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THE WHO
- An appreciation -
The Who Live 8 Review
Classic Who Albums & Compilations -
Comments & Track Listings:
Live At Leeds Quadrophenia Then And Now The Who Sell Out
Tommy Who's Next
booksmusicfilmstv.com 1960s
Music Index
booksmusicfilmstv.com 1970s
Music Index
booksmusicfilmstv.com 1980s
Music Index
booksmusicfilmstv.com 1990s to
Contemporary Music Index
The Who once made the legendary actress Bette Davis faint on a CBS TV show. It was 'The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour', and, Keith being Keith, he added a little (literally) explosive content to the band's usual instrumental destruction, at the end of their performance. Townshend lost his hearing for a time, and a piece of cymbal fragment made its way into Moon's leg. Mickey Rooney was left to comfort the fainting Ms. Davis. Jimi Hendrix saw The Who smash their instruments at the Monterey International Pop Festival, and felt he had to go a little further, so smashed his guitar, and then burnt the unfortunate axe, too. Herman's Hermits once toured with The Who, and, after a cake fight with the Herman's, Keith Moon lost his two front teeth - it was Keith's 21st birthday. On 'My Generation' Pete Townshend commented it was a cry from a lost soul, "I was very, very lost." Keith said he was never asked to join The Who, only being asked, "What are you doing on Monday?" For The Who's first hit single, 'I Can't Explain (for which the band earned £1,000 between them)', producer Shel Talmy's idea was to use then session musician, and future Led Zeppelin legend, Jimmy Page on lead guitar. Townshend was having none of it, and played lead, with Page on rhythm guitar. Anyone who watched the 'UK Music Hall Of Fame 2005' should have recorded it for Pete Townshend's anecdotes alone. He was the outstanding act, and didn't even play anything! - Ed.
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Widely regarded as one of the big three of British rock groups - along with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones - The Who have encompassed many musical styles over the years. From being Mod darlings in the mid-'60s, they went on to produce groundbreaking concept albums such as 'Tommy' and 'Quadrophenia', and became a legendary live act, starring at some of the most famous live musical extravaganzas, such as the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock, the 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival, and then, of course, the ill-fated 'Live Aid' performance in 1985. Pete Townshend's witty, clever lyrics established him at the head table of rock songwriters, with quirky material to the fore. 'I'm A Boy', 'Magic Bus', 'Happy Jack', and 'Pictures Of Lily' being early examples. The Who's anthem, 'My Generation', remains their most famous song, and one of rock's most acclaimed compositions. Like Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin', it was a song that epitomised the spirit of young people challenging the old order. Townshend's most witty line - and certainly one of rock's best opening lines - "I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth", from 'Substitute', struck a chord, especially in Britain, in a society even now still constricted by the class system. The Who proved they could produce psychedelia with the best of them with 'I Can See For Miles', and it was around 1967 that the group began to become more expansive, and the rock opera 'Tommy' was the zenith they would reach in 1969. Musically, The Who have always been acclaimed as superb. There were no jibes about Keith Moon's drumming - as there were, unjustly, with Ringo Starr. Indeed, Moon has often been acknowledged as the best of all rock drummers, taking his boundless energy and channelling it into a more creative direction than was often the case with Keith! Townshend was a great guitarist with mad, whirling arms, and dazzling power chords, and John Entwistle's bass playing, formed, with Moon, one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock history. As a singer Roger Daltrey has proved he can sing pretty much anything. His voice has been like The Who themselves, in that the power and melody have been so successfully married that they are accessible, but have an edge at the same time. Daltrey's vocals on 'Tommy' were truly haunting and moving, and on 'Won't Get Fooled Again' raucous and powerful - scary scream and all! The Who are the quintessential Brit rock band. They've never embraced American culture to be a success there, like some of their peers. They've made it on their own terms, and should have been inducted into the 'UK Music Hall Of Fame' in 2004! Cheers, fellas! -
Paul Rance, booksmusicfilmstv.com.
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PETE TOWNSHEND QUOTES
Pete Townshend talking about the death of Brian Jones: "Oh, it's a normal day for Brian, like he died every day, you know."
Pete on 'Tommy': "We wanted it to work on lots of levels."
A very young Jeremy Paxman asking Pete Townshend: "Why was there all that violence surrounding you?" Townshend: "Perhaps we were all doing it, 'cos we were afraid that the others might think that we were cissies if we didn't do it. I don't know."
The
Who UK Singles Discography Zoot Suit/I'm the Face - 1964 (as The
High Numbers) |
The
Who CDs available from
booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon |
| Amazon.co.uk Review
of Endless Wire Nearly a quarter-century (and bassist John Entwistle) passed between what had been considered the Who's career-capping album, It's Hard and this 21-song epic, which at its best has the band of two pining for the days of Who's Next. Built from the triumph of the mini-opera Wire & Glass EP (included here in its entirety), Endless Wire mixes metaphors of music, war, and religion, while showcasing Roger Daltrey's ageless vocal cords and Pete Townshend at his windmilling best. Launching with a "Baba O'Riley"-like synth break in "Fragments," Daltrey asks "Are we breathing out or breathing in?" and Townshend answers with a thrashing, crashing Gibson. When the volume is turned up, there are echoes of three decades ago. "It's Not Enough" and "Mike Post Theme" conjure images of Entwistle and Keith Moon--the latter song, with its quiet verse and thunderous chorus, recalls "Going Mobile" and longs for Moon to whack it into shape. But the linchpin remains Townshend's songwriting, whether he's questioning faith ("Man in a Purple Dress"), showing gratitude for support ("You Stand By Me"), or dreaming of entertaining immortals into eternity ("Out on an Endless Wire"). By the time it wraps up, Endless Wire tells two things. No, it does not quite rank with the band's best work. But yes, as long as Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey walk the earth in tandem, the Who live on. --Scott Holter Description A collection of both acoustic and rock numbers, with a 10 song mini-opera as the second half, 'Endless Wire' was a pretty ambitious move for The Who, considering that it's been 24years since their last studio album. Although it won't be overshadowing the triumphs of previous gems like 'Quadrophenia', it still has the essence of The Who, showing that they can still be creative whilst retaining aspects of their original style. |
The Who DVDs from Amazon.co.uk
The Who - Live At The
Isle Of Wight Festival 1970 The Who DVD from Amazon.com |
The Who Videos from Amazon.co.uk The Who And Special
Guests, The - Live At The Royal Albert Hall [2000] |
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