‘Quadrophenia’: The album that Pete Townshend described as “an appeal to The Who”
There is no doubt that when somebody sits in their room and holds a guitar for the first time, they envision themselves performing on stage to thousands, rallying the masses with their undeniable talent. This is likely what Pete Townshend thought when he first learned how to strum chord sequences together. Little did he know, for him, those childhood dreams of being a rockstar would come true.
The Who went on to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world. Their sound was highly versatile, and they had some great examples of songwriting that showed not only the aggressive and fun nature of rock but were also deeply layered and complex.
When you look at some of their early work, songs like ‘Substitute’, ‘My Generation’ and ‘I Can’t Explain’ were all massive hits. The albums didn’t connect with each other much other than in tone and style of music, but the wider rock community widely appreciated them. Pair that with The Who’s live shows were also renowned for being some of the best out there, and you had the makings of a great band.
Townshend wasn’t keen on stopping there, though. The Who had success as a singles-driven band, but he wanted to take things a step further. In doing so, he ended up writing complicated concept albums. These had big stories attached to them and songs that explored the point of view of various characters. Tommy is one of the band’s most famous, but there is another record that Townshend would likely argue is more important.
The dreams of being a rockstar came true, but amid those dreams coming true, Townshend also believed that some band members lost themselves. This is hardly new; it’s often the case that many artists find fame and then struggle to stay grounded. It’s easy to see why. People become rich, have access to various other life luxuries and have thousands of people chanting their names every night. Even the most humble souls would struggle to keep their heads under these circumstances.
Quadrophenia was Pete Townshend’s method of making not only a good album but also an album that pleaded with his bandmates, asking them to remember their roots and, importantly, stick to them. He described the record as an appeal, and it also ended up being a fan favourite.
“That album was an appeal to the Who to address the questions of why is Keith Moon now driving around in pink Rolls-Royces? Why is Roger Daltrey growing his hair like a rock god? Why has John Entwistle got a house full of suits of armor? What is this all about?” He said, “So to address your question, I think I invented the concept that music was going to have democratic give-and-take between the artists and their audience.”
