# Resolved: Quadrophenia is the best album ever recorded **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363 "2019-12-04T16:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/21 "2019-12-04T20:24:10Z")
34 Better Albums, there are probably more, I did this quick: Wish You were Here, Dark side of the Moon, Animals & The Wall. Zeppelin I to IV, Houses of the Holy & Physical Graffiti Sgt. Peppers, The White Album, Rubber Soul, Magical Mystery Tour, Abbey Road & Let it Be; Close to the Edge & Fragile _(Yes)_ Crosby, Stills & Nash Electric Ladyland & Are You Experienced Who’s Next The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars What’s Going On _Marvin Gaye_ Days of Future Passed _(Moody Blues)_ The Doors Paranoid \*(Black Sabbath) \* Disraeli Gears _Cream_ John Barleycorn Must Die _Traffic_ Rhapsody In Blue /American in Paris _Leonard Bernstein_ Soul to Soul _Stevie Ray Vaughan_ Live at Fillmore East, Eat a Peach, Brothers and Sisters _Allman Brothers_ Contenders for better: Hotel California, Rumors, The Joshua Tree, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Tommy, Night at the Opera, Born to Run, ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/22 "2019-12-04T20:36:38Z")
**What Exit?** , next time you’re in Charlotte, you get beer. That’s a mighty fine list. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/23 "2019-12-04T21:14:14Z")
That is mighty fine list. But I like Quadrophenia. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/24 "2019-12-04T21:19:27Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > **What Exit?** , next time you’re in Charlotte, you get beer. That’s a mighty fine list. Different strokes for different folks, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else rank all those other Beatles albums ahead of _Revolver_. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/25 "2019-12-04T21:43:27Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > My favorite album. The best album. My desert island album. I never tire of it. Where exactly is this desert island? Tropics, I’d hope, without any predators. But with plenty of water and fruit and … a record player? If it’s got great speakers (and a powerful enough current bush to be plugged into), then I’m going! And thanks to this thread I’ve got a handy list of albums to …take? Or are they just there in a vintage Peaches crate when I wash ashore? Where do I sign up? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/26 "2019-12-04T22:24:20Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Where exactly is this desert island? Tropics, I’d hope, without any predators. But with plenty of water and fruit and … a record player? If it’s got great speakers (and a powerful enough current bush to be plugged into), then I’m going! > > And thanks to this thread I’ve got a handy list of albums to …take? Or are they just there in a vintage Peaches crate when I wash ashore? > > Where do I sign up? You may not of heard of this, but there is a long running BBC radio 4 program called “desert island discs” where the presenter talks to the guest about their career and musical interests. They have to imagine they are castaways on an island and they get so many records to take with them. They talk about which ones and why. [Here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Island_Discs)is the background, [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr)is the link to the BBC site. It has been running for over 75 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:** [December 4, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/27 "2019-12-04T22:28:02Z")
It’s my favorite album by far. They had tours in 1997 and 2012 where they played the whole album. And I got to meet the band after the 1997 show. Who’s Next is a close second . ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/28 "2019-12-04T22:32:45Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > A good album, but _Who’s Next_, _Tommy_, and _Who Are You_ are better. I might quibble about _Who Are You_, but the other two are far superior to _Quadrophenia._ ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/29 "2019-12-04T22:37:21Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Not to mention it was the live showcase for some amazing Entwistle bass solos. and how! It is a pounding, thunderous beast from start to finish. Few songs capture teenage hormonal rage as well. And it goes by in a flash even though it is 5 minutes long. The only slight dissapointment I have is that they could’ve put another few bars in and stopped it at 5 minutes and 15 seconds but that maybe is a touch gimmicky. It is probably as long as it needs to be and no more. I love that track. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/30 "2019-12-04T22:40:42Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > **What Exit?** , next time you’re in Charlotte, you get beer. That’s a mighty fine list. Sounds good. > [@Leaffan](#): > > That is mighty fine list. But I like Quadrophenia. Understood. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Different strokes for different folks, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else rank all those other Beatles albums ahead of _Revolver_. I wasn’t ordering the albums, just listing those I think are better than Quadrophenia. It was the order I thought of them in. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2019, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/31 "2019-12-04T22:42:58Z")
Heh…I’'m listening to Julie Mason on SiriusXM right now and her guest just mentioned that he likes listening to Quadrophenia in headphones when he’s working out. Julie’s reply: “Nice!” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/32 "2019-12-04T22:46:47Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I wasn’t ordering the albums, just listing those I think are better than Quadrophenia. It was the order I thought of them in. But you didn’t list _Revolver_ at all, implying (though this may be a logical leap on my part) that you thought the six albums you did list were better than _Quadrophenia_ but that _Revolver_ was not. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/33 "2019-12-04T23:07:16Z")
I don’t agree (I also rank Who’s Next ahead of it, plus several other albums). I don’t think it’s a crazy opinion, though. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/34 "2019-12-04T23:32:01Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > You may not of heard of this, but there is a long running BBC radio 4 program called “desert island discs” where the presenter talks to the guest about their career and musical interests. They have to imagine they are castaways on an island and they get so many records to take with them. They talk about which ones and why. > > [Here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Island_Discs)is the background, [here](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr)is the link to the BBC site. It has been running for over 75 years. Should I correct your grammar in the first sentence, or just slink away unceremoniously? > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > It’s my favorite album by far. They had tours in 1997 and 2012 where they played the whole album. And I got to meet the band after the 1997 show. Who’s Next is a close second . Wow. You met Roger and Pete! That’s great! John was still alive too. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/35 "2019-12-04T23:39:16Z")
One thing never mentioned about those Desert Island picks…_ **everyone** _ ends up on the _ **same** _ island at the _ **same time** _. What a musical mess! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/36 "2019-12-04T23:41:15Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Ok. Well, that’s my position on drummers, for now. I can’t think of another drummer that brought so much to the song than Keith Moon. He was eclectic, but it totally worked for The Who. It took me awhile to get used to him, but nobody sounds like Keith Moon, and the Who never sounded to me like the Who again after he was gone. I’m not the biggest Who fan (though I do like them a good bit), but I really feel Moon made that band complete and formed the backbone of the chaotic energy they had. He was truly one-of-a-kind and he fit perfectly in with the Who. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/37 "2019-12-04T23:45:06Z")
> [@txjim](#): > > Who did you irk? I think peedin meant “twerking.” Quadrophenia isn’t the best album ever recorded, but it might be the best one for twerking to. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/38 "2019-12-04T23:54:00Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > But you didn’t list _Revolver_ at all, implying (though this may be a logical leap on my part) that you thought the six albums you did list were better than _Quadrophenia_ but that _Revolver_ was not. Oh, well that is one I missed, I’m sure there are others. Funny thing is I thought I had included it. Not sure where I would put Revolver on the Beatles list, that’s tough, but above MMT for sure and Rubber Soul. We’re talking Beatles, they’re incredible. My favorite groups are Beatles, Zep, Floyd & Yes. Basically all tied. Probably pretty obvious. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/39 "2019-12-05T00:05:38Z")
When the album came out quadrophonic sound systems were popular for a short time. It seems that some people assumed the album was recorded in quad sound so they put “stereo” in small letters on the top of the album cover. Quad sound never caught on for various reasons . One reason for the failure was there were multiple quad sound systems and two of them were named SQ and QS which were easy to confuse. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363/40 "2019-12-05T01:27:33Z")
That’s right. But Quadrophenia was a play on the term schizophrenia. Schizophrenia, at the time, meant dual personalities to some people. Quadrophenia was an attempt to play upon four personalities: namely the four band members. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-quadrophenia-is-the-best-album-ever-recorded/844363.md?page=3)