Who's Next

Very strong start and finish but lags in the middle, much like me having a shag.

Now here's a classic album. This marks the third album on here I have on vinyl (actually fourth since my Pink Moon vinyl arrived today). Opens with one of the greatest songs ever made. I'm a Baba O'Riley boy through and through. There are plenty of other bangers on here too, and I also enjoyed a handful of the tracks I'd never heard before. In total, I gave a little Apple Music heart to seven of the nine tracks--that's what we in the business of calling things things call a "hit machine." Honestly insane that this album opens AND closes with two of the greatest songs the Who has ever made. This album is undeniable. Plus, I fear if I gave this less than a perfect review that my younger self would materialize to kick my ass. Good thing it more than holds up. Favorite tracks: Baba (booey) O'Riley, Won't Get Fooled Again, Behind Blue Eyes, The Song Is Over. Album art: Iconic. This should honestly be on a short list for best album covers ever. Top 15 maybe? Four blokes in a quarry, around this man-made monolith type thing. The angle of the monolith is part of the charm too--it's not centered, but it feels centered. A strong, dark energy emanates from this one. Also, I love the stylization of the title: "Who's next" Not a question, nor a statement really. Maybe just an observation. 5/5

Dad rock but by actually talented musicians

Who’s Next by The Who (1971) [Is this the best album cover ever?] How many of us first heard this album in our formative years, when we began to discover that hard rock was an art form, a catalyst for serious reflection on answers to the big questions, for markers along the trail toward maturity and contentment, for companionship in the pursuit of truth that we could not get from our teachers, pastors, coaches, father-figures, counselors, and drill sergeants? How many of us sat at the feet of a sage like Pete Townshend when we had tried and failed to distill life’s lessons from George McGovern, Walter Cronkite, Malcolm X, T.S. Eliot, Karl Marx, and Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? How many of us were there? And how many of us are left? We learned from the songs we absorbed. We learned that the nature of love is sacrificial (“Bargain”), that love for spouse and offspring is not passive but active (“Love Ain’t for Keeping”), that in the midst of the anger and the vengefully voided conscience of being misunderstood, self restraint is wiser than violence (“Behind Blue Eyes”), that adolescent angst is only a ‘teenage wasteland’ (“Baba O’Riley”), and that this Revolution too will pass when the ‘slogans are effaced’ and ‘the beards have all grown longer’ (“Won’t Get Fooled Again”). Of course, all these truths could have been found in the Christian faith, but the searching was hard when the more popular theologians and moralists of the mid-twentieth century had so royally screwed it up. So how many of us became atheists who had to seek these truths elsewhere? But these priceless truths would be inaccessible without a suitable vehicle of expression. It had to be heavy (“Getting In Tune”), dexterous (“Going Mobile”), and punctuated with comic relief (“My Wife”). So this is where the music comes in—guitar, bass, drums, piano, synthesizer (yes, we were ready for that), and voices that could both melt hearts (“The Song Is Over”) and produce involuntary cris de coeur. Putting yourself in the context of a post-revolutionary survivor, patiently listen to “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (loud!) and take note of what happens in your upper thoracic region at the 7:43 mark. I dare you. The physicality is astonishing. The best (and most paternal) transition from Side One to Side Two in the history of recorded music: “The song is over Excepting one note, pure and easy Playing so free, like a breath rippling by . . . I’m singing this note . . . But I’m in tune, and I’m gonna tune right in on you.” This is the album that first compelled me to listen seriously. What album did that for you? 5/5

Anyone who doesn't rate this a 5 doesn't know what they are talking about. This is a nearly perfect album. Epic.

I mean, c'mon.

A lot of classics, but the ones that aren’t classics kind of drag. Even the big ones are more “great riff” than “6 minutes of excellence”.

The apotheosis of talent show rock (songs where all the band’s gifts are on display), nothing here is less than masterful. But what shines brightest is how consistently brilliant their final acts are. Baba O’Reilly’s gypsy coda is as great as its famous opening. Daltrey’s gravelly commitment to “When my fist clenches, crack it open” and “Put ya fingers down my throat” in Behind Blue Eyes’ finale is what tips it into all-time great. Won’t Get Fooled Again somehow finds a way to level-up at the end even though the whole song’s essentially the album’s final act. Even the lesser numbers pack a big finish: Bargain’s drum battering, My Wife’s creeping horn charts, Going Mobile’s squiggly synths. The sleeper is Getting in Tune, which re-routes its concept with each verse. First one’s about making music, second one’s about loneliness, third one’s about getting yourself right, fourth one’s about finding connection. Then they all get blitzed together. Something like that, anyway. When the material isn’t strong enough to fully embody, the McCartneyish try hard in Daltrey’s voice can be irritating; but when it is strong—which is most of the time here—it brings out the character actor in him and he puts the songs over like a motherfucker.

Oh my let me use Who’s words to say Bargain the best I ever Had”. Buying this album is the best you’ll ever buy. I lost 2 pounds listening to this album. Baba Riley had me playing air guitar, air drums,keyboard and violin. I needed water half way through due to beltimg out the words to so many - so loud! My goodness what a piece of art from the 1st track to last. This is what a masterpiece sounds like . Belisamo!

One of the greatest albums of all time. Top 5 ‘final track on an album’ ever…

I feel like anything I would have to say about this album would be woefully insufficient. I mean, this is the epitome of a 5 star album. Best thing the Who ever made. There's a reason why we know so many of these songs, to the point where some have become overfamiliar. Don't let that get in the way of your enjoyment. There are literally some of the best rock songs ever made on this album, including the monumental "Baba O'Riley," the blistering "Won't get Fooled Again," and the deeply intense "Behind Blue Eyes." This is the Who musically at their best and going for broke on every song. Fave Songs: Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again, Going Mobile

This album starts and ends brilliantly. Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes and Won't Get Fooled Again are classics and still sound fresh in 2021, particularly the former. In the middle it is less memorable though, and seemed like fairly average rock. 3.5/5.

As I’ve written elsewhere, The Who formed my primal conception of rock when I was a kid, which has left me conflicted by their wild troughs and peaks. I love “Live at Leeds” despite the songs. This album appears to be the one where they stashed most of their great tracks. Even the Ox’s “My Wife”, a mostly-nothing of the song, is elevated by a brilliant outro that makes me want to listen to the rest of the song again as just build-up to those few seconds at the end. The rest of the album is banger pressed to banger, no weakness. The promise of “Tommy” groping its way towards us on this list still makes me shudder uncontrollably, mind.

Never understood why The Who are held up as one of the all-time greats. This album makes a good case, however. Enjoyed it a lot, to my surprise! [EDIT - yeah, it's a 5]

No. 191/1001 Baba O'Reily 5/5 Bargain 5/5 Love Ain't For Keeping 5/5 My Wife 4/5 The Song is Over 5/5 Getting in Tune 4/5 Going Mobile 4/5 Behind Blue Eyes 5/5 Won't Get Fooled Again 5/5 Average: 4,67 Just a great classic rock album from start to finish. No bad songs and a lot of "highlight" songs. This is now my best rated album, taking over from Listen Without Prejudice - George Michael (4,56)

This album is expertly bookended with two of The Who's (and rock & roll's) most iconic songs. Opening with the anthemic "Baba O'Riley" and those mesmerizing synthesizer-like notes which act as a motif all throughout. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is one of those timeless rock ballads that reels you out and hooks you back in with its buildups. Among the lesser known tracks, I enjoyed "This Song Is Over", as that had more of that operatic rock sound heard throughout the album. This might be The Who's best work, maybe rivaled by "Tommy" from a few years prior, but I'd argue that this is more expressive and grand. Just an epic in its own right. Also I just now noticed that the album cover art is the band after taking a leak? Learn something new everyday I guess.

Well, it's just brilliant. Some of the best songs ever are on this album.

Classic. The Who was my first Rock concert shortly after Keith Moon passed and they’re in my pantheon. Ox’s “My Wife” hit home and always brings a smile.

An amazing album which has stood the test of time.

70s rock does not get much better than this. Front to back great. Peak Who. They’re all WASTED.

Yeah, that’s a 5. I knew this was the album that had Baba O’Riley, but I never made the connection that Won’t Get Fooled Again was that fucking song. Those are the two standouts, obviously, but everything in between so perfectly compliments each other in terms of the instrumentation and the vocal performance, probably most deeply anchored together by the fantastic percussion throughout this album that really makes each song pop that much harder, especially on The Song Is Over and Getting in Tune. It’s just a really fucking good album, man. Even its weakest points where the sound lulls a bit or repetition starts to seep in, which are few and far between, are still great to listen to. Very deserving of a 5, and highly recommended.

Yes - "Who's Next" is one of the truly all-time classics in rock no doubt... With "Baba O'Reilly" opening the album, and "Won't Get Fooled Again" closing it - you have 2 of the greatest anthems in the history of rock... Add in "Behind Blue Eyes", "Bargain", and "Going Mobile" as couple of more amazing tracks - and you have a stunningly exceptional album... Always enjoyed the less popular songs from this album as well, including "The Song Is Over", "Getting In Tune", and "Love Ain't For Keeping" - as those are quintessential Who hands down... Only weak track on the album is "My Wife" - but 9 out of 10 absolutely stellar songs is really remarkable... Definitely a 5 all the way for me...

What a ride. This is probably the best album that’s going to be on this list. And to think this was leftovers from their previous record. Absolute legends.

10/10, I feel like Joe Pera when I listen to this

What kind of crazy, fucked-up world do we live in where this album isn't one of the top 20 highest rated on this sites list? This is the sound of a band at the absolute peak of their powers. It's the epitome of a classic album. There's a reason the best songs from the album have been overplayed everywhere: they're simply that good. I even like the track John Entwistle sings lead on.

This is one of my all-time favorites. With some devastating lyrics and incredible musicianship, it's got so many great songs that it feels like a "Best of..." record. (Though there are many, many more of The Who's bests not on this album.) It is grandly exuberant, theatrical, cinematic. (There is a reason Baba O'Riley is the soundtrack to so many movie trailers.) Listening to this album just feels HUGE. Like I need to expand to fit the music in. It's exhilarating. lovelovelovelovelove

A masterpiece rock classic. I don’t think any band makes such a dramatic change in their career as The Who, Beatles aside. The album is packed with 3 mega iconic songs, great musicianship that well produced, all packaged in a great runtime. The album is a must and truly belongs on the list.

What a great album! Compared to earlier Who albums, this is a marvel. "Bookended" by three mega hits, the rest of the album is studded with everything, fast paced songs, power ballads, guitars, synthesisers

After the success of Tommy, Pete Townsend embarked on another ambitious rock opera project titled Lifehouse. This project was eventually abandoned but some of the elements made their way onto Who's Next. This album is surely one of the Who's best. It is concise and coherent and features some of their greatest hits. Many of the lesser known songs come from Lifehouse and concern themselves with the relationship between music and its audience. This is truly a great album.

5/5 - Duh. Excellent.

Much of Who's Next derives from Lifehouse, an ambitious sci-fi rock opera Pete Townshend abandoned after suffering a nervous breakdown, caused in part from working on the sequel to Tommy. There's no discernable theme behind these songs, yet this album is stronger than Tommy, falling just behind Who Sell Out as the finest record the Who ever cut. Townshend 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, the Who 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 -- 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 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 runs rampant or because Roger Daltrey has never sung better or because John Entwistle 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 laying his soul bare in ways that are funny, painful, and utterly life-affirming. That is what the Who was about, not the rock operas, and that's why Who's Next is truer than Tommy or the abandoned Lifehouse. Those were art -- this, even with its pretensions, is rock & roll.

Classic album. Second favorite Who album behind Quadrophenia. 9-10/10 1. Baba O'Riley 2. Won't Get Fooled Again 3. My Wife

This is an all-time classic, one of the best albums ever in my opinion. There really isn't a bad song in the bunch. Lately I've really been appreciating My Wife (the song, although I do appreciate my real-life wife as well). Listen to the drumming in that song, and then the horns kick in. And of course, Won't Get Fooled Again is epic. 5 stars easy.

Easily the best known The Who album. It is THE album that people will point to if you ask them about the best album to start with The Who and even I, who isn't a big fan of them at all, have to agree that there are some pretty nice tracks on this album especially at the start and the end. The middle parts of the album do feel a bit less extraordinary but it's not like it's totally tasteless. I bet for someone who's really into Hard Rock, this is close to a holy grail but as I either prefer softer or heavier music and in total don't really care for Hard Rock and also a lot of Blues Rock, this seems rather overhyped. The legendary ‘Baba O'Riley’ starts off the album with a Hard Rock and Art Rock song that includes both Prog-Rock as well as Prog-Electronic stlyes and create a really interesting sound that you’d not really expect The Who to go into. It’s certainly a fun song that plays around the repetetive electronics enough to create a diverse and interesting song that even though I am not as big of a fan as others, have to agree that it is a great song and easily one of the best in the entire discography of theirs. Especially the end with the groovy classic dance rhythm is a really fun thing and easily my favourite part on the song. On ‘Bargain’ they bring in more Blues Rock but still keep the obvious Hard Rock and Prog Rock ideas. It’s a really energetic and loud piece that certainly has it’s qualitites, mainly with the chorus and its vocal performance towards the end of said chorus. The bridges are a bit to sudden and too big of a change to really keep the energy going but they manage to pull it back after letting the guitar and the drums shine for a while. I really like the song and think it’s even a great one. ’Love Ain't for Keeping’ does a whole 180 on their sound and turns to Roots Rock and Acoustic Folk that plays with Country here and there. It’s definitely not an uninteresting song but I do find that it does much less to me than it might could’ve. It sounds a lot like something Led Zeppelin did on their fourth album and I also think that that album is just boring at many moments and this short song just doesn’t do it to me. It’s okay and I can listen to it but there’s not much more for me in it. They return to their Mod origins on ’My Wife’ but still do the Hard Rock and bits of Art Rock that definied their later career. I do like some of the interesting production choices and weird additions that they did add but again, most of it seems rather uninteresting to me and if it wasn’t for the brass instruments, this would’ve not been as good as it is. At least that they did succeed in. 'Song Is Over’ fittingly ends the albums first side piano driven Art Pop Rock track that features some more Hard Rock guitar at parts but it spans out over 6 minutes and plays a lot of Prog structures and therefore doesn’t always go into said play style. It just seamlessly transitions between the softer Piano parts and the slightly heavier guitar parts in which also the vocal style changes to fit with the songs sound. It’s pretty ingeniously written if you really look at it and although I really appreaciate what they did or tried to do, I personally don’t stay as interested with it for much longer as it does feel a bit repetitive after a while. It’s still really good. Side B opens with ‘Getting in Tune’ which although it starts quite soft and sentimental has well enough Blues & Hard Rock in it after it really gets going. It’s a pretty fun Art Rock song that not only plays around with ideas and sounds but actually succeeds in it by having both some really groovy and sentimental moments that both seem to do exactly what they tried to do with it. It does strech a bit towards the end but it doesn’t feel too boring or repetitive and I think that even though it could’ve been better especially with the outro, it still is a pretty great song overall. They not only go Pop on ‘Going Mobile’ with some added hints of Folk, Country and Hard Rock but they also make the easily weakest song on the album. It sounds like a gone wrong Britpop song with an absolutely stupid chorus that not only lyrically but vocally hits deeps that they didn’t get to since after their Mod phase. It’s definitely not terrible but oh god, it’s pretty bad. Easily, the worst song on the entire album. Stupid songwriting, bad vocal delivery and just absolutely foolish. Luckily, ‘Behind Blue Eyes’ follows with one of the best known and generally best tracks on the album. It’s an Acoustic Art Rock song that not only has some of the best lyrics as well as a great execution in terms of songwriting, vocals, backing vocals and instrumentation. And it gets even better after the song drops into the Hard Rock part of the song. It’s a really lovely song and I like everything about it but it isn’t perfect, mainly because they sometimes don’t know how or when to stretch certain parts but it is incredible nontheless. The epic closing track ‘Won't Get Fooled Again’ returns to the Prog-Electronic style they already did on the opening song and therefore close to album in a fitting circle. I think that it sounds a lot like some Rolling Stones songs the way they wrote it and play with the guitar and the backing vocals. On top, it’s the longest song on the album with over 8 minutes which is spread out into certain sections that are repeated but don’t give us a full on chorus but only a tension building hook that builds and builds more tension. Around the halfway mark they hint to the legendary finale but return to the Stones style song that keeps going and builds with a hypnotic Psychedelic Rock style more and more tension that also lets you drift away as they mix repeating guitar with the Electronic parts to create a really well made hypnotic atmosphere in which one can go lost. It then turns to a section that is only driven by the Electronic parts before slowly adding drums that build a lot of tension in a short time before releasing with the iconic scream that finally releases all of the tension that was build over 8 minutes of playing and closes to song in absolute perfection. Easily the best song on the album. favourites: Won't Get Fooled Again, Behind Blue Eyes, Baba O'Riley, Getting in Tune, Bargain least favourites: Going Mobile, Love Ain’t for Keeping Rating: strong 7 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

It's hard to think of many bands (other than the Beatles) who underwent such ambitious growth in such a short period of time. Their first album (just over five years previous) was a relatively unremarkable mod-pop album, and here they are practically inventing 70s stadium rock, having moved through concept albums and rock operas to... this gargantuan beast of a record. Thank god they kept it to a lean single album. I am not generally a fan of concept albums or rock operas; they are pompous, pretentious, overly complicated and nonsensical. I think the "failure" of Townshend's Lifehouse concept helps them here. Not that the record doesn't lean towards pompous and pretentious, but by jettisoning attempts to link a narrative thread, they could concentrate on making the album sound good. And teaming up with Glyn Johns (responsible for a slew of great sounding records in the late 60s and 70s) really helps. The playing is sophisticated without becoming overly complex, muscular and powerful. And there are probably more really iconic tunes here than on any other record the Who ever released; Baba O'Riley, Going Mobile, Behind Blue Eyes and Won't Get Fooled Again are all dad-rock classics, and the rest of the material is of a high standard. Pound for pound, this is the best they ever played, the best they were ever recorded, with the best tunes they ever had. And they manage to reign in the worst tendencies towards over-playing (I'm looking at you, Moon, and you too, Ox). Do I love The Who? More admire than love, and, truth be told, if I was going to spin one of their records, it would most likely be Live at Leeds. But this is a dead set classic record, deserving to be on the list. It probably deserves a five, but I just can't quite get there. Perhaps 4.5, rounding down because I'm ornery. I do, however, really love the cover photo. Mwah, chef's kiss.

The high points on this album are among the highest of 70’s rock and more than make up for some of the less memorable tracks in the middle of the record. It’s actually kind of ridiculous how great a couple of the songs on this record are. Keith Moon, without a doubt, steals the show on this record, his frenetic drumming leads the way, charting the course these songs as much as the arpeggiated synth lines on the the tracks bookend this record or Pete Townsend’s guitar. He is practically a hurricane turned drummer, and I think in the hands of any other drummer most of these songs would not have the same impact - especially towards the end of “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, where his drum fills interrupt the organ/synth arpeggio and clear the way for Roger Daltry to deliver what is probably the greatest scream in the history of rock and roll as the band returns to the songs iconic riff for the last time. The ending of that song is quite literally perfect and I’m not sure The Who reached that level again before or since in their career, at least to my ears - though they often came close.

Very strong start and finish but lags in the middle, much like me having a shag.

There are some attention grabbers for everyone!

As I've mentioned in my reviews of the other Who albums, never been a big fan. At least those albums ("Tommy" and "My Generation") I wasn't as familiar with. This record is not so lucky. Classic rock radio has beaten at least four of these to absolute death, so much so that when I saw the last two songs were "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", I decided to spare myself. If I had known "Bargain" by the title, I would've skipped that one as well. Two of these songs both have similar enough melodies, albeit differing intensities, and to have them back to back is just poor design ("The Song is Over" and "Getting In Tune"). The other three songs are absolutely forgettable. The Who are a classic rock band that I've never understood why every radio station in America is required to play their music. I just wish they'd go away. Favorite track: "Won't Get Fooled Again"

I fucking hate The Who.

Beyond a couple of early singles, I have never understood the interest in The Who. This album is far from a classic, and sounds like a really bad hangover from the Sixties. Lumpen rock with no soul or even meaningful lyrics. There is nothing ‘mod'ern about this, even for the time. Even Townshend’s guitar playing - so often discussed and admired - doesn’t really stand out as being either virtuosic or particularly original, to these ears. Next!

Listen to it a few days ago. Masterpiece!!

I hadn’t realized just how many classics there are on this album.

Incredible one of the best albums of all time

Pre-listening thoughts: yup. That’s me. Now you might be wondering how I got into this situation. Well, let’s start from the beginning. Post/during listening thoughts: you can totally hear the “My Generation” of it all on this album but it’s not as cookie cutter as that album is. There are interesting melodic choices, songs that move and shift, and instrumentation keeps these songs from falling into cliche traps. There are a few well known hits on this album but the album tracks also shine through on this album. This is a really good album. Struggling between a 4 or 5 just based on personal enjoyment so please know that when you see my rating. In all honesty I probably should’ve given My Generation a 4 and this a 5. But whatever I was in a good mood that day and it was hitting. 9/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: I dont think so? Fav tracks: all of it but my one critique is that Bargain was too long Least fav tracks: none

Really impressive album, I loved listening to this.

Even with ‘Getting In Tune’ on it this is too phenomenal to be anything else. I haven’t heard something so good in so long.

The Who's best album hands down!

Better than the Beatles in every way

One of the top Rock Albums in History! Plays like a Greatest Hits. Starting with \"Baba O'Reilly\" (NOT WONT GET FOOLED AGAIN!) through to perfect booked of \"Won't Get Fooled Again\" with amazing drums from Moon ( and not just the solo. Listen.) Enjoy.

A couple fillers in the middle don't do much to diminish the brilliance of the opening three and ending three songs. Serious enough without being sappy, light -hearted enough without being goofy. An absolute classic.

WHO doesn’t like this seriously?

10/10. STUNNING classic!!! Many amazing songs are on this album!!! It starts with "Baba O'Riley", which is probably one of my favourite songs!!! :)

Wowee

Great Album.

Gonna get out there and say it. Baba O'Reilly is one of the absolute killer tracks of rock. However - "Won't get fooled again" is also one of the absolute killer tracks of rock. And this album uses them as top and tails. The filling of the sandwich isn't quite as impressive as the bread - but made with a lesser loaf, it would probably also be stand-out. Thoroughly deserves a listen.

It has been said before, but anyone who doesn't rate this 5 stars, doesn't know what they're talking about.

All killer and no filler. Truly excellent album.

All time classic

epic

Baba, Bargain, ... Blue Eyes, and ... Fooled ... ? If only the bits in between were as good! Was never going to be less than 5 stars, but still not quite their best work!

The gold standard for anthemic full-throated guitar rock. Extraordinary song writing and performance.

Like it's cover these album's songs are monoliths.

Townsend's "failure" did us all a favor. Hard to find much – or anything, really – wrong with any of these songs. Maybe the vocals on "My Wife" fall a good bit short of first rate? But don't the piercing, Quardrophenicy horns more than make up for it? There's just so much to like – from the unforgettable and truly iconic opening keyboard riff to the bitter triumphalism of the closer. Few other records have one or two of the top all-time rock anthems; this one has 3, plus several other first-rate cuts ("Going Mobile," "Getting in Tune") alongside a very strong supporting cast ("Bargain," "Love Ain't for Keeping"). Big and symphonic, layered and hooky, this may be the ultimate arena rock record, unapologetically so, because Townsend's compositional chops saved the Who from the bloat and bombast that were fatal to so many other bands of this era (just track the endings of the two monster cuts – they end intelligently, appropriately and satisfyingly. The playing is great, too – Moon just rampages on several cuts; Townsend's playing is well-measured and then lets loose, now slashingly, not flourishingly, at exactly the right time; Daltrey is in fine form, and contirbutes one of the all-time great rock and roll screams on "WGFA." One's pleased to report that one of the first albums one ever owned has held up so well 50+ years on. And now that they have (thankfully) ended the long series or farewell tours, it seems possible again to think the Who are actually underrated.

Except for My Wife, a perfect rock album.

My favorite Who album

Amazing album definitely my favourite so far

One of the few albums on this catalogue that I'd already heard, and it just gets better with more listens. Absolutely adore it. The softer tracks slap as hard as the peppier ones do, and imo this is a 0-skip album. 9.25 / 10

I am looking at the standard edition tracklisting for this review, as no deluxe editions were needed. After being underwhelmed by their proverbially titled Sell Out album, The Who wowed me with this album. Created after they tried and failed to follow up Tommy with another rock opera album Lifehouse, the group salvaged some of the leftover songs to make a project that could stand well on its own. Every band member got to shine on Who's Next. Many songs like "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" were excellent showcases of Pete Townsend playing the synthesizers, popularizing their incorporation into rock music. Keith Moon behind the drums was excellent as expected, though he allowed enough space when the atmosphere needed to be emphasized. John Entwistle played well on the bass as needed, having some standout rhythm-carrying moments such as on the bridge of "Bargain". Roger Daltrey commanded behind the mic for half the album, though Pete also shined with the likes of "The Song is Over" and "Going Mobile", and likewise John with his track "My Wife". Throughout, Glyn Johns was superb in his production role, focused on getting a good-sounding performance out of the band to breathe life into what Pete Townsend originally demoed. As a result, there is a great sense of depth and dynamics throughout the runtime making The Who's music feel more grandiose than what was expected for a hard rock sound at the time. Honestly, my only nitpick is the songs could have been rearranged in a different order for a better flow, such as placing "The Song is Over" as the closing track, which it would have been on Lifehouse. Again, that's only a nitpick on what can otherwise be argued as one of The Who's best albums alongside the likes of Tommy and Quadrophenia. Who's Next is absolutely worth your time.

I feel like this is one of those classic albums that everyone knows is a classic album. The Who are iconic, and I think this is their generally agreed-upon best album (though I have seen some differing opinions).

Brilliant record. At times I call it the best album ever, sometimes top 5. No matter. This is a rock masterpiece. Every song is great.

Seems like an album that helped transition from the psychedelic 60s to 70s rock. Hints of it early, but then gets into some really great guitar and overall fun rock music! Foot stomping, relistenable to the max! I know many consider it one of the top albums of all time. Well deserved!

Brilliant. Didn't realise ow much i like the Who

Ah I so do love classic rock, and it doesn't get much more classic than this. Baba O'Riley was a fantastic start, really cool instruments (I love me a fiddle), and very catchy melodies. Love Aint For Keeping was beautiful, the kinda vibe you want when you're drinking a hazy IPA at a brewery on a warm Sunday afternoon. Not gonna talk about Behind Blue Eyes because we all know that Limp Bizkit did a banger cover (which let's be honest, is better than the original). And then to end with Won't Get Fooled Again a.k.a 8 minutes of guitar riff heaven that genuinely made me sad when I realised I had finished the album. After my last The Who listen, being the clusterfuck that was Live at Leeds, this was a much more enjoyable experience.

Now this is a masterpiece from start to finish. I used to listen to it a lot. They call it dad rock, I call it god rock

Unreal 🔥

Excellent rock.

All killer, no filler! 5/5

Maybe the best opener and closer to an album.

Keith Moon is a beast and he might be at his best on this album. Every song is rocking.

Who's best.

Haven't heard this in years and it's better than I remembered it--some classics on this, including Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Won't Get Fooled Again.

yeah

A fantastic album--the apex of the Who. Every song is great. The musicianship is outstanding. The songs are compelling and original even if the Lifehouse concept is muddled.

pure bliss

I feel like anything I would have to say about this album would be woefully insufficient. I mean, this is the epitome of a 5 star classic rock album - the Who at their musical peak (yes, including Tommy and Quadrophenia). Some of the best rock songs ever made on this album, including the monumental Baba O'Riley, the blistering Won't Get Fooled Again, and the deeply intense Behind Blue Eyes. Favorite Songs: Baba O'Riley, Bargain, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again, Going Mobile, My Wife 5⭐️

What’s not to love? It’s nothing but hits and I’d still go out of my way to take the album in. Ever read the lyrics to “My Wife”? It’s really funny. I always thought “she’s coming” meant something entirely different. Great album all the way through.

Absolute Classic.. I grew up with this record as my dad loved it every track is a banger. Bargain, Behind Blue Eyes, Going Mobile , Song Is Over & Love Ain't For keeping are all gems, Getting On Tune is the weakest track but still great, My Wife is a hidden John Entwistle cracker and the highlights are the two songs that bookend the album Baba O'Riley is my favourite Who song closely followed by Won't Get Fooled Again both classics.

Classics

Grew up on Classic Rock, so I'm biased, but this is one of the best Rock albums ever. Bargain has one of my favorite outro's ever with Keith Moon's drumming. Baba O'Reilly is overplayed now but still a great song. It's got some of my underrated favorites My Wife, The Song is Over, and Going Mobile. Then Won't get Fooled Again to end the album. Fantastic album!

One of the best albums ever made. Great songwriting, inspired performances, well produced. When my friends break out the tired old debate of best band ever -- the Stones or Zeppelin -- I often respond The Who (or Black Sabbath)!

The Who in theory should be the greatest band of all time. Keith Moon on the skins, with a rhythm partner like John Entwistle and Pete Townshend, the loudest and most innovative guitarist, part of a generation with so many. And Daltry, a blues shouter with all the know how and can do on how to rock the house. This album is an all time classic. The who really are backed by the blues, more evidently than ever before. The bass is melodic, the drums are punchy and the guitar is riff-tasctic. On this listen my favourite song is "Behind Blue Eyes'" but this can be easily contested by a number of tracks. Particularly, the generational classic, "Baba O'Reilly" and one of the best eight minute rock songs of all time, "Won't Get Fooled Again". An essential listen if there ever was one!!

Hall of Fame.

Classic

In the long-standing "Beatles or Stones?" debate, the correct answer remains "The Who". End to end a brilliant album. Listen to it 4 times. You know the songwriting, guitar, and vocals. But take a listen for just the drums or just the bass lines, and you'll hear just how advanced this band was. Any of those instruments could be considered the "lead".

Interesting to read the history to this. It's a big leap between a middle of the road band with a scattering of hits and an album like this by one of the greatest of bands. There's a reason why they are famous, the songs exude quality.

Amazing

Outstanding work in my opinion, everything in this album seems to work.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Classic doesn't begin to describe this album. I would highly recommended listening with headphones. I never noticed how much acoustic guitar is actually on Who's Next. Keith Moon's drumming is from another planet. So entertaining. Entwistle's bass playing isn't too shabby either, especially on Getting In Tune. Won't Get Fooled Again is epic anthemic rock. Liked Songs Added: - Baba O'Riley - Bargain - The Song Is Over - Getting In Tune - Going Mobile - Behind Blue Eyes - Won't Get Fooled Again

Loved this one from start to finish, great balance of music and lyric inspiration.