greatest rock and roll album of all time and the only Who album (apart from the original single LP version of Live At Leeds) that is completely satisfying from start to finish.

Quote
saturn57
Great album for sure, I also love it, but greatest? Ever hear of an album called Let It Bleed, or even Sticky Fingers, not to mention Exile on Main St!

Yes, the titles you mention sound a little familiar to me, ha-ha!

Exile has a couple of clunkers and I have never like You Gotta Move, though. The only one of those albums that's superb from start-to-finish is, IMO, Let It Bleed. The Stones have more eternally satisfying studio albums than the Who, but I don't they have an LP as strong as Who's Next.

"Who's next" is one of the top 10 album's ever

Per-Arne

Quote
Big Al
I have been a fan of The Who since the days when I would spin my dads Brunswick 45’s – to this day, I think Pictures Of Lilly is the greatest sounding single I own – but truthfully, for the most part, I find their studio albums to be inconsistent. Who’s Next is the exception. From the opening bars of Baba O’Riley to the thumping Won’t Get Fooled Again. There is something so incredibly powerful in the sound of the recordings and majestic in Pete Townshend’s song-writing. Who’s Next is an album that I fall in love with every time I stick it on. I’m listening to it now on my headphones. Whether it’s on in the car, the hi-fi on your iPod, the record never fails to have that incredible impact. IMO, Who’s Next is the very greatest of rock records. Possibly, the greatest ever released.

Hey Big Al - The Who is playing Sunrise (S. Florida) here in early November. "Whos' Next is my fav" (next to Leeds)- but isn't this tour Qudrphenia oriented?

Quote
saturn57
Great album for sure, I also love it, but greatest? Ever hear of an album called Let It Bleed, or even Sticky Fingers, not to mention Exile on Main St!

Sticky Fingers may actually be my all time personal favorite, but aside from Bitch, side two doesn't rock much.

Many people overlook The Who Sell Out but for sheer invention and range of styles this album is my favourite. It also has their best single on it, I Can See For Miles.

Love Whos Next. One of rocks best albums for sure. But the Big Four albums by The Stones are superior in my opinion.

Going Mobile and Getting In Tune are great tunes, but the weakest of the bunch. The rest of the songs are masterpieces.

Pictures of Lilly is great as well are Magic-Bus, Substitute, My Generation and many others.

THE WHO SELL OUT IS THE FINEST RECORD THE WHO EVER CUT!
I can see for miles is the Who at their most thunderous. Psychedelia; Armenia City
in the Sky, Rael was another mini opera. More great songs are ; I can't reach you,
TATOO, Sunrise, Someone's coming, Hall of the Mountain King and Mary Ann with the shaky hands.

The Who Sell Out was as well a tribute to pirate radio stations.

I was a fan of pirate radio stations cause all the rest was terrible!

Cheers

Saved from becoming bloated by Pete's inability to bring to fruition his "Lifehouse" concept; instead it's an incredibly tight rock album. In my opinion, clearly their best, and definitely one of the greatest ever. Is it THE greatest? Well, once you get to this level, it's entirely subjective - better than Exile? Let it Bleed? Revolver? Highway 61? Layla? Fillmore East? Are You Experienced? Who knows - I'll just say it's essential, and leave it at that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-28 17:53 by drbryant.

I included this one in another thread when I mentioned the "Starter Kit" of classic rock albums from turning 12 in 1979.

Drbryant reminds me that "Are You Experienced" might have rounded that out to a top 5.

A more satisfying, tight, album than the more ambitious Tommy and Quadrophenia.

T@3

Love Ain't for Keeping is my favorite Who tune. Great album!

Wasn't looking too good, but I was feeling real well.

Quote
TeaAtThree

A more satisfying, tight, album than the more ambitious Tommy and Quadrophenia.

T@3

I need to give Quadrophenia another go, admittedly, but I've never 'got' Tommy. Obviously, I like Pinball Wizard and I'm Free is a great song, but the rest?

Quadrophenia is great" I did see The Who live performing "Quadrophenia" and Tommy is great as well and for sure The Who's Next is great and LIVE AT LEEDS and The Who Sell Out is my nr 1 as I explained in another post.

great post

Cheers

Would have to agree that it's ONE of the greatest albums ever, yes. And one of my favorite sounding albums...wonderfully mixed. Every song is a winner and no filler...good stuff.

Who's Next album cover is one the best as well.

the who sell out is there best album

Quote
Big Al

Quote
TeaAtThree

A more satisfying, tight, album than the more ambitious Tommy and Quadrophenia.

T@3

I need to give Quadrophenia another go, admittedly, but I've never 'got' Tommy. Obviously, I like Pinball Wizard and I'm Free is a great song, but the rest?

I've been listening to Quadrophenia in my car a lot lately, trying to get myself in the mood to possibly go and see them next month. To me, it sounds like a prog album, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't think it's a genre for which the Who were particularly well suited, and I think Pete made a mistake in insisting that they play all the instruments themselves. They should have used a real orchestra, instead of doing it all with synthesizers.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-28 22:16 by tatters.

Quote
runaway
Pictures of Lilly is great as well are Magic-Bus, Substitute, My Generation and many others.

THE WHO SELL OUT IS THE FINEST RECORD THE WHO EVER CUT!
I can see for miles is the Who at their most thunderous. Psychedelia; Armenia City
in the Sky, Rael was another mini opera. More great songs are ; I can't reach you,
TATOO, Sunrise, Someone's coming, Hall of the Mountain King and Mary Ann with the shaky hands.

The Who Sell Out was as well a tribute to pirate radio stations.

I was a fan of pirate radio stations cause all the rest was terrible!

Cheers

I have the deluxe version. Disc 2 is in mono, which makes a lot of things about the songs stand out that sets it apart from the the stereo version.

Quote
drbryant
Saved from becoming bloated by Pete's inability to bring to fruition his "Lifehouse" concept; instead it's an incredibly tight rock album. In my opinion, clearly their best, and definitely one of the greatest ever. Is it THE greatest? Well, once you get to this level, it's entirely subjective - better than Exile? Let it Bleed? Revolver? Highway 61? Layla? Fillmore East? Are You Experienced? Who knows - I'll just say it's essential, and leave it at that.

Yeah, all part of the greatest 8 years in rock, 1965-1972.

Quote
runaway
Pictures of Lilly is great as well are Magic-Bus, Substitute, My Generation and many others.

THE WHO SELL OUT IS THE FINEST RECORD THE WHO EVER CUT!
I can see for miles is the Who at their most thunderous. Psychedelia; Armenia City
in the Sky, Rael was another mini opera. More great songs are ; I can't reach you,
TATOO, Sunrise, Someone's coming, Hall of the Mountain King and Mary Ann with the shaky hands.

The Who Sell Out was as well a tribute to pirate radio stations.

I was a fan of pirate radio stations cause all the rest was terrible!

Cheers

Love "Who Sell Out", and then "Tommy" and then "Live At Leads" and then "Who's Next" and then "Quadrophenia". But yeah, Who Sell Out started it, great album...

Quote
2000 LYFH

Quote
runaway
Pictures of Lilly is great as well are Magic-Bus, Substitute, My Generation and many others.

THE WHO SELL OUT IS THE FINEST RECORD THE WHO EVER CUT!
I can see for miles is the Who at their most thunderous. Psychedelia; Armenia City
in the Sky, Rael was another mini opera. More great songs are ; I can't reach you,
TATOO, Sunrise, Someone's coming, Hall of the Mountain King and Mary Ann with the shaky hands.

The Who Sell Out was as well a tribute to pirate radio stations.

I was a fan of pirate radio stations cause all the rest was terrible!

Cheers

Love "Who Sell Out", and then "Tommy" and then "Live At Leads" and then "Who's Next" and then "Quadrophenia". But yeah, Who Sell Out started it, great album...

Thanks 2000 LYFH. The Who Sell Out is avaible on double vinyl for the real fans.
Cheers.

Quote
Big Al
I have been a fan of The Who since the days when I would spin my dads Brunswick 45’s – to this day, I think Pictures Of Lilly is the greatest sounding single I own – but truthfully, for the most part, I find their studio albums to be inconsistent. Who’s Next is the exception. From the opening bars of Baba O’Riley to the thumping Won’t Get Fooled Again. There is something so incredibly powerful in the sound of the recordings and majestic in Pete Townshend’s song-writing. Who’s Next is an album that I fall in love with every time I stick it on. I’m listening to it now on my headphones. Whether it’s on in the car, the hi-fi on your iPod, the record never fails to have that incredible impact. IMO, Who’s Next is the very greatest of rock records. Possibly, the greatest ever released.

Credit also goes to Glyn Johns who not only produced the album, but was also responsible for the sequencing of the songs, which Pete says is one of Glyn's great strengths. Had it been left to Pete, it might not have been the same album, and in this case especially the way the songs are sequenced does have an effect on the overall impression the album leaves on the listener.

It's an especially potent collection because of the fact that the songs were culled from what was originally intended to be a larger double album (Lifehouse). Amazing how a failed project can still result in such a strong landmark album.

BigAl - Who's Next is a great album from start to finish but so is Exile On Main Street. EOMS is a superior album. There are no clunkers on it. That said Who's Next is my favorite non-Stones album along with Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin I and Born To Run.

Greatest ever? A matter of taste, really. I mean, have you ever listened to any of the great Beatles albums, let alone ones by the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Simon and Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, etc.)?

I agree that Sell Out is their best record. As for Who's Next, Pete's demos are better.
I always prefer Pete's demos (I just do, even though I love The Who to death): the material for Who's Next, Quad, Who Are You, Face Dances, Theresa (Athena) etc...

Its great, love it! My only quibbles are that it always seemed too short, and some important music was missing, like The Naked Eye, Pure and Easy, and Too Much of Anything. I think Quadrophenia was their perfect statement. Amazing. And is by all accounts Pete's favorite as well.

Quote
Big Al

Quote
TeaAtThree

A more satisfying, tight, album than the more ambitious Tommy and Quadrophenia.

T@3

I need to give Quadrophenia another go, admittedly, but I've never 'got' Tommy. Obviously, I like Pinball Wizard and I'm Free is a great song, but the rest?

Many people considered Tommy a conceit mainly because of the film. You need to separate the images from the film and just concentrate on the music which is superb. Perhaps the best drumming Moon ever did was on Tommy. It is also a superbly recorded album.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-29 16:21 by Silver Dagger.