As far as top tier classic rock bands go, the diversity of The Who’s catalog often seems to be forgotten. While tracks like “Baba O’Riley” and “My Generation” get played on the radio, modern music fans tend to idealize the “superbands” that ended after a relatively short run, bands like The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin…

The Who, however, keep on plugging away, now forty-plus years past the prime of their career. With a 50th anniversary tour recently announced, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend continue to move “The Who” further and further from their rock and roll roots. Rock and roll is a young man’s game.

The Who played and partied with reckless abandon, crafting a unique sound that not only stands the test of time, but surpasses just about everyone but The Beatles when it comes to originality. While Zeppelin’s powerhouse sound led the wave of the British blues revival, their music was derivative. Not that derivative is necessarily a bad thing, but The Who… they were truly an original band.

While Tommy (1969) really put The Who on the map, we decided to do this great rock band some justice. The first part of our retrospective focuses on the band’s early era, rising from the Mod scene in England, a proto-Punk movement that would define The Who’s performance style for years to come.

My Generation (1965)

The Who’s first album is kickass. The boys mix, blues, soul, elegant harmonies in a tour de force debut that is all energy and talent.

The album kicks off with “Out in the Street.” A punk infused song with blues and great vocals with stinging guitar work. Right off the bat we see they are very special. Then, they jump into a slow blues-inspired version of James Brown’s “I Don’t Mind.” When Daltrey sings “You’re gonna miss me,” you know you are. His vocals are so powerful.

“La-La-La-Lies” is the first track that showcases the towering talent of Keith Moon. His hard driving drumming pushes this song forward, and is ably backed with lovely harmonies by Daltrey and the band. This song would’ve been a hit, if not for the last song on this album side, “My Generation.”

As important to the British Invasion as The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” “My Generation” is the anthem to the post World War II lost generation of British boys. They summed up the attitude succinctly with the defining line, ”I hope I die before I get old.”

“My Generation” also showed the virtuosity of John Entwistle on bass. No one ever played the bass in rock music like Entwistle…and no one has since. There is no debate that this is one of the great rock songs of all time…to be played at maximum volume.

The start of side of side two is the stunning “The Kids Are Alright.” Again Moon drives the song, but its Roger Daltrey’s harmonies with Entwistle and Townshend that really shine. The jam on this track is not to be missed… the boys are firing on all cylinders.

Closing the album is “The Ox,” a great, great vehicle for Moon to show his raw energy as a drummer. Nicky Hopkins adds his deft touch on the piano, and Entwistle’s bass matches Moon with demonic energy. Not to be outdone, Townshend plays guitar with a raw driving force filled with feedback. This song was the birth of acid rock, and must have made a strong impression on Jimi Hendrix.

A Quick One (1966)

The 2nd album from The Who shows the band branching from traditional three-minute radio-friendly tunes into music with more depth, deviating from R&B to a pop-infused hard rock sound. The John Entwistle classic “Boris the Spider” appears on this album; it’s a creepy, crawly macabre song about someone’s interaction with a pesky spider. Entwistle drops his vocal tone to match that of his bass, creating an original and innovative sound.

However, it’s the nine-minute-long ballad “A Quick One While He’s Away” that propelled The Who from songmakers to a band with vision. The song is made up of six separate sections, with each part telling the story of a love’s long departure and his ultimate return. This compositional concept would eventually carry over to the band’s “rock opera,” Tommy, in 1969.

The Who Sell Out (1967)

Before Tommy, however, The Who released what has become the band’s most overlooked and underappreciated album, The Who Sell Out. The album art shows each of the members sarcastically advertising real products. Townshend poses with the giant Odorono deodorant stick; Daltrey is featured in a tub full of Heinz baked beans.

Tongue firmly planted in their cheeks, the band scatters fake commercials and radio jingles throughout the album. The album itself is a blend of great pop with strong instrumentation. Kicking off the album is “Armenia City in the Sky.” This song matches The Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” as a pop classic with great psychedelic overtones.

“Odorono” is another great song, with Pete on lead vocals. A sarcastic beauty of love gone wrong because our heroine did not use Odorono deodorant…the coda is a London radio jingle that alludes to the pirate radio stations that were prevalent in the UK in the 60s.

The most recognized song on the album is “I Can See for Miles.” From the opening guitar riff mixed with acoustic and electric guitars, we are presented with a toweringly great song. Moon comes in a few second later with his distinctive backbeat, and Daltrey is in his finest voice. This song crackles and hums with musical perfection. All the while Entwistle drives the song like no one else can. The song builds and builds…I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles. Absolutely The Who at their best. This song is the Who’s penultimate showcase on how to build great pop harmonies with a hard driving rock beat.

“Relax” is a finely crafted song, with a most welcomed organ accompaniment. It floats with ethereal harmonies and calming motif, until Townshend lets loose with a stinging solo.

The last song, “Rael,” is a definitive statement; it shows the world that The Who are visionaries. Another attempt at a mini-opera, the eloquent piece has a lot to offer, with many transitions, great harmonies, classical musical undertones and Moon displaying his talent as the consummate drummer. It is a song of courage, of bravery in a war-torn nation… defending one’s home. It makes a powerful statement.

The first three Who albums display a great sense of power and depth as musicians. The band contained one of the tightest rock and roll rhythm sections of all-time, with Moon on drums and Entwistle on the bass, allowing Townshend to explore his songwriting ability. Not to mention the towering vocals and persona of Roger Daltrey.

Right from the beginning, The Who were an exceptional talent. But, it was the four years after The Who Sell Out that would launch the band to superstardom… Stay tuned for part two.

-By Richard Melamed and David Melamed