Quadrophenia

The Who

MCA, 1973

http://www.thewhotour.com

REVIEW BY: Benjamin Ray

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/07/2004

The Who never had peaks and valleys in their career. To this day, Pete Townshend can windmill out excellent riffs and Roger Daltrey believes what he is singing. No, the Who's peaks and valleys occured within their albums, leading to works of art that are alternately frustrating and jaw-dropping.

Nowhere is this more evident than the Who's second double album and second rock opera, Quadrophenia. After Tommy broke new ground and Lifehouse was shortened into the excellent Who's Next album, the group decided to celebrate both the English rock scene and their own distinct ersonalities in the framework of a young mod named Jimmy.

The plot is simple: a teenager named Jimmy comes of age in the midst of a struggle between mods and rockers in England. The four sides of Jimmy's personality reflect the characteristics of the four Who band members, which is not evident to the casual fan but helps the lyrics make more sense to someone who delves into Who history. In fact, this is a celebration of history, a look back to mod culture and a look forward to where rock was going, both artistically and culturally.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

On the plus side, there is not a filler song on here. Unlike Tommy, the songs here advance the plot or kill time with excellent instrumental interplay that prove the Who was the third-best British invasion band (or second, if you are not a Stones fan). On the minus side, there are so many times Entwistle and Moon can go crazy on their instruments before it gets old, and by the final three songs, one just wants the band to get to the point and calm down.

The first few songs are wonderful, some of the best in the Who canon. "Real Me" is a workout for bass-player wannabes everywhere, a driving song that showcased everything the Who did right. It is followed by the instrumental title track, a sort of overture that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Other standouts include the mini-story "Punk Meets the Godfather" and the alternating heaviness and acoustic strumming in "I've Had Enough," with understated keyboard work and cymbal flourishes that help elevate the song. But "I'm One" and "Is It In My Head?" are pretty bland, while "Dirty Jobs" and "Cut My Hair" illustrate the overkill Moon took to nearly every song on this album.

This becomes clear in "Sea and Sand" and "Drowned" on side 2. Instead of just keeping a good beat, Moon punctuates every silence with a loud drum fill, never stopping once to let the other three speak. By the middle of "Bell Boy," I wanted to tie his hands behind his back and let the other three work their magic. His insistent pounding ruins otherwise solid songs, of which there are many on both sides.

This is one of the few double albums where the second platter is as arresting as the first. Both "5:15" and "Love, Reign O'er Me" are classic rock staples, with good reason, while "Rock" is another good instrumental and "Drowned" is actually good, if one can get past the drums. Only "Dr. Jimmy" warrants a skip button, with disturbing lyrics about rape. That wasn't necessary, Townshend.

But it would be a shame to fault a band for being too good - after all, Yes and Genesis produced some of the best music of the 70s when they reined in their tendencies to meander. Townshend and company create a better rock opera than their first and create some of the best songs in their history. Just don't be surprised if you can't listen to it all the way through in one sitting -- thanks to Moon and a couple of boring songs, it's a little too much of a good thing.

Rating: B

User Rating: A-


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© 2004 Benjamin Ray and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of MCA, and is used for informational purposes only.