# Best Song On "Who's Next"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2010, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619 "2010-09-22T07:30:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/21 "2010-09-22T20:31:04Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > He wound up working all day Friday, flying to Chicago Friday afternoon, meeting me there, flying to London on a nearly empty Virgin 747 and sleeping on the plane, seeing the show Saturday night, sleeping in a cheesy hotel, flying out Sunday morning, dropping me off in Chicago and him back to work Monday morning. Awesome! That’s an even tighter schedule than I had when I went to see the Nice’s reunion tour in 2002. I flew out of SFO on Saturday morning, arrived at Heathrow Sunday morning, spent the day poking around London, had a nap at the hotel, saw the show Sunday night, flew out Monday morning, and was back at work on Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/22 "2010-09-22T20:37:19Z")
Legendary perfect album. There may be a couple of albums better than _Who’s Next_, but there is not a bad song contained therein. Have to go with the anthem _Won’t get fooled again_ narrowly over _Goin’ Mobile_. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/23 "2010-09-22T20:59:37Z")
Definitely “Behind **Blue** Eyes” ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/24 "2010-09-22T21:38:23Z")
[Classic Albums: Who’s Next Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjkGVZrtrNI) [Part 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jfs4Ct1s4no&feature=related) [Part 3](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpYYXWhSf8o&feature=related) [Part 4](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_4scHxhCDs&feature=fvw) [Part 5](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5VV7p4sKoY&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/25 "2010-09-23T00:52:21Z")
Oh man, this is a really really hard pick. One of my top 5 favorite albums ever (even though it’s nearly tied with Quadrophenia). I went with Getting In Tune mainly because I had a feeling it wouldn’t be getting much else love. But really, ANY song on that album would be a legitimate vote from me. Too bad they ruined Bargain for me forever because of that Chevy commercial… ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/26 "2010-09-23T01:01:57Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I’m an air conditioned gypsy… That’s my solution… My favorite album by my favorite group. Feel so 12 years old saying that. It’s awsome. This was the first rock and roll album I ever bought. Carried it home in the canvas knapsack my aunt made me, riding home on my Schwinn nonespeed… Still have it. (The album that is.) ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/27 "2010-09-23T01:13:00Z")
Sorry, CSI: Miami ruined it. Baba O’Reilly wins it. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/28 "2010-09-23T02:07:38Z")
Oh man, you’re going to make me choose between _Baba O’Riley_ and _Won’t Get Fooled Again_? That’s just cold-blooded, man. I’ll go listen to both. (time passes) OK, It’s really hard dissing the greatest scream in Rock music, but I’m gonna go with _Baba O’ Riley_. Thank god _Love Reign O’er Me_ was not also on this album! ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/29 "2010-09-23T03:11:36Z")
Behind Blue Eyes. Baba O’Reilly and Won’t Get Fooled Again close behind. But BBE wins for me. ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/30 "2010-09-23T13:01:11Z")
Wow, that’s a tough choice! I had to go with _Won’t Get Fooled Again_ on the strength of the scream + lyrics. The damned song has only gotten _ **more** _ relevant over the last 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/31 "2010-09-23T16:34:21Z")
Going Mobile has one of the earliest uses of a guitar being played through a synthesizer. It was routed through a wah pedal first. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/32 "2010-09-23T16:48:28Z")
I think it’s a guitar played through a synth unit set up as an _envelope follower_, where the ‘wah’ effect tracks the volume of the guitar signal. In the Classic Albums film Roger Daltrey seems to think that it _is_ a synthesiser, and isn’t happy about it 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/33 "2010-09-23T16:53:16Z")
Great album. Won’t Get Fooled Again is the best song on it by two lengths. It is cynical and I agree with Townsend that it’s message is wrong. But it is still a great song. Place and Show are Baba O’Reilly and Goin Mobile. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/34 "2010-09-23T16:54:00Z")
ARP created a guitar synthesizer, the Avatar, in the late 70s that Townshend endorsed. It bombed and ARP did not last much longer - they closed in 1981. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2010, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/35 "2010-09-25T11:31:00Z")
“Bargain”, for the Keith Moon’s drum performance alone. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/36 "2010-09-26T15:23:40Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Great album. Won’t Get Fooled Again is the best song on it by two lengths. It is cynical and I agree with Townsend that it’s message is wrong. But it is still a great song. Place and Show are Baba O’Reilly and Goin Mobile. Can’t argue with “cynical” but what is it about the message that you & Peter feel is “wrong”? ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619/37 "2010-09-26T19:59:52Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > > > Great album. Won’t Get Fooled Again is the best song on it by two lengths. It is cynical and I agree with Townsend that it’s message is wrong. But it is still a great song. Place and Show are Baba O’Reilly and Goin Mobile. > > Can’t argue with “cynical” but what is it about the message that you & Peter feel is “wrong”? If I may offer my own opinion on the subject, I think people can easily take away too much pro-status-quo sentiment from the song. The ending line that the new boss is the same as the old boss suggests that there’s no point in changing things around: there would be upheaval and suffering, after which not much has changed, so why did we bother? This message is wrong; sometimes things do need to be changed for the better. What we must do is strive to ensure that our new order does not slip back into the old order. We must be cautious to ensure that change that we rise up for actually gets made. It’s very difficult to get that message out of the song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-on-whos-next/554619.md?page=1)