The Who: Who's Next (Side 1) REACTION/ANALYSIS | The Daily Doug (Episode 315) 

Another vote for Quardophenia. Read the liner notes, watch the movie. Entwistle and Moon shine throughout. My favorite album of all time.

Geddy Lee said Who’s Next is his desert island record. So there’s that.

All hail Doug Helvering and Rick Beato and those who are making music even more interesting.

Imagine being a young teenager when this album came out . . . good times, good times

Few albums bring chills down my arms, and tears to my eyes. Every song on this record is a masterpiece. Pete and Roger's voices contrast each other so well

Townshend is a conductor of pure energy, Daltrey the epitome of youth, health, power & wonder, Entwistle a dark brooding shadow god of music, & Moon ... Moon ....well, a demonic grinning hyperactive playful insanely talented imp drummer maybe? What a band!

Live at Leeds has always been my go to Who album....

"My Wife" is one of my favourite Who songs, and I love the dark humour in it, too.

Masterpiece album. To realize how great of a band they were, they were voted favorite band in my high school yearbook. I graduated in 1984! Years and years after their greatest works.

Along with Led Zeppelin IV and Deep Purple's Machine Head, one of the three most consistent and best hard rock albums of the seventies... IMHO

Doug Helvering, check out Quadraphenia by The Who. Since been turned into an orchestral work. It's just awesome.

One of those very rare “perfect” albums, no sub-par tracks, to be listened to in one go, phenomenal stuff. Then go for Quadrophenia.

The piano in "The Song Is Over" was played by the late/great Nicky Hopkins, one of the best piano session players. Check out his piano in the Who song "They're All In Love" on the album Who By Numbers.

For a band that did not have a dedicated keyboard player, they had some memorable keyboards on their songs.

Check out The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" - the Shepperton Studios version is particularly fascinating. It was also the last performance of Keith Moon.

The whole album is a masterpiece. Baba O Riley is always in my top 5 favourite tunes of all time (and that's from a music collection of over 50,000 tunes....and from every era from the 40's 50's 60's onwards)

Keith Moon is my all time favorite drummer. He played fills over the main vocal. No one did it before or since.

'My Wife' is one of my secret favorite Who tracks. Not sure many Who fans would concur, but I just find it hilarious and charming. The Ox is (was) one of a kind.

That is the best álbum rock has ever produced . Power ,excitement and beauty in less than 45 minutes. Unbeatable .

This is easily one of the greatest rock albums of all time. What I love about The Who, is that they can create something really powerful that is simultaneously beautiful. Baba O'Riley is exhibit A. I love every song on this album.

That cover photo was a moment where they were driving past a quarry with the photographer in tow and saw the block standing up by itself like the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. This was a sort of cheeky response to that iconic ;) film.

“The Song is Over”is one of my favorite Who songs, one of the greatest albums, along with Quadrophenia, ever made. Townsend is a musical genius.

That Concert For NY performance by The Who - they absolutely crushed it. What an incredibly cathartic show.

'Song is Over' refrains back in reflection to the song "Pure n Easy", done by both The Who and later off Pte Townshend's solo album Who Came First (worth a listen!).

Listening to The Who, I always love the interaction between Moon and Entwhistle. Entwhistle is one of the greatest bassists in history

In every one of the dozens of household moves I've experienced, once the stereo is set up and the listening room ready, THIS is the first album that christens the new home

Doug, you have to do the double album "Quadrophenia" by THE WHO. Mind blowing! When I saw them in 2012 they performed the entire Quadrophenia album from start to finish. It was Phenomenal !! Have a great day!

Thank you for this Doug. The Who is my favorite band, Who's Next is my favorite album, and The Song Is Over is my favorite song of all time, the one I always get emotional when I revisit, and seeing you dig the song that means so much to me through all my life was something nice to watch

"Song is Over" was originally the final song of "Lifehouse." The last verse is from a song called "Pure and Easy" which Pete said was the first song written for the projected opera. He does a nice version of it on a solo album he produced in late 1972 dedicated to Meher Baba, called "Who Came First." You're one of the first reviewers I've seen who's tapped into Pete's spiritual depth.

I don't even want to say how long it took me to realize that they had all just pissed on the concrete box.

I played this so many times when I was a teenager - along with Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Yes snd some southern fried rock. Also, some Black Sabbath, Rush and The Allman Brothers. I forgot about Bargain it is one of my favs although this whole album was amazing.

Rogers voice in this album was just so phenomenal and clear and powerful, love the commentary and well deserved use of the word "iconic"!! Funny I have loved THE WHO my whole life and was really drawn to Pete's voice lol - they are all so gifted!!!

As a kid, I was totally obsessed with the chord progression in My Wife. And yes, Entwhistle played the brass parts. He also played the French horn parts in Tommy.

According to Glyn Johns Pete turned up with demo tapes that were perfect and all he had to do was just let the band do their bit. He also said that PT was one of the few people who could work an ARP let alone get a tune out of it

Who's Next and Quadraphenia are great lazy rainy day albums. These guys did the biggest trippiest turnaround in rock going from the original punk rock band to progressive rock geniouses. Tommy was jaw dropping. Who's Next was top 5 all time and Quad is the most untalked about masterpiece in rock history. Pete Townsend took that group way beyond what I thought they'd evolve as. The '70s where such a great time for new music. So good it got ya hooked for life!😉 The piano player on "The Song is Over" is Nicky Hopkins a great british session player of his time. RIP

"Tommy" is epic. Both the original and the movie soundtrack with Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, etc

I saw The Who live in Newcastle-upon-Tyne U.K. on their "Greatest Hits" tour in 2000. They were great, one of the best gigs of my life, I still have the program.

Baba O'Rielly is a tribute to Terry Riley. Just a brilliant homage to a minimalist legend.

Keith’s drums on the last 20-30 seconds of the song is over are awesome. I can listen to that over and over.

The Who was part of the soundtrack of my high school days....

For those who might be interested - The Who will be playing at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 30, 2022.

Just by accident, I saw the WHO in Dallas, in 1973 as a teen. The warm up band was a band I had never heard of called Lynard Skynard. So, proudly, I heard Free Bird for the first time live in Dallas in 1973, it stood out to me as a awesome song with the double lead, it was crazy, I hardly remember the Who...LOL. I would see the WHO a second time in 1982 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Before the encore I kept yelling "Magic Bus," "Magic Bus" and the Who came out for the encore and opened with Magic Bus, people everywhere started passing me joints and patting me on the back, like I willed the song to happen... great days of my youth. Big Who fan for over 50 years!!

Interesting note....the theme songs for all five TV shows in the CSI franchise use remixed Who songs. "Baba O'Riley" was used on CSI:NY. "Who Are You"was on the original CSI show.

U're totally correct. This album its ICONIC to the Rock & hard rock history

Also there were a number of songs left over from the Life House project that didn't make this album but served as a number of singles. Join Together, The Relay and Pure And Easy.

Quadrophenia is my favorite Who album....excellent cranked to 7 on my early 80's pioneer rack through my JBL studio monitors. I have to wait til wife is out to do it.

The Who remains my favorite group after over 50 years of listening to them. i have seen them 9 times (would have been 10 but last concert cancelled due to covid), 8 of those times with my wife, 3 of those times with our daughters, and two of those with kids and their spouses. Great memories!

Wow Doug! Let's see side 2 please! This was a large part of the soundtrack of my college life circa 1972-1976. Come back from class, light up a bowl, put on Who's Next. This was the absolute best Daltrey ever sounded, and as you say Entwistle was a great bass player without really standing out. Now after side 2 let's move on to Quadrophenia. More proof that Townsend is an awesome songwriter and Entwistle is one of the greatest bassists ever. And let's not forget Moon, who did fills way more than keeping time, and that's what made him great.

I was at that concert you missed in 2002. They sold soundboard recordings of the concert and I proudly have a copy.

Outstanding analysis!

My first "REAL" rock concert was The Who at Shea Stadium in 1982 (David Johansen and The Clash opened). Saw them several times after but only once after John died. Not quite the same anymore.

That opening synth lick is one of the very first uses of a sequencer.. What a great album...

While driving a limo in NYC back in 1987, I was dispatched to the Penta Hotel to pick up a Mr. Daltrey and take him to JFK Airport. He was very friendly, talked to me the whole 45 minute trip and he gave me 2 of his latest CDs, one signed to my 5 year old daughter and one signed for ME. $65 tip, too. RockOn, Doug. (PS: I looked up JUST as I was finishing this post and, you showed us your pipe. BlazeOn, Doug. I'm WAY ahead of you.) PPS: MY WIFE was written and sung by John Entwistle. Sort of like The Beatles letting Ringo do OCTOPUS'S GARDEN. It was an old song of John's and wasn't written specifically for the album. Done. FINITO.

That one is precious! Wonderful reaction to that legendary piece of music! Thank you, i enjoyed it a lot!

This was fun! Thank you.

Wow Doug where to start? Your analysis is always brilliant thanks you've breathed some fresh air in a time where great music needs to be reconsiderd in a good way. John Entwistle did some great solo work he worked with Frampton alot. Entwistle's tour de force was his work on Who Are You he was at his very best as a song writer and bass player that Townshend gave him room to stretch out. Give it a listen. Thanks again.

You were curious as to the singer on, 'The Song is Over'. Without reading through 200+ comments, Pete Townsend sang the verses, followed by Roger Daltery on the refrains.

Nothing beats Quadrophenia.

“I don’t need to fight, to prove I’m right” is one of the greatest lines in rock and roll.

This is one of the very best rock albums ever. Every track is *gold*.

BTW, The Who is my favorite band by Miles & Miles. Pete is Brilliant. The Bargain he’s looking for is God. Oh heck I could breakdown this entire album for you. Quite a bit of references to women are really to God & enlightenment.

Pete was really a master of rock and pop songcraft. Such lovely melodies and harmonies.

Aug 12, 1969- The Shed at Tanglewoord- BB King opens, then Jefferson Airplane, then the Who, with the Joshua Light Show. It was so cool.

Obviously a great time for that studio owners. Deep Purple recorded the track Fireball in the studio next to The Who the day after they finished the album. And since Ian Paice wanted to play with two bass drums he went in and borrowed Keith Moons.

I have read that at this time, Pete Townshend was exploring minimalist music, and the synthesizer in this song is his little homage to John Cage.

It's hard to believe but the keyboard at the beginning (and throughout) Baba O'Riley is not a synthesizer, nor a sequencer controlling a keyboard. It's actually a Lowrey home organ with a built-in arpeggiator preset called "marimba repeat". Instead of notes repeating in regular fashion when played, certain notes are repeated either on or off the beat, creating the complicated pattern. For example when the notes F, F#, G, B, C and C# are played they repeat on the beat, while notes G#, A, A#, D, D#, and E when played repeat off beat (i.e., a dotted note). Obviously there is a preset tempo, but when Pete plays chords, the on-beat and off-beat repeats create the incredible pattern. ( believe Pete found a way to control the repeat tempo by modifying a component inside the Lowrey.) Yes, it's true that Pete had ARP 2500 and 2600 synthesizers at the time, but he was just learning how to get sounds from them when Baba O'Riley (and Won't Get Fooled Again) were created. He also had a simpler synthesizer called the Putney. Some gentle filtering sweeps were applied by one of the synths to Won't Get Fooled Again, but you can barely hear that affect. The songs on Who's Next that really feature Pete's synthesizer work are Bargain, The Song Is Over, and Goin' Mobile. You can really hear the rich one note melodies Pete used synth for on those songs.

SO classic. And you run this as a Side, exactly as it should be presented. Impressive how you dissect the musical elements and your first impressions are authentic and genuine. Thanks Doug!

I'm a bit older than you and I got to see The Who on that "last" tour in September 1982. I was 18 and just starting my freshman year of college. I had a very early Walkman that had a stereo mic and I recorded the show on cassette tape (don't tell anyone). I've since lost that old tape, but I remember on the tape you could hear me and my friends yelling "PETE!" during each song break.

That was such a great way to spend 35 minutes I can't wait for side too Thank you so much this was really really enjoyable.

I love listening to whole albums (or in the case album side). Great job and more please.

That live clip was fine, but you’ve got to find some old footage when Keith Moon was still alive. He’s in the top 5 rock drummers of all time.

Re: The Album cover. I asked ChatGPT what the story was with this album cover and here's what it said... The cover of The Who's album "Who's Next" is a photograph of the band members urinating on a large concrete piling protruding from a slag heap, which was taken by photographer Ethan Russell. The idea for the cover came about when the band members were traveling in a convoy of cars on their way to a recording studio in Wales. They stopped to take a break at a service station, but found the facilities were closed. The band members then spotted the slag heap and concrete piling nearby and decided to relieve themselves there. The original concept for the cover was a more elaborate design involving a stonehenge-like structure, but the band members ultimately decided to go with the simpler, more provocative photograph. The image has become iconic in rock and roll history and is often cited as one of the most memorable and controversial album covers of all time. Despite its initial shock value, the cover has come to be regarded as a symbol of the band's rebellious spirit and irreverent attitude.

The thing about this album is that pretty much EVERY SINGLE TRACK was played to some extent or another on Album/Rock radio stations (a popular station format from the late '60s through mid '80s. I was born in '64 and so was a little young for their heyday but when I finally got around to buying this LP in the early '80s I had heard all nine tracks on it many times over. Friends who I introduced to it at the time thought it was a greatest hits album...

Thank you Doug, for exploring side one of this epic album. Your reactions warmed my heart and reminded me of myself at 15 years of age, wearing out a phonograph needle and my first copy of "Who:s Next" when it came out. Looking forward two you covering side two! Best wishes.

Another great video!! I'm quite envious of that pipe of yours, I used to love what having a smoke used to do my perception of music. I can't do it anymore though, or I daren't, to be more precise. The last time, only a couple of months back, scared the crap out of me! I literally felt like something was trying to take my life, I was pacing back and forth, marching on the spot...anything just keep moving because I "knew" that if I stopped I was going to fall dead! Absolutely terrifying! Anyway, more than anyone wanted or needed to know, sorry about that. Love your work, Doug, thanks!

Great reaction, I love this album. It's one of the few albums where I have to listen to the entire thing if I put it on at all.

Always remember that the song I’m Free on the Tommy album includes these verses: “If I told you what it takes to reach the highest high, You'd laugh and say 'nothing's that simple' But you've been told many times before Messiahs pointed to the door And no one had the guts to leave the temple” - Pete Townshend -

The Who owned the night of that first-responders concert! Never has there been a more exultant, cathartic reaction from an audience like the world witnessed during this set. The band really fed off that emotion and returned the favor during that set. MAGIC! A little trivia: The drummer is Ringo Starr's son, Zack Starkey.

The Who on the Smothers Brothers Show doing My Generation in 1967. A classic performance that, to me, defines The Who.

Beautiful song!

Wow, I never noticed that either and I'm 65 years old. I always for some reason just as soon it was their shadows and never paid close attention. I have learned something today! 👍🏻

The Concert for New York was also John Entwistle's last American show before his death. I was also at this show.

Since it was only 2 or 3 years after Space Odyssey 2001, I always thought this is what they would have done if they found that damn Monolith...

Loving the joy in you as you trawl thru' my history Doug. I'm 70yrs old, a ex drummer that worked as a tour manager for 30 odd years. Kepp on dissecting history! Andi

Rod Argent, from The Zombies and Argent is credited with playing piano on 2 tracks on this album, but he actually played on 3.

Doug back in1974 at the (Charlton FC concert) no violin in Baba, Roger played it on the Harmonica one of the best concerts I have witnessed, (yes, I'm old)

1 listen is not enough for this gem. All killers no fillers. The Who were like no other band. They did it all.

Love the way Roger and Pete's voices work off each other. Roger is all "Rock God" with the grit and gravel blasting through the melodies (not to mention the odd scream at the top of his lungs) while Pete is much softer and much more vulnerable. He always sounds to me like he's only just hanging onto the tune by his fingernails and any minute now he's gonna fall off the edge. They sound so good together it is a shame they haven't always got on with each other! Their back catalogue is so impressive as it is - imagine what they could've done if they'd liked each other!! As for The Ox not doing anything fancy, I beg to differ. One of the less well known tracks here had him doing all sorts of twiddly bits, and I give you the BASS SOLO (yes, BASS SOLO) in My Generation as further evidence. I think he suffered from "standing still on stage" syndrome (much like fellow Bass Player Bill Wyman.) Daltrey was swinging the mic around on a 40 ft long wire, Townsend had the windmill and thr knee slide and the less said about Moon the Loon the better. Entwistle couldn't compete so took a back seat on stage. By all accounts he was a different beast off stage (hence "The Ox"). All in all, I'm delighted you chose this for an "Extended Play Friday" Thanks Doug & keep up the good work! I've yet to hear a bad song in the last year. (Although I'm 58, so most of the stuff you're featuring is from my youth, when music was music, written and performed by really people NOT computers!)

Always enjoy your reactions Doug. I've been getting back into Roger's solo work, which has some gems.

"Excepting one note, pure and easy Playing so free, like a breath rippling by" As you probably know this was the album salvaged from a multi-media concept by Pete (Lifehouse). This refers to a song from that concept that did not make Who's Next. It is on Odds and Sods, a album of songs that didn't make albums. The song is called Pure and Easy.

Great album/side choice! Sorry you missed out seeing them in concert, I was able to catch them in Buffalo Sept '82.

I was at the show in the Cow Palace where Moon Passed out and they finished with a drummer out of the crowd.

When I was a teenager, Who's Next was the first LP I ever bought. I still have it. I have seen The Who perform live twice in Sydney, 2004 and 2009. One of the greatest thrills in a live concert is the conclusion to Won't Get Fooled Again. The slow, high tension build up from the synth, the rolling and banging drums (Moon or Starkey, it doesn't matter, they're both great), Daltrey's scream and Townshend's crashing guitar chords and then the race to the end. I never tire of it. A masterpiece song on a classic album. Doug, many have said that Quadrophenia is the band's greatest work and I would agree. The growth in Townshend's writing and composition from Tommy is significant and the story is much more mature and nuanced. Side four, with Dr Jimmy, The Rock and Love Reign O'er Me is arguably one of the greatest set of songs ever put on the one side of a rock album.

Looking forward to side two. Your Who story reminded of when I really noticed them. My musical tastes are rooted in what my 10y older brother listened to, late 60s and 70s rock. One day, when I was a teen, before leaving me alone in the house my brother put on Quadrophenia on the living room record player and turned up the volume so I could hear it in my bedroom while I was doing something. There is something at the beginning of “The Real Me” that caught my attention and I went out to the living room to catch it again. Played it a couple of more times, then sat and gave my entire attention to the whole double album. Needless to say The Who became my favorite band. In fact my favorite song by anyone is a Who song. I’ve never heard it on the radio, I’m sure it never charted well, and to tell the truth I don’t care for how it ends…. Yet it is my favorite song by any one Pure and Easy

Since you have the remaster, you need to keep going into the bonus tracks. "Pure and Easy" was meant to be the centerpiece of the "sci-fi" story, and it's masterful. And the live version of "Naked Eye" is sublime. (Pete and Roger duet as the couple breaking up.)

I saw The Who perform at Charlton Field in 1975 (1976?). I thought a sequencer was used to create the synth effect on Baba O'Riley . Interesting sub-text to the title. Keith Moon's showmanship was phenomenal.

I wore this album out back’n the day! The cover art ties in w/title……”Who’s Next”…….get it?😆👍🏼 The stories behind Keith Moon (drummer) are legendary!!

From Wikipedia (regarding the intro on ‘Baba O’Reily’: ‘The repeating set of notes (known technically as Ostinato) in "Baba O'Riley" that opens and underlies the song was derived from the Lifehouse concept, where Townshend wanted to input the vital signs and personality of Meher Baba into a synthesiser, which would then generate music based on that data. When this idea fell through, Townshend instead recorded a Lowrey Berkshire Deluxe TBO-1 organ using its marimba repeat feature to generate them.[11] This modal approach was inspired by the work of minimalist composer Terry Riley.’

This album imo can be thought of a collection of their greatest hits.

Such a great album...love it. Thanks for your analysis! John did play the brass...multi talented guy.