The Who, The #43 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Three

 

(Continued from Part Two)

 

The single "Join Together" climbed to #9 in the U.K. and Switzerland but peaked at #17 in the U.S., yet another underrated song.

 Exhausted from an accompanying tour and having not written enough material for a new album, the group took a break until May of 1972.  The Who released the album Quadrophenia in 1973, which went Platinum and gave them another Top 10 album in every major country except the Netherlands.  "Love, Reign O'er Me" is the highlight of the album.

 

Quadrophenia is a term Townshend invented about schizophrenia times two.  The group needed several sound effects to achieve the train station atmosphere of "5:15".  Since the only available sound effects were all mono recordings, they created their own by bringing a mobile recording unit to Waterloo station in London to record the actual sounds of the platform.  

 

"I'm One" is an indication that Jimmy, the character in the Quadrophenia Rock opera, may not be as Mod as he thinks he is.  Mods would lose respect if he asked another Mod where he got his clothes.

 

 "The Real Me" is another example of the expert bass playing by Entwistle.

The Who started out on tour to promote it, but that tour was beset by problems as well.  Daltrey and Townshend had arguments  about adding keyboardist Chris Stainton (who played on the album) to the tour.  Instead, Townshend recording the keyboard and synthesizer parts needed on backing tapes.  The technology available did not match the demands of the music, and Daltrey and Townshend got into a fight that resulted in Roger punching Pete and knocking him out.

At a show in Newcastle, the tapes didn't play, leading Townshend to yell at sound-man Bob Pridden and kick the amps over.  

The live logistics weren't the only problem.  Moon drank excessively and used drugs heavily.  Daltrey audited the financial records of the group and believed Lambert and Stamp had not kept proper records.  Daltrey was also upset when Lambert looked for backers for a movie of Tommy without consulting the band first.  Roger wanted them replaced, but Townshend and Moon disagreed with that assessment.  The group filed a lawsuit against the two for unpaid royalties and Lambert and Stamp were fired in 1974.

Bill Curbishley became the new manager, a role he keeps to this day.  During the U.S. Tour, Moon passed out during a concert at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California.  An audience member filled in for the rest of the show.    

In 1974, the Who began work on the movie Tommy, which included Ann-Margret, Elton John, Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner and Eric Clapton.  The movie premiered on March 18, 1975 and Townshend was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score.  The soundtrack climbed to #2 on the Album chart and was certified Gold.  

Later in the year, the Who released the album Odds & Sods, which included several songs from the abandoned Lifehouse album years before.  

In 1975, the band released the album The Who by Numbers, a Platinum album which reached #7 in the U.K. and #8 in the United States. "Squeeze Box" was what is referred to as a "stiff", a song by a major group that fails to make the Top 10, just #16 in the U.S.

 "Blue, Red And Grey", which includes French horn from Entwistle, however, was a better song.  It is about remaining optimistic when problems creep in.

 

As was "How Many Friends", which cautions us to evaluate how loyal friends really are.

 Despite their internal struggles, the group played before large audiences, including a crowd of 78,000 at the Pontiac Silverdome.  But in 1976, the group put live shows on hold, performing only once in 14 months.  The Who released Who Are You in 1978, a #2 album in the U.S. that sold over two million copies.  The title song rose to #7 in Canada but only #14 in the United States.  

 

The group filmed a show at Shepperton Sounds Studios for the movie The Kids Are Alright, with the soundtrack album reaching Platinum status.  "Long Live Rock" is another great track from the group.

On September 6, Moon attended a party hosted by Paul McCartney.  After Moon returned home, he took 32 clomethiazole tablets, prescribed to help him with alcohol withdrawal.  Moon passed out the next morning and was found dead that afternoon.

The group pressed on, hiring Kenney Jones, formerly of the Faces, who had worked previously with the Who.  The band resumed live performances in 1979.  The movies Quadrophenia and The Kids Are Alright were released that year.  In December, the Who were featured on the cover of Time magazine.

On December 3, 1979, there was tragedy at a Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Seating was mostly first-come, first served, rather than assigned seats.  The doors weren't opened at the scheduled time, and fans rushed towards them when they falsely believed a Who soundcheck was the beginning of the concert.   

Two doors were finally opened and fans streamed in those two doors.  As the thousands of fans surged forward, dozens of people were trampled.  Eleven died of asphyxiation and 26 were injured.

Daltrey and Townshend both released solo albums before The Who released the album Face Dances in 1981, a #1 album in Canada that has sold over one million copies.  The single "You Better You Bet" reached #4 in Canada and #9 in the U.K. but stalled at #18 in the U.S.  

 

Although "Don't Let Go The Coat" is a solid track, the Who would never get near the Top 20 again.  Townshend by this time was addicted to heroin and was constantly depressed.  However, the compilation album Hooligans in 1981 went Gold.

In 1982, the group released the album It's Hard, which went Gold and peaked at #3 in Canada and #8 in the U.S.    "Eminence Front" is one of The Top Tracks of the Rock Era*.  Daltrey and Entwistle wanted to tour rather than record, while Townshend took the opposite point of view.  As a result, the Who went on a farewell tour of North America.

In 1983, the band released the compilation album The Who's Greatest Hits, a two-million seller.

The group has reunited several times, however.  They performed for Live Aid in 1985.  They reunited for a tour in 1989 with Simon Phillips playing drums and Steve Bolton playing guitar along with Townshend.

In 1988, the group released one Gold compilation album, Who's Better, Who's Best, and the Gold box set, Thirty Years of Maximum R&B, in 2004.  Their 20th Century Masters--The Millennium Collection:  The Best of the Who has sold over one million copies.

The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.  Daltrey, Townshend and Entwistle joined Ringo Starr's son, Zak Starkey, to perform the music from Quadrophenia at Hyde Park in London.  They did so well that they played six nights at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, new York and toured the United States and Europe.

The band got together again for several shows in 1999 and toured the United States and the U.K. in 2000.  The Who performed the Concert for New York City at Madison Square Garden in 2001 to benefit families of people who died in the September 11 murders at the World Trade Center.

The Who received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards in 2001.

The group played dates in the U.K. in 2002 to get ready for a tour of the United States, but the day before the tour was schedule to begin, Entwistle was found dead of a heart attack caused by cocaine at the age of 57.  The Who continued with the tour with bassist Pino Palladino.

In 2004, the Who played selected dates in the United States, the U.K., Australia and Japan.  In 2006, the group released the album Endless Wire.  Starkey was invited to join as a full-time member but declined.  The Who toured to support the album, including headlining the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.

The Who performed at halftime of Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 and played at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.  In 2012, Daltrey, Starkey and Townshend added keyboardists John Corey, Loren Gold and Frank Simes  for a tour of Europe and North America.

In 2014, the group released the compilation album The Who Hits 50!  They scheduled a major tour in 2015 and played at the Glastonbury and Hyde Park Festivals, but had to cancel most dates after Daltrey contracted viral meningitis.  The group resumed the tour in 2016 that continued into 2017.

The Who had a horrible chart record, only reaching the Top 10 with one of 26 releases, but they countered that with several Top Tracks* and, as noted above, several underrated songs that should have been ranked higher.

According to the newspaper The Florida Times Union, the Who have sold over 100 million albums worldwide.  They also gain additional points for being able to pull their loyal fans to concerts.