[no subject]

Who's Next [Deluxe Edition] 
(MCA) 
US release date: 25 March 2003 
UK release date: 14 April 2003  
by Adam Williams 
PopMatters Music Critic 

The Kids Are Indeed All Right . . . 

Few albums in the pantheon of classic rock recordings
embody the greatness of an artist more than 1971's
Who's Next. Arguably the Who's finest effort, the
album came at a time when the group was at its
creative peak. Fresh off the monumental success of the
rock opera Tommy in 1969, the band had ridden a wave
of critical acclaim for the album and subsequent live
performances of its material, highlighted by memorable
gigs at the Metropolitan Opera House, Woodstock, and
the Isle of Wight. The scope of Tommy had drawn
attention to Pete Townshend's emerging genius as a
songwriter, and in the process set a standard that he
would be measured by throughout the Who's illustrious
career. The viability of Tommy as a recorded and live
vehicle had given Townshend renewed confidence in his
own abilities, and had motivated him to take on larger
challenges. His primary focus post Tommy came in the
form of the Lifehouse project, a grandiose look at the
possibilities of music in a futuristic setting.
Townshend's idealized views on rock and roll as an
element of one's being, laid the groundwork for an
elaborately sophisticated creation consisting of a
feature film, expansive album, and interactive live
concerts. While plausible to Townshend, the intricate
blueprint for musical salvation proved to be a
logistical impossibility, and the project gradually
unraveled into disarray. In spite of its failure to
reach fruition, the Lifehouse project yielded enough
quality recorded material to assemble the nine-song
album Who's Next. At the time, no one could have
foreseen the magnitude of this release, particularly
Townshend himself who had viewed it as a commercial
compromise of his Lifehouse vision.

Despite Townshend's initial misgivings, the magnitude
ofWho's Next is undeniable. The scope of its grandeur
is evidenced by every track having become an FM radio
staple, with much of the album's material incorporated
into the Who's long standing concert set list. While
each song is memorable in its own right, most notable
are "Won't Get Fooled Again", which has reached rock
anthem status, and the John Entwistle penned "My Wife"
that proudly displays the bassist's skills as a
songwriter. Simply put, it is as close to perfect an
album as could be imagined. How then could a recording
of this stature be improved upon? Read on. 

MCA has given Who aficionados an early Christmas
present with the release of Who's Next Deluxe Edition.
The original album has been coupled with added songs,
and a complete second disc has been included featuring
a live Lifehouse performance at London's Young Vic
Theater. Altogether, the twin CD set provides
twenty-nine tracks totaling two and a half hours of
vintage Who material. Additionally, an updated
Townshend essay describing the Lifehouse project is
featured, as well as extensive liner notes that shed
light on the history of the album's recording
processes.

Disc 1 is comprised of 15 tracks; Who's Next in its
entirety, and six newly remastered recordings from
early studio sessions that did not make the final
album cut. Alternate versions of "Getting in Tune",
"Love Ain't for Keeping", and "Behind Blue Eyes" give
listeners slightly different looks at the material,
while the original recorded version of "Pure and Easy"
showcases the song's melodic beauty. The inclusion of
an extended Motown cover of "Baby Don't You Do It"
harkens back to the group's early club days and
provides an interesting counterbalance to the album's
more readily recognized tracks. The most fascinating
of the additional material comes by way of a
previously unreleased alternate version of "Won't Get
Fooled Again". This take utilizes a different
synthesizer track than the traditional version and is
missing Daltrey's trademark scream. Overall, the six
additional listings supply a welcome compliment to the
album's original nine songs.

Disc 2 offers remixed versions of fourteen songs
performed at the Young Vic during the Spring of 1971.
Taking place at roughly the same time as gigs at Leeds
and the Isle of Wight, this Lifehouse concert
maintains the distinctive live sound from the period,
and includes much of the same material from those
shows. It also provides evidence of the Who's ability
to flawlessly transition brilliant studio material to
the stage. Featured tracks from Who's Next include
"Love Ain't for Keeping", "Behind Blue Eyes", "Getting
in Tune", "Bargain", and "Won't Get Fooled Again".
Fiery covers of "Young Man Blues" and "Road Runner"
are included in the set, as are somewhat lesser
played, but no less potent renditions of "Pure and
Easy", "I Don't Even Know Myself", "Too Much of
Anything", and "Time Is Passing". Also in the set is
an outstanding trio of concert mainstays "Water", "My
Generation", and "Naked Eye". Throughout the
performance, Daltrey's vocals are strong and gritty,
Moon's drumming is sharp, Entwistle lays down his
usual virtuoso thunder, and Townshend's guitar playing
is flawless.

The Deluxe Edition of Who's Next is noteworthy for two
reasons. First, in an age of rampant re-releases and
often sub par offerings, MCA has deviated from the
curve and put together an exemplary package of
material for Who fans. The sound quality on both CD's
is excellent, while the booklet included is
informative and enlightening. Second, the creative
dynamic that went into the aborted Lifehouse project
can be more fully appreciated as a greater amount of
original material is made available. Townshend's
musical vision may have been ahead of its time, but
three decades later his songs still resonate with
power and passion. For the most part, Who's Next rose
like a Phoenix from the ashes of Lifehouse, catching
lightning in a bottle as the group was at its pinnacle
of greatness. Now, the album returns to much of its
original conceptualized splendor, making it even
better.

Long live rock.


=====
-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com
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