The Who--Endless Wire

Endless indeed. "We’re not young enough," declares Roger Daltrey in "Mike Post Theme," but in the good old Who fashion, goes on with "But emotionally we’re not even old enough," and finishing his thought with "Everything is alright." Yes, The Who are back, releasing their first studio album since It’s Hard in 1982. Since that time Keith Moon’s replacement Kenny Jones has disappeared, Pete Townshend has run into some child-porn problems, and bassist John Entwistle has passed away. The hardships may have left their marks on the remaining members, but all that comes through in Endless Wire is a better-than-expected return to songwriting from the Brits. Opening track "Fragments" grabs some themes and guitar-work from The Who’s previous work, which should be just what Who fans are looking for after a 20-plus year absence. "Mike Post Theme" is a strong track with catchy and powerful vocals (and ironic lyrics that may be shamelessly used by reviewers). Acoustic tracks wriggle their way in through "God Speaks of Marty Robbins" and the blisteringly anti-religious "A Man in a Purple Dress," (anti-religious themes are again found in "Unholy Trinity") both of which show that Townshend is still writing songs worthy of the glory days. More than anything though, Endless Wire is unmistakably sad and themed towards trying to find strength through pain, an understandable motif. The Who sound older and more mature than they did back in the day, but this is by no means negative. In fact, the album benefits from the quality. The narrative quality of The Who’s songs still remains, and while Daltrey’s vocals seem to dominate the album, his singing has improved with age. Old fans of The Who should warm to this new release, from the dizzying keyboard intro in "Fragments" to the haunting chanting of "Endless / Endless" in "Endless Wire." The Who are back, and while their numbers have lessened, their musical prowess remains strong. Endless indeed.