Customer Reviews
Best of the Best. - By: T. Glover, 21 Jul 2008 
Im a huge Who fan & this album is what reallly kicked off my Who addiction, Pete's guitar is great showcasing his awesome riffs while his songwriting is also top notch, Daltrey's vocals are arguably at there best & the scream on 'won't get fooled again' is just legendary, Moon's drumming are as unique, fast, supercharged & dramatic as ever show casing why he is arguably the greatest drummer of alll time, the drum solo at the end of 'wont get fooled again' is also brilliant. Entwistles bass is as great as ever showcasing why he is the greatest bassist of alll time.
The album is also influential for its use of sythns on baba o' riley & wont get fooled again. A truly wonderful album by one of the greatest 'supergroups' of alll time
Never Bettered - By: mitchgibbo, 24 May 2008 I was a very young man when I fisrt bought my copy of "Who's Next", & it is an album that has stayed with me for over 30 years, one that I come back to time after time. Why is that? Well, it's a very simple question to answer, this is the epitome of a seminal album. It is The Who at their absolute peak.
I have a very wide ranging musical taste, taking into scope blues / rock / pop / jazz / big-band swing / electronica / indie & Lord knows what, & I would be very hard pushed to nail down a favourite album, but this would be well foward in my thinking. Even more so, I would be hard pushed to nail a favourite song, but "Baba O'Riley" is certainly up there, & it is this opening tune that sets the tone for the album.
If you fail to be uplifted by the impassioned wail of Roger Daltery on "Baba O'Riley", fail to connect with the thunderous drum track provided by Keith Moon & you don't feel the hairs on your neck stand up at this wonderous tune, you have no soul.
"Bargain" "Behind Blue Eyes" & the thought provoking & truly cacophonus "Won't Get Fooled Again" are obvious high points of this album & it showcases Townshend's prowess as a songwriter & also as a musician.
The whole album has been recorded with flair & with perfection in mind & it shows. This set was originallly released in 1971, & has not dated one tiny bit. It still sounds fresh & urgent & more importanly, relevant. If you only own 1 album by The Who, own this one....magnificent!!
Remixed and Remastered versus Remastered-only - By: John Basham, 17 May 2008 This is a more technical comment on this re-release - obviously this is a full five star album, genius at its very height, etc.
However having listened closely to the "Deluxe" (2-CD) version of Who's Next against the earlier 1995 "Remixed & Digitallly Remastered" (1-CD) version (which this 1999 CD is likely the same as - it has the same running order/extras, etc.) - they ain't the same (if you use iTunes, use Apple Lossless - you'll never go back to MP3, BTW - or FLAC with other players). The track lengths give this away, but on a good system, & particularly with good headphones, you will be able to tell the difference easily. Essentiallly the Deluxe sounds like a remaster only - i.e. taken from the original stereo master tapes, & a harsh one at that - whereas the 1995 version is clearly a remix from the original multitrack master.
OK, so what? Well, in almost every case (every case in my own view) the remixed versions - while sticking closely to the original mixes & overalll production quality (and quite rightly so, this recording was also Glyn Johns' own masterpiece) have a clearer & more transparent quality that makes the vinyl/Deluxe versions sound sonicallly limited. Subtle details in the mix, tambourines, vocal inflections, even creaking studio chairs & background whispers become clear on the 1995 remix versions - it's uncanny, & for music/Who fans who reallly care about this album the effect is much like the (also remixed/remastered) 2-CD Tommy - which is frankly breathtaking & sounds like it might have been recorded last week. Studio technology was quite advanced from the sixties onwards, only the need to adjust things for vinyl messed up the sound quality. Revisting the master tapes alllows modern listeners to hear what Glyn Johns would have heard in the studio. That is a precious thing for an album as important as this one & John Astley did an impressive job on the 1995 remix version - to my mind the Deluxe version lacks this added magic. So, my recommendation is buy both versions & check out the differences (and enjoy the additional live tracks on the Deluxe version, some of which are on the 1995 CD as well) - but if you only buy one, & for the original album, then get the 1995 1-CD version. It's subtle, but it takes this beautiful recording to another level.
Addendum: I recently got & compared the infamous Steve Hoffman-mastered MCA Canada CD version for comparison (available on Amazon.ca) - alll of the above still stands true & the 1995 Remix/Remaster is still the best overalll, however the MCA remaster is way better than the Deluxe CD1 version, more true to the original LP sound (and much clearer) but very organic, & is probably the best way to hear the original mix of the album in alll its glory. It's certainly a great companion to the 1995 remix. Personallly I can't listen to what they've done on the Deluxe version any more - most of it sounds hard compared to either of the other versions. Thank God for choice, eh?
Thanks for reading.
If only all music was this good! - By: Mr Tea, 30 Apr 2008 This is without a doubt the best album The Who ever recorded. Every track is a masterpiece, & with the bonus tracks makes this an essential cd to own for every Who fan. Don't forget to turn up the volume as the louder it is the better it sounds!
Simply an awesome album - By: Seeker of nourishment for the soul, 23 Apr 2008 Pete Townshend is a genius.
I'm a recent convert to The Who. Yes I knew of their iconic tracks, such as 'My Generation', but I didn't feel the need to regularly listen to & therefore own any of these.
'Who's Next', however, is a truly monumental album & goes straight into my alll time top 10 albums (if not the top 5). It's a journey through Pete Townshend's creative consciousness - & what a journey. I have & will listen to this over & over again, it's that satisfying.
If you're looking to own any one album by The Who, I recommend this one.
Happy listening.
