The Who

Striking a balance between lush ballads ("Behind Blue Eyes") and unbelievably loud, crazed, synthesizer-adorned raucousness ("Won't Get Fooled Again"), the Who hit their peak on this 1971 album. Following Tommy, Who's Next marks a return from labored art back to high energy rock 'n' roll, which is what the Who does best.

The Who's Next, regardless of what you may have been led to believe to the contrary, is
neither the soundtrack to the realization of Pete Townshend's apparently-aborted
Hollywood dream, the greatest live album in the history of the universe, nor a, shudder,
rock opera, but rather an old fashioned long-player containing intelligently-conceived,
superbly-performed, brilliantly-produced, and sometimes even exciting rock an... More >

With its acoustic guitars and drumless bits, this triumph of hard rock is no more a pure hard rock album than Tommy. It's got more juice than Live at Leeds. And--are you listening, John Fogerty?--it uses the synthesizer to vary the power trio format, not to art things up. Given Peter Townshend's sharpness and compassion, even his out-front political disengagement--"I don't need to fight"--seems positive. The real theme, I think, is "getting in tune to the straight and narrow," and comes naturally to someone who's devoted a whole LP to the strictures of hit radio. Another sign of growth: the love songs. (Grade - A)