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Navy Vet.

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On 12/6/2019 at 5:59 PM, Navy Vet. said:

I’ve just finished listening to WHO by The Who, this is their best album since Quadrophenia.  Roger Daltrey’s voice is spectacular, as is this album. 

Wow ... that is quite a statement.  To me, the Who's last great album was "Who Are You?"  A lot of people disagree with "Who Are You?" even being good, but not me -- I have always loved that album.  However, I always thought their very best work was "Quadrophenia", followed by "Who's Next".  The world could use a great another great album by the Who ... because it has certainly been a while.  Looking forward to hearing it...

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6 hours ago, 01GT eibach said:

Wow ... that is quite a statement.  To me, the Who's last great album was "Who Are You?"  A lot of people disagree with "Who Are You?" even being good, but not me -- I have always loved that album.  However, I always thought their very best work was "Quadrophenia", followed by "Who's Next".  The world could use a great another great album by the Who ... because it has certainly been a while.  Looking forward to hearing it...

To be very honest, I wasn’t expecting a great album, but seeing that The Who and the Beatles could do no wrong in my book I bought it. Since Friday evening I have listened to the album 9 times. Townshend has sprinkled elements from Tommy, Quadrophenia, Who’s Next, Who are You.  His power chords are fantastic, the synthesizers are reminiscent- especially on a few songs, Roger sings with passion and the rhythm section is impressive.  One song in particular Danny and my Ponies reminds me of the song  Village Idiot by  Van Morrison.  Street Song is impressive, yet sad, in the fact Townshend is saying this is it, we are saying this is our street song and to say so long. 
The album  evokes strong emotion, I was but 11 years old when I discovered The Who and the song My Generation and followed the group till present. This is perhaps their last album, they are old men, and I’m not a young man myself, a lot of this album deals with growing old. So this is really their swan song. 

Where does the time go? 

Edited by Navy Vet.
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  • 2 weeks later...

I gave it a listen streaming it, and to say it is the best album since Quad, which is may be their best is...well...not how I would put it.  They are consummate pros and have not put out any thing good since the last LP with Moonie, and that was maybe a 7 star out of 10 LP. 

Edited by Sgt. Pepper
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I have listened to it a number of times.  Yes, it is quite good ... shockingly so, I would say.  I would also say it is their best effort since Who Are You -- it may ascend with more listens, but that is where it is now for me.  I did not like Endless Wire.  And Face Dances and It's Hard  had a few great songs, but seemed to be largely incomplete albums.  So, credit to the Who to make an album up there in the realm of Who  Are You ... which for me is rarefied territory.

Some notes:

1) The opening track "All This Music Must Fade" struck me like an obvious almost-sequel to "Music Must Change" off of Who are You.  Anybody else have that impression?  I don't mean that comment in a negative light.  It is a good track.

2) The Simon Townshend-written track seems like a just throw-in only for his bro so he can make some royalty bucks.  

3) The "I'll Be Back" track (along with the #2 item above) seem filler-ish, with the album offering a better cohesive listen without them.  That is a compliment, though, as it is only two tracks.

4) There are four additional tracks on the expanded "deluxe" release version -- Of the four "This Gun Will Misfire" is the only keeper (seems very political, but I try to NOT to know  what the meaning behind it is ... LOL).  Hence, my iTunes version of the album only has this one track added in, with  "I'll Be Back" and the S.Townshend tracks removed.   The final overall product is a very good album.

5) The "Rocking In Rage" track would be very at home on Quadrophenia.  That is a HUGE compliment coming from me.  

6) Overall, I can't put this album in Who's Next or Quadrohenia territory, as that is -- for me -- like comparing something to Led Zeppelin IV.  But it is "excellent".  Nice job, Pete and Roger!

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I just downloaded it and listened here at work. Luckily no one else is around today. I think it is great. Roger's voice is really strong, like the old days, even for the high notes like in All This Music Must Fade. Pete's guitar playing (and writing) is spot on.

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