Quadrophenia (The Who) - Extended Play Lounge, Episode 33
Added 2022-12-08 16:26:56 +0000 UTCI'm pleased to release our latest Extended Play Lounge episode, featuring Quadrophenia by The Who.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I had only heard Love Reign O'er Me previously. I was impressed and taken with the narrative, the music, and the performance. All top notch!
I hope you enjoy! Cheers.
Unlisted Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/779267316/c56c873c0c
Comments
"Bell Boy" is my favourite song on the album. "Ace" was the leader of a big mods gang. "Faces" were mods - where the band "The Faces" got their name from. "Ain't you the guy who used to set the paces, riding [on his scooter] up in front of the hundred faces..." ps. At the end, in the movie, Jimmy steals Bell Boy Ace's scooter, from outside the hotel, rides up to the top of the very high cliffs of (nearby) Beachy Head (check it out)... and rides off into oblivion. And peace at last.
Adrian Goodrich
2024-05-23 22:48:23 +0000 UTCHOW did I miss this at the time??? Doug just nails it in his interpretations. This album has just grown and grown on me over the years - boy, is it good?? The film just SO explains it all - it, too, nails it. I've got as far as 5:15 so far, but had to say something since the film scene SO explains the song.
Adrian Goodrich
2024-05-23 22:39:03 +0000 UTCGreat Album, in my opinion, miles better than Tommy just solid great music on all 4 sides
Steve Campbell
2023-11-01 20:47:06 +0000 UTCI don't think I'd ever noticed that Pete (almost? always?) returns to E-flat for the "Love Reign O'er Me" theme throughout the album...but what's interesting to me is the way he uses different E-flat chords. Brief little theory: Jimmy's torn between rejecting everything, even unto violence ("Dr Jimmy" aka The Ballad of Toxic Masculinity)...and trying so hard to fit in. LROM not only uses both E-flat minor and E-flat major, it also, quite often, adds a fourth to the chord (sometimes atop the minor, but sometimes, I think, without any third. The extended penultimate chord gives that fourth a LOT of play - it's almost an extended suspension. It feels very unsettled to me—as you note, we don't *really* know where Jimmy ends up. But the actual last chord is loudly, powerfully, an open 9th chord: I don't think there's either third in there. And to me, it feels very powerful, stable...but, with that 9th on top (in brass and/or synths), somehow open as well (in the musical sense of those big 5ths it's built on, but I think, in terms of Jimmy's revelation on the rock and Roger's ecstatic vocal expression of Love as Rain/Reign.
Jeff Norman
2022-12-17 06:24:25 +0000 UTCQuadrophenia is The Who's magnum opus. I loved it from the first listen, way back when, and hearing it through your ears was very satisfying. Every band member shines on this album and I hear a maturity in their playing and Pete's writing that is not heard in anything before this. I'm glad you compared it to The Wall. There is a lot of similarity but one big difference - not one song on this album feels like "filler." You're right, every songs stands on its own but fits into the whole. This is one of your best reactions and makes we want to go back and listen with a new perspective. Thank you, Doug for this Christmastime gift. BTW, love the MDI drinking glass :-)
Thom P
2022-12-16 18:27:16 +0000 UTCReally enjoyed your insights on this masterpiece. The dissertation comparing Quadrophenia and The Wall should also include Tommy. The main character in Tommy is even more isolated than the other two, having withdrawn completely from the world and from his senses ("deaf, dumb and blind kid") after a traumatic childhood event. What happens to him during his withdrawal is shocking and sad, and what happens after he returns to awareness years later is quite a story, too.
Richard Moore
2022-12-14 04:20:13 +0000 UTCThat was The Who's own song "The Kids Are Alright" playing at the end of "Helpless Dancer".
Richard Moore
2022-12-14 02:56:06 +0000 UTCBoth The Wall and Quadrophenia within a few weeks of each other. Christmas came early this year! I suggested Quadrophenia in the Discord a few months back, and watched it come and go on a couple of polls, so it's gratifying that 1) it got done and 2) that Mr. Doug enjoyed it so much. I've been listening to this set for a long time and, honestly, I never paid close attention to the story, since the music itself was just so engaging. I very much appreciate the insights into the story and following Jimmy on his journey. Heck, I never even noticed that "Quadrophenia" was a play on "Schizophrenia"! That's how oblivious I was. I think you made mention of it in passing, but there's SO MUCH pedal-tone on this album -- almost every song uses different chords over a single note. I also listened to this in headphones for the first time (usually driving music for me), and i noticed a lot of the more subtle cues at the beginning and ends of songs, and quieter parts. Such a great time listening with you, and watching your face when there's a part coming up I know if going to make you cock your head to one side or (better) say "whoaaa!|. Lastly, the band name is not pronounced "The Who", it's pronounced "They-OH" :-) Many thanks!
Prog Rock Piano Bar
2022-12-12 22:52:29 +0000 UTCI have listened to Quadrophenia dozens - no, many SCORES of times - in the course of my life. With all the amazing, wonderful, astonishing music I grew up with, I seem to always come back to Quadrophenia. And now, I have a better appreciation for why that is so. Thank you Doug, this reaction was most enlightening and informative. Time to crank up the stereo. Again.
ghattier
2022-12-11 07:20:37 +0000 UTCHaven’t listened through the whole album for decades. So enjoyable to listen with Doug
Jeffrey CASSIDY
2022-12-10 04:21:51 +0000 UTCThis album was a big piece of the soundtrack of my youth. I wore out several copies of it. The self-destructive antihero was a theme explored by several bands in that era.
BrianTheJeepGuy
2022-12-10 03:30:39 +0000 UTCI had planned to do one side at a time, but I couldn't find side-long tracks available...and my vinyl didn't import as quietly as I had hoped.
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-12-09 22:32:22 +0000 UTCIt’s a brilliant album. My favorite by the Who. The story telling is much better than most concept albums. I always liked the multiple levels to the story. There’s the more linear story of the mod kid Jimmy but there’s also an autobiographical slant to it. The band that Jimmy was following (and the band that ultimately disappointed him) was the Who. IIRC, Pete wanted the other members of the band to write their own musical themes but, when that didn’t happen, Pete did it for them. Apparently he tried to incorporate each of the band members personalities into the themes. The thought being I suppose that the band was Jimmy and Jimmy was the band. And, of course, the music is great. I would definitely recommend the movie. It’s very well done and follows the album quite closely. This was definitely an easier album to adapt to a movie than “Tommy”.
Martin Broten
2022-12-09 21:37:15 +0000 UTCGreat reaction... I've always considered this album to be Townshend's and The Who's most coherent, musically successful concept-based project. Just brilliant from end to end.
M. Gideon Hoyle
2022-12-09 20:33:42 +0000 UTCThis truly would have worked better if done like The Wall, one side at a time.
Richard Plante
2022-12-09 17:37:48 +0000 UTCWonderful reaction, Doug. One thing: I know you needed to stop between songs to speak, but I urge you, for your own personal enjoyment, to take the time to listen once again to the whole album so that you can hear the transitions between songs. It really does help in understanding.
Dave Cohen
2022-12-09 13:43:11 +0000 UTCWhat a great and informative reaction. This brought back emotions from my adolescent years (full of angst and depression). Especially the song "I've Had Enough." I agree that Keith's drumming really propels this into another stratosphere (with an average drummer, it might have downgraded the album to "great, but not classic").
Allen
2022-12-09 01:59:51 +0000 UTC
