Who's Next Analysis

558 Words2 Pages

The Who is a English rock band formed in 1964. Along with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Who complete the holy trinity of British rock. They were seen as the pioneers of rock opera, a powerhouse arena act, and among the first rock group to successfully use a synthesizer. Who’s Next is a long playing well thought out and exciting rock and roll album. The musicianship is excellent with Keith Moon bashing away at the drums and Townsend playing masterfully. Who’s Next is the fifth studio album by the Who. It was released in August 1971. There are four members, Roger Daltrey (lead singer), Pete Townshend (guitarists), John Entwistle (bassist), and Keith Moon (Drummer) who all grew up around London. The personality clashes of the group members are almost as legendary as their music. Their first single “I Can’t Explain” reached the UK top ten. The group's fourth album, 1969's rock opera …show more content…

The song's title recognizes Townshend's guru, Meher Baba, and composer Terry Riley and is informally known as "Teenage Wasteland" from a line in the lyrics. The opening lyrics to the next track, "Bargain", "I'd gladly lose me to find you", came from a phrase used by Baba. Entwistle wrote "My Wife" after having an argument with his wife and exaggerated the fight in the lyrics. "Behind Blue Eyes" has three-part harmony by Daltrey, Townshend and Entwistle and was originally written for the abandoned Lifehouse project. Moon, does not play on the first half of the track, which was described by Who biographer Dave Marsh as "the longest time Keith Moon was still in his entire life.” The closing track, "Won't Get Fooled Again", was against revolutions. Townshend explained, "a revolution is only a revolution in the long run and a lot of people are going to get hurt". The song features the organ fed through an ARP synthesizer and quickly became a live performance

Open Document