The Who to play Quadrophenia live in London

Johnny Abruzzo

Ok, I'm gonna play a little devil's advocate on this thread.

I saw The Who play Quadrophenia 3 times in a short period in the 90's. The 3rd time, I swear they didn't advertise it as a performance of this album - I thought it was gonna be a more typical performance. Ok, you're saying, what's the problem here?

Well, I'm sorry, but I really don't think it's all that good of an album. Starts great with The Real Me, ends great with LROM, and one more great song with 5:15. Everything else is kind of mediocre. Sorry folks, that's just the way I feel. IMO, this album falls to the old "Double Album" syndrome - not enough to fill it up.

Now, if they were to play Who's Next, well, then I might fly to the UK for it! (Ok, probably not)

P.S. - I am no longer criticizing them for playing as The Who, now that I found out it's designed to have royalties paid to the Moon & Entwistle estates.

Brisk.

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

Ok, I'm gonna play a little devil's advocate on this thread.

I saw The Who play Quadrophenia 3 times in a short period in the 90's. The 3rd time, I swear they didn't advertise it as a performance of this album - I thought it was gonna be a more typical performance. Ok, you're saying, what's the problem here?

Well, I'm sorry, but I really don't think it's all that good of an album. Starts great with The Real Me, ends great with LROM, and one more great song with 5:15. Everything else is kind of mediocre. Sorry folks, that's just the way I feel. IMO, this album falls to the old "Double Album" syndrome - not enough to fill it up.

Now, if they were to play Who's Next, well, then I might fly to the UK for it! (Ok, probably not)

P.S. - I am no longer criticizing them for playing as The Who, now that I found out it's designed to have royalties paid to the Moon & Entwistle estates.

yeah i'd agree, i like dirty jobs too, its a good album but gets quite a lot of hype imo. Who's Next is a fucking incredible album, would love to know how real big who fans rate this amongst their 'best' stuff.

UKDave

I reckon it's got 5 stand out tracks:

Real Me, I'm One, 5:15, Drowned, Love Reign...

Plus some decent album tracks... ok it's no Next but it's the sum of the parts...obviously not for everyone though!!

Who Princess

UKDave wrote:

I reckon it's got 5 stand out tracks:

Real Me, I'm One, 5:15, Drowned, Love Reign...

Plus some decent album tracks... ok it's no Next but it's the sum of the parts...obviously not for everyone though!!

You're forgetting Cut My Hair, Sea and Sand, and the outstanding Punk and the Godfather. The last 2 in particular are just killer live.
And to answer Brisk's question, of course real big Who fans think Who's Next is their tightest, best produced album with not a single weak track. If I were stuck on a desert island with only one album, that would be the one. My ring tone is Baba O'Riley. But I still have a special love for Quad.

SomethingCreative

I'm a big who fan and I think Who's Next is an all around better album that Quadrophenia. However, I feel that The Real Me and LROM are better than anything on Who's Next. Maybe that doesn't make any sense

UKDave

whoprincess wrote:

UKDave wrote:

I reckon it's got 5 stand out tracks:

Real Me, I'm One, 5:15, Drowned, Love Reign...

Plus some decent album tracks... ok it's no Next but it's the sum of the parts...obviously not for everyone though!!

You're forgetting Cut My Hair, Sea and Sand, and the outstanding Punk and the Godfather. The last 2 in particular are just killer live.
And to answer Brisk's question, of course real big Who fans think Who's Next is their tightest, best produced album with not a single weak track. If I were stuck on a desert island with only one album, that would be the one. My ring tone is Baba O'Riley. But I still have a special love for Quad.

Agreed I like all the one's you mention and I'd put Doctor Jimmy in that group too, just (and it's only my preference ) rate the others that little bit higher...

TDMize15

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

Ok, I'm gonna play a little devil's advocate on this thread.

I saw The Who play Quadrophenia 3 times in a short period in the 90's. The 3rd time, I swear they didn't advertise it as a performance of this album - I thought it was gonna be a more typical performance. Ok, you're saying, what's the problem here?

Well, I'm sorry, but I really don't think it's all that good of an album. Starts great with The Real Me, ends great with LROM, and one more great song with 5:15. Everything else is kind of mediocre. Sorry folks, that's just the way I feel. IMO, this album falls to the old "Double Album" syndrome - not enough to fill it up.

Now, if they were to play Who's Next, well, then I might fly to the UK for it! (Ok, probably not)

P.S. - I am no longer criticizing them for playing as The Who, now that I found out it's designed to have royalties paid to the Moon & Entwistle estates.

Ok. Well the reason that the entire album isn't full of hit singles is because it is a rock opera. With a need to tell a pretty complicated story.

I find that Quadrophenia is the perfect blend of all "singles" (Who's Next) and too many songs that aren't great songs, but just tell the story (Tommy). Quad can still be played on its on, without the storyline, and be great. Then add the brilliant storyline and you have an unbeatable album.

And your other point. Glad you've come around! Although my thoughts have always been that The Who is Pete's band. The songs are Pete's intellectual property (both in practice and in law). As long as Pete wants to call a band The Who... then they are The Who. For an example, when the "other" member of Creedence Clearwater Revival wanted to tour with that name, it was ruled that they could not, because John Fogerty WAS CCR, and the band and songs were his intellectual property.

----
And I am supremely jealous of anyone who gets to see this show. I would kill a small child to see it. Hopefully some people get to see it and let us know how it was.

Gary Carter

Quadrophenia on vinyl was the first taste of music I had as a human being and its the only piece of music that I still can make me be blown away. I wish I had the money to see this. I'm sure a dvd/cd combo will be made of this.

Btw- live at royal albert hall is a great live cd/dvd. A must have for everyone.

Johnny Abruzzo

I think I have to give Quad a fresh listen - it's been quite a while. (probably since that 3rd time I heard it live!) I agree that LROM is better than anything on Who's Next - not sure about The Real Me however. Also, I don't know if I'm stupid or just don't understand the references, but I really can't follow the story in that album. :? Maybe I need to see the movie. Is it worth watching?

Brisk.

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

I think I have to give Quad a fresh listen - it's been quite a while. (probably since that 3rd time I heard it live!) I agree that LROM is better than anything on Who's Next - not sure about The Real Me however. Also, I don't know if I'm stupid or just don't understand the references, but I really can't follow the story in that album. :? Maybe I need to see the movie. Is it worth watching?

even i dont get it and im from england, was just teen culture in london in the 60s i believe.

Johnny Abruzzo

Brisk. wrote:

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

I think I have to give Quad a fresh listen - it's been quite a while. (probably since that 3rd time I heard it live!) I agree that LROM is better than anything on Who's Next - not sure about The Real Me however. Also, I don't know if I'm stupid or just don't understand the references, but I really can't follow the story in that album. :? Maybe I need to see the movie. Is it worth watching?

even i dont get it and im from england, was just teen culture in london in the 60s i believe.

Thanks, now I feel better. The Punk & the Godfather - what the hell is going on???

Oz Jammer

So who else apart from me is going to this show?

helplessdancer

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

I think I have to give Quad a fresh listen - it's been quite a while. (probably since that 3rd time I heard it live!) I agree that LROM is better than anything on Who's Next - not sure about The Real Me however. Also, I don't know if I'm stupid or just don't understand the references, but I really can't follow the story in that album. :? Maybe I need to see the movie. Is it worth watching?

the movie ties it all together. it gives you a much better insight to what happened back then. the thing i dig most about quad is that it was REAL life. the mods existed, as did the rockers. they battled, they partied, and they listen to the who(among others). for me it's about the struggles of youth and the power of music. music and growing up as a teenager are linked at the hip, it's hard to separate them. the who was the mod's background music in life. it don't get anymore real than that. true story.

sure, give who's next deserved credit, but from the opening shot of the movie/album(the sea) to the final end scene/tune of the movie/record quad is a masterpiece. it has never been topped, imo.

Brisk.

Oz Jammer wrote:

So who else apart from me is going to this show?

Me

you coming from OZ?

TDMize15

Johnny Abruzzo wrote:

I think I have to give Quad a fresh listen - it's been quite a while. (probably since that 3rd time I heard it live!) I agree that LROM is better than anything on Who's Next - not sure about The Real Me however. Also, I don't know if I'm stupid or just don't understand the references, but I really can't follow the story in that album. :? Maybe I need to see the movie. Is it worth watching?

Quadrophenia isn't really meant to be completely understood on it's own. It is more like a soundtrack to a musical or something. Without the commentary to provide an outline, it is pretty difficult to understand. If you have the physical album, Pete has a short story that he wrote in the liner notes that helps explain the plot.

Oz Jammer

Brisk. wrote:

Oz Jammer wrote:

So who else apart from me is going to this show?

Me

you coming from OZ?

Yeah I am. I was already going to be in the UK anyway (visiting family in Cardiff), and by luck, this show was announced slap bang right in the middle of my month long stay
Grabbed me a 200 pound VIP ticket during the pre-sale and can't wait to see this show

Brisk.

TODAY IS THE DAY :-D

helplessdancer

Brisk. wrote:

TODAY IS THE DAY :-D

please report back in. i'd be curious if they stage it like the 1996/1997 tour

vito

Eddie just sang I'm One w/ the WHO and there are pictures all over the WHO'S site!

justam

vito wrote:

Eddie just sang I'm One w/ the WHO and there are pictures all over the WHO'S site!

Can you put some of the pictures up here?

vito

I don't know how? Sorry, but if you go to the Porch there is a picture in there. By tonite there will be pictures all over the internet!

CJMST3K

vito wrote:

I don't know how? Sorry, but if you go to the Porch there is a picture in there. By tonite there will be pictures all over the internet!

How about a link to the area of the site that has photos of this?


btw - I think we can now officially get this thread moved to The Porch!

Drum Machine89

CJMST3K wrote:

vito wrote:

I don't know how? Sorry, but if you go to the Porch there is a picture in there. By tonite there will be pictures all over the internet!

How about a link to the area of the site that has photos of this?


btw - I think we can now officially get this thread moved to The Porch!

:thumbup: