The Who : Classic or Dud

I've always wondered why the run of singles from "I Can't Explain" to "Pictures Of Lily" did very little in the US at a time when the American charts were at their most open ever towards British acts. My glib guess would be that, in the sense of irony and sexual innuendo and various allusions in the lyrics, they were very "English" in a sense that didn't really appeal to mainstream US audiences and radio programmers (as opposed to the stereotypical sense of Herman's Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, or Paul McCartney in "When I'm 64" mode). There's something slightly camp about the high-pitched backing vocals on "I Can't Explain", and it didn't have the undercurrent of de-ironised rockism that I can always detect in Mick Jagger (who is always a terrible disappointment to me when judged by the "campness" criterion).

David, given that I once constructed an entire email to you around the *context* of "Won't Get Fooled Again" (an awesomely brilliant song BTW) rather than the song itself, I can see what you mean about my finding the context of "Who's Next" interesting. And you are right; I feel extremely guilty that I haven't heard it.

Ihave no problems with Townshend's need to break free from conventional song and album structures - in the main it works, but I strongly disagree that Who's Next is their best work. IMHO the middle of this album is as weak (from My Wife to Going Mobile) as the rest (Baba/Bargain/Love ain't.../Behind Blue../Won't Get...) is monumental. If pushed I could let My Wife through for the wierd brass stabs, but I can't accept that The Song is Over/Getting in Tune/Going Mobile are worth anything. Townshend seems to be trying to wrestle the sons away from Daltrey - either by taking over the vocals, or by chucking in key shifts that aren't needed (The Song is Over). It feels like he's still trying to get to whatever "Lifehouse" was supposed to be Also, two songs *about* songs or using songs as metaphors is pretty damn close to bands writing songs about being in bands. Daltry's leather-lunged vocals get pretty close to unpleasant also, again the tension between him and Townshend seems to come to the fore - it's like he's trying too hard to outdo Pete's reedy whine when he really doesn't need to try AT ALL. I much prefer Rog's R+B voice of 1964-7. So "Who's Next" is fatally flawed in my book, but still clearly essential for the 5 good tracks. My Search would include all the singles mentioned above, Live At Leeds, Who Sell-Out, BBC Sessions (Fantastic!), and I'd Destroy everything after Keith. The truth is that the rot set in in 1971 though.

Well it depends if you like Townshend's vocals or not. I do, so I have no complaint. In fact Townshend's demo of "Pure & Easy" (on his solo album "Who Came First") is much better than the Who's version, sung by Daltrey (to be found on the "Odds & Sods" compilation and the remastered/repackaged CD of "Who's Next"). I have often wondered though what the criteria were for lead vocal parts being assigned to Townshend.

...or by chucking in key shifts that aren't needed (The Song is Over). It feels like he's still trying to get to whatever "Lifehouse" was supposed to be...

Of course "Who's Next" was something of a rescue job after the failed attempt to make a coherent double album/conceptual work of "Lifehouse". So "Song Is Over", which I love btw, is very much a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and can seem confusing because its intended context is missing.

>>> IMHO the middle of this album is as weak (from My Wife to Going Mobile) as the rest (Baba/Bargain/Love ain't.../Behind Blue../Won't Get...) is monumental.

But... well, that's quite a bit of Monumentality. For me the first two tracks alone justify the enterprise. Monumental indeed.

>>> If pushed I could let My Wife through for the wierd brass stabs,

Hey - those weird brass stabs!! And what about that vast menacing undercurrent of brass as the song heads out?

>>> It feels like he's still trying to get to whatever "Lifehouse" was supposed to be.

Well - it was Daltrey (!) who said that the greatness of the LP maybe came from the unrealized 'conceptualism' behind it - from the failure, but residual presence, of Lifehouse. Interesting, I think - more perceptive than I'd expect from the old trout.

>>> Also, two songs *about* songs or using songs as metaphors is pretty damn close to bands writing songs about being in bands.

This ought to be a thread: songs about songs - search & destroy...

And the absurd lyrics.

Plus, they rock. Live at Leeds is just so fun for the power chords and crazy drumming.

The one post-71 thing you should definitely check out is Odds & Sods. There singles/B-sides thing that has some great moments, many dating from the period you like best (also some more classic rock stuff like "Long Live Rock," but hey.)

As for "A Quick One" - it seems fairly fashionable to riducule the Moon songs and Daltrey's "See My Way", all of which are in fact ace and a nice counterpoint to Townshend's 'before your very eyes' transformation from Mod-man (Run, Run, Run, So Sad About Us) to concept-man (A Quick One). That makes "The Who Sell Out" the best next step, IMHO.

But my god, the remaster of My Generation sounds perfect to me. It pops and cracks whereas the crap mono version clanged and fizzed. It sounds so good cranked up, and having all the B-sides together is revalatory (some of them were actually meant to be released on the original album, until they were encouraged to write some more originals). "Heat Wave," "I'm A Man," "Shout And Shimmy," "Anytime You Want Me" are all great. Check out Daltrey's a-capella version of "Anytime You Want Me." He was already a really strong singer, rivalled only by The Small Faces' Steve Marriott. I'd go so far as to say it's the ONLY Who album that's listenable all the way through. Later singles are generally perfect, but otherwise, Townsend over reaches and loses what made The Who so exciting -- the immediacy of their hooks, the surprisingly pretty melodies that were always given an explosive beat-down by Moon before they've overstayed their welcome.

I didn't know there was a special edition of My Generation. I think I only have the Mono one, and haven't played it in about 10 years.

Never bettered "The Who Sellout" though.

Any one of youz up in this bitch down with the Mike Post Theme, from Endless Wire? If not, Who fans are in for a treat. that is one heckuva song, people. Geez.

What a perfect song that is. Best thing they've done since...yeah, I'll say it, best song they've done since "Who Are You."

You're being too conservative. Best song since Quadrophenia.

I'm not yet ready to rank it above the stuff on The Who By Numbers...but I will say it's easily as good as anything on there.

There comes a time in every little punk's life when he has to write a song for his common law wife...

...reads almost as a continuation of some of the stuff off Quadrophenia. I would have preferred more fleshed-out songs on the "Wire and Glass" section to the sketchy "mini-opera", as some of the themes were pretty engaging. This song is one of the keepers, though.

I just got out of the hospital after five days cuz of a stupid and irrelevant leg infection and treated myself to the "Who at Kilburn Live 1977" DVD. Damn, is it awesome. The bonus 1969 disc is the "Leeds" boiler suit Who, fresh off Woodstock and on fire. Any idiot who doesn't think Townshend can play has to hear "Young Man's Blues" which is essentially the Who trying to kill the audience. Moon is utterly ridiculous and awesome, it almost feels like his drumming is digitally edited in with CGI because it is so fucking unreal. But there is a reason it is named "Kilburn '77"...

Fast forward 8 years. They hadnt played together in a year. What you get is every dude in the Who hating every other guy (not including Keith, who wanted the other 3 to love him). It's prime Townshend, who literally wants to shut the show down midway through, because he thinks it sucks. He's wrong of course, because the Who at Odds is the Who in top form, and the Who is even better when Townshend is pissed off, which he takes to Blackmore-esque extremes here. Check "My Wife" when he throws an equalizer and 3 cups of brandy at his guitar tech. He is unbearably pissed, which leaves the other 3 to react in their typical ways: Daltrey is preoccupied about thinking where he is going to file for unemployment in the morning; Moon is trying to be Pete's puppy dog and not get in trouble; and a totally wasted Entwistle (RIP Ox-you were the best) doesnt give a flying fuck and plays his ass off and plays possible the greatest bass solo in recorded history on "Dreaming from the Waist".

What a fucking awesome DVD. I hope Sara Sara Sara, the biggest Who fan on these boards, has this.

Wow! I actually managed to find a decently titled Who thread in the search engine. What a miracle! I thought about starting a thread for this song, but I held out and searched some more. Hope you're happy mods that I didn't start a new thread. God forbid I override the stupid search engine which doesn't actually work all that well for Who threads, let me remind you. I already started a thread awhile back about how much it drives me crazy when I can't find Who threads on ILM when I want to freaking talk about this band, okay? In fact, the only sane way a person can even find that thread now is if they put "bimble" in the search, and I fixed it that way because I just didn't know how else to fix it. But I rest my case. Good luck finding the "Endless Wire" thread, though! God, that one is impossible to find. I'd love for anyone to prove me wrong, though, and tell me exactly how they did it.

Now here's what I want the topic of my pretend thread to be, this song "Who Are You?" right? The album this comes from is the only Who album I've never owned, no lie. Why? Because I tried to listen to it in the store when I was in the midst of my big Who buying spree, and I didn't much like it. But I still like this song, and I've heard the earlier demo version of it somewhere on my Townshend boxset thing or other and it seems to me he'd hit an unexpected pot of gold here in his songwriting at the time. As good as earlier Who? Probably not, but I love it anyway, for what it is.

Is it this one. Bimble? I did it by typing "Endless Wire" and searching for posts.

"The Who to release new album in umpteen years."

If not, here are all mentions of "Endless Wire" on ILX. There are only a few pages of them.

Oops: http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/FullTextSearchControllerServlet?terms=%22Endless+Wire%22&offset=0&searchtype=text&startdate=&enddate=&artefact=messages&idtype=null&sortorder=Relevance&boardid=41

Also, you want SISTER DISCO

Bimble is so happy right now he's out of words to express it.

No, see, I feel I should be able to search the words with quotes around them "Endless Wire" and come up with at least something, but it gives me nothing at all. As I said before, if you don't remember that word "umpteen", you're fucked.

How did you get the next set of results exactly?

That is what I did... Maybe you're missing changing "Threads" to "Posts". Threads just looks for thread titles with "Endless Wire" in it, posts looks in the text of individual posts.

To get the next set of results, go to the bottom and click "Next".

The reason you're getting no results for Endless Wire threads is that there aren't any thread titles with Endless Wire in them.

Hahahhaha but DUDE don't you think there should be a THREAD with Endless Wire in the title? I mean thanks for the advice, I understand, I've taken this advice to heart, and I won't forget it, and I'm not being ungrateful, but REALLY...shouldn't there be a thread? Haha.

Look, I've just decided I have to rip a very old goth LP from vinyl now that has nothing to do with the Who. So I must leave for awhile. Thanks very much for your help.

i love this song so much and can't really find anything else like it in the who back catalogue (can't believe i posted to this thread in may 2001 jesus):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7SliN-82P0

The Scoops and Rough Mix veer more into this territory, if memory serves. Also half of all Yo La Tengo songs sound like this as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0duuXQPi0

The picture of the Who Sellout is a bit misleading on this, as it only came as an extra on the CD issue. It dosen't really fit in with that LP. Nevertheless, one of their finest moments.

I saw the Who in '89. Always loved them.

This is a song I'd somehow overlooked until quite recently (also a bonus track on the CD):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkibmgLoRa0

the bonus tracks on that cd are super great. some of my favorite who moments

this is awesome! live at tanglewood 1970. whooooooooooooweeeeee. guitar heaven, man. for realz.

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/the-who/concerts/tanglewood-july-07-1970.html

stormy and gorg need to listen to this show. "water" will slay you.

i saw them in 1999 with Entwistle, and Starkey on drums, at Bridge School Benefit. They were magic - and they did Boris The Spider which sent me to the moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSlk0G3aGhk

I kind of wish Townshend would do a solo acoustic show but I feel like he’s no longer interested in touring alone.

when i saw them in the early 2000s townshend doing ‘drowned’ acoustically was the highlight by several miles and miles - he had a bit of a chat and talked about writing, ‘i’m free’ (? Or maybe ‘sensation’)) in Sydney and played a snippet

Ok it must’ve been Sensation

"Sensation" was written about a girl Townshend had met on the Who's tour of Australia in early 1968

For a while at least I had seen both Townshend solo acoustic *and* Roger Daltrey solo before I ever saw the Who!

I saw The Who on their first farewell tour in 1982. In my mind they are a band that is perpetually saying farewell.

*Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and the B-52’s were the opening acts when I saw The Who, two other acts who have difficulty saying farewell.

I actually think every album by the B-52’s had some top-shelf tracks, even the last one. Their debut is still hands-down their best, but most of them are thoroughly enjoyable and even their worst isn't terrible.

Re: Zak's temporary "firing," I wonder what Ringo was doing during all of this? Consoling his son - maybe telling him how he dealt with the reality of never playing in the Beatles again - or maybe getting on the phone with his peers and be like "wtf man, that's my boy you fired!"

zak was probably preparing to be one of the four drummers in the all-starr band

https://giphy.com/gifs/the-godfather-coda-u6EiPNT9dLDrU7ZQuF

oh pff, stupid link

Townshend has been pretty open about the fact that Daltrey runs the band. Pretty obviously borne out by dopey tour formats like symphonic accompaniment, doing Tommy and Quadrophenia over and over…or even continuing touring at all… he can't face life without the Who, even though he's quite deaf.

And the reason Townshend continues to do Who tours, which he is also open about, is that he manages his $$$ poorly, and playing these dumb tours entertaining Who shitheads is easy money. Three years ago, there was a longform interview in which he talked about how he blew all his money in the 70s away very quickly, and he sold his publishing in 2012, many many years before the gold rush that saw his peers benefit far far more than he.

He not only doesn't care about doing a solo tour, but he doesn't bother to formally release new music, and until the mid 90s, you would have thought that he above all his peers would continue to have a creative drive he would want to share with an audience who would be receptive to new Townshend material. But he's satisfied to only go through the motions.

Zak Starkey is the Billy Martin of the Who.

it’s all getting rather silly at this point. cmon lads

They're gonna hire Josh Freese!

Daft band

Fool me twice, won’t get fooled again

meet the new drummer, same as the old drummer

They're gonna hire Josh Freese!

too funny

Appreciate their commitment to being unpleasant & moody weirdos until the very end, stay golden

― chr1sb3singer, Wednesday, 16 April 2025 19:07 (one month ago)

I thought this revive would be about Townshend turning 80. So anyway, Happy Birthday, Pete!

ok now hire him back again

I'm Freese, I'm Freese and I'm waiting for you to follow me

Happy birthday, Pete!

Will they die before I get old?

I learn from the Daily Mail that Zak Starkey is a member of a supergroup called Mantra of the Cosmos, whose members include "Happy Mondays vocalist Shaun Ryder, 62, Oasis guitarist Andy Bell, 54, percussionist Mark 'Bez' Berry, 60, and Noel Gallagher, 57".

Which raises the question of how all these musical figures who were in their twenties when I was a teenager can now be in their fifties and sixties unless I too have aged along with them unless I too have also aged, breathe in.

Zak Starkey should release a bitter, musically monotonous concept album album war, and then sue the other members of The Who to stop them using the name The Who.

I wonder what Ringo was doing during all of this?

Per Zak, Ringo said to him, 'I’ve never liked the way that little man runs that band,' apparently referring to Roger Daltrey.