They emerged from one of West London’s less salubrious neighborhoods and pioneered a sound, act and style that befitted their surroundings perfectly.
But despite the vaguely yobbish image The Who were initially tarred with in the early 1960s - one somewhat encouraged by the groups’ mangers - the four young men who collectively adopted this long standing moniker were much more than just another bunch of wannabees with one eye on the birds and the other on the bank balance.
In Pete, they were blessed with one of the top five songwriters to emerge in the 1960s; in Roger, the kind of nutter who really was one of the areas’ hardest men but who also had a vocal style of such startling suitability for Townshend’s songs it beggared belief; in John, a musician whose skills grounded the group but whose balanced approach also kept them from crossing the line of no return, and in Keith Moon, they benefited from bringing in quite probably the most extraordinary drummer, if not human being, to have graced a stage since the very concept of entertainment was first touted.