I think this is a POLL of shit while John Sinclair rots in prison: THE WHO RESULTS THREAD (ilm artist poll #25)

hoped this would be higher than Baba. actually, that's why I voted for it.

I would call "Won't Get Fooled" undeniable, except that I denied it a place on my ballot. But I like it, or respect it, or whatever the right word is for an admiring awareness of its place in the universe. (Which, really, is how I feel about most of Who's Next.)

my #1

"meet the new boss/same as the old boss" is probably my single favorite classic rock lyric

Daltrey's YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH is my favorite thing about that song and I hate CSI Miami for trying to make me associate it with David Caruso

Fking great song

I was so disappointed when I listened close and learned that Daltrey's YEAHHH was double-tracked :(

Some interesting background on this song in Peter Doggett's There's a Riot Going On p.442-443:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=emI9LXJ47KUC&pg=PA442&lpg=PA442&dq=%22won%27t+get+fooled+again%22+farren&source=bl&ots=MRc32U3OBX&sig=WMx-PFRPWYcAeiNJbBD5kkY-i5Q&hl=en#v=onepage&q=%22won%27t%20get%20fooled%20again%22%20farren&f=false

(Still an unfuckwithable yell tho)

Townshend in 1987:

It's the dumbest song I've ever written. ...

It was dumb to deny the political role of the individual, the political responsibility of the individual. Burning your draft card is a political act. Throwing your vote away is an apolitical act. And "Won't Get Fooled Again" was an apolitical song. Luckily, most people didn't listen to the verses. ["There's nothing in the street/Looks any different to me/And the slogans are all replaced, by the by. . . . "] They just listened to the catch.

It was an irresponsible song. It was quite clear during that period that rock musicians had the ear of the people. And people were saying to me then, "Pete, you've got to use the Who. You've got to get this message across." It was like Abbie Hoffman said on the stage of Woodstock that John Sinclair was in jail for one lousy joint, and I kicked him off the stage. I deeply regret that. If I was given the opportunity again, I would stop the show. Because I don't think rock & roll is that important. Then I did. The show had to go on.

What made me stop thinking the show had to go on was obviously Cincinnati. It was a terrible lesson to have to learn. For a long time, I couldn't live with that. It was directly responsible for me literally, emotionally falling apart. But it was a valuable lesson for me today, looking back on the political relevance - or irrelevance - of a song like "Won't Get Fooled Again." I greatly regret that it's one of the most powerful songs that I've ever written. The Labour party asked me if they could use it in their election campaign. And I said, "Yeah, but please let me rewrite the verses."

what is this Cincinnati incident referred to there

This

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_The_Who_concert_disaster

Most quotable human in pop music of the last 50 years.

oh right that thing. for some reason I thought that had happened at the US Festival.

lol "US festival"

they were a thing

6. "I Can't Explain" (single, 1965) 20 votes, 503 points, one #1 vote
http://noblecountygold.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/hinumbers4.jpg
http://youtu.be/YF3X_z0dhQ0

ahhhh so great

too low!

that 12-string guitar soloing is practically avant-garde...

yeah I was hoping top 5

I remember when I first heard it as a teenager being surprised to find out that it was an early Who song; something about the chorus and the solos and the opening guitar blarps made it seem 'newer' to me somehow, at least at the time

MVB otm. The choppy chord part in the solo, can't think of anyone else who was doing anything like that at the time.

And the Who's debut was easily the best of any of their contemporaries' (Beatles, Stones, Kinks)...but maybe that's not fair, since the Who started 1-2 years later.

wkrp did an episode about the cincinatti tragedy so i was aware of that way before i'd heard of altamont

my #1

I've never read a word of Pete writing or interviews, although I always knew he was an editor at Faber & Faber or someplace tony like that. What's a good place to start reading his words?

October 6th, new autobiography :D

Seriously I'm v excited

I have to say, I'm a little apprehensive about it...I mean, I'm gonna devour it, but I'm sure I'll be yelling at the book, "BUT PETE, YOU SAID THE EXACT OPPOSITE IN AN INTERVIEW FIVE YEARS AGO!" Because that's his (admittedly, kind of endearing) thing.

haha yeah that will be interesting

I've never read a word of Pete writing or interviews, although I always knew he was an editor at Faber & Faber or someplace tony like that. What's a good place to start reading his words?

This is as good a place to start as any. In it, he sows the seeds of what would become Lifehouse/Who's Next.

I thought I Can't Explain was a cinch for #1.

me too :(

5. "A Quick One, While He's Away" (A Quick One, 1966) 18 votes, 511 points (12 votes/348 points studio, 6 votes/168 points R&R Circus; one #1 studio vote, one #1 R&R Circus vote)
http://www.thewho.info/images/68R&RCircus-PP-The-Who.jpg
http://youtu.be/glU9-_KZ8FM

Related: how great is the "Quick One" sequence in Rushmore?

no chance anymore for any of the MG deep cuts (Out In The Street, Much Too Much, La La La Lies)

Am now totally engrossed in Pete's journals. Thanx Tarfumes

Another great piece of Pete writing: His Rolling Stone review of Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy

I don't think I've ever seen a performance like the Rock n Roll circus. I have never tired of watching it

You know how in that Circus performance, where Pete hits the chords leading to the "'cello, 'cello" section and the crowd sort of spontaneously goes nuts? From there to the end is everything good and right about rock music.

You're welcome! Bunch more interviews here.

xp

The R&R Circus version just SLAYS. I heard that long before the studio version, and it was a big letdown.

Listening back to the studio one last night on headphones, i liked it alot! Except the ending, i think the vocals are a bit out of tune on all the post-Ivor stuff. And the "Dang! Dang!" should be much more powerful.

probably no relation but 'bohemian rhapsody' has always seemed to me to be built on the quick one template - harmony opening to relatively sentimental first section, second section both sinister and goofy, third section ROCKS. enjoy both, prefer quick one - tbh those chords leading into the 'cellocellocello' part alone would've guaranteed it a spot on my ballot.

Too many wonderful moments to mention, but the bit where Keith chucks his floortom over his head, where he's singing along unmiked, Pete's "can't believe that I'm with you a-GAIN!", and dangdang and cellocello

"yr all forgiven!"

xp I was just about to mention Keith in this performance. I've read somewhere Pete saying how much of a fan of the Who Keith was, and it really shows here.

Does anyone have a link to Pete's Meaty Beaty RS review? I've been hunting online since clemenza mentioned it yesterday but I cannae find it :(

4. "Baba O'Riley" (Who's Next, 1971) 23 votes, 587 points, two #1 votes
http://www.oshobuddhaquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/MEHER-baba-quotes-sayings1.jpghttp://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/462798.jpg
http://youtu.be/5uxR0XIwpHI

and yeah, loving those journals

You're welcome! Bunch more interviews here.
xp
― And Romney doesn't know what day it is... (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, September 12, 2012 3:25 PM (21 minutes ago)

Thanks from me as well, Tarfumes...sitting at work reading Townshend's journals and lovin' it!

Wow, tooo low!

I could've sworn his MBBB review was online at some point...I can't find it either.