The Kids Are Alright

When you encounter The Kids Are Alright, you're likely to notice a harmonic structure that, while based on a familiar pattern (I-IV-V in D major), is enlivened by interesting turns in the chorus, such as a II-V-IV-I-II. This song, written by Pete Townshend, is part of The Who's first album, titled My Generation, released in 1965. Although it wasn't an immediate chart success, reaching #41 in the UK and #85 in the US, it became an anthem for the mod movement of the era. Curiously, the version most often heard is the one edited as a single, different from the one on the original album. The track is also heard at the beginning of the song Helpless Dancer on the album Quadrophenia.

The recording of My Generation, which includes The Kids Are Alright, took place shortly after the release of other important singles by the band. The album was produced by Shel Talmy and featured the collaboration of session musician Nicky Hopkins on piano. Despite The Who's members —Roger Daltrey on vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, John Entwistle on bass, and Keith Moon on drums— sometimes feeling that the album was a rushed recording, songs like this became a fundamental part of their identity. Later, in 1979, the song gave its name to a documentary about the band. Over the years, it has been reinterpreted by a variety of artists, and in The Who's current performances, an improvised section is usually added at the end, which after the death of John Entwistle, sometimes references him and his taste for red wine, even inspiring the song Old Red Wine.