QUADROPHENIA

This album is possibly my favorite of all time, matched only by selling england by the pound. This is the culmination of the Who's progression through different styles of music. Their masterpiece, it took elements of their past two albums, Tommy and Who's next, and made an incredibly moving, powerful piece of work. All the musicians are in their element here. Keith Moon has never wailed on the drums so hard and so much, John Entwistle mixes acrobatic basslines with stunning solos, Pete Townshend writes his best lyrics ever, as well as playing some of his most technical guitar work in his history with the who, and Roger Daltrey tops it all off with his wails and tough guy swagger that embodied the who spirit.

I won't do a song by song review of this album, but I will mention the highlights. I am the sea is a good prelude to an opera, a sort of Noverture, to steal a phrase from The Gift. The Real Me is a tour de force for bass and singing, and is not shy on guitar and drums either. Quadrophenia and the rock are two very creative instrumentals showcasing the band members and the 4 themes of the album: Helpless Dancer, Is it Me, Bell Boy, and Love Reign O'er Me. I'm One has great introspective lyrics as does Cut my Hair, Helpless dancer is an incredible lyrical masterpiece, you have to hear it to believe it. 5:15, Sea and Sand, and Drowned are 3 hard rockers with good jamming capabilities for live shows, with Sea and Sand containing my single favorite lyric ever: "I'm wet and I'm Cold, But thank God I ain't old". Not only is this my favorite, it embodies the who and the message they tried to convey through this and many other albums: youth is an amazing thing. Bell Boy showcases some interesting synth work by Pete and keith Moon singing, and Love Reign O'er Me brings the album to a fantastic close, showing Roger Daltrey for the singer he really was.

All in all, A rock opera, a work of art that transcends music because of the story behind it, giving us a look into the who's past and childhood. A masterpiece in its own right, the who hit the nail right on the head for this album, and unfortunately only went downhill from here.