What? How can one choose? Led Zeppelin IV, Who's Next, Hunky Dory, Marvin Gay's incomparable What's Going On, Sticky Fingers, Blue, L.A. Woman. I'm at a loss. Tapestry? Fragile? Just Yikes. Aqualung, Nursery Cryme and Madman Across the Water. So many AM10s; so many stellar accomplishments. But what indeed is evolutionary. The LPs of '71 are mainstream rock and roll, yet not in an evolutionary manner. 1971 is the sweet spot of rock. So what what shook things cold?
The Who began their days as typically British and mod as one can imagine. Songs like "The Kids Are Alright" (sic) exemplified British Youth and the Teddy Boys. Who's Next, though, was instead global hard core rock, evolutionary and accessible, loud, bold and daring - the greatest motherfuckin' scream in music. What else do you want?
Pete
Townshend began his best period of song writing at the same time he had his
first nervous breakdown. The material for the proposed multi-media project, Lifehouse, came to light on Who's Next. Townshend made the leap that evaded other artists
at the time. Musically powerful, Who's Next set the standard for rock
in the 70's, most of which was a parody of Townshend's intelligence, conflict,
and wellspring of creative rage. I
was ten years old when the edited 45 of "Won't Get Fooled Again" was
released in '71. After an endless barrage of "feel good - love your
neighbor - summer of love" anthems on the radio, this one hit like a bolt
out of the blue. Imagine hearing Diana Ross sing "Baby Love" followed
by Tom Jones (I kid you not) singing "She's a Lady" followed by Roger
screaming/pleading to the heavens that maybe, just maybe, things will be
different. This song got to the heart of the matter - that peace, love and
understanding don't come easy and one can only fight for
his meals. When the LP was released it put a cap on the 60's. From that
man/electronic syncopation of "Baba O'Riley" to the all too human isolation of "Behind Blue Eyes" to the final bombast of the drum solo at the end of "Won't
Get Fooled Again," everything works - down to the 2001 album cover parody.
The
original concept? A secret rock concert takes place in a futuristic society
where all music has been banned. A messianic leader named Bobby and his
followers go to the concert, where their collective personality traits and
vital signs are fed into a synthesizer and translated into sound. At the end of
the concert, as the anti-music forces close in on the people, they disappear
with a sudden "mystical chord." "Baba O'Riley" kicks off
the album with an ARP synthesizer line that runs down one's back like cold
water. Thundering drums courtesy of Keith Moon, Roger Daltrey's defiant
voice, and a spare but powerful guitar riff launch one into the teenage
wasteland. It's Townshend's kiss-off to 60s hippie idealism. "Baba O'Riley"
is rich in its orchestration, anthemic words, and drive, but more for
Townshend's blend of power chords, Moon's expectedly frantic drumming,
Entwhistle's mellifluous bass, and Daltrey's power vocals over synthesized
textures not derived from any previous musical form. The ending of the song,
parlaying Dave Arbus's folkish fiddling over the sythesized texture exemplifies the battle between technology and humanity. In a thematic unity stronger than many
so-called concept albums, Townshend explores that battle to the bitter end. It's "Karn Evil 9" without the pretense (Lifehouse wouldn't have been).
Quickly
following is "Bargain," a frenetic rumble of passion, and the
acoustic "Love Ain't For Keeping." Two of Townshend's best songs come
next, "The Song is Over" and "Gettin' in Tune." The
reflection in the lyrics shows how just far he'd come from "I Can't
Explain" and "The Kids Are Alright." And no Who record would be complete without a bit of John
Entwistle's dark comic relief, here served up in "My Wife." The other
chief tunes here are "Behind Blue Eyes", originally meant for
Lifehouse's villain, Brick, and the anthemic "Won't Get Fooled
Again," a song that marks Townshend's cynical view of hippie communalism.
Not
only does each song have its own lucid melody, Townshend's lyrics are among the
most inspiring and introspective that any artist has written in a hard rock
motif; lyrics like these are ordinarily reserved for the singer/songwriters. Indeed there are times when I'm talking to someone and a phrase of Townshend's
lyrics pop into my head. Instead of focusing on the conversation, I
become intrigued by the poetry and what it has to say, rather than the
person in front of me (Signed, Distracted). WE'RE ALL WASTED!
