Windmilling guitars. Instrumental destruction. Tommy the pinball wizard. These images immediately conjure up The Who, the band that joined the Beatles and Stones at the vanguard of the British Invasion.
While the latter part of their recording career was less remarkable, the first decade of their existence resulted in some of the finest music of the classic rock era. From the early Mod-influenced singles to the rock operas that guitarist Pete Townshend pioneered, from vulnerable pop songs to the solid crunching rock of Who’s Next, the Who were undeniably a key force in establishing both swagger and experimentation as essential elements of rock and roll.
All of which makes The Who the perfect choice as both our July Artist of the Month and the first to be featured on the newly redesigned site.
Beginning on July 13 — exactly nine and a half years after the Daily Vault originally launched — our panel will review every studio album by the Who, starting with the infectious early releases to the albums where Townshend’s increasing gifts as a composer came to the fore in the first “rock opera,” Tommy. The 1969 landmark established the Who as solid cultural icons, placing them on solid ground with the Stones, the tail end of the Beatles and the ever-changing musical landscape of the late 60s.
Following Tommy, the band released what many regard as one of rock’s finest albums, Who’s Next, where wildman drummer Keith Moon, bassist John Entwistle and curly-haired banshee Roger Daltrey joined Townshend in creating a masterpiece. This was followed by a secondary and more complex rock opera, Quadrophenia — a solid disc, but seen by many as the end of the band’s most fertile period.
The retrospective ends with the band’s latter four discs, two of which were recorded after Keith Moon’s death, which some fans viewed as sacrilege. A latter-day misstep or two aside, there is no denying the power and impact of the Who’s first six albums, which continue to influence a new generation of bands such as Wolfmother and Pearl Jam. Many of these reviews, which include live discs and DVD releases, will be appearing on the Daily Vault for the first time.
Founded in January 1997, the Daily Vault has featured thousands of reviews from artists covering almost the entire musical spectrum, written by a volunteer review staff from around the world. Previous Artist Of The Month retrospectives have spotlighted the work of artists from Tori Amos to Frank Zappa, including U2, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin and many others. Themed retrospectives have focused on punk, grunge, arena rock and dynamic debuts.
