Threat to the rock triumvirate of the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.

In 1971 the band released "Who's Next." From the opening synthesizer pattern of "Baba O'Reilly" to Daltrey's bone-rattling wail that closes "Won't Get Fooled Again," track for track "Who's Next" may be the strongest rock album ever made.

An even more ambitious rock opera, "Quadrophenia," followed. Though it was not as successful as "Tommy," songs like "5:15," "Love, Reign O'er Me" and "The Real Me" became concert favorites. "The Real Me" recently was revived by the over-the-top heavy metal group, WASP. A movie version of "Quadrophenia" featured Sting in one of his first acting roles.

For the remainder of the '70s, The Who remained atop the rock pantheon. But cracks were beginning to show in the band's fragile structure. Albums like "Who By Numbers" and "Who Are You" depicted a band whose members were at war with each other and with what was expected of them as rock idols.

After Keith Moon's overdose death, Kenney Jones, formerly of the Small Faces, replaced him on drums for the next tour. Before a 1979 performance at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum, 11 fans were killed — trampled to death or asphyxiated — while rushing for choice standing room up front.

The band released two albums of new material in the early '80s, "Face Dances" and "It's Hard," before disbanding to pursue solo careers. As solo artists, the surviving members have been unusually prolific. Both Daltrey and Townshend have eight recordings to their credit; Entwistle has five.

In 1979 Townshend's "Let My Love Open The Door" reached No. 9, the highest charting single from The Who family since "I Can See For Miles" a decade before. A new Townshend solo effort, based on the children's story, "The Iron Man," is due later this month on Atlantic Records.

Daltrey's 1973 hit, "Giving It All Away," boosted the career of its songwriter, Leo Sayer. The Who's lead singer also has enjoyed success as an actor, starring in "Tommy," "Lisztomania" and "McVicar."

The Who's music has remained popular throughout the decade. The popularity of compact disc has sent baby boomers back to the record stores to replace their own copies of "Tommy" and "Who's Next." A multi-disc boxed set encompassing the band's career is expected by year's end from MCA Records.

The Who briefly performed for the 1985 London "Live Aid" show, but otherwise this will be their first show in seven years. Journeyman drummer Simon Phillips has replaced Jones for this tour, and a second guitarist, horn and percussion sections and back-up singers complete the expected 14-person ensemble. The three-hour show is expected to span all phases of the band's career and its members' individual contributions.

The Who's return to the stage has not been met with universal acclaim. As an editor at The Post-Star grumbled to me, "Save your news clips for this one, Mike. Your son will be able to use them 20 years from now, when he's reviewing them."

Me? I'm psyched, jazzed, just about jumping out of my pants over the chance to see them live. When The Who first performed "My Generation" 25 years ago, they might have "hoped they died before they got old." But they, save one, aged — all are in their mid-40s — as did we all. Wednesday's concert is a chance for them, as well as the rest of us, to hold back the hands of time, if only for a few hours.