Who’s Next is the fifth studio album by the British band The Who. It was based on the never-released rock opera Lifehouse, which had been written by Pete Townshend as a follow-up to the 1969 album Tommy. The project was cancelled due to its complexity and the group’s conflict with Kit Lambert, the band’s manager, but the Who salvaged a few stand-alone songs, without the connecting story elements of the rock opera, to release as their next album. Eight of the nine songs on Who’s Next were from Lifehouse, with the sole exception being John Entwistle’s “My Wife”. The remaining tracks from the rock opera Lifehouse would eventually be released on other albums over the next decade.

The album featured notable use of synthesizers, especially on “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Baba O’Riley”, both of which were released as singles. The cover art was by Ethan Russell, with a clear reference to the monolith from the 1968 film 2001.

Who’s Next was an immediate success upon its release in August 1971. It has since been regarded by many critics as the Who’s best album and one of the best of all time. It has been reissued on CD several times, with additional songs originally intended for Lifehouse.

The album opens with “Baba O’ Riley”, which features Townshend’s piano and synthesizer-infused instrumentals. The song’s title pays homage to Townshend’s guru, Meher Baba, and minimalist composer Terry Riley. The opening lines of the next track, “Bargain”, “I’d Love To Find You”, were taken from a phrase used by Baba. Entwistle wrote “My Wife” after an argument with his wife, which he incorporated into the lyrics. The track features a lot of brass instruments and was recorded in just half an hour. “Pure And Easy”, a key track from Lifehouse, was ultimately not selected, but was used in some passages of “The Song Is Over”.

“Behind Blue Eyes” features a three-part harmony by Daltrey, Townshend and Entwistle and was written for Lifehouse’s main rival, “Brick”. The closing track, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, was criticised for its subversive nature. Townshend explained that “real revolution is only a long-term revolution where a lot of people are going to get hurt”. The song features a distinctive Lowrey organ fed through an ARP synthesizer, and was taken from Townshend’s original demo, which was reused to complete the track.

According to Acclaimed Music, Who’s Next is the 35th most critically acclaimed album on critics’ lists of the greatest albums of all time. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it 28th on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album also appeared at number 15 on Pitchfork Media’s list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1970s. In 2005, it was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Finally, in 2007, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame for its “timeless quality and historical significance”.

From this excellent album I select “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.

Tracklist

1. Baba O’Riley 4:59
2. Bargain 5:33
3. Love Ain’t For Keeping 2:11
4. My Wife 3:35
5. Song Is Over 6:16
6. Getting In Tune 4:49
7. Going Mobile 3:40
8. Behind Blue Eyes 3:40
9. Won’t Get Fooled Again 8:31