So how good is Baba O'Riley?

I posit that it's very very good. Listening right now btw.

We should do a thread of the greatest early uses of synthesizer, and this one would be hard to beat. Song gives me chills every time

YES! It gives me chills too.

Definitely a peak; all praise is deserved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JGAB4kvadk

Was just watching that exact clip.

Baba vs Fox on the Run for synth

This video (from The Kids Are Alright doc) -- a band at the absolute apex of their power. Four very disparate pieces merging into one giant fucking monstrous entity.

I wonder if Pete was listening to Minimalist music at the time--where did he come up with that gorgeous synth part?? I'd love to hear it all alone. Then you add the rest, each part, and you've got the definition of sublime

Yeah, the way the instruments come in one at a time:
synth
piano
drums
bass (and vocals)
rhythm guitar (note: no guitar at all until the end of the first verse)
lead guitar

And just when you think they can't add anything else...
fiddle

Outstanding arrangement.

oh, he very explicitly was into minimalist stuff -- the "Riley" in the title is a nod to Terry Riley

man, watching that clip brings tears of joy. wtf is Pete doing at the end there? god I love the Who. music is cool.

I love how every time you see Keith Moon -- you know how most drummers kind of put their head down and bear into it? Keith is always looking up, trying to make eye contact with bandmates with that sort of half smile on his face. like he's thinking "can you believe how great we sound?"

synth:

http://www.wbtracks.co.uk/synths.htm

One of the best of all rawk songs. Gorgeous, powerful, just plain right on the money. And, as Stormy mentioned above, Music is cool.

Baba O'Riley > Freebird + Stairway imo

The Who would so much better if there wasn't so much falsetto. Still this song rocks.

It is really forward sounding tune for 1971.

wait i thought this song was called teenage wasteland LOOOOLLL!

In the right frame of mind, this song is like flying. I love it so hard. It's just...YESSSS!!!!!

this is a poorly titled song, and that's really the only bad thing i can say about it

crazy talk. Pete was acknowledging his inspiration from Hinduism and Classical minimalism (Terry Riley) in the same breath. Fairly audacious move, actually, and a nice counter-move to the obviously anthemic nature of the song that he had written. almost like just a tad embarrassed at how stadium-ready the thing was, and wanted to scale it back with a couple of heart-felt shout-outs in terms of the title. jesus, how the fuck can you knock it for its fucking title?

you say counter move, i say it doesn't fit the song. for years i had no idea "baba o'riley" was this song. jesus fuck.

meh, announcers on 'classic rock radio' will say "that was a ROCK BLOCK from the Who, we heard 'Who Are you', 'Baba O' Riley', and 'Pinball Wizard'!!"!!

also, you haven't owned a copy of 'Who's Next' ever? i dunno, just seems like a weird criticism..

nope never owned it, not a big rock fan. it IS a weird criticism, that was my point, there's nothing else bad to say about it.

I wish Townshend made good on his "i've got a load of Saturn LPs" claims

i always end up thinking of summer of sam whenever i hear this song -- and spike lee's charming opinion that old-school NYC punks were total who's next freaks.

^ Yeah, I sorta hate that since seeing summer of Sam I often get a mental picture of A Brody from that movie when I hear it. Oh well.

lol i actually think that Spike Lee may have been closer to the truth than even he might have realized. a LOT of the punks/indie rock kids that i knew growing up were (not-so-secret) Who freaks -- including Who's Next (not just the meaty beaty-era stuff).

^true. Also Quadrophenia

THE WHO "TEENAGE WAISTLAND"

That thread is a precious gem.