The Who ‎– Who Are You

“Much as the Who transitioned from their mod rock beginnings in the mid-’60s into becoming the archetypes of concept album creation and muscular arena rock in the late ’60 and early ’70s, the band’s eighth studio album Who Are You found them in another state of transition. As punk rock and disco were being born, Pete Townshend grew nervous about how relevant bands like his own, the future progenitors of classic rock, were in that musical landscape. This uncertainty lingers throughout Who Are You, an album produced to appeal to the shifting tastes of mainstream audiences in the late ’70s, but one that still clings to the band’s patented songwriting style and hard-rocking personality. Townshend’s insecurity about the Who becoming a dinosaur band is addressed directly in songs like the synthesizer-heavy “The Music Must Change,” “New Song,” and the orchestrated zippiness of “Sister Disco,” a tune that’s not quite disco, not exactly radio rock, partially concept album fodder, and entirely emblematic of the messy personality crisis the band was going through on Who Are You. The band hit the sweet spot where their identity confusion turns to excitement when they crank up the volume and lean in on the guitars. “Trick of the Light” is a romping, stomping rocker, one where synthesizers and guitar riffs bleed together into the kind of meaty power the Who wielded like no one else. The title track, one of the band’s bigger hits and easily the most memorable tune from this set, accomplishes the same excitement, thanks to its falsetto vocal hook and larger-than-life verses, sure, but also thanks in no small part to drummer Keith Moon’s amplified presence on the track. Moon would die weeks after the release of Who Are You, making this the last studio album from the Who with its most revered lineup, and the final phase in their transition into an increasingly turbulent ’80s and beyond.” – allmusic.com

Label: MCA Records – MCA-3050

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album

Country: US

Released: 1978

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