Who's Next CD

Recorded between 1968 & 1971. Includes liner notes by Pete Townshend, John Atkins, and Chris Charlesworth.

This remastered edition of WHO'S NEXT features seven bonus tracks.

Though Pete Townshend was originally unhappy with WHO'S NEXT, it was quickly welcomed by critics and fans, becoming one of the most celebrated titles in their enduring catalog. His frustrations boiled down to the album being a compromised version of a larger work he'd envisioned, LIFEHOUSE, which proved too unwieldy to be realized. Expanded to a two-disc set with essays by both Townshend and John Atkins, the original nine-song album is expanded with six additional studio tracks.

These include earlier versions of the album's songs and a cover of Holland-Dozier-Holland's "Baby Don't You Do It." Recorded in New York during the spring of 1971 in the midst of a fraying relationship with producer Kit Lambert, the early cuts clearly don't have the sonic breadth and wallop of what the Who achieved back in England later in the year, but are fascinating nonetheless. The second disc was recorded live before an invited audience, and was originally part of the album's grand plan. Mixing new material with covers ("Road Runner;" Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues") and original tunes from their past (the anthem "My Generation"), the band plays with a palpable urgency and fire. This was the Who at the peak of its powers, a status the group would retain as a live act through the '70s.

While both THE WHO SELL OUT and TOMMY have their passionate devotees, WHO'S NEXT is the Who's masterpiece. Originally, Pete Townshend intended these songs for an even larger-scale project than TOMMY, a massive multimedia extravaganza, called LIFEHOUSE, that the songwriter eventually abandoned. Townshend was initially keen to keep at least the basic structure of the story for the Who's next record, but associate producer Glyn Johns convinced him that a straightforward single disc of the project's best songs would make a stronger album. Wise counsel indeed, because WHO'S NEXT is by far the group's most focused and powerful effort.

Bracketed by "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again," two classic rock epics that did more to advance the cause of synthesizers in mainstream rock than Kraftwerk's entire career, this album is basically flawless, ranging in

Includes liner notes by Pete Townshend and John Atkins.

Producers: The Who, Kit Lambert, Keith Moon.

Reissue producer: Jon Astley.

The Who: Roger Daltrey (vocals); Pete Townshend (guitar, piano, organ, ARP synthesizer, background vocals); John Entwistle (horns, piano, bass, background vocals); Keith Moon (drums, percussion).

Producers: The Who, Glyn Johns, Kit Lambert.

The Who: John Entwistle (bass instrument, background vocals); Pete Townshend (background vocals); Keith Moon , Roger Daltrey.

Personnel: Pete Townshend (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, ARP synthesizer); Keith Moon (vocals, violin, drums, percussion); Roger Daltrey (vocals, harmonica); John Entwistle (vocals, brass, piano, keyboards, bass guitar); Dave Arbus (violin).

Audio Mixer: Glyn Johns.

Audio Remasterers: Jon Astley; Andy MacPherson.

Audio Remixers: Jon Astley; Andy MacPherson.

Liner Note Authors: John Atkins; Pete Townshend; John Atkins.

Recording information: Eel Pie Studios (??/??/1970-06/07/1971); Olympic Studios, London, England (??/??/1970-06/07/1971); Record Plant, NY (??/??/1970-06/07/1971); Stargroves (??/??/1970-06/07/1971); The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio (??/??/1970-06/07/1971).

Photographer: Ethan Russell.

The Who: Pete Townshend (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, ARP synthesizer); John Entwistle (vocals, brass, piano, bass); Keith Moon (drums, percussion).

Additional personnel: Leslie West (guitar); Nicky Hopkins (piano).

Additional personnel: Leslie West (guitar); Nicky Hopkins (piano); Al Kooper (organ); Dave Arbus.

Additional personnel: Leslie West (guitar); Dave Arbus (violin); Nicky Hopkins (piano); Al Kooper (organ).Rolling Stone (12/11/03, p.104) - Ranked #28 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" - "...An extraordinary cache of songs..."
Rolling Stone (9/2/71, p.42) - "...intelligently-conceived, superbly-performed, brilliantly produced, and sometimes even exciting rock'n'roll..."
Rolling Stone (9/30/71, p.42) - "...what they have given up in rawness and razzle-dazzle they have gained in depth of vision and musical maturity. Every cut on the album has something to offer..."
Q (1/03, p.62) - Included in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums Ever"
Q (1/96, p.158) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "Considered by many to be the band's best, 1971's WHO'S NEXT was their only Number 1 album..."
Mojo (Publisher) (5/03, p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "WHO'S NEXT is The Who's most polished album, its hook-ridden songs pioneering the use of rock synthesizers without diluting the power-quartet attack that had defined the group since the mid-60s..."
NME (Magazine) (9/18/93, p.19) - Ranked #21 in NME's list of the `Greatest Albums Of The '70s.'
NME (Magazine) (10/2/93, p.29) - Ranked #99 in NME's list of the `Greatest Albums Of All Time.'