QUADROPHENIA

On this album, The Who's Pete Townhend perfected the rock opera. While "Tommy" was groundbreaking and different from everything else released at the time, "Quadrophenia" exceeds that in every way (except maybe hit singles). Brilliant in both concept and in execution, it was one of the "must have' albums of the seventies, for prog fans and rock fans of all types.

The story is well known. It's a tale of teenage angst, that, while set in 1960's England, resonated with people every where. But it's not the story that makes this album so great. Townshend wrote four themes, one to represent each member of the band. And these themes pop up throughout the album, swirling in and out, tying all of the music together into one cohesive piece (Townhend did this a bit in "Tommy", but mastered the form here).

The band peaked, performancewise on this album as well. Roger Daltrey, rocks greatest primal screamer, belts out every song as if his life depended on it. Keith Moon, was, well, Keith Moon. His drums are furious throughout. And John Entwistle shines as well, playing some of his most eceptional bass lines (The Real Me and The Punk Meets The Godfather are my favorites, but he rocks from start to finish).

After the amazing "Who's Next", The Who could have sat back and lived on the success of one of the greatest rock albums of all time. But they went right back and created another.