In the early 1960s, the raucous nature of rock ‘n roll had been subdued - until the British Invasion saw the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Who and the Kinks pump new life back into popular music.
By the late ‘60s when psychedelia had turned it stupid again, acts like Bob Dylan and critically the Band pulled rock back to a more thoughtful, roots oriented vision.
By the mid-70s, the cycle had repeated. The Who were doing bloated stage shows and had drifted far from the raw energy that animated songs like My Generation, Can’t Explain and Magic Bus.