Welcome to another Track-By-Track review. This time around, I dove into Who’s Next by The Who. I have never been a Who aficionado, but I have always dug most of what I heard (except for Tommy; overrated hogwash.) My buddy James told me he thought this one would be a good one to dive into, and I really enjoyed this album quite a bit. This album is definitely going to get repeat spins from me, but for now, here are my thoughts on Who’s Next.
Baba O’ Riley
I have always loved this song. That sequenced keyboard intro is so distinct that just about any listener of rock n’ roll can ID this song right away. They don’t have to be a Who fan to do so. Singer Roger Daltrey is off the charts awesome, and he delivers these lyrics as if they were a speech in a coked-out church revival. Also, it’s funny that people out there still think that this song is called “Teenage Wasteland.” Apparently, its title is the way Pete Townsend described the kind of Irish jib at the end of this song. Lyrically this song is such a strong. It’s an anthem for past, present, and future generations, and for as long as there will teenagers, there will be a teenage wasteland.
Bargain
This is a song that I never really heard before I listened to this album for the first time over 25 years ago. I have never really been a big Who fan, so hearing this song for the first time in I don’t even know how long blew my boxers off. Following “Baba O’ Riley,” “Bargain” packs just as much a punch. It’s so full of energy and power. Lyrically, Townsend doesn’t sound good at math, stating that “1 and 1 make 1.” With that bit aside, this song is epic as fuck, and I’d say I like this one better than its predecessor. Maybe it’s because I’ve heard it a lot less.
Love Ain’t for Keeping
I love how the Who went from these in your face, stand up and shout rock n’ roll numbers into a kind of folk/rock kind of thing. This particular song reminds me of something I could hear The Band or even Delaney and Bonnie playing. “Love Ain’t for Keeping” also shows the depth of The Who as musicians and for Townsend as a songwriter. The ability to side slip into a whole new genre of music showcases The Who’s ability to do this without losing their fans in the process.
My Wife
This is a bizarre song but mainly because it segues right out of “Love Aint for Keeping” into this one. Bassist John Entwhistle takes over vocals on this one, and this is the only song not written by Townsend giving Entwhistle a songwriting credit. I never really knew that Entwhistle was a singer, but he’s so good he kind of sounded similar to Daltrey. The song in itself is pretty good, but I found it to be quite dull and even at only 3:33, I still found it to be a bit dragging. Not their best but definitely not horrible.
The Song is Over
Let me just get this out of the way. I am not a fan of Townsend’s vocals, but his voice works well on this song. This isn’t a song that I am familiar with at all. I honestly don’t even remember it from all the years ago when I had this album. I have a feeling that this song is supposed to be something amazing, but I don’t hear it or feel it. I do, however, love the interplay between the vocals of Daltrey and Townsend on this one and the piano playing. This isn’t the best song and not the worst, but honestly, I find it entirely forgettable.
Getting in Tune
Wow. What a beautiful song. Maybe this was the emotion that I feel was lacking in “The Song is Over.” I’m not quite sure I’m feeling like that while I love the contrast of Daltrey’s and Townsend’s vocals together, I’m really put off by Townsend’s vocals. He seems to lack that gritty soul and emotional vocal push that Daltrey has. Lyrically, I love how “Getting in Tune,” while appearing to be about creating a song or music in general, also seems to mirror life itself. It’s a really strong song, and it packs that emotion that I love so much from The Who.
Going Mobile
Ok, so this is a song that I enjoy. I kind of feel like this is somewhat of a novelty song of sorts, and Townsend’s voice works perfectly on this one. It’s not an emotional song, but it’s a lot of fun. There’s no deep message or anything. Musically it’s a fun ride, and I feel like there’s not much else to say about it. It’s fun, it makes me smile, and this is the kind of song that should be left for Townsend to sing.
Behind Blue Eyes
Wow. This song is everything I remembered it being. It’s an epic song with one of the greatest transitions in Rock N’ Roll. The acoustic beginning of the song reminds me a bit of Zeppelin, and then when it kicks in, it is all just The Who. The deeper I get into this album, it is clear for me to see that The Who, much like Zeppelin, sounds more influential than influenced. “Behind Blue Eyes” is just perfect in all sense of the word: amazing lyrics, fantastic song structure, and amazing performance.
We Won’t Get Fooled Again
Much like “Baba O’ Riley,” which kicked off this album, “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” has an intro that people can recognize right away. You have to give huge props to an album that opens AND closes with an anthem that would be adopted by many, many generations after them. When the song drifts off into the organ piece that offers the listener some breathing time, it’s so perfect because I was literally able to hear and feel the exhaustion behind their playing. When you think it’s winding down, drummer Keith Moon comes in with drumming that serves as a countdown to Roger Daltrey’s epic rock n’ roll scream into the closing verse. This song is absolutely perfect and one that always deserves a re-listen.
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