Who Are You is the eighth album by English rock band The Who. It was released on 18 August 1978, through Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and MCA Records in the United States. It peaked at number 2 on the U.S. charts and number 6 on the U.K. charts.[citation needed] It is The Who's last album with Keith Moon as the drummer; Moon died about three weeks after the release of this album.
In 1996, the album was re-released in remixed form. Some of the elements from the original mixes were eliminated, including on the songs "Had Enough" and "Guitar and Pen". However, "Trick Of The Light" was restored to its full length at 4:45.
Composition
Who Are You was put out at a time when the two major camps of rock, progressive rock and punk rock, were conflicting due to their antipodal styles. Pete Townshend's compositions were written as an attempt to bring the two styles together. The album showcases some of the most complicated song structures guitarist Townshend had ever composed, with multiple layers of synthesizer and strings. Many of the songs also represented another attempt by Townshend to complete his long-contemplated Lifehouse project. Like Who's Next, many of whose songs were also inspired by Lifehouse, many tracks on Who Are You feature prominent synthesizer parts and lyrics about songwriting and music as a metaphor for life (as indicated by titles like "Music Must Change", "Guitar and Pen", "New Song", and "Sister Disco").
Moon's deteriorating health is reflected in some of the tracks; the alcohol and drug abuse had taken away from the frenzied drumming he was renowned for, but he delivered a powerhouse performance on the title track.
There was a three-year hiatus between Who Are You and The Who's previous album, The Who by Numbers. The band was drifting apart during this period, due to the band members working on various solo projects, Moon sinking deeper into alcohol and drug abuse, and general exhaustion from the gruelling tour schedule the band had kept over the decade. Moon's health was especially an object of concern, as he only managed to come in during the last few weeks of recording and was unable to play in 6/8 time on the track "Music Must Change", so drums were removed completely from the track and only a few cymbal crashes were added. Moon died just under a month after its release, and on the cover, he is shown sitting in a chair labeled "Not to be taken away". Moon is sitting backwards on the chair to hide his excessive weight gain over the prior three years.
"Had Enough"
"Had Enough" was released as a B-side to Who Are You's title cut but became an album rock radio staple. It was featured in a memorable scene on WKRP in Cincinnati on the third season opener "The Airplane Show" when the pilot and WKRP news anchor Les Nessman decided to fly the airplane over Cincinnati in honour of Veteran's Day.
"Sister Disco"
"Sister Disco" seems to mourn the death of disco, but in fact is a criticism of it. It features complicated synthesizer tracks that are the result of hours Pete Townshend spent programming an ARP 2500 synthesizer.[citation needed]
The song was never performed with Keith Moon. However, it was performed regularly when The Who toured with Kenney Jones as drummer, and quickly became a live favourite[citation needed], despite Townshend's claim that this was the song he least enjoyed to play on stage. It was included on the band's 2002 Ultimate Collection album. It was also revived for their fall 2008 tour.
Reception
The album was a commercial success, going twice platinum in the U.S. and peaking at Number 2 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The soundtrack to Grease prevented Who Are You from achieving Number 1 status in the U.S. The success of Who Are You generated excitement at the prospect of a new Who tour for the album. However, the album is surrounded by tragedy for Who fans due to Moon's death shortly after the album's release. The songs on the album were later performed on tour in 1979 when The Who were joined by new drummer Kenney Jones and keyboardist John Bundrick. Bundrick had been invited to play on the album, but broke his arm falling out of a taxi at the studio door and was unable to participate.
Track listing
All songs written by Pete Townshend, unless otherwise noted.
Side one
- "New Song" – 4:14
- "Had Enough" (John Entwistle) – 4:27
- "905" (Entwistle) – 4:02
- "Sister Disco" – 4:23
- "Music Must Change" – 4:39
Side two
- "Trick of the Light" (Entwistle) – 3:30 (original mix), 4:45 (1996 remastered CD)
- "Guitar and Pen" – 5:56
- "Love Is Coming Down" – 4:04
- "Who Are You" – 6:16
1996 remastered edition bonus tracks
- "No Road Romance" – 5:10
- "Empty Glass" – 6:23
- "Guitar and Pen" (Olympic '78 Mix) – 5:58
- "Love Is Coming Down" (Work-in-Progress Mix) – 4:06
- "Who Are You" (Lost Verse Mix) – 6:18
Sales chart performance
Album
| Year |
Chart |
Position |
| 1978 |
Billboard Pop Albums |
2[1] |
| 1978 |
UK Chart Albums |
6[2] |
Singles
Sales certifications
| Organization |
Level |
Date |
| RIAA – U.S. |
Gold |
24 August 1978[3] |
| RIAA – U.S. |
Platinum |
20 September 1978[3] |
| RIAA – U.S. |
2xPlatinum |
8 February 1993[3] |
Personnel
The Who
Additional musicians
References
