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The Who releases 1st studio album in 13 years, ‘Who’

Roger Daltrey (L) and Pete Townsend (R) of The Who perform onstage as part of the Moving On! tour at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on July 6, 2019. Neil Hall / EPA

After 13 years, iconic British rock outfit The Who has just released a new album, Who.

Who dropped on Friday and serves as the band’s 12th studio album over a 55-year span. It’s the first Who record since 2006’s The Endless Wire.

With the help of a handful of others, Pete Townshend — lead guitarist, co-founder and primary songwriter — produced the long-awaited album.

The 11-track collection was released through Polydor Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and features the three hit singles Ball and Chain, All This Music Must Fade and I Don’t Wanna Get Wise.

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Who also includes a song called Hero Ground Zero, which has been played throughout The Who’s ongoing Moving On! tour as a taste of new music for eager fans.

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Legendary pop artist Peter Blake was enlisted to create artwork for Who. He is best known for creating the cover art for the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). He has also worked with Oasis in the past.

Who is the second album cover for which The Who has commissioned Blake, 87. The first was the band’s ninth album, Face Dances (1981).

Townshend, 74, provides not only guitar parts and backing vocals for the Who, but also bass and tamarind shaker parts.

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Frontman and co-founder Roger Daltrey provides lead vocals, while members of The Who’s current touring lineup Zak Starkey (drums) and Simon Townshend (guitar) offer additional musical contributions, along with a handful of other musicians.

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In addition to their recently announced gig at the BB&T Arena — the band’s first Cincinnati concert in more than 40 years — The Who has added a handful of additional U.S. shows to the Moving On! tour.

There are no scheduled Canadian tour dates.

Full tour date listings, updates and additional information can be found through The Who’s official website.

Who is now available through all major streaming platforms.

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Who tracklist:

1. All This Music Must Fade
2. Ball and Chain
3. I Don’t Wanna Get Wise
4. Detour
5. Beads on One String
6. Hero Ground Zero
7. Street Song
8. I’ll Be Back
9. Break the News
10. Rockin’ in Rage
11. She Rocked My World 

adam.wallis@globalnews.ca

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