BuddyUK
02-22-2012, 05:26 PM
Simple concept, Choose which you think is the best Classic Rock album from the golden age of the LP, first up is The Who, you can argue with me about my selection but there can only be 3 as far as the Who are concerned IMHO. Vote for your favourite, argue your reasons post tracks etc. Let's get some ROCK music up in here.
:slayer:
1 - Tommy (1969)
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/bud1uk/cover_5833131582009.jpg
http://www.allmusic.com/album/r21816
The full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy that launched the band to international superstardom, written almost entirely by Pete Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-townshend-p5678). Hailed as a breakthrough upon its release, its critical standing has diminished somewhat in the ensuing decades because of the occasional pretensions of the concept and because of the insubstantial nature of some of the songs that functioned as little more than devices to advance the rather sketchy plot. Nonetheless, the double album has many excellent songs, including "I'm Free," "Pinball Wizard," "Sensation," "Christmas," "We're Not Gonna Take It," and the dramatic ten-minute instrumental "Underture." Though the album was slightly flawed, Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678)'s ability to construct a lengthy conceptual narrative brought new possibilities to rock music. Despite the complexity of the project, he and the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) never lost sight of solid pop melodies, harmonies, and forceful instrumentation, imbuing the material with a suitably powerful grace.
2 - Who's Next (1971)
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/bud1uk/Whosnext.jpg
http://www.allmusic.com/album/r21816
Much of Who's Next (http://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-next-r21820) derives from Lifehouse (http://www.allmusic.com/album/lifehouse-r229848), an ambitious sci-fi rock opera Pete Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-townshend-p5678) abandoned after suffering a nervous breakdown, caused in part from working on the sequel to Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816). There's no discernable theme behind these songs, yet this album is stronger than Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816), falling just behind Who Sell Out (http://www.allmusic.com/album/who-sell-out-r21815) as the finest record the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) ever cut. Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) developed an infatuation with synthesizers during the recording of the album, and they're all over this album, adding texture where needed and amplifying the force, which is already at a fever pitch. Apart from Live at Leeds (http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-leeds-r443429), the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) have never sounded as LOUD and unhinged as they do here, yet that's balanced by ballads, both lovely ("The Song Is Over") and scathing ("Behind Blue Eyes"). That's the key to Who's Next (http://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-next-r21820) -- there's anger and sorrow, humor and regret, passion and tumult, all wrapped up in a blistering package where the rage is as affecting as the heartbreak. This is a retreat from the '60s, as Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) declares the "Song Is Over," scorns the teenage wasteland, and bitterly declares that we "Won't Get Fooled Again." For all the sorrow and heartbreak that runs beneath the surface, this is an invigorating record, not just because Keith Moon (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/keith-moon-p19411) runs rampant or because Roger Daltrey (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/roger-daltrey-p4018) has never sung better or because John Entwistle (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-entwistle-p74197) spins out manic basslines that are as captivating as his "My Wife" is funny. This is invigorating because it has all of that, plus Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) laying his soul bare in ways that are funny, painful, and utterly life-affirming. That is what the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) was about, not the rock operas, and that's why Who's Next (http://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-next-r21820) is truer than Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816) or the abandoned Lifehouse (http://www.allmusic.com/album/lifehouse-r229848). Those were art -- this, even with its pretensions, is rock & roll.
3 - Quadrophenia (1973)
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/bud1uk/Quadrophenia_album.jpg
(http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-townshend-p5678)http://www.allmusic.com/album/quadrophenia-r21823/review
Pete Townshend revisited the rock opera concept with another double-album opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-'60s. If anything, this was a more ambitious project than Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816), given added weight by the fact that the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) weren't devising some fantasy but were re-examining the roots of their own birth in mod culture. In the end, there may have been too much weight, as Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) tried to combine the story of a mixed-up mod named Jimmy with the examination of a four-way split personality (hence the title Quadrophenia (http://www.allmusic.com/album/quadrophenia-r21823)), in turn meant to reflect the four conflicting personas at work within the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) itself. The concept might have ultimately been too obscure and confusing for a mass audience. But there's plenty of great music anyway, especially on "The Real Me," "The Punk Meets the Godfather," "I'm One," "Bell Boy," and "Love, Reign o'er Me." Some of Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678)'s most direct, heartfelt writing is contained here, and production-wise it's a tour de force, with some of the most imaginative use of synthesizers on a rock record. Various members of the band griped endlessly about flaws in the mix, but really these will bug very few listeners, who in general will find this to be one of the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822)'s most powerful statements.
ALBUM FIGHT!!!
:slayer:
1 - Tommy (1969)
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/bud1uk/cover_5833131582009.jpg
http://www.allmusic.com/album/r21816
The full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy that launched the band to international superstardom, written almost entirely by Pete Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-townshend-p5678). Hailed as a breakthrough upon its release, its critical standing has diminished somewhat in the ensuing decades because of the occasional pretensions of the concept and because of the insubstantial nature of some of the songs that functioned as little more than devices to advance the rather sketchy plot. Nonetheless, the double album has many excellent songs, including "I'm Free," "Pinball Wizard," "Sensation," "Christmas," "We're Not Gonna Take It," and the dramatic ten-minute instrumental "Underture." Though the album was slightly flawed, Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678)'s ability to construct a lengthy conceptual narrative brought new possibilities to rock music. Despite the complexity of the project, he and the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) never lost sight of solid pop melodies, harmonies, and forceful instrumentation, imbuing the material with a suitably powerful grace.
2 - Who's Next (1971)
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/bud1uk/Whosnext.jpg
http://www.allmusic.com/album/r21816
Much of Who's Next (http://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-next-r21820) derives from Lifehouse (http://www.allmusic.com/album/lifehouse-r229848), an ambitious sci-fi rock opera Pete Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-townshend-p5678) abandoned after suffering a nervous breakdown, caused in part from working on the sequel to Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816). There's no discernable theme behind these songs, yet this album is stronger than Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816), falling just behind Who Sell Out (http://www.allmusic.com/album/who-sell-out-r21815) as the finest record the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) ever cut. Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) developed an infatuation with synthesizers during the recording of the album, and they're all over this album, adding texture where needed and amplifying the force, which is already at a fever pitch. Apart from Live at Leeds (http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-leeds-r443429), the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) have never sounded as LOUD and unhinged as they do here, yet that's balanced by ballads, both lovely ("The Song Is Over") and scathing ("Behind Blue Eyes"). That's the key to Who's Next (http://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-next-r21820) -- there's anger and sorrow, humor and regret, passion and tumult, all wrapped up in a blistering package where the rage is as affecting as the heartbreak. This is a retreat from the '60s, as Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) declares the "Song Is Over," scorns the teenage wasteland, and bitterly declares that we "Won't Get Fooled Again." For all the sorrow and heartbreak that runs beneath the surface, this is an invigorating record, not just because Keith Moon (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/keith-moon-p19411) runs rampant or because Roger Daltrey (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/roger-daltrey-p4018) has never sung better or because John Entwistle (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-entwistle-p74197) spins out manic basslines that are as captivating as his "My Wife" is funny. This is invigorating because it has all of that, plus Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) laying his soul bare in ways that are funny, painful, and utterly life-affirming. That is what the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) was about, not the rock operas, and that's why Who's Next (http://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-next-r21820) is truer than Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816) or the abandoned Lifehouse (http://www.allmusic.com/album/lifehouse-r229848). Those were art -- this, even with its pretensions, is rock & roll.
3 - Quadrophenia (1973)
http://i479.photobucket.com/albums/rr154/bud1uk/Quadrophenia_album.jpg
(http://www.allmusic.com/artist/pete-townshend-p5678)http://www.allmusic.com/album/quadrophenia-r21823/review
Pete Townshend revisited the rock opera concept with another double-album opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-'60s. If anything, this was a more ambitious project than Tommy (http://www.allmusic.com/album/tommy-r21816), given added weight by the fact that the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) weren't devising some fantasy but were re-examining the roots of their own birth in mod culture. In the end, there may have been too much weight, as Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678) tried to combine the story of a mixed-up mod named Jimmy with the examination of a four-way split personality (hence the title Quadrophenia (http://www.allmusic.com/album/quadrophenia-r21823)), in turn meant to reflect the four conflicting personas at work within the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822) itself. The concept might have ultimately been too obscure and confusing for a mass audience. But there's plenty of great music anyway, especially on "The Real Me," "The Punk Meets the Godfather," "I'm One," "Bell Boy," and "Love, Reign o'er Me." Some of Townshend (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/townshend-p5678)'s most direct, heartfelt writing is contained here, and production-wise it's a tour de force, with some of the most imaginative use of synthesizers on a rock record. Various members of the band griped endlessly about flaws in the mix, but really these will bug very few listeners, who in general will find this to be one of the Who (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-who-p5822)'s most powerful statements.
ALBUM FIGHT!!!