Iona’s Song of the Week - No. 14

I recently trawled through some of the 500 or so vinyl LPs in my collection, looking for inspiration, and boy, did I find some! Needless to say, much of what ‘tickled my fancy’ was what we could call “alternative’, “not mainstream”, or “who else has ever heard of these guys”? However, I did come across my favourite album by the quinticential English band, the Who. Who, you might ask, but if you did I would be outta here!

Anyway, back on the 2nd of August 1971, the Who released their fifth album, the one after their first concept album Tommy, and the one that really got me into the band, bear in mind on its release I was a meagre 13-year-old, although in truth I was probably about 18 before I actually heard it! You will know the album when I describe the cover (some of you will already be there!) Yeah the one where the band are walking away from a concrete monolith in some quarry whilst fiddling with their zips and there are suggestions of some recent ‘urination’ on the concrete! Yip, you’ve guessed it, Who’s Next. It was, I thought at the time, a subtle metaphor, and maybe it still is. Who is next to piss on the ‘establishment’ would be a good way to recall this album cover; after all, it wasn't that long before that the band sang “Why don’t you all f-fade away, talkin’ bout my generation”.

For me, the LP proved the genius of the mad-cap Pete Moon whom I have since admired as one of the most outstanding drummers of all time (although I think that Stepen Morris may just shade Pete)! As for the music on the LP, which track would you chose? The magnificent opener Baba O’Riley, the outstanding Getting in Tune or perhaps the glorious Behind Blue Eyes?

Or maybe, like me, you opted for the wonderful eight-and-a-half-minute ender, "Won’t Get Fooled Again!" Let’s listen to that tantilising keyboard intro, enjoy Mr Daltrey’s sublime vocals, Mr Townsend’s unique guitar, Mr Entwhistle’s thruming bass and, lest we forget, Mr Moon’s phenominal ‘timing’ on the skins…..”Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”… Hmmm

https://youtu.be/_NzLs-xSss0?feature=shared