The Who

The Who are an English rock band that formed in 1964. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, selling over 100 million records worldwide and establishing their reputation equally on live shows and studio work.

The Who developed from an earlier group, the Detours, and established themselves as part of the pop art and mod movements, featuring auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums on stage. Their first single as the Who, "I Can't Explain", reached the UK top ten, followed by a string of singles including "My Generation", "Substitute" and "Happy Jack". In 1967, they performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and released the US top ten single "I Can See for Miles", while touring extensively. The group's fourth album, 1969's rock opera Tommy, included the single "Pinball Wizard" and was a critical and commercial success. Live appearances at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight Festival, along with the live album Live at Leeds, cemented their reputation as a respected rock act. With their success came increased pressure on lead songwriter and visionary Townshend, and the follow-up to Tommy, Lifehouse, was abandoned. Songs from the project made up 1971's Who's Next, which included the hit "Won't Get Fooled Again". The group released the album Quadrophenia in 1973 as a celebration of their mod roots, and oversaw the film adaptation of Tommy in 1975. They continued to tour to large audiences before semi-retiring from live performances at the end of 1976. The release of Who Are You in 1978 was overshadowed by the death of Moon shortly after.

John Entwistle

John Alec Entwistle (9 October 1944 – 27 June 2002) was an English musician, songwriter, singer, film and music producer, who was best known as the original bass guitarist for the English rock band The Who. He was the only member of the band to have formal musical training. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Who in 1990.

Entwistle's instrumental approach used pentatonic lead lines, and a then-unusual treble-rich sound ("full treble, full volume") created by roundwound RotoSound steel bass strings. He was nicknamed "The Ox" and "Thunderfingers," the latter because his digits became a blur across the four-string fretboard. In 2011, he was voted the greatest bassist of all time in a Rolling Stone reader's poll. According to the The Biography Channel, Entwistle is considered by many to be the best bass guitarist that ever lived, and considered to have done for the bass what Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar.

905

Year 905 (CMV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.

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Who Are You

Who Are You is the eighth studio album by English rock band The Who, released through Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and MCA Records in the United States. It peaked at number 2 on the US charts and number 6 on the UK charts.

It is The Who's last album with Keith Moon as the drummer. Moon died twenty days after the release of this album. While the work has received praise from multiple critics and was a commercial success, the drummer's death brought concerns that the group would have to fold. The ironic nature of the text "Not To Be Taken Away" that was written on Moon's chair was cited by some critics.

In 1985, MCA Records re-released the album on CD, containing the songs from the original LP. In 1996, the album was re-released in remixed form. Some of the elements from the original mixes were eliminated, including on the songs "Had Enough", "905" and "Guitar and Pen". However, "Trick of the Light" was restored to its full length of 4:45.

Composition

Overview

Who Are You was recorded at the time when punk rock was highly popular. This is not reflected in the album's music, which incorporates elements of progressive rock and, according to biographer Tony Fletcher, was produced in such a way as to appeal to commercial rock radio at the time. The album showcases some of Townshend's most complicated arrangements, with multiple layers of synthesizer and strings. Many of the songs also revisited themes from Townshend's long-contemplated Lifehouse project, featuring lyrics about songwriting and music as a metaphor for life, as indicated by titles like "Guitar and Pen", "New Song", "Music Must Change", and "Sister Disco". The latter two, along with "Who Are You", ultimately appeared on Lifehouse Chronicles, Townshend's actualization of the project. Several of the song's lyrics also reflect Townshend's uncertainty about The Who's continued relevance in the wake of punk rock.