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For The Who Who Are You was a huge hit at a time when their place in the music industry was perhaps not as secure as it once was. Pete Townshend decided he would try to embrace new forms of music he had never written in before, and he struggled to make The Who relevant in a world where the music scene was quickly overrun by lights. brief but brilliant disco. and punk.

The stress of constant touring and the rapid deterioration in Keith Moon’s physical condition would come back on his head during the album’s recording sessions, and original producer Glyn Johns would quit the project after being hit by an angry Roger Daltrey. .

Physical conflicts aside, the title track “ Who Are You ” was an incredibly energetic song that combined the pop sensibilities of The Who melodies with biting lyrics born out of Townshend’s frustration with the business side of the industry. music. As with other tracks on the album that complained about the state of modern radio and commercial music, “Who Are You” was about losing your identity in the face of gross consumerism. Right before writing the song, Townshend had endured a grueling, hour-long negotiation session with record director Allan Keith. Feeling exhausted and downcast, he ran into two members of the Sex Pistols who made him come out laughing and did their best to provide him with a shoulder to lean on. Their later adventures lead to the line about waking up outside a bar with a cop letting go if they could relate.

More than just an album for The Who Who Are You also coincided with a return to the “Lifehouse” concept that had been shelved several years earlier. The band attempted to create a sort of sequel to the never-before-produced rock opera with the songs from “ Who Are You, ” placing the events 200 years in the future of the fictional world Townshend had created and once again centered around. of a concert designed to free the inhabitants of this world from their chains. Townshend rewrote his script to reflect the changes, but the project fell apart after conflicts with the attached director put the film on hold.

“Who Are You” would be The Who’s last album with Keith Moon on drums. He died of a drug overdose just weeks after his release. The loss of Moon caught the band’s creative fire, and the album’s multi-platinum status did nothing to soothe their broken hearts.

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Source by Virgil Vince