The Who released their first album, My Generation, on 3 December 1965, this official illustrated history celebrates the 50th anniversary and their music and extraordinary career, written in collaboration with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry.
The Who stand alongside The Stones and The Beatles in terms of their place in rock history. For the first time, here is the band's authorised story. This landmark publication features brand new interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry, and exclusive access to never-before-published images and memorabilia from the archive of Pete Townshend.
From the post-war austerity that shaped their upbringing, to the influence of Elvis, Lonnie Donnegan and American youth counter culture. Their early bands (and early band names) and how a train tax inspector, metal factory worker, art school stoner and maverick drummer u John Entwistle, Roger Daltry, Pete Townshend and Keith Moon u became The Who and created the sound of a generation.
We follow the story through the Mod and Pop years and the furiously fast sixties, the hit singles, including 'My Generation', 'I'm a Boy', 'The Kids Are Alright' and 'Pinball Wizard', the power struggles and punch-ups, the endless gigging fuelled by vast quantities of pills, making it big in America and inspiring Jimi Hendrix to set his guitar on fire at Woodstock, through to the shockwaves of punk rock. Featuring the artistic highs of Tommy and Quadrophenia to the personal lows of the deaths of Keith Moon and John Entwistle and the Cincinnati tragedy. To reforming and revivals, their influence on Britpop and the enduring creative partnership between Daltry and Townshend.
This is how The Who went from pop stars to artists to legends. A true rock and roll story.
