Re: Quadrophenia

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>There has been some talk of late about QUADROPHENIA and the opinion has been
>expressed that it was a commercial failure.  This just doesn't square with
>the facts. 
>
>The album reached #2 in both the U.S. and the U.K., spawned a movie (albeit a
>poor one), and featured 3 or 4 songs that became staples of FM radio airplay.
> Also, when a New York City radio station ran their yearly "World Series of
>Rock 'n Roll" that pitted the greatest albums against each other (callers
>would vote for the winner which would then advance to the next round, etc.)
>QUAD was featured.  This doesn't sound like a commercial failure to me.  Even
>casual WHO fans have told me it's among their favorites.
>QUAD may have marked the end of The Who at their
>creative best but it was a success on all fronts.

JJM:

It was more along the lines of: QUADROPHENIA was a commercial failure at the
time. Today that wouldn't be said, but at the time even the single didn't
chart. The #2 charting of the album must have been due to WN, but after that
wore off (quickly) the album sank.
Things change, and people realize the worth of things later. But in December
1973 (when it was released), the album was considered (by the label,
Townshend, and the Rock writers of the time) a commercial failure.
I, however, loved it then (got it for Xmas, heard it on headphones from
beginning to end the first time, was totally blown away and knew it as their
best work to date), and still love it now.


                  Cheers                   ML