The Who
The Who Sings My Generation

I open Facebook. A message arrives. Or rather: a link. With the words: they are great. I usually don't click on links, but this time I felt compelled to do it. I click, and the Who's page opens up before me. I had done it. I had converted him to great music. I had bothered him for months but I did it! Enough with dance music, now he listens to the Who, Pink Floyd, and many others. And it's thanks to me.

Of course, he had immediately listened to "My Generation". It's not the most beautiful Who song, agreed, but introducing someone to the English band without starting with "My Generation" is absurd, at least in terms of importance. In the stupid Rolling Stone ranking, you see the most mind-blowing things: Nirvana, Beach Boys, Clash, and three Beatles songs in the top 20. Then no prog. No prog songs. No Supper's Ready or Lemmings. And to see the first song by the Floyd, you have to read 350 titles first. However, My Generation is there, and it's way up there.

Nonetheless, the album is much less famous compared to masterpieces like "Tommy", "Who's Next" or "Quadrophenia", despite being monstrously ahead. "Out In The Street" is pure Rock And Roll. It follows with "I Don't Mind" (by James Brown). "The Goods Gone" anticipates, with its electric riffs, the music that would dominate the scene 5-10 years later. Less innovative, but always enjoyable, the poppy "La La La Lies", and the same goes for "Much Too Much". Then the masterpiece: an aggressive intro preludes Daltrey's stuttering voice, and the song proceeds with rage and energy, often ending with the famous destruction of instruments: how many bands imitated them in doing so? Then the other hit, which would become the title track of one of the greatest compilations not only of the Who but of rock history. "The Kids Are Alright". The big coup is done. A blues song follows, "Please Please Please". "It's no True" restores carefree Rock n' Roll, and "The Ox", a work by all four band members (most of the others are by Townshend alone), offers a wild instrumental progression, with Moon's drums literally going crazy.

An album that, although naive and having little to do with the ones that would follow, can be considered a masterpiece. To know the history of the Who, one of the bands that evolved the most in their career, you must mandatory go through "My Generation". And listen to the very famous version with the BBC. (the one from London Where? London England.)

here is the tracklist of the US version:

1. Out In The Streets 2:31
2. I Don't Mind 2:33
3. The Goods Gone 4:00
4. La-La-La-Lies 2:13
5. Much Too Much 2:41
6. My Generation 3:17
7. The Kids Are Alright 3:03
8. Please Please Please 2:43
9. It's No True 2:27
10. The Ox 2:47