# Quadrophenia: Possibly the best album ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371 "2015-02-22T23:31:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/21 "2015-02-23T23:24:31Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > BBC4 did a documentary called “Quadropenia-Can You See The Real Me?” a few years back. Worth watching if you’re a fan: > > [Part 1](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrvyti_quadrophenia-can-you-see-the-real-me-2012-1-2_music) > [Part 2](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrvzrf_quadrophenia-can-you-see-the-real-me-2012-2-2_music) Watching it now. Thanks for that. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/22 "2015-03-13T15:29:59Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > BBC4 did a documentary called “Quadropenia-Can You See The Real Me?” a few years back. Worth watching if you’re a fan: > > [Part 1](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrvyti_quadrophenia-can-you-see-the-real-me-2012-1-2_music) > [Part 2](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrvzrf_quadrophenia-can-you-see-the-real-me-2012-2-2_music) I had bookmarked this thread for watching the documentation when I had the time. So now I did and enjoyed it very much, and afterwards listened for the first time to the “deluxe” edition of Quadrophenia which contains two discs with the demos Townshend recorded on his own before the proper recording of the album. It’s mentioned in the film that he used them to teach the band the songs. Now in one segment of the documentation, Townshend complains (a little in jest) about Moon being a sloppy drummer and playing to many notes, but in these demos the drumming is sometimes surprisingly close to Moon’s style. So does anybody know if Townshend played the drums (and the rest of the instruments) in those demos himself? I listened to them on deezer (a streaming service), so I don’t have any liner notes to check. ---
**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:** [March 13, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/23 "2015-03-13T15:56:41Z")
Pete plays drums on most of his demos-- I know that he used Kenny Jones on occasion and I wouldn’t be surprised if Keith was involved at one time or another. Here’s a listing of Pete’s solo stuff which includes some of the liner notes: [http://www.thewho.net/petetownshend/](http://www.thewho.net/petetownshend/) And here are Brian Cady’s liner notes for Quad: [http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/Quad.htm](http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/Quad.htm) ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/24 "2015-03-13T16:12:59Z")
Thanks, **blondebear**. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/25 "2015-03-13T16:16:52Z")
Just wanted to jump on the dog pile. Yes, greatest album EVER. Keith Moon is rolling thunder on the record. The truest sense of the word “awesome.” ---
**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:** [March 13, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/26 "2015-03-13T20:16:04Z")
Yes, best ever. Got to hear the whole thing live 4 times as well. And met the band backstage in 97. “My Baby Gives it Away” from Rough Mix by Townshend/Lane is another song with a drum style Moon would not play. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/27 "2015-03-13T23:03:19Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > “My Baby Gives it Away” from Rough Mix by Townshend/Lane is another song with a drum style Moon would not play. But my point was that some of the drumming on the Quadrophenia demos sounds indeed a bit like Moon, though I don’t think it was him playing, but probably Townshend himself, though he critized Moon’s drumming in the documentary. I just found it funny and somewhat ironic. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/28 "2015-03-14T02:37:55Z")
(Hijack/Public Service Announcement)–Who fans should keep an eye out next month for screenings of _Lambert and Stamp_, the new documentary about “Two Guys, The Who, and a vision.” ---
**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:** [March 14, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/29 "2015-03-14T02:54:18Z")
Drumming on the demos always sounded like a guy who was really a guitarist. 🙂 I also recall reading that Moon had a tough time with some of the Quadrophenia songs. Moon’s ex wife Kim married Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan . After Moon died the band talked about adding McLagan but did not , partly because they thought his marriage to ex Mrs. Moon would make thing legally complex - but that seemed odd to me. (Maybe that was just what they said in public. ) And looking this up I just noticed Ian died last Dec. His wife Kim died in 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/30 "2015-03-14T03:29:57Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > (Hijack/Public Service Announcement)–Who fans should keep an eye out next month for screenings of _Lambert and Stamp_, the new documentary about “Two Guys, The Who, and a vision.” Well, that’s certainly interesting. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MrThingy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@MrThingy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrThingy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/31 "2015-03-14T05:59:12Z")
Some of Pete’s Quadrophenia demos had no drums until they were added for release on the “Super Deluxe Edition”. Drums on the following tracks were played by Peter Huntington: “I’ve Had Enough”, “Bell Boy”, “Doctor Jimmy”, “Sea And Sand” and “Quadrophenic - Four Faces”. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/32 "2015-03-14T13:43:29Z")
Thanks for the info, **MrThingy**. Now I have to check out if it were these tracks that had that Moonie vibe. Anyway, I can’t quite understand that when they release a historical edition with those demos added, they overdub the old recordings. I find such a practice counterproductive, but that’s just my opinion. I would have liked to hear them as delivered by Townshend to the band at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Slade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Slade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slade)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/33 "2015-03-14T14:41:02Z")
Who’s Next is better. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/34 "2015-03-14T15:47:58Z")
> [@Slade](#): > > Who’s Next is better. I love Who’s Next. Most of it has been radio played to death though. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/35 "2015-03-14T19:27:07Z")
Who’s next is probably the only album I’ve heard every song on the radio. Moon moved to the LA area for a few years. During that time there was talk he might get kicked out of the group due to being drunk too much. He moved back to London the year before he died. He died in the same apartment as Mama Cass , 4 years after she died. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Winkler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@The\_Winkler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Winkler)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/36 "2015-03-18T05:16:57Z")
[quote=“Enter\_the\_Flagon, post:6, topic:713371”] Truer words were never spoken. I have a friend, a lifelong jazz drummer, who calls Keith Moon a genius, but a lot of rock drummers seem to worship either John Bonham or Neal Peart, or both. I can’t march in that parade. \*\*I won’t say it’s the best album ever, but it demolishes what anybody else was doing in '73, thet’s fer dang sure.[/\*\*QUOTE] Selling England By The Pound was also released in 1973. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/37 "2015-03-18T13:52:32Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Moon moved to the LA area for a few years. During that time there was talk he might get kicked out of the group due to being drunk too much. He moved back to London the year before he died. He died in the same apartment as Mama Cass , 4 years after she died. In London last year I made a point of visiting The Keith Moon Death House on Curzon Square. The window of the room he died in is bricked up. End of hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/38 "2015-03-18T14:51:06Z")
> [@The\_Winkler](#): > > Selling England By The Pound was also released in 1973. Come to think of it, so was Dark Side of the Moon, among others, so I hereby withdraw my use of the word “demolishes”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/39 "2015-03-18T15:27:13Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Drumming on the demos always sounded like a guy who was really a guitarist. 🙂 I also recall reading that Moon had a tough time with some of the Quadrophenia songs. > > Moon’s ex wife Kim married Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan . After Moon died the band talked about adding McLagan but did not , partly because they thought his marriage to ex Mrs. Moon would make thing legally complex - but that seemed odd to me. (Maybe that was just what they said in public. ) And looking this up I just noticed Ian died last Dec. His wife Kim died in 2006. Interesting, especially in light of Faces drummer Kenny Jones replacing Moon on tour. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Winkler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@The\_Winkler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Winkler)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371/40 "2015-03-19T05:40:36Z")
> [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](#): > > Come to think of it, so was Dark Side of the Moon, among others, so I hereby withdraw my use of the word “demolishes”. 😉 So was Brain Salad Surgery, Larks’ Tongues In Aspic, and Houses of the Holy. And Thick As a Brick and Close To the Edge were both released in '72. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quadrophenia-possibly-the-best-album-ever/713371.md?page=3)