The Who was one of the best rock bands of the past century; Lifehouse: Elements, a solo effort from Townshend, the Who's guitarist and driving force, offers a peek behind the curtain. The album is an abbreviated version of Lifehouse, a Tommy-like multimedia project Townshend hatched in 1970. The show was never mounted in its entirety, but Townshend continued to work on it, and several of its songs--including Won't Get Fooled Again--wound up on the Who's 1971 masterpiece, Who's Next. Elements features less-polished variations that expose the rough edges of Townshend's soul.
Pearl Jam was one of the best bands of...