Over the last ten years, the Who's greatest triumphs have followed their most bitter disappointments. After the highly successful Tommy in 1969, Pete Townshend's immediate attempts to come up with another large-scale project ended in failure: Lifehouse, an intriguing and futuristic rock & roll scenario, was never filmed. Parts of it, however, soon become the epic album, Who's Next (1971), Now Quadrophenia, Townsend's 1973 vinyl opus on Mods and Rockers, has been made into a brilliant movie after years of frustrating the Who's efforts to incorporate it into their concerts….

Townshend's writing for the Who has always been impressionistic. Images take precedence over linear exposition, and there's a lot of room for interpretation. When the band plays, the listener's imagination fills in whatever dramatic details are necessary. Filming Townshend's ideas forces the director to make the audience's decisions for them, which is why the purposely vague, mystical Tommy became more the product...