Product Description

While both THE WHO SELL OUT and TOMMY have their passionatedevotees, WHO'S NEXT is the Who's masterpiece. Originally, Pete Townshend intended these songs for an even larger-scaleproject than TOMMY, a massive multimedia extravaganza, called LIFEHOUSE, that the songwriter eventually abandoned. Townshend was initially keen to keep at least the basic structure of the story for the Who's next record, but associate producer Glyn Johns convinced him that a straightforward single disc of the project's best songs would make a stronger album. Wise counsel indeed, because WHO'S NEXT is by far the group's most focused and powerful effort.
Bracketed by "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", two classic rock epics that did more to advance the cause of synthesizers in mainstream rock than Kraftwerk's entire career, this album is basically flawless, ranging in mood from the heartbreaking "The Song Is Over" to John Entwistle's bitterly funny "My Wife". Although nearly every song on the record, barring only thebluesy acoustic interlude "Love Ain't for Keeping", is a saturation-level FM-rock-radio mainstay, WHO'S NEXT is that rarity--an intimately familiar album that never gets tiresome.

Track Listing

1. Baba O'Riley
2. Bargain
3. Love Ain't For Keeping
4. My Wife
5. The song is over
6. Getting in tune
7. Going Mobile
8. Behind Blue Eyes
9. Won't Get Fooled Again
10. Pure And Easy
11. Baby Don't You Do It - Leslie West, The Who
12. Naked Eye
13. Water
14. Too Much Of Anything - Nicky Hopkins, The Who
15. I Don't Even Know Myself
16. Behind blue eyes

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1439 in Music
• Released on: 1999-12-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 78 minutes

From Amazon.com
A mix of old favorites and buried treasures makes this edition of Who's Next a definite must. One of the defining albums of 70s hard rock from one of the 60s most successful bands, the original album includes some of The Who's best-known work, such as the anthemic "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", the by turns sorrowful and angry "Behind Blue Eyes", and perennial favorite "My Wife". The new tracks on this album are equally worth hearing, including "Pure and Easy" (an alternate edition of which is available on Odds & Sods) and the original version of "Behind Blue Eyes". A hard rock classic, Who's Next is required listening for rock fans of all ages. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews

hypocrisy abounding
how come none of you people are ostracizing this guy? oh wait....he was only studying, not looking for pleasure! or maybe its got something to do with his 100million fortune swaying the case? poor old gary. anyway - the music. its ok. a bit over-rated. the who never really were the leaders of the gang, know what i mean?

Never Bettered
I was a very young man when I fisrt bought my copy of "Who's Next", and it is an album that has stayed with me for over 30 years, one that I come back to time after time. Why is that? Well, it's a very simple question to answer, this is the epitome of a seminal album. It is The Who at their absolute peak.

I have a very wide ranging musical taste, taking into scope blues / rock / pop / jazz / big-band swing / electronica / indie and Lord knows what, and I would be very hard pushed to nail down a favourite album, but this would be well foward in my thinking. Even more so, I would be hard pushed to nail a favourite song, but "Baba O'Riley" is certainly up there, and it is this opening tune that sets the tone for the album.

If you fail to be uplifted by the impassioned wail of Roger Daltery on "Baba O'Riley", fail to connect with the thunderous drum track provided by Keith Moon and you don't feel the hairs on your neck stand up at this wonderous tune, you have no soul.

"Bargain" "Behind Blue Eyes" and the thought provoking and truly cacophonus "Won't Get Fooled Again" are obvious high points of this album and it showcases Townshend's prowess as a songwriter and also as a musician.

The whole album has been recorded with flair and with perfection in mind and it shows. This set was originally released in 1971, and has not dated one tiny bit. It still sounds fresh and urgent and more importanly, relevant. If you only own 1 album by The Who, own this one....magnificent!!

Remixed and Remastered versus Remastered-only
This is a more technical comment on this re-release - obviously this is a full five star album, genius at its very height, etc.

However having listened closely to the "Deluxe" (2-CD) version of Who's Next against the earlier 1995 "Remixed and Digitally Remastered" (1-CD) version (which this 1999 CD is likely the same as - it has the same running order/extras, etc.) - they ain't the same (if you use iTunes, use Apple Lossless - you'll never go back to MP3, BTW - or FLAC with other players). The track lengths give this away, but on a good system, and particularly with good headphones, you will be able to tell the difference easily. Essentially the Deluxe sounds like a remaster only - i.e. taken from the original stereo master tapes, and a harsh one at that - whereas the 1995 version is clearly a remix from the original multitrack master.

OK, so what? Well, in almost every case (every case in my own view) the remixed versions - while sticking closely to the original mixes and overall production quality (and quite rightly so, this recording was also Glyn Johns' own masterpiece) have a clearer and more transparent quality that makes the vinyl/Deluxe versions sound sonically limited. Subtle details in the mix, tambourines, vocal inflections, even creaking studio chairs and background whispers become clear on the 1995 remix versions - it's uncanny, and for music/Who fans who really care about this album the effect is much like the (also remixed/remastered) 2-CD Tommy - which is frankly breathtaking and sounds like it might have been recorded last week. Studio technology was quite advanced from the sixties onwards, only the need to adjust things for vinyl messed up the sound quality. Revisting the master tapes allows modern listeners to hear what Glyn Johns would have heard in the studio. That is a precious thing for an album as important as this one and John Astley did an impressive job on the 1995 remix version - to my mind the Deluxe version lacks this added magic. So, my recommendation is buy both versions and check out the differences (and enjoy the additional live tracks on the Deluxe version, some of which are on the 1995 CD as well) - but if you only buy one, and for the original album, then get the 1995 1-CD version. It's subtle, but it takes this beautiful recording to another level.

Addendum: I recently got and compared the infamous Steve Hoffman-mastered MCA Canada CD version for comparison (available on Amazon.ca) - all of the above still stands true and the 1995 Remix/Remaster is still the best overall, however the MCA remaster is way better than the Deluxe CD1 version, more true to the original LP sound (and much clearer) but very organic, and is probably the best way to hear the original mix of the album in all its glory. It's certainly a great companion to the 1995 remix. Personally I can't listen to what they've done on the Deluxe version any more - most of it sounds hard compared to either of the other versions. Thank God for choice, eh?

Thanks for reading.