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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The Who - Who's Next (1971 uk, masterpiece, double disc japan SHM deluxe edition)




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 'n' roll.
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracks
Disc one
1. Baba O'Riley - 5:01
2. Bargain - 5:33
3. Love Ain't For Keeping - 2:10
4. My Wife (John Entwistle)3:35
5. The Song Is Over - 6:17
6. Getting In Tune - 4:49
7. Going Mobile - 3:43
8. Behind Blue Eyes - 3:42
9. Won't Get Fooled Again - 8:35
10.Baby Don't You Do It (Longer Version) - 8:21
11.Getting In Tune - 6:36
12.Pure And Easy (Alternate Version) - 4:33
13.Love Ain't For Keeping (Electric Version, Townshend On Lead Vocals) - 4:06
14.Behind Blue Eyes (Alternate Version) - 3:30
15.Won't Get Fooled Again (Original New York Sessions Version) - 8:48
Disc two
1. Love Ain't For Keeping - 2:57
2. Pure and Easy - 6:00
3. Young Man Blues - 4:47
4. Time Is Passing - 3:59
5. Behind Blue Eyes - 4:49
6. I Don't Even Know Myself - 5:42
7. Too Much of Anything - 4:20
8. Getting in Tune - 6:42
9. Bargain - 5:46
10.Water - 8:19
11.My Generation - 2:58
12.Road Runner (Ellas McDaniel) - 3:14
13.Naked Eye - 6:21
14.Won't Get Fooled Again - 8:50

The Who
*Roger Daltrey – Lead Vocals, Harmonica
*Pete Townshend – Guitars, Organ, VCS3 And ARP Synthesiser, Backing Vocals, Piano, Vocals
*John Entwistle – Bass Guitar, Vocals,  Piano
*Keith Moon – Drums, Percussion
Additional Musicians
*Nicky Hopkins – Piano
*Dave Arbus – Violin
*Al Kooper – Organ
*Leslie West – Guitar

1965  My Generation (two disc japan SHM-CD remaster)
1966  A Quick One (japan SHM-CD double disc box remaster)
1967  Sell Out (double disc japan SHM expanded edition)

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9 comments:

  1. I've been converting individual song flac files for a long time - no problem. But my converter won't work with entire album flacs without any song separation. Why is this process so complicated that only a programmer knows how to convert these? Is this a trick to fool us? Can you explain how to convert these complicated files?

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  2. Hi Gyro1966,
    I'm sorry that you have troubles with splitting,
    try this tool it's free, fast and easy
    http://www.medieval.it/cuesplitter-pc/menu-id-71.html
    Thank you.

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  3. Thanks Marios for the quick reply. I'm on a mac, is there a good splitter for that?

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  4. Gyro1966,
    see here: http://www.bigasoft.com/articles/cue-splitter-mac.html
    there are also some instructions, I beleive you can find more if you search through google.

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  5. Marios - This http://www.bigasoft.com/articles/cue-splitter-mac.html worked a little, but it doesn't allow me to adjust the bit rate to 320. It only converts to 128, which is unacceptable. I guess I'll have to turn this into a full time weekend job to try to figure this out. Funny thing is, I already own these Who albums in many different forms - just maybe not the japanese versions here!

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  6. But thanks so much for all the other excellent albums that do not require splitting! I visit your two music blogs daily.

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  7. Thanks Marios!
    As I recently learnt, the second CD was recorded during one of the free, weekly concerts held at the Young Vic Theatre in early 1971 as rehearsal for the recording of the actual album.

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  8. Thank you! This wil be a great addition to my Who collection! Marios, You have a great blog!

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  9. Thanks for your additional input on this

    ReplyDelete