The Who - Eminence Front

Album: It's Hard
Artist: The Who
Released: 1982

I've played "Eminence Front" about 150 times this month. If you haven't heard it, you've certainly heard of The Who — a band many consider to be one of the greatest English rock bands of all time. Personally, I never delved much into their discography. I've always been more of a Stones fan. In my mind, The Who epitomizes "boomer rock" - rock songs you're told you're supposed to like, not the ones you actually do.

"Eminence Front" is classic rock through and through, and it's hard not to enjoy it. The catchy organ intro, enigmatic lyrics, and moody guitar riffs all add up to a timeless vibe. I genuinely have no idea what the song is 'about', nor do I think the lyrics really matter.

I hesitate to try to explain what it was about. It's clearly about the absurdity of drug-fueled grandiosity, but whether I was pointing the finger at myself or at the cocaine dealers of Miami Beach is hard to recall.

It seems Pete Townshend was primarily involved in the creation of this song - without the influence or addition of his bandmate Roger Daltrey. Maybe that's why it has such a distinctive sound from the rest of The Who's back catalogue.

"Eminence Front" isn't a song that shakes my world or speaks to my soul. It's simply a great tune, and it's probably going to mess with my Spotify Wrapped stats this year. But hey, as the song itself says, "people forget."