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Baba O’Riley (often mistakenly called “Teenage Wasteland”) is the opening track of The Who’s 1971’s album Who’s Next, written by guitarist Pete Townshend. Lead singer Roger Daltrey takes the vocals for most of the song, while Townshend sings the middle eight: “Don’t cry/don’t raise your eye/it’s only teenage wasteland”. The title of the song is derived from this combination of the song’s philosophical and musical influences: Meher Baba and Terry Riley. Townshend originally wrote “Baba O’Riley” for his Lifehouse project, a rock opera that was to be the follow-up to The Who’s 1969’s rock opera Tommy.
Townshend derived the song from a Lowrey Berkshire home organ experimental recording, which the band reconstructed. Drummer Keith Moon had the idea of inserting a violin solo at the coda of the song, during which the style of the song shifts from crashing rock to an Irish folk-style beat. Dave Arbus, of East of Eden, plays the violin in the solo heard during this section.
“Baba O’Riley” was going to be used in the Lifehouse project as a song sung by Ray, the Scottish farmer at the beginning of the album as he gathers his wife Sally and his two children to begin their exodus to London. Although the Lifehouse project was later scrapped, many of the songs were released on The Who’s 1971 album Who’s Next. The song was released as a single in several European countries, but in the US and the UK was only released as part of the album. It has been a concert staple after its release. A remixed version is used in the title credits of the popular drama CSI:New York.
Townshend derived the song from a Lowrey Berkshire home organ experimental recording, which the band reconstructed. Drummer Keith Moon had the idea of inserting a violin solo at the coda of the song, during which the style of the song shifts from crashing rock to an Irish folk-style beat. Dave Arbus, of East of Eden, plays the violin in the solo heard during this section.
“Baba O’Riley” was going to be used in the Lifehouse project as a song sung by Ray, the Scottish farmer at the beginning of the album as he gathers his wife Sally and his two children to begin their exodus to London. Although the Lifehouse project was later scrapped, many of the songs were released on The Who’s 1971 album Who’s Next. The song was released as a single in several European countries, but in the US and the UK was only released as part of the album. It has been a concert staple after its release. A remixed version is used in the title credits of the popular drama CSI:New York.
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The Who - Baba O'riley
Sometimes known as (teenage wasteland)
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The Ultimate Collection (disc 1)
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Shouts
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a_jeda wrote:
hammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmer!!!!!
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jerseyboi3877 wrote:
Fuckin' A
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Fudgemunk wrote:
fucking bang on
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zimmerlinde wrote:
wow, CSI !
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davidthemugman wrote:
*power slides arcross the room and windmilling after words*
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karenN800 wrote:
i LOve REkEetEaRtHoo..
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jerseycoach wrote:
Greatest rock n' roll song ever written.
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JenaSunshine wrote:
Why is this song so epic?
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lovethe60s wrote:
Epic!
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cocolv wrote:
CSI New York, i love it.
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valleysk8r666 wrote:
I love the PIANO!!!!
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twinkel3 wrote:
mod vor ever
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Toruviel22 wrote:
'it's only teenage wasteland..'
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futuredirect wrote:
THE greatest song of all time.
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davidthemugman wrote:
the origanal on record is very good plus this live is good
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pingpong_fiasco wrote:
It's just fantastic that the Who could smuggle Terry Riley into classic rock.
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Daywalker_67 wrote:
A fantastic song, turn it up loud, sit back and enjoy
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pee-why wrote:
!!!-*-CULTISSIME-*-!!!
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jerseyboi3877 wrote:
This should be played at high volume... preferably in a residential area!
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kbenveniste wrote:
best song EVER!!!!
The Who
Baba O'Riley
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