The late 1960′s/ early 1970′s are often considered the high water-mark of rock music, and for good reason. The Beatles were at the top of their creative and wildly original output. The Stones were releasing record after record of pure rock and roll soul. And to round it all out, a group of young up and comers calling themselves The Who were just starting to emerge. For the most part, The Beatles and The Stones get all of the credit. Yet, I consider it a cardinal sin to ignore just how influential and well beyond their years The Who were as well. Punk music would not exist without them, and they pioneered many areas such as sound distortion and synthesizers. Their album Who’s Next is a truly essential piece of the rock and roll canon.

From the opening synthesizer intro of “Baba O’Riley” (not called “Teenage Wasteland”), you know you’re in for something that sounds entirely different than all of the classic rock that preceded it. You have the guitar distortion on “Going Mobile” that would make Tom Morello proud. You have the sonic landscapes they paint throughout each song to serve as a background to the kick-your-ass rock and roll that defines their music. “Behind Blue Eyes” is one of the premier rock ballads ever written. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is one of the most clever songs I’ve ever heard about political revolutions with it’s famous line “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”. Of course, you have Keith Moon’s drumming which stands alongside the all-time greats like John Bonham or Neil Peart. Roger Daltrey has one of the greatest rock and roll voices of all time and Pete Townshend shines on the guitar like it’s going out of style.

This is one of the greatest albums of all time. It’s plain and simple. In terms of the influence that this album would have on generations of musicians, it would be difficult to tell just how monumental said influence is. From prog rock to punk rock to straight out hard rock, this album is quintessential in studying popular music’s origins. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should not at least check this album out because it is probably the most accessible album I’ve reviewed so far.

Final Score: A+