Story last updated at 10:14 AM EST on September 28, 2006

SOUNDBYTES: Pete Townshend

The father of the "rock opera," and, by most accounts, the true genius behind The Who, Pete Townshend, like many of his classic rock colleagues, is also beloved for a lengthy solo career — one rather overlooked by today's generation. What started with 1972's Who Came First, a record very much a part of The Who's canon, Townshend truly hit stride with 1980's Empty Glass and the hits "Rough Boys" and the lovable "Let My Love Open the Door." He followed that success with a string of concept albums, including All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982), White City: A Novel (1985), The Iron Man: A Musical (1989) and, its sequel, 1993's Psychoderelict. All of these works have been remastered with enhanced sound, artwork and a slew of bonus tracks by Universal Music Enterprises — a collection that also includes Townshend's sought-after 1977 album Rough Mix, a collaboration with Faces bassist Ronnie Lane, and the Scoop series, a three-disc collection of demos Pete recorded for The Who and unreleased solo works. The set is an essential piece of rock history, if for any other reason, to give context and further the story of one of its most complicated, yet genius, artists. For more, visit www.petetownshend.com.

— Nick Brandon