The Who's Pete Townshend Opens Up About the Making of 'Quadrophenia' -- Exclusive Videos

The Who's discography is full of fantastic and classic cuts: From the powerful ballads of 'Who's Next' and 'Who Are You' to the operatic stage works of 'Tommy,' these British rock heroes changed the way we listened to albums. Under the direction of guitarist Pete Townshend, the Who were meticulous in hammering out succinct and louder-than-hell records that could be spun over and over again. The latest back-catalog Who album to receive the reissue treatment is 'Quadrophenia,' the quartet's return to long-form rock opera.

The band has since released the deluxe version of 'Quadrophenia,' a two-part monster remaster that includes Townshend's wonderful demos of each track. As detailed in the interviews below, the guitarist and co. were sick and tired of playing 'Tommy' hits after a two-year tour, so they went about finding source material for a brand new opera.

The album is based on Jimmy, a young mod who looks to the four members of the Who for inspiration. The brand new 'Director's Cut' sees Townsend digging deeply into his personal archive to reimagine the birth of this awesome album.

"Yes we had a good time and, you know, Keith Moon showed up with a different girl and a different Rolls-Royce everyday, " Townsend excitedly details in the second interview below. "But when you asked him to go '1, 2, 3, 4' and play the drums, he did a great job. His drumming on that album is spectacular. John Entwistle was at the height of his powers, I think -- incredibly powerful, loquacious bass playing. Roger's singing is just off the map, he was a giant on that record. And my writing, I think, has never been better."

Check out the two-part interview below and pick up the reissue of 'Quadrophenia,' which is available now via Universal.

Watch 'Quadrophenia' Interview With Pete Townshend (Part 1)

Watch 'Quadrophenia' Interview With Pete Townshend (Part 2)