The Who Announce New Album 'WHO', Stream "Ball and Chain"

Legendary rockers The Who have announced the release of their new album 'WHO', their first in thirteen years.  

The eleven-track album will be out on 22nd November, it was mostly recorded in London and Los Angeles during Spring and Summer 2019 and was co-produced by Pete Townshend & Dave Sardy with vocal production by Dave Eringa.

Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend are joined on the album by long-time Who drummer Zak Starkey, bassist Pino Palladino along with contributions from Simon Townshend, Benmont Tench, Carla Azar, Joey Waronker and Gordon Giltrap.

The album cover has been created by famed pop artist, Sir Peter Blake who first met the band in 1964 at a taping of the legendary TV show Ready Steady Go. Sir Peter designed and contributed a painting to the sleeve of The Who’s album Face Dances in 1981.

The songs on WHO cover a myriad of subjects including the Grenfell Tower fire, musical theft, spirituality, reincarnation, the power of memory and ‘an old rock star that has lost his marbles’. Singer Roger Daltrey rates it amongst their strongest “I think we’ve made our best album since Quadrophenia in 1973, Pete hasn’t lost it, he’s still a fabulous songwriter, and he’s still got that cutting edge”.

Pete Townshend "This album is almost all new songs written last year, with just two exceptions. There is no theme, no concept, no story, just a set of songs that I (and my brother Simon) wrote to give Roger Daltrey some inspiration, challenges and scope for his newly revived singing voice. Roger and I are both old men now, by any measure, so I’ve tried to stay away from romance, but also from nostalgia if I can. I didn’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Memories are OK, and some of the songs refer to the explosive state of things today. I made new home studio demos of all these songs in the summer of 2018 using a wide collection of instruments old and new.”

Pre-order the album here, check out the track list and listen to their new single "Ball and Chain" below.

WHO Tracklist:

01. All This Music Must Fade

02. Ball and Chain

03. I Don’t Wanna Get Wise

04. Detour

05. Beads On One String

06. Hero Ground Zero

07. Street Song

08. I’ll Be Back

09. Break The News

10. Rockin’ In Rage

11. She Rocked My World

(facebook.com/thewho)

Tags: The Who

The Who Tribute Album Announced Featuring Iggy Pop, The Kinks, The Raveonettes...

On October 2, Cleopatra Records will release WHO ARE YOU: AN ALL STAR TRIBUTE TO THE WHO. As The Who approaches a nearly 50-year career, artists in genres from classic to progressive rock, and from punk to country, it will see the likes of The Kinks, Iggy Pop and The Raveonettes paying their respects to the legendary rock band.

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.”

The tracklisting for 'Who Are You: An All Star Tribute To The Who’ is as follows:

1. ‘Eminence Front’ – John Wetton (Asia), K.K. Downing (Judas Priest), Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater)
2. Baba O’Riley – Nektar, Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra)
3. I Can See For Miles – Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere & the Raiders), Wayne Kramer (MC5)
4. Love Reign O’er Me – Joe Elliot (Def Leppard), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Huw Lloyd-Langton (Hawkwind), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge)
5. My Generation – Knox (The Vibrators), Dave Davies (The Kinks), Rat Scabies (The Damned)
6. The Kids Are Alright – The Raveonettes
7. Won’t Get Fooled Again – Sweet
8. Anyway Anyhow Anywhere – Todd Rundgren, Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge)
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 (Rainbow), Leslie West (Mountain)

Roger Daltrey: 'Contemporary Music Lacks Lead Singers'

Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, says there aren't many contemporary singers who could "lead" a band.

Speaking to the Associated Press, the veteran frontman said: "A lot of the new people they choose on shows like American Idol and things like that - I don't ever hear lead singers. They always seem to pick people that are great singers, fabulous singers, but they've never got the voice that makes a great lead singer." 

He went on to name drop some of music's best singers: "You hear ten seconds of Rod Stewart, you know it's Rod Stewart," he said. "Ten-seconds of Mick Jagger, that's Mick Jagger."

Daltrey's tour wraps up in the United States on Oct. 25 in Seattle, Wash. He'll visit Canada for five dates after.