Who : Quadrophenia

A wonderful, yet overpriced, album.
- Justin M Reid, 12/01/2003, USA

Not 'Tommy', but genius all-the-same...
- Rob Martin, 04/16/1999, USA

Excellent songwriting, excellent musicians. Underrated, even better than 'Tommy'!
- Poul Sandgren, 07/25/1997, Denmark

A little subdued considering what came before it (Who's Next), but it grows on you.
- Hugh Garsden, 05/18/1997, Australia

Full title is: Quadrophenia

Length: 81:33

  Chris Stainton - Piano
  Chris Stanton - Piano
  John Curle - Spoken Word
  John Curle - Voices
  John Entwistle - Bass
  John Entwistle - Horn, Vocals (Background)
  John Entwistle - Vocals
  Keith Moon - Drums
  Keith Moon - Percussion
  Keith Moon - Vocals (Background)
  Keith Moon - Vocals
  Pete Townshend - Multi Instruments
  Pete Townshend - Sound Effects
  Pete Townshend - Special Effects
  Pete Townshend - Various
  Pete Townshend - Vocals (Background)
  Rod Houison - Sound Effects
  Rod Houison - Special Effects
  Roger Daltrey - Vocals
  Ron Nevison - Sound Effects
  Ron Nevison - Special Effects

Pete Townshend revisited the rock opera concept with another double-album opus, this time built around the story of a young mod's struggle to come of age in the mid-'60s. If anything, this was a more ambitious project than Tommy, given added weight by the fact that the Who weren't devising some fantasy but were re-examining the roots of their own birth in mod culture. In the end, there may have been too much weight, as Townshend tried to combine the story of a mixed-up mod named Jimmy with the examination of a four-way split personality (hence the title Quadrophenia ), in turn meant to reflect the four conflicting personas at work within the Who itself. The concept might have ultimately been too obscure and confusing for a mass audience. But there's plenty of great music anyway, especially on 'The Real Me,' 'The Punk Meets the Godfather,' 'I'm One,' 'Bell Boy,' and 'Love, Reign o'er Me.' Some of Townshend's most direct, heartfelt writing is contained here, and production-wise it's a tour de force, with some of the most imaginative use of synthesizers on a rock record. Various members of the band griped endlessly about flaws in the mix, but really these will bug very few listeners, who in general will find this to be one of the Who's most powerful statements. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide