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Who's next? Let's go see back at the main WHOOOO page! Who's Hexed?
Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10 WHO'S NEXT? I'm not next! (Phhhhhhhhhhhh... I'm not falling for that one again. I said "me" to that question once to a bully in the gym locker at my middle school and got kicked in the groin. Somebody also stole my wristwatch over there. It's been eight years and I still put in calls over there to see if anybody's turned it in. I miss that old wristwatch. Oooooo... Middle school was a nightmare from start to finish ........ My Spanish teacher was also a jerk. Every time I see a car, and the phase "EL CARO ES CARRO" creeps into my head, I just want to bash the living halitosis out of it ...) ANYWAY, we are here to discuss Who's Next by the Who, and we're not here to discuss a very contrived account of my middle school years. (Man ... I once got a 79.6 percent in science class and that JERK TEACHER GAVE ME A FLIPPING C FOR THAT! WHEN I BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, I'M GOING TO HAVE MY SECRET SERVICE AGENTS TAKE HER OUT [to dinner] ON HER WAY TO THE SUPERMARKET!!! MAYBE NEXT TIME, SHE'LL THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING ME A C WHEN I GET A 79.6 IN HER STUPID CLASS WITH HER STUPID TESTS AND THOSE STUPID ANIMALS SHE USED TO KEEP IN HER ROOM THAT WOULD NEVER GIVE ME ANSWERS TO THE TEST QUESTIONS NO MATTER HOW MUCH I BRIBED THEM WITH VEGETABLES AND THREATENED TO HAVE MY PET GUINEA PIG JUMP THEM AFTER DARK IN THE ALLEY!!!!) Excuse me. Hey! Guess what? In 1971, The Who released an album called Who's Next. And when I think of this album, the first word that creeps into my mind is "creep." ... No ... I'm getting confused again. The first word that creeps into my mind is "good." Yes. The intonations of that word are completely accurate. By all accounts, Who's Next is a "good" album. Right off the bat, it has some of the most wonderful songs that I've ever heard in my pathetic life. "Baba O'Riley" is so classic that it's dripping with ... classicicity. Also "Won't Get Fooled Again" is another big classic ... with all it's classicness. And all the other songs are good, too. Some are better than others, but the important thing is that there isn't a single song or a single moment that's pale. My only real complaint about this album actually has nothing to do with this album [or middle school] at all. In fact, it has to do with all those BONUS TRACKS. There's no point in complaining about when CD companies decide to add a bunch of bonus tracks at the end of albums ... but there are so many of them here, that they could have legitimately made an album of their own ... and not a tremendously good one at that. Just the same! When I listen to this album, I ignore the bonus tracks with all my ignoring power! (That said, though, there are a few gems in there.) Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10 (AGAIN! The Who strike us with their most vicious lightening bolts up there in the great rock-and-roll ivory tower and deliver us another mighty classic!) Average Song Score: 9.4 (What an absolutely splendid set of tunes! Two songs here, even, got 10 plus scores! ... Now THAT'S what I call cole slaw!) Album Tilt: 9.5 (This is not only special ... it's a rock and roll album! ... By the Who!) Artist Rating: 9.5 (I shall never downplay thy WHO as rock-and-roll artists.) Track Reviews Baba O'Riley 10plus/10 It's strange ... this song is so FAMOUS, yet I haven't really heard too many other artists attempt to do something similar to it. Specifically, I'm talking about those rapid-fire synthesizers. They are INSANE! ... and completely wonderful ... and I have no idea why they're so completely wonderful. Perhaps that why we haven't been hearing too many other artists try that. Nobody knows why this song should be so good! ... Of course, this track has an actual tune that has little to do with those crazy synths, and if there was ever anything more wonderful than the synths, it is that tune! The melody is as strong as any Who song ever was, and, my favorite bit is that Jewish violin thing at the end. This is totally, completely, and 100 percent CLASSIC. Bargain 9.5/10 The follow-up to "Baba O'Riley?" YOU MUST BE JOKING! I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE ONLY SONG IN THE ALBUM! ... Hey, though. This isn't bad. ... but it's not as good as "Baba O'Riley." I mean, geez! Why can't the Who write a great song and just keep on topping it as the album progresses? ANYWAY ... "Bargain" is so good that it probably made purchasing this album so worthwhile that it was a bargain. (Whoah … that's why this song is on the album!) Love Ain't For Keeping 9/10 This song ain't for keeping, either! It's only two minutes long! (Still skillful, and all that.) My Wife 8.5/10 "My Wife" is world-famous for not being the best song from Who's Next. The song is kind of drowned out ... it feels rather detached, almost ... I still like it 'cause it's got a nice tune. But. That's all. The Song is Over 9.5/10 This one starts out slowly and then it SIGNIFICANTLY PICKS UP PACE AND DELIVERS US INTO ROCK'N'ROLL HEAVEN WHERE PETE TOWNSHEND IS THERE (with a halo on his head) TO WELCOME US WITH HIS EVER-LOVING OPEN ARMS AND GIVE US ALL OUR RIGHTEOUS AND OUR DIVINELY-APPOINTED BOWL OF CHEERIOS ... AND ... yep ... this is a good song. (Oh man! George Starostin seems to hate this one. He won't be getting his bowl of Cheerios from Pete Townshend.) Getting in Tune 9.5/10 I love this song wonderfully with that utterly gorgeous and touching piano-ballad type thing. The chorus, I don't like as much ... but it's still pretty cool. Going Mobile 8/10 I wish people wouldn't do that ... it drives me absolutely insane how many people out there have these stupid mobile phones and spend all day walking around and talking to somebody that's not anywhere near them (who is also walking around somewhere) ... and they completely ignore everyone else around them! Like that one chick that ran into me the other day when I was going to calculus! (She probably did that on purpose, though, considering I'm such a sexy guy.) Oh right! Hey! "Going Mobile" is pretty good. Certainly, though, this isn't the greatest song on here. The melody isn't really up-to-par. But, I still enjoy listening to it. (This is the worst song on the album ... like it really matters.) Behind Blue Eyes 9/10 Awwwwwwwww! Now, this is a nice, quiet, and tuneful song! It makes me want to cry, too, I think. *Sniffle* And then it picks up and delivers us some really nice electric guitar licks ... and then it gets all sniffly again. Another fine song! Won't Get Fooled Again 10plus/10 WHOAH! We hear some weird synths again (they're still weird, but they're not similar to "Baba O'Riley") and we get another classic Who song! The melody, again, is as classic as they come. Not only does this song completely rally my spirits and emotions, but it does it throughout the entire 8:30 minutes of it! Everybody! Tip your hats to The Who for one splendid evening! ... or afternoon ... or middle of the night ... or whenever you happen to be listening to this. BONUS TRACKS ...there are too many... Pure and Easy ...like a fairy tale princess Hey! This is a pretty good song! It's nice and pleasant ... and it's not in an LP? DUDE! THE WHO HAVE IT TOO GOOD! This is an 8.5 pure and easy. Baby Don't You Do It Whoah ... I didn't realize that The Who were still up to doing good old regular rock-and-roll songs! This one kicks quite righteously! A 9.5. Naked Eye Not bad. Too long. Slightly boring. A 7.5 Water Holy cow! These bonus tracks are looooooooooooooooong! And, this one's strange. (Roger had a lot of phlegm in his throat when he sang this one. Maybe that's why it's called "Water.") A 7. Too Much of Anything "Too Much of Anything" ... such as these bonus tracks? Wait, though! This one's really good! ... ! ... ! ... ! ... It has a great little melody ... even greater instrument-playing ... a nice vocal performance ... (a little bit country-westernish ... *oof*) ... but this is a good one! A 9.5! I Don't Even Know Myself Hey! I finally came to a realization just now! I have a lot in common with The Who. I don't even know myself, either! Oh! And this song is pretty good! It's an old-time western thing, kinda in the same spirit as Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection. This is pretty good. An 8.5. Behind Blue Eyes ... again This song is good no matter how many times you listen to it. Who's going to e-mail me a comment about this album next? E-mail me here! slb23@shaw.ca (Simon B.) received August 15, 2004 When I first listened to WHO'S NEXT almost five years ago, I
thought the only good songs were "Baba O'Riley", "Song Is Over", and
"Won't Get Fooled Again". But after two years of listening to it on and
off I realized that I was wrong. Oh boy, was I wrong. In fact, all the
songs are good (even great) in the own right. Great title, great cover,
great album.
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All reviews are copyrighted by Michael Lawrence. He's not wearing any pants. *wink, wink*
