The Who was originally the archetypical anarchistic rock-group. Songs like “My Generation” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” seethed with anger and hostility. Their stage performances, in which they destroyed their equipment were legendary. Roger Daltrey, drummer Keith Moon, and Peter Townshend were dervishes full of frenzied energy with their stoic bassplayer, John Entwhistle, providing a grounding presence on the stage.

 The Who was one of the first groups to experiment with larger forms and this can be heard in  "A Quick One While He's Away" from 1966. In this song they included six distinct sections and it tells a story loosely related to Tommy. In "A Quick One..." a girl's lover has gone away and in the meantime she has a brief fling with an engine driver. After her lover returns she reveals her infidelity and they are reunited. The Who's performance of this song is a highlight of the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus from 1968.

Their rock opera Tommy (1969) was a ground-breaking work that combined theatre with rock music for the first time, preceding the musicals Godspell (1970), and the even more successful Jesus Christ Superstar (1971). Tommy, featuring well known actors Oliver Reed and Ann Margaret as well as cameo appearances by Tina Turner and Elton John, was very popular but also quite uneven. It is the story of a boy who is traumatized by seeing his mother and father kill her lover. As a result he  becomes, blind, deaf, and mute. There were great moments (Elton John’s Pinball Wizard scene) and excesses (as there are in all of Ken Russell’s films).

 One of the Who’s most interesting songs is “Baba O’Riley" (1971). Its title is an homage to the American composer Terry Riley, who is credited with pioneering the minimalist style of composition; and Peter Townsend’s spiritual guru, Meher Baba. The looped synthesizer part in this song (and in "Won’t Get Fooled Again") were inspired by Riley’s approach to writing music. Original drummer Keith Moon died in 1978 and John Entwhistle died in 2002.

When all is said and done there is some great music and a band that has been remarkably resilient for more than 30 years.