Viewed as not only one of the best albums from The Who, but also as one of the greatest albums in rock history, Who's Next is more than deserving of a spot on Eagle Rock Entertainment's Classic Albums DVD series. While unfortunately way too short (60 minutes) to really get in depth to every song on the album, especially since so much time is spent talking about "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley", this is still a fascinating and informative look at a legendary album from an equally legendary band.
Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and even the late John Entwistle are on hand here, as well as other people associated with the band. Listening to producer Glyn Johns talking about the various techniques used in the studio is pretty cool stuff, as is Townshend's in depth look at how he got those classic synth sounds on his ARP. For vintage synth lovers, Pete even takes us into his home studio for a demonstration. A good portion of this documentary is spent talking about Townshend's "Lifehouse" project, and what his ideas were (which nobody really understood, even the band), ultimately being scrapped and eventually the songs involved in the project simply became Who's Next. Mixed in with the interview segments are vintage live clips, some of which you've seen before, like the Shepperton Sound Studio stuff from The Kids Are Allright movie, and some footage from The Isle of Wight film, but there's also some powerful clips from the mid-70's that hopefully will show up on a complete DVD at some point.
Listening to Entwistle talk about "My Wife" is fun yet poignant at the same time, as he passed away a few short years after this documentary was originally put together in 2000. It's also obvious how much Keith Moon was missed by all involved, and hearing some of the instrumental musical tracks separated out with Moon's naked drum parts standing on their own, you really appreciate the virtuoso technique that he had.
This is a must have for any fan of The Who. While it would have been nice to see this DVD a bit longer, with more live footage thrown in and more discussion about all the albums songs, it's still essential viewing. Plus, Townshend's acoustic rendition of "Won't Get Fooled Again" at the end is stunning and heartwarming, and not to be missed.
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
