A Quick One, While He’s Away

This piece, titled _A Quick One, While He’s Away_, is a work that spans over nine minutes, an extensive format for its time. What's interesting about this composition is that it's not just a song, but a kind of musical suite, a work divided into several sections that flow one after another. It was written by Pete Townshend and stands out for being the closing track of The Who's second studio album, released in the UK in December 1966. In the United States, this same album had a different edition in April 1967, under the name _Happy Jack_, and included a modified tracklist.

Unlike other productions by The Who, where Pete Townshend was the main or sole composer, on this album, and particularly in this final piece, space was given to the contributions of all members. Roger Daltrey contributed one song, while John Entwistle and Keith Moon added two compositions each. Additionally, they included a cover of the Holland-Dozier-Holland song _Heat Wave_. This collaborative structure and the ambition of the suite _A Quick One, While He’s Away_ served as inspiration for future rock operas that the band would create.