Endless Wire - The Who
Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. So they've got sprawl and focus issues. But this underproduced mess of an album also has an abundance of magnificent, quirkily anthemic songwriting.
  2. 80
    No one could have predicted Endless Wire would be quite this good. [Nov 2006, p.98]
  3. Daltrey and Townshend have made a record as brazen in its way and right for its day as The Who Sell Out and Tommy were in theirs.
  4. 70
    Madly ambitious and deeply heartfelt, it's a grand folly in the great tradition of British rock. [Nov 2006, p.96]
  5. No, Endless Wire is not perfect -- its parts don't quite fit together, and not all of the parts work on their own -- but it is an endearingly human, impassioned work that more than justifies Townshend's and Daltrey's decision to continue working as the Who.
  6. 70
    The highlight "It's Not Enough"... proves [Townshend] hasn't lost his knack for pop precision. [Dec 2006, p.104]
  7. While the Who's acoustic side has always been underappreciated, Townshend revels in it here. [4 Nov 2006]
  8. No, it does not rank with the band's best work. But yes, as long as Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey walk the earth in tandem, the Who live on.
  9. The current Who takes what seemed, conceptually speaking, like a really bad idea - that is, recording without Entwistle - and turns it into a triumphant re-emergence after nearly a quarter-century of creative inactivity.
  10. Endless Wire turns out to be more effective and more coherent than it has any right to be.
  11. Endless Wire is a not-quite-there return to late-period Who bombast, but the stadium-ready "It's Not Enough" makes an impression, and the second-half mini-opera-a quasi-sequel to Lifehouse and Psychoderelict-gets extra points for ambition.
  12. The album is inconsistent -- sometimes impenetrable, sometimes enlightening -- but always engaged.
  13. 'Endless Wire' isn't quite as awful as it should be. [28 Oct 2006, p.33]
  14. That it doesn't fall completely flat on its face must be considered some kind of triumph. [Dec 2006, p.126]
  15. The nine tracks you must navigate before you get to the mini-opera seem like a trudge.
  16. It's the mini-opera that moves spryly compared to the proper rock album half.
  17. The album is unlistenable for a simple reason: Roger Daltrey.
  18. Strangely, all the missing elements and nostalgia-grabs that make the first half of Endless Wire such a sad listen organize themselves into a form that is faintly exciting for the second part.
  19. 40
    What remains is a concept that's been stewing too long and a singer who's one scream away from a hernia. [Dec 2006, p.180]
  20. The songs are mostly weird, overly familiar, or simply bland. [Dec 2006, p.89]
  21. Pete, sweetheart. Enough with the rock operas already, "mini" or otherwise.
  22. Townshend's faith in rock 'n' roll as an appropriate vehicle for his biggest ideas is admirable, but Endless Wire does little to justify his devotion.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 33
  3. Negative: 5 out of 33
  1. BrandonC.
    10
    Got to be a true fan to enjoy it so i guess i am go to see the who it's great!!
  2. ChazS.
    10
    Every song is so good it could be from a greatest hits compilation.
  3. GabeL
    8
    Allow me to start by saying this: it's a step up from It's Hard and Face Dances. A proper album to end a career on, if they choose to. The first half of the album is a bit of a muddle, but with most songs actually quite good - Two Thousand Years was a song that grew on me. One or two tunes aren't quite up to snuff, though (God Speaks of Marty Robbins confused the living daylights outta me). The rock mini-opera is quite cohesive, and despite a dip here or there, the emotions and energy seem to carry throughout the record. The sounds originally on the "Wire and Glass" single still stand out as the best of the bunch (Sound Round and We Got A Hit, especially), even though Mirror Door had its vocals rejiggered from the single. And despite what Pete and Rog say, we know that Tea & Theatre is a tribute to the fallen John Entwistle. Lord knows his thundering bass would've been appreciated. I will say, though, that getting the special edition package does yield more complete versions of We Got A Hit and Endless Wire. They sound single-worthy, for sure. All told, it's a damn good album. Not on the level of glory-era Who, but that's been the case since Keith Moon passed away. Get it if you feel like listening to the first album from this duo in two-and-a-half decades. Full Review »