Should just do the whole damn album, it’s so good! The Who used to be labelled “maximum R&B”, which it seems you can imagine why. The Quadrophenia album is all about a U.K 60’s youth subculture called the Mods. That is one on the album cover. They were working class kids who wore designer clothes (usually Italian) rode scooters, had punch-ups with another subculture called “the rockers” and listened to R&B and soul (as well as bands like the Kinks, Small Faces and of course the Who!)
All the members brought with them such incredible energy. Roger Daltry may not have been the best singer, but he's the best singer for Pete Townshend's songs and the only one who could bring his songs to life; John on the bass, doing more than just playing the root note, and Keith just killing it on the drums.
I think what makes this late 60's to early 70's era of classic rock and prog rock so great is bands were constantly blown away by their own peers and the amazing shit they were all putting out. Yes, Pink Floyd, Crimson, Who, on and on. They just pushed each other to do better and better and more different and pure greatness came from it.
Fantastic tune.A hundred years from now when one looks up the definition of Classic Rock ‘n Roll this song and band will be there! This is a bit of a throwback to Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.Pete Townsend is the genius that make The WHO The WHO!
The thing about The Who is that they came out of the Mod scene of the early '60s, so there was a HUGE Motown and Northern Soul influence on their music.
The opening salvo from The Who’s new work, after Tommy; Quadrophenia, was the emotional powderkeg, “5:15.” Once again, Pete Townshend captures the impotent rage of youth perfectly, although it is becoming increasingly clear that Townshend isn’t simply a spokesman for the young generation; the demons of youth had never left him, and so both Tommy and Quadrophenia are semi-autobiographical works. Whatever it is that goads Townshend on, the result is some of the greatest rock and roll ever . I really like your reactions!
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reactions. You guys are doing it right by hitting up all the powerhouses of rock and prog. Zeppelin, Floyd. Rush, The Who, Yes. Steely Dan and Sabbath are all bands we love. Plus you rotate them in a way where it's not the same band every day. Now if you can get to another powerhouse band Van Halen. They possess one of the greatest rock guitarists Eddie Van Halen. He played the solo on Michael Jackson's Beat it. Know you will dig them. I would start with the first album. It's a masterpiece.
For real, Van Halen! And after your recent gobsmacked reaction to "Child in Time," I know y'all won't be sleepin' on doing more Deep Purple! "Hush" and "Space Truckin' " are especially GROOVY!
I saw Roger and Pete several years ago, when they toured and played the entire Quadrophenia album. I hope I'm remembering correctly, but during this song, they included a film of John Entwistle doing a long solo on the base guitar. It was the highlight of the show.
This is an epic album about the struggle between the mods and the rockers in late 60's early 70's..The album is one of two rock operas the other one being the rock opera" Tommy"..Keep er movin boys..Great reaction!!Peace from the old metal head from Detroit.
Guys, that was a great breakdown of that song/recording. In England the Motown records were released on the Tamla label. Those British musicians would often site listening to Tamla records regarding Motown releases.
Agree, for me every song is really great, how the 4 themes are woven throughout the album. A true rock masterpiece. So many more songs for you guys to cover, the whole album review would be epic!
This rabbit whole is deep and wide as The Who is both raw and complex, and as one of you stated they are quite diverse and unpredictable in knowing how to anticipate their compositions . Quadrophenia is one of my favorite albums, (if not, my) favorite album. It's full of great songs and knowing the basis or theme of the album makes it even more of a treasure. Another great album of all time is the Who's Next album, to which I can honestly say that there is no only any bad song on it, they are all purely fantastic. Not a bad or mediocre song on the Who's Next album.
So glad you have circled back to The Who, true pioneers, all astoundingly talented in their own right, magical when brought together. & for a Brit like me they press so many buttons - they're as British as a Bulldog in a Union Jack Waistcoat eating a Frenchman. You would do well to give their track "Squeezebox" a spin - it shows off their slightly more playful side. Love your work - watching you discover all this music that's been so important to me for so long brings back a little of the excitement I felt when I first discovered it. Keep up the good work. Love & Respect from the UK.
The overture at beginning of this album , is a 7 minute instrumental, that gives you a sample of all the songs coming up in album, it's epic and a masterpiece.,
The only Who track with a specific reference to Beatles concerts (in the opening lyric). You are so right about the Motown influence which is especially noticeable on their first album from their "Maximum RnB" phase, with 2 James Brown covers and a Bo Diddley track. Motown were huge in the UK in 1965 with a live TV special on their current UK tour. More on The Who My Generation (1965) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Generation_(album)
The Who made a Rock opera. Tommy. The movie is on DVD. The album is considered classic. I love the movie. Tina Turner, Elton John,Eric Clapton, Ann Margaret and of course the entire band. Check it out.
This song especially shows off John Entwistle. The entire group knew he was the best musician, but he played guitar and Pete really wanted to play guitar. So John switched over to bass and invented a whole new way to play it. He also did all of the horn sections of all of their songs. They were all great, but to me he was the legend.
Great reaction! I love watching you stumble upon rabbit holes that need exploring. Quadrophenia is best when listened to in its entirety. I love "concept albums" and this is one of the best, on par with their own Tommy, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis, Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull and The Wall by Pink Floyd from that era. I would love to see your reaction to the entire Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, my favorite album.
A decade earlier the Who covered “Heatwave” which was a Motown hit. I love the way you guys pick up on that influence with this band. I don’t recall hearing anyone else identify that.
Congratulations guys, you are one of the very few if not the only reactors to react to 5:15. So many great songs by them, I’ve seen them many times in my life and I’ve never been disappointed. I’m gonna recommend two songs that you need to react to that no one else has reacted to… “Trick of the Light” and 905. Be sure to listen to the studio versions and have the lyrics pulled up as sometimes their vocals are difficult to understand.
Detail note on the Quadrophenia album cover : zoom in on the reflections in the 4 (quad) mirrors…. Townsend, Moon, Entwhistle, Daltrey. From top to bottom. -It felt so good in LP album times to hold that album cover open in your hands, examine every inch for “meanings”, inhaling that sweet cardboard/ink scent…..
I have watched a couple of other reaction channels. Most of them are clueless buffoons. You guys are pros who know what to listen for. I knew you guys were the real deal when it took you one song to recognize JPJ as the musical genius he is. Really enjoying watching you two guys discover the music of my youth. As for Pink Floyd- can’t recommend Animals enough it’s their second best album- I’d listen to it before The Wall. Led Zep recommendations ( I was lucky enough to see them many times ) Kashmir is their best song- also Ten Years Gone. Achilles Last Stand is also a must listen- Bonham puts on a drum clinic on that track. Continue the great work. One complaint is the levels when you’re playing the song I can’t hear what youre saying to each other. One last thing The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds- is one of the true masterpieces of the rock era hopefully you’ll add it to your list
Thank you so much. We will fix the mic levels. We are going to do animals next. I had the order mixed up in the video. Thank you so much for watching!!
There's a live version of this song on Join Together (Live US Tour/1989) and whoever is playing the piano just KILLS it, i'd like to know who that was. Excellent album, it has all the songs from Tommy and Quadrophenia and then some.
The Who dropped two covers of James Brown on their first album -- "Please, Please, Please" and "I Don't Mind". On their second album they dropped a cover of "Heat Wave" originally recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas. After that they recorded their own songs, with the exception of "The Hawker" by Sonny Boy Williamson II on Tommy.
Townsend said Keith Moon is why it's all so heavy. Townsend would usually walk in with all the tracks recorded and when they got together to play, Moon would start pounding the crap out of the drums so everyone else had to get hard or fade into the background. lol
A song that shows The Who at their best. A truly great rock & roll song. Keith’s thunderous drums, c’mon just fantastic. Who Are You, the CSI theme, is from the album by the same name released in 1978. Sadly, it was the last album Keith played on before he OD’d in September, 1978. Great comments guys. Loved your Motown references.
This comes over very well in the film context,, If you do " Who are You " try the filmed in studio version ..Seeing how they work and Who they are is very interesting
The Who influenced by Motown? You bet! Good call. If you guys really want to experience The Who's Motown influence, check out their version of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' classic "Heatwave." Also, check out their version of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying" when The Who was called The High Numbers.
It's a fishtail parka, not a cape. They were worn by British Mods in the 60s and later in the late 70s/ early 80s Mod revival, because on long rides the weather could change very quickly and they were fairly waterproof when waxed. The scooters were Italian, either Lambrettas or Vespas depending on what you could afford, and like the whole Mod scene, were heavily influenced by Italian fashion mixed with British casual wear. The Who along with numerous other groups such as the Kinks, Small Faces, The Yardbirds The Pretty Things were some of the poster boys for the Mod movement, which as you rightly noticed, were heavily influenced by US soul music, but with our own aesthetic mixed in for good measure. Motown, Stax and Atlantic soul were most popular, due to the various UK tours that those record labels put on over here. My uncle remembers seeing Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Tammy Terrel and loads of other soul legends during those various tours, and he described it as the greatest thing he'd ever seen...well done to you lads for noticing the musical links, they are there in some of our greatest music.
The Who identified as Rhythm and Blues, which from the 60's and 70's was strongly MoTown. I think they would be happy with you identifying with MoTown.
You really should listen to the entire rock opera so you can get the full effect of Quadraphenia. It deals with Mods & Rockers. Two completely opposing gangs of teenagers in Brighton England and specifically Jimmy, the central character in the story. And yes, during this period in music everyone listened to everybody's music and they influenced each other while keeping true to themselves. It was a wonderful artistic era in music. Distinctive and mind blowing
Chris Stainton, known for his work with Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton, plays the 'Little Richie' style piano on this song, still one of my favorites by The Who.
The Who rabbit hole is gonna' be one of the best! Pete Townsend is a songwriter extraordinaire! He has done a LOT of solo work that is just as good, or better! Not to take away from the band as a whole. They are just stupendous!
Regarding the horns: John Entwhistle was horn player in addition to being a genius bass player, so I'm sure that he had a lot of input on the arrangements.
The Lennon Singers sing "How Much is That Doggie in the Window?"..These two: " Hey brother, I'm hearing some Motown in this...". Beethoven's Ninth Symphony: "Hey Brother, I'm hearing some Motown in this".😂
I love me some Who!!!Wow!!! And they performed this song in their concert that I went to last year!!!! ABSOUTELY AMAZING!!! the old boys till have it!!!! However, a lot of Rock n' Roll Bands including the Beatles were influenced by Motown back in the day....and .........a lot of groups and Rappers today are influenced by Motown.....you can hear in the vocal or instrumentation.
It's best to listen to the whole album beginning to end. Each song is a vignette in the life of several young English teens in the mid 60s. And each song has such a different feel from each other. One of the greatest of all rock albums.
Used to listen to a side of this album before hitting out when at Uni. back in the 70's! John Entwistle RIP was one of the best rock bass players of all time. He could play it like a lead guitar...Keith Moon RIP a no nonsense drummer.
A Rock Opera. This song’s about getting high on whatever and fightin’ whoever. Out of by brain on the train (5:15) English working class poor teen angst
This is definitely my favorite Who album. Pete Townshend is one of six people I consider musical geniuses (Todd Rundgren, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Joe Jackson and Roger Waters). You should also check out some of Pete’s solo stuff.
