#25 - The Who, Quadrophenia

Release Year: 1973

Genre: Rock Opera

How much do I like my favorite track on the album? 12.8 points

Love Reign O’er Me

The orchestral scoring is beautiful. Roger Daltrey shows up in a different way on this track than he does most of the time. He is composed and powerful - and adds the falsetto he is so famous for at only the most critical junctures of the song. He shows his true vocal range and abilities to control himself on this piece. Don’t worry though, he absolutely lets it rip in the last few bars of his vocals. This song is so much a journey - I didn’t know where I would end up when I pressed play. You literally feel as if the whole weight of the world is crashing down around you by the end. It’s magical.

How did/does this album influence my own taste in music overall? 10.4 points

The Who collectively influenced a lot of my overall taste in music. But - per the rules - their entry is just this album. While it is truly a work of art, I can’t say that Rock Opera really influenced me because, well, it’s a bit of a dead art at this point.

Does this album hold up since its release? 11.2 points

There are some smash hits on here, and it has definitely aged in a positive way. But that’s pretty standard amongst the canon of The Who. Other pieces are a bit forgettable, and it’s a very, very long album. Very long. 3 hours on the deluxe edition, in fact.

What percentage of the album do I listen to? 5.88 points

You know the part about me saying this album is really, really long? It’s really long. If I had 90 mins to kill and just wanted to listen to one album though, this would be it. There’s a lot of skips layered in, that’s just the nature of a very long, musical-esque album.

What did/do the critics think of this album? 8.5 points

The critics love it. It is one of The Who’s best works, showing their depth and breadth of what they have to offer.

What is the sentimental value to me of the album? 12.8 points

I think when I was a kid this album was a bit…over my head. Most of The Who’s other albums are far more approachable to the young listener. Nevertheless, it still rates pretty well here.

What was the artists involvement of the production of the album - songwriting, instrumentals, vocals, uniqueness? 16 points

Oh man. The instrumentals on this album are as close to perfect as they come. Daltrey is widely considered one of the best vocalist of all time. Keith Moon perhaps the best drummer. Pete Townshend wrote the entire score. Front to back. This is one of two perfect entrants in this category. Truly a masterpiece.

Overall Rating out of 100 points = 77.6

This album really does a great job of conveying a story and truly transforming Rock into Opera. Or is it Opera into Rock? Either way, it’s a ride, and if you’re up for it, it’s still a great listen. Hindsight is 20/20 as well on this, as this was definitely their last great album. “The Real Me” gets you those classic Roger Daltrey vocals and “trains almost off the tracks” vibes.