The new Who record’s got balls. Big balls. And the septuagenarians who made it got big balls too. Big old balls. To borrow from Dan Bern’s ode to Tiger Woods, this records got balls as big as grapefruits, as big as pumpkins, small dogs, tractor wheels, the golden arches, the Golden Gate Bridge, the state of Kansas, Jupiter and Mars too. Ok, well maybe Pete’s I’ll Be Back has no balls but most everything else on WHO, the first new album of Who material in fourteen years has. Balls that is. Big balls.
Tackling subject matter ranging from the perils of aging to the inevitability of death, social media backlash, fame, relevance and the fear of losing it, Townshend spews his sardonic wit throughout 45 minutes of the latest 11 songs he has penned for the band since 2006’s Endless Wire. Unbelievably 76 year old Roger Daltrey tirelessly belts out each number worthy of a human being half his age and then some. Chameleon-like in his vocal approach Daltrey tackles each of Townshend’s songs accordingly. Rounding out the line up for this latest incarnation of The Who is legendary session musician Pino Palladino on bass and Ringo Starr’s eldest son Zak Starkey on drums. Easily one of the finest Who albums of the last four decades. It ain’t braggin’ if its true.
Rating 9/10
2020 Song Of The Day Club
Bi-Weekly Record Review 3/26