Music review

The Who, one of the grand bands of rock history, has always had something of a split personality: The British quartet made classic rock singles and invented rock opera, with the landmark "Tommy."

Now, 15 years after the band's farewell tour, the Who is back, in the era of "Rent," to reinforce its legacy. The Who didn't just do "Tommy," which eventually found its way to Broadway, but the band also hatched "Quadrophenia" in 1973, four years after "Tommy." Although "Quadrophenia" was made into a 1979 movie, the Who feels the work never got its due. So last year, Pete Townshend, the band's leader and principal songwriter, came out of Who retirement and hit the road with a non-theatrical production of "Quadrophenia." This summer, the Who has returned to the United States to reprise its arena presentation of its second rock opera.

However, the ads for the Who's concert Tuesday night at Target Center in Minneapolis didn't pitch it as "Quadrophenia" but rather as the Who's first Twin Cities appearance in more than a decade. Indeed, "Quadrophenia" was something of a tough sell as the Who, accompanied by 10 sidemen, presented a 95-minute version of the musical (the recorded edition is 82 minutes) before playing a few hits as encores. Musically, this rock opera is not as compelling as "Tommy." At times, it was more theatrical than rock in sound. Not until the second half of this theater piece did Townshend seem to pick up his (electric) guitar and play the kind of rave-up, windmill rock that made him famous.

"Quadrophenia" tells the story of Jimmy, a young Briton caught between adolescence and adulthood in 1964. He's trying to find himself but learns he has a multiple-personality disorder 3he's inhabited by four personalities (get it, he's quadrophenic).

In concert Tuesday, the three surviving members of the Who (drummer Keith Moon died in 1978) used clips from the movie "Quadrophenia," historical video and new footage featuring an actor as Jimmy narrating the storyline. In addition, two actors (including P.J. Proby, known for the 1967 hit "Niki Hoeky") had singing roles.

The story seemed timeless in one sense and dated in another. It might transfer more effectively to the stage than it did to an arena concert. Some of the 12,000 fans shouted their disappointment that Townshend wasn't rocking as he mostly played acoustic guitar during "Quadrophenia." Finally, during "5:15," he ignited the crowd and singer Roger Daltrey. The momentum continued with Townshend passionately singing the bluesy folk "Drowned," and the excitement peaked with the closing "Love, Reign O'er Me," a big radio hit.

Then the Who's other personality, the great rock 'n' roll band, took over. "Won't Get Fooled Again" was done unplugged, a slice of rock glory with Daltrey and Townshend trying to harmonize and then bassist John Entwistle joining for an intimate, intriguing and truly Who moment. "Substitute" and "I Can't Explain," two early Who songs, were galvanizing, and the closing "Who Are You" left no doubts about which Who this crowd preferred.