Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. I Am The Sea
2. The Real Me
3. Quadrophenia
4. Cut my hair
5. Punk and the godfather
6. I'm one
7. Dirty jobs
8. Helpless dancer
9. Is it in my head
10. I've had enough
11. 5.15
12. Sea and sand
13. Drowned
14. Bell boy
15. Dr Jimmy
16. Rock
17. Love reign o'er me

Disc 2:

1. 5:15
2. Sea And Sand
3. Drowned
4. Bell Boy - Andy McPherson, Jon Astley, Pete Townshend, The Who
5. Doctor Jimmy
6. The Rock
7. Love Reign O'er Me - Andy McPherson, Jon Astley, Pete Townshend, The Who

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #996 in Music
• Released on: 1996-06-24
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Original recording remastered
• Running time: 82 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
An excellent and frequently astonishing album, Quadrophenia is both more ambitious and less accessible than Tommy, the first and most well known rock opera. At its simplest level, Quadrophenia is a coming-of-age story with an awesome soundtrack. The album features some of the Who's finest material, in songs like the enraged "Real Me", the cynical "Punk Meets the Godfather", the wistful "5:15" and "Sea and Sand", and the powerful "Love, Reign O'er Me". The songwriting (courtesy of Pete Townshend) is top-notch, as is the production (the Who actually managed to use synthesizers in an original manner, something few rock bands can aspire to). The mix of powerful songwriting and skilful composition makes this one of the Who's finest moments. --Genevieve Williams

From Amazon.com
An excellent and frequently astonishing album, Quadrophenia is both more ambitious and less accessible than Tommy, the first and most well known rock opera. At its simplest level, Quadrophenia is a coming-of-age story with an awesome soundtrack. The album features some of the Who's finest material, in songs like the enraged "Real Me," the cynical "Punk Meets the Godfather," the wistful "5:15" and "Sea and Sand," and the powerful "Love, Reign O'er Me." The songwriting (courtesy of Pete Townshend) is top-notch, as is the production (the Who actually managed to use synthesizers in an original manner, something few rock bands can aspire to). The mix of powerful songwriting and skillful composition makes this one of the Who's finest moments. --Genevieve Williams

CD Description
By the early 1970s, rock & roll had been around long enoughto begin to examine its own past. In the States, this resulted in Sha Na Na, but in Great Britain, where the popular culture of the young was more complex and coded, the Who's QUADROPHENIA was the most powerful example of this nostalgic view. Reviews at the time focused primarily on the obscure psychological aspect of the story--supposedly, the four sides of the original double-album set are meant to examine the four sides of the main character's personality, each one represented by a different member of the Who. However, the most interesting aspect of QUADROPHENIA is its seamy but poetic depiction of London's early-'60s Mod subculture, from which theWho originally sprang.
Set during the weekend of a climactic seaside gang fight between the Mods and their archenemies the Rockers, Townshend's story follows Jimmy, the archetypal Mod. The impressionistic songs tell an elliptical tale, but also function on their own as vintage '70s Who at their hard-rock height--the sneering "The Punk and the Godfather",the driving "5:15" and the anthemic, redemptive closer "Love, Reign O'er Me" are among Townshend's finest work.

Customer Reviews

Rock Opera,Rock Opera! Read all about it - Who's Finest!
The Who's finest and the soundtrack to growing up. This album has been part of my life for the past 20 years at least.Forget Mods and Rockers - this exceptionally creative album is much more complex than that.The opener 'The real me' sets the scene for the album followed by the Quadrophenia instrumental - listen to Keiths drums.The best known tracks on here don't disappoint - 5.15 is particularly good although the remaster seems to have lost the whistle from the beginning as the train pulls out of Waterloo (sorry that is an anorak comment). This is an all time favourite - if you love the Who you probably already own a dogeared vinyl copy that you have played to bits over the years,if you're new to the Who then this will make a super addition to your CD collection. Check out that GS Scooter on the front cover!

Stunning masterpiece of british rock music
Well, my hair (what's left of it) isn't cut neat and my war-time coat hasn't seen the wind and sleet in many a year but I still can't put this album down. This 'rock opera' follows on from Tommy in the way of telling a story. It leaves Tommy well-behind in the overall scheme of things though. Whereas Tommy was an acid trip, Quadrophenia is 'real'. In the lyrics you can taste the egg and chips in the dodgy sea-side cafe, feel the pain of the guy desperately trying to fit in and his hopelessness of the situation. Well, that's the idea anyway. What you REALLY get are masterful performances from one of the most underrated bands in the world. Soaring guitars, a bass to die for, vocals that range with the best ever and sublime drumming; forget Moon-the-Loon, this is rock drumming at its finest, timing and delicacy meshed in with the power required to push this whole project along. What the hell is 'quadrophenia' anyway....who cares!. This album is a wonderful insight into truly GREAT British rock music. Forget the play on 4 'themes.....listen instead to the power of the music. Oh, and don't forget to taste the egg and chips!

AFTER 33 YEARS STILL THE GREATEST ALBUM EVER
I've just been listening to some Beatles, great, The Rolling Stones, great,a little bit of Neil Young and JJ Cale plus a few tracks of AC/DC - great and all good stuff so far - Then I looked at my CD collection and thought, now let's put on something really serious,really extraordinary,something truly fabulous to sort out exactly who is the greatest Rock band ever, naturally I put on Quadraphenia....For me Roger Daltrey is the 2nd greatest Rock singer to Little Richard....Keith Moon the greatest drummer, John E the best bass player and PT the greatest Rock song writer. 5.15 / Bell Boy / Dr Jimmy and all the way through to Love Reign 'oer me, they just keep on coming. Quadraphenia cannot be listened to as background music like most other bands as it requires your total attention. I bought my copy back in '74 and for me it is still the greatest album ever released with everything else paling away once Moonie hits those skins on Bell Boy. MAX VOLUME of course!