The album that transformed The Who, according to Roger Daltrey
Reinvention is a tricky thing to pull off within the music industry. Artists often spend years trying to find a sound or image that works in a commercial sense, so to abandon all of that in favour of something new is a risk that only the greatest artists can pull off. The likes of David Bowie, The Beatles, and Stevie Wonder have all been famed for consistently reinventing themselves in the pursuit of musical greatness, but the anarchic rock rebellion of The Who is equally deserving of praise for its transformative material.
Emerging from the world of R&B all-nighters and mod defiance during the mid-1960s, The Who provided a voice to Britain’s post-war youth. Forward-thinking in their approach to rock and roll, the band paved the way for countless grassroots bands to follow in their footsteps, embracing guitar distortion, destruction, and youth-focused lyricism. Aside from the unpredictable excitement of their live performances and the anarchic persona of the band members themselves, the core appeal of The Who was always derived from the songwriting of Pete Townshend.
An art school student at heart, Townshend would never have been content with being just another run-of-the-mill beat rock band in London. If he was going to succeed in the music industry, he would do so with fierce independence and a staunch artistic manifesto. During the early days of The Who, his songwriting was focused on short, sharp single releases like ‘My Generation’ or the pop art mastery of ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’. Pretty soon, though, the songwriter started reaching for something much more profound.
After all, the 1960s wasn’t going to last forever. If The Who were going to achieve enduring success, Townshend’s songwriting would have to adapt to reflect the changing landscape of music and society. This shift in focus started in 1967 with the release of The Who Sell Out, a postmodern masterpiece which featured a consistent theme throughout the entire record, as opposed to being a collection of unrelated singles strewn together by a record company.
Eventually, these overarching narrative albums would turn into rock operas, with Tommy arriving in 1969 and the much more expansive Quadrophenia in 1973. Both of these records were essential in taking The Who from youthful rock rebels in the 1960s to profound and mature artists in the 1970s.
In fact, when Roger Daltrey was asked to name the most transformative Who record by Vulture in 2023, he debated between the two rock operas. “It would be easy to say Tommy,” the singer shared. “There was no fixed idea when we started recording Tommy. It was one song that had potential to be a bigger picture or a collection of the songs that painted a bigger picture. That was transformative in a way. But it was very kind of cobbled together.”
“If you’ve ever studied the lyrics of most of the grand operas, there’s hardly any there,” Daltrey continued. “They’re beautiful melodies. Tommy, in a way, is one of the best operas that’s ever been written.” However, in the mind of Roger Daltrey, the album pales in comparison to The Who’s 1973 effort. “If I could only choose one album, it’s Quadrophenia,” he shared. “Because it was one consistent idea from Pete. I don’t know whether the narrative is that clear, but I don’t know whether it matters on the album.”
Furthering his praise for Townshend’s magnum opus, the singer said, “Musically, I think it’s fabulous. I don’t know what people may not understand about our rock operas. I really don’t care. It might be pie in the sky to a lot of people, but like I said, when you look at the lyrics of some of the grand operas, there’s very thin narrative lines.” Daltrey concluded, “I can’t wish to make any judgment in that sense. When you’re inside, it’s very hard to look on from the outside.”
Quadrophenia is certainly among the band’s most accomplished efforts, telling the story of a young mod named Jimmy attempting to find his place in the world while battling with the effects of adolescence. Townshend’s ability to weave that narrative throughout every track, incorporating elements of his own life into proceedings, makes the album an incredibly compelling listening experience. What’s more, its release formed an essential moment in the history of The Who, cementing their legendary status within rock and roll music forever.
