Today, I decided to listen to the record “Who’s Next” by The Who. I really like the band’s name, as well as the name of the album, because it is so simple, yet I doubt I could have ever thought of it. I was excited to listen to this record because I had only heard a few songs by The Who before and I wanted to hear some of their other works.
As the needle began to move along the grooves of the record, I immediately heard the familiar sounds of “Baba O’Riley”. As one of the few “Who” songs I’d heard before, I was glad I was able to get reacquainted with their music before I heard some of their other songs. Unlike other records I’d listened to before, there were a lot more synthesizer sounds used in this album. I loved the way that the electronic sounds mix with the power chords of the guitar and the thumping of the drums. As the record continued to play, my Dad told me how The Who was not a singer/songwriter type of group like The Beatles or CSNY. Instead, their songs were written by Pete Townshend and each song was written to tell a story of a different aspect of Townshend’s crazy life. I especially enjoyed the last two tracks on the record: “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. While listening to “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, I was actually fooled at the end of the song because I thought that it was ending, when it instead had yet another verse. I made sure not to be “fooled again” the second time around.
Released in 1971, “Who’s Next” was the fifth studio album released by The Who. Intended to be a futuristic rock opera, this album was immediately recognised for its unique and dynamic sound. This album used a wide variety of synthesizers and keyboard sounds. The album is best known for its opening song “Baba O’Riley” (originally called “Teenage Wasteland”), the rock ballad “Behind Blue Eyes”, and the epic closing song “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.
What are some of your favorite songs by The Who? Have you ever been fooled by a song? Comment below!
Classic Rewind 