Parting Should Be Painless — Roger Daltrey (Atlantic): This is the first Daltrey album that matters. Not that the others should be discarded, but this is the first thing Daltrey has recorded since the Who called it quits.

His five previous albums, recorded as departures from the Who's schedule, weren't make-it or break-it propositions for the singer. "Parting," however, is the first step in Daltrey's solo career where there's no Pete Townshend to compose all the right songs.

Like the other albums, "Parting" is a mixed bag of styles and quality, but there's a greater proportion of good songs. It sounds like Daltrey spent more time choosing the right numbers — by top-notch songwriters like Bryan Ferry, the Eurythmics and Kit Hain — and put more care into his performances.

And if this effort is accepted by the public, it should take some of the pain out of parting with the Who.