Description
Reduced price due to 2 cm seam split on spine
Norwegian Team Trykk press with NCB on label
In 1977-1978 The Who had problems. Times and music were changing, the punk movement sweeping through Britain’s underground and this was threatening to bands like The Who that was seen upon as dinosaurs past their prime. Pete Townshend was doing his best to keep his band afloat, delivering a concept about where The Who stood among the rock spectrum. The state of the band was not as strong as it had been during its classic late 60s/early 70s era and rarely were two or more members of the group in the studio together actually working on the album. This means that Who Are You is an album that has a stiff sonic quality to it, as it was constructed almost entirely via overdubs. Roger Daltrey seemed to be at odds with the man who was giving him material to sing. Keith Moon was in the throes of alcoholism that would tragically cut short his life mere weeks after the album’s release as he overdosed on pill meant to combat his alcohol problem. Despite the flaws in execution, Townsend doesn’t fail to write an engaging album that gets its message across and an album that are filled with memorable hooks and catchy melodies. The title track is great classic Who, and “New Song” and “Sister Disco” are two standout tracks. This is also John Entwistle’s strongest presence on a Who album, placing three of his compositions here (“Had Enough”, “905” and “Trick of the Light”). The band is still playing like a powerful, top-notch unit in spite of the assembly-line approach. Keith Moon’s drumming, probably as a reflection of his declining health, is more subdued than on prior albums but he still delivers a solid-as-expected performance. So this was the end of The Who’s classic line-up. After 13 years, 8 albums, and a live act that was as exciting and unpredictable as any in music, the band continually broke new ground every time they picked up their instruments, and left a legacy few could approach. All in all, Who Are You was a statement of reminding the world who The Who were but in retrospect it was a final look at The Who as they had once been.
Track list:
1. New Song
2. Had Enough
3. 905
4. Sister Disco
5. Music Must Change
6. Trick Of The Light
7. Guitar And Pen
8. Love Is Coming Down
9. Who Are You