The Who has one of the greatest rock legacies in music history, they’re one of the all-time great live bands, have sold over 100 million records world including 9 US and 10 UK top ten albums and 14 UK top ten singles in a career spanning six decades. Now Fifty-five years after they made their first recordings, The Who is back with their first new album in thirteen years entitled Who.
Not in a million, trillion years would I have expected to love a new Who record as much as I love “WHO.” Is it “The Who Sell Out?” Of course not. Nothing is, damnit! NOTHING IS! Is it “Who’s Next?” No, not even close. But it is truly wonderful, because of what it isn’t and that is trying too hard. This is a collection of solid Pete Townshend songs, played with mature restraint, and sung by one of the greatest voices in rock and roll, Roger Daltrey. There are just enough elements of The Who you’ve grown to love scattered throughout, and when you notice them, the record gets even better. I am both thrilled and relieved by “WHO.”
The eleven-track album was mostly recorded in London and Los Angeles during Spring and Summer 2019 and was co-produced by Pete Townshend and D. Sardy (who has worked with Noel Gallagher, Oasis, LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz) with vocal production by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Roger Daltrey, Wilko Johnson). Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend are joined on the album by long-time Who drummer Zak Starkey, bassist Pino Palladino along with contributions from Simon Townshend, Benmont Tench, Carla Azar, Joey Waronker and Gordon Giltrap.
All This Music Must Fade‘ from The Who’s new studio album WHO, released on 6th December 2019.