While The Beatles and The Rolling Stones get the 60’s glory, and Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd rule 70’s rock nostalgia – The Who were there for it all, blazing a path that strangely melded the ‘first punk band’, ‘thinking man’s rock musicians’, and ‘worst rock’n’roll band in the world’. Now they are getting an all-star tribute album coming out on October 2nd and featuring an amazing cast of rock musicians from the last five decades.
As noted at Classic Rock Magazine:
Cleopatra Records, behind the release, say: “The Who has sold over 100 million records, had 27 top 40 hits, 17 top ten albums and have been certified gold 18 times, platinum 12 times and multi-platinum five times. They have been described as one of the greatest rock bands in history by Rolling Stone, the Grammy Foundation, VH1 and the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
“With such weight put on this band’s musical output, the contributors to ‘Who Are You’ have brought every ounce of creativity, attitude and reverence to the collection.”
Some of the folks contributing include “Joe Elliott, Rick Wakeman, Dave Davies, Iggy Pop, Randy Bachman, Ginger Baker, Joe Lynn Turner, Ian Paice and KK Downing.” It is a great lineup that digs all the way back to the mid-60s ‘Herman Hermits’ (The Who were their warm-up group on their first U.S. tour) all the way through the Kinks, Def Leppard, Mountain, Deep Purple, Yes, Asia and on and on!
Here is the tracklist with featured players:
1. Eminence Front – John Wetton (Asia); KK Downing (Judas Priest), Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion)
2. Baba O’Riley – Nektar; Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
3. I Can See for Miles – Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders); Wayne Kramer (MC5)
4. Love Reign O’er Me – Joe Elliott (Def Leppard); Rick Wakeman; Huw Lloyd-Langton (Hawkwind); Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge)
5. My Generation – Knox (Vibrators); Dave Davies (Kinks); Rat Scabies (Damned)
6. The Kids are Alright – The Raveonettes
7. Won’t Get Fooled Again – Sweet
8. Anyway Anyhow Anywhere – Todd Rundgren; Carmine Appice
9. I Can’t Explain – Iggy Pop
10. Behind Blue Eyes – Pat Travers
11. Magic Bus – Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermits); Peter Banks (Yes); Ginger Baker (Cream)
12. Who Are You – Gretchen Wilson; Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive)
13. Pinball Wizard – Terry Reid; Mike Pinera (Blues Image); Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)
14. Squeeze Box – John Wesley (Porcupine Tree); David Cross (King Crimson)
15. Bargain – .38 Special; Ted Turner (Wishbone Ash); Ian Paice (Deep Purple)
16. The Seeker – Joe Lynn Turner; Leslie West (Mountain)
You can already pre-order the CD through Amazon.com for $10.58, with no mention of any special editions (though I imagine at least an MP3 release will be coming).
This is a busy year for The Who … they released their updated Quadrophenia and are now launching a huge worldwide tour; Pete Townshend has a new book coming on October 8th; the classic and oft-bootlegged ‘Live in Texas’ DVD releases the same week; and this lands on October 2nd. Great time to be a Who fan!