Those of you who have been reading this series know that this will be the last installment about the history of The Who. Although The Who continued to record new material and tour after 1978, to me the band really ended then and what was left was sort of what we now call a tribute band.
For 1978 to be such a disaster, it started off well enough, actually really well. The Who were at the top of their game insofar as business interests went, Townshend, after being burnt by Kit Lambert, with whom he never reconciled, developed a high degree of business acumen, and The Who as a band were never strapped for cash again, although Moon and Entwistle had chronic money woes because of their lifestyles. Daltrey was pretty conservative and also had a fairly successful acting career post 1978.
Although it pains me greatly to write this last installment, we might as well get on with it. There are a number of ironies in 1978, and I shall point them out as we encounter them. Please follow after the fold.