The opening track, All This Music Must Fade, sets the tone with Daltrey expressing “I don’t care / I know you’re gonna hate this song,” followed later by “I don’t mind other guys ripping off my song.” Pete Townshend’s cynical lyrics feels so familiar but at the same time refreshing. This angry rocker wants the younger generation to know this OK Boomer is still relevant.

The slow-building Rockin’ in Rage, brings some ironic drama with lyrics like “I’m too old to fight,” and then contradicts itself with “I won’t leave the stage.” These tensions are expressing the inability to speak the truth even as you age. The Who have always been masters at making music that sounds like they care but at the same time they don’t give a rat’s ass.

Songs about seniors aside, Ball and Chain speaks to the horrors of Guantanamo Bay. The song, which Townshend originally released in 2015 as Guantanamo, was re-recorded for WHO. Daltrey’s classic snarl sounds great as he sings “There’s a pretty piece of Cuba, designed to cause men pain,” complemented by piano, strings, and Townshend’s fluttering guitar riffs.

Other notable tracks include – Hero Ground Zero with 70’s arena rock grandeur with soaring vocals and monster guitar riffs and Detour, a well-crafted tune driven by Zac Starkey’s shuffle beat and layered with classic Who harmonies.

This eleven-track album was mostly recorded in London and Los Angeles in 2019 and was co-produced by Townshend and D. Sardy. The bandmates were joined by long-time The Who drummer Zak Starkey and bassist Pino Palladino along with contributions by such studio pros as Simon Townshend, Benmont Tench, Carla Azar, Joey Waronker and Gordon Giltrap.

The album cover was designed by Peter Blake, who made the Who’s similarly laid-out Face Dances sleeve (as well as Sgt. Pepper’s) and it contains nods to the band’s idols (Chuck Berry and Muhammad Ali) and their past (panels depicting Townshend smashing his guitar, a Union Jack, even Batman and Robin, since they once covered the Adam West Batman theme). It’s a nod to the past but still wholly new.

Is this The Who’s swan song or do those British rockers have more to say? Possibly, but at least they didn’t die before they got old.