The Who & Quadrophenia - (The Great Albums) by Martin Popoff (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Who and Quadrophenia offers a generously illustrated deep dive into all aspects of one of the most popular rock albums of all time"--

Book Synopsis

Take a deep dive into one of the best-selling albums ever on the 50th anniversary of its release with this beautifully produced and authoritatively written slipcased edition.

Veteran rock critic Martin Popoff leaves no stone unturned in taking apart The Who's generation-spanning masterpiece, Quadrophenia, while exploring each of the album's 17 tracks and their themes of identity, anxiety, and mental health. Chapters cover:

• The state of The Who as of 1973, including their role in Mod culture
• The recording sessions at famed Olympic Studios and the band's own Battersea location, including techniques used
• Song-by-song studies of each album side, including analyses of lyrics and the guitars, drums, keyboards, and synthesizers employed by members Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon
• The 1979 motion picture based on the album's song cycle
• The continent-hopping tours that supported the album
• The rock group's trajectory post-Quadrophenia, including notable albums and tours

Popoff also takes you on side journeys examining each band member, mod vs. rocker culture, the album's famous graphic design, manager/producers Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, Quadrophenia collectibles, and more. There's even a brief discography and complete LP tour dates.

Presented in a 10" × 10" slipcased book, The Who & Quadrophenia is illustrated with stunning performance and candid off-stage photography as well as rare memorabilia.

The result is a richly presented celebration and your ultimate tribute to the rock opera masterpiece.

The Great Albums series presents authoritative explorations of rock's most revered records, beautifully packaged for fans to treasure. Delve into even more groundbreaking releases with: Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon, Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run, Prince and Purple Rain, and Queen & A Night at the Opera, with more to come.

Review Quotes

"Popoff examines each song on the record, the sessions, and what shape the band members were in, mental and physical....a delight to read."

--Mark Slade, Lebanon News

"Everything about the writing, recording, and touring of Quadrophenia--as well as its lengthy afterlife and how it fits into the Greater Who History--is explored in Martin Popoff's The Who Quadrophenia. The ultra-prolific Popoff, as usual, leaves no detail unexplored in his latest in a series of high-quality coffee table books."

--Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press

About the Author

Working out of Toronto, Canada, Martin Popoff (martinpopoff.com) has penned more than 100 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock, and record collecting, including Rush: The Illustrated History, Led Zeppelin: Song by Song, Pink Floyd: Album by Album, Bowie at 75, AC/DC at 50, Kiss at 50, and In the Groove. In addition, he has appeared in Revolver, Guitar World, Goldmine, RecordCollector, bravewords.com, lollipop.com, and hardradio.com. Martin also worked on the award-winning documentaries Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas for Banger Films.