Join Together

A call to "join together with the band" seemed a little out of character for The Who, and especially Pete Townshend, who famously threatened to kill anyone who came on stage during their Woodstock performance. Taken less literally, it makes more sense as a plea to young people, urging them to unite and take action. Townshend wrote the song in 1970 for his Lifehouse project, a Rock Opera that never came to be. Many of the songs Townshend wrote for Lifehouse ended up on the 1971 Who's Next album. "Join Together" was recorded for the album, but didn't make the cut. Instead, it was released as a single in the summer of 1972. Townshend has cited the song as one of his favorites, telling Melody Maker he thought it was "incredible" and was surprised the public didn't like it as much as he did.

This was a live favorite for The Who. On their 1975-'76 tour, which included the largest indoor concert ever played to that point (70,000 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan on December 6, 1975), they would play a slower version of the song as part of a jam that often included "Naked Eye," "Roadrunner" and "My Generation."

Pete Townshend created the intro using an ARP synthesizer, which he also used on "Who Are You?" Townshend, who was very good with keyboards, also used an organ on the track, a Lowrey Berkshire TBO-1. This instrument also shows up in "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." When The Who performed the song live, the intro was played on a Jew's harp by both lead singer Roger Daltrey and drummer Keith Moon. Townshend also used two different harmonicas on the track: a chord harmonica and a bass harmonica (played live by bassist John Entwhistle).