QUADROPHENIA - THE WHO Near Mint LP(2008 Polydor, EU Back to Black)

$

40

AllMusic Review (5 of 5) by Richie Unterberger  [-]

Pete Townshend revisited the rock opera concept with another double-album opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-'60s. If anything, this was a more ambitious project than Tommy, given added weight by the fact that the Who weren't devising some fantasy but were re-examining the roots of their own birth in mod culture. In the end, there may have been too much weight, as Townshend tried to combine the story of a mixed-up mod named Jimmy with the examination of a four-way split personality (hence the title Quadrophenia), in turn meant to reflect the four conflicting personas at work within the Who itself. The concept might have ultimately been too obscure and confusing for a mass audience. But there's plenty of great music anyway, especially on "The Real Me," "The Punk Meets the Godfather," "I'm One," "Bell Boy," and "Love, Reign o'er Me." Some of Townshend's most direct, heartfelt writing is contained here, and production-wise it's a tour de force, with some of the most imaginative use of synthesizers on a rock record. Various members of the band griped endlessly about flaws in the mix, but really these will bug very few listeners, who in general will find this to be one of the Who's most powerful statements.

TracklistHide Credits

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Ramport Studios
• Mixed At – Eel Pie Sound
• Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
• Phonographic Copyright (p) – Polydor Records Ltd.
• Copyright (c) – Polydor Records Ltd.
• Lacquer Cut At – Universal M & L, Germany
• Pressed By – Record Industry – 82302

Credits

• Art Direction, Design [Reissue] – Richard Evans (7)
• Artwork [Conceived By] – Pete Townshend
• Artwork [Idea] – Roger Daltrey
• Bass, Horns, Vocals – John Entwistle
• Engineer [Studio Earphone Mix] – Bobby Pridden*
• Engineer, Recorded By [Special Effects] – Ron Nevison
• Executive Producer – Chris Stamp, Kit Lambert, Pete Kameron
• Executive Producer [Reissue] – Bill Curbishley, Chris Charlesworth, Robert Rosenberg
• Lead Vocals – Roger Daltrey
• Mastered By – George Jones (11)
• Mixed By [Continuity Assistance], Engineer [Assistant] – Ron Fawcus
• Percussion, Vocals – Keith Moon
• Photography By [Front Cover], Design [Original Design] – Graham Hughes (2)
• Photography By [Inside And Back Cover], Photography By [Book], Art Direction [Original Art Direction], Artwork [Conceived By] – Ethan A. Russell*
• Producer [Original Recording] – The Who
• Recorded By [Special Effects] – Ron Houison*
• Voice [News Reader] – John Curle*
• Written-By, Guitar, Recorded By [Special Effects] – Pete Townshend

Notes