The Who

The Who is not progressive rock. They are not punk rock. They are not hard rock. They are not acid rock. They are not heavy metal.

The Who is a rock band.

Haldun wrote: They are more important than the bands listed in the archives like Haggard, Therion etc. The music absolutely can't be named as prog if we compare them with the bands in same era such as Yes, Genesis, VDGG... But if you ask me they are more "prog" than Radiohead or Coldplay. They kick ass in Live 8... Still rocking even the absence of Enwistle and Moon.

 

Thank you. That was the point I was trying to make.

Plus, didn't someone say that there are no progressive artist, only progressive music?

M. B. Zapelini wrote: Damen wrote: They did create the first "Rock Opera" though. No, it was The Kinks.

No, it wasn't. Read the post above yours.

Logos wrote: Damen wrote: They did create the first "Rock Opera" though. We've been through this a million times, but no, they didn't create the first rock opera. That was "S.F. Sorrow" by The Pretty Things.

Logos thanks for saving me from saying that for the 50th time here (or seems like that) - Pete Townshend acknowsledges The Pretty Things' SF Sorrow as the first full Rock Opera release - although if Keith West's record label had been more than interested than just getting singles hits, then Keith West's Teenage Opera would have got in  - instead it had to be disintered from the archives by RPM Records over 20 years later for CD release.

I hope the next person who regurgitates that has to pay 25 pounds, dollars, euros or equivalent into t he local musicians charity fund!

the who should definatly be here for the sake of tommy, whos next, quadrophenia (one of my all time favorite pieces of music AND its uber prog) just to name a few and some of their older stuff-the ones you guys dont think about- are very prog-ish.

Clark Ashton wrote: "Hall Of The Mountain King" was on The Who Sell Out (1967)

Correction, Hall of the Mountain was an unreleased track that was re-released on the Re-issue of The Who Sell Out (I'm the resident Who expect, so to speak)...

I would agree that A Quick One, Tommy and Quadrophenia makes them more prog than Queen.

When did they cover "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by the way?

Damen wrote: They did create the first "Rock Opera" though.

We've been through this a million times, but no, they didn't create the first rock opera. That was "S.F. Sorrow" by The Pretty Things.

I'd just like to point out that they had 2 full length rock operas "Tommy" 1969 & "Quadrophenia" 1973 both of which were released before "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" 1974. Not to mention the Lifehouse concept would have had an epic scope, even by today's standards, if given the chance to reach fruition. "A Quick One While He's Away" was one of the earliest multi-part tracks. The use of the silly jingles between songs on "The Who Sell Out". They were responsible, in part, for rock music's maturing past the "Gimme Some Money/(Listen To The) Flower People" sound. They did a rock cover of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" 20 years before Savatage. And John Entwistle was the first Death Growl vocalist in history (sorry, that might be too much  ).

If The Moody Blues, Uriah Heep, Styx, and Queen are Progressive, I fail to understand why The Who are not.

Edited by Clark Ashton

I agree with CX-2. At times, yes...but not enough. But a great band.