The Who : Classic or Dud

what is "baba o'riley" about "you ain't seen nothing yet"? the two-note chorus riff?

Yeah the verse riff in "Baba" is the same as the chorus riff in "Ain't Seen Nothin Yet". More of a three-note riff. Always wondered who copied who (I'll see myself out)

The One Direction song is a direct rip of Baba O Reilly, even down to the drums. Its so close that i assumed that had been done with Townshend's consent

50 years! new album on the away, and a long goodbye?

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-who-reveal-first-dates-of-50th-anniversary-tour-20140630

"more prog rock than pub rock"

I'm a little dubious that they'll come up with a new record, but yeah, I'll totally go see them again.

"Let's not kid ourselves. We will always sell more tickets if we play the hits…There might be 40,000 total people in America who want to hear 'Slip Kid.' That won't be enough to put us on the road. That's the problem."

If you can play 'Sea and Sand', you can play Slip Kid, guys.

At yesterday's press conference, Pete said "We could do 'Dogs Part 2,' we could do 'Dogs Part 1,' we could do 'Now I'm A Farmer'..."

Pure bullshit, just for laughs.
Seriously, just weave in a couple- at $100/ticket and beyond I'd love to hear something unexpected.
Water, Naked Eye, even Athena for god's sake

They still did "Naked Eye" at a handful of '06 shows.

In '99-'00 they really opened up the catalog: "Anyway Anyhow Anywhere," "The Relay," "I Don't Even Know Myself," "Happy Jack," "Getting In Tune" and a few others.

But yeah, if it's just the early hits, and the usual suspects from Tommy, Who's Next, and Who Are You, I'll be pissed.

And at yesterday's press conference they played "The Kids Are Alright"!

Maybe I'll dummy up a wishlist playlist just for fun. I mean, It's not like I need to hear nothing but the deepest of deep cuts, and god know's I'd be pumped for Won't get fooled again over a stadium sound system, but yeah, I just don't see the point of a hits and nothing but tour.

yeah it's pretty frustrating that someone with that much money and cultural capital can see the end of their career on the horizon and not feel like they have the option of playing whatever the fuck they want in some context or another. at this point i feel like all they really owe anyone is to make whatever album they want, play whatever setlist they want.

Also, if you don't think you can fill a stadium playing deeper cuts, then by all means, don't book stadiums. Cut some of the expense of mounting that size of a production and play a bit smaller of a venue.

looking at the article, it seems like they know they can play stuff like "Slip Kid," that just can't be the whole show.

although, Steely Dan did a 'rarities night' show a few years ago, Billy Joel has bandied about the idea of doing shows based around deep cuts. i'm sure there's a way to do it well, make it a special occasion.

I hope so. In any case I plan to see them. I kick myself for not going to see the Quadrophenia tour, considering how much I love that record.

I'd say Pete might be selling "Slip Kid" a bit short in the US, as I'd say that tune being a bit later recorded has had more of a shelf life on classic rock radio than some bigger 60s hit standards.

I know it's easy to take shots at these things, but honestly, didn't they already have a couple of farewell tours long ago? I saw them in '78, I think, at Maple Leaf Gardens, and even without Moon, that was special; saw them a second time four years later, and that was less special.

"Also, if you don't think you can fill a stadium playing deeper cuts, then by all means, don't book stadiums. Cut some of the expense of mounting that size of a production and play a bit smaller of a venue."

No doubt. Allman Brothers over the years have done those type of shows on and off at the Beacon Theater to stretch out and do different things. Clapton has also done some theme shows like that over the years at the Royal Albert Hall, which included the Cream reunion.

there's definitely a part of me that wishes they'd completely stopped after the drummer died just like Zep. but they didn't, and i'm ok with that, go ahead and be a band for 50 years, that's awesome. xp

Another vote for "Slip Kid."

didn't they already have a couple of farewell tours long ago?

There was only one tour that was specifically billed as their "last" or "farewell" tour, and that was in 1982. They did an awful "reunion" tour in 1989, with a 15-piece band, and they've been consistently active since their 1996 tour.

there's definitely a part of me that wishes they'd completely stopped after the drummer died just like Zep. but they didn't, and i'm ok with that, go ahead and be a band for 50 years, that's awesome. xp

― some dude, Tuesday, July 1, 2014 9:42 PM (49 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think the key difference is that Moon had become a liability. He could almost cut it live -- the imagination was there, the approach was sluggish -- but was nearly useless in the studio. As good a record as Who Are You is, it's not a standout Moon performance. When he died, it was seen in part as an opportunity to branch out in ways they couldn't have with Moon (and then Pete signed a solo deal, got overworked, became a heroin addict, yadda yadda). With Bonham, while he may have been down on himself near the end, he wasn't dragging the rest of the band down.

do they acknowledge the fact that roger daltrey has no voice anymore? they don't consider that an impediment?

I think if he literally had no voice whatsoever, if he opened his mouth and no sound came out, and yet he was still twirling the microphone around and mouthing the words, I would think they'd consider that to be something of an impediment.

But since his voice has aged better than those of his peers, it fortunately hasn't been an issue.

really? you think so? yeeesh, I think he sounds like a parched warthog.

I think if he literally had no voice whatsoever, if he opened his mouth and no sound came out, and yet he was still twirling the microphone around and mouthing the words, I would think they'd consider that to be something of an impediment.

the obligatory response must be: "I'd consider that an improvement"

I'll grant that if the most recent thing you heard Daltrey sing was "Athena," and then heard him in 2014, yeah, the difference might be a little jarring. But what he's lost in range he's gained in depth/breadth.

Slip Kid and Sea and Sand are both better than anything on Who Are You.

Would love to hear "Dogs" and "Now I'm a Farmer" and those silly 60s rarities live. But not sure I'd want to see an Entwistle-less Who...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUFgqKbu2Fo

On that note, gonna repost the wonderful "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" that someone clued me into on a Who thread (maybe this one?) last year. Sounds very proto-Mercyful Fate this morning...

Slip Kid and Sea and Sand are both better than anything on Who Are You.

Slip Kid is probably my favorite in studio Townshend guitar performance

Always have to be clear about "in studio" vs. "live" with the Who because they were almost two different bands.

I was listening to "Slip Kid" this morning and yeah, what a tremendous Townshend performance on that.

Also, a fair amount of the demo ended up on the final record: the handclaps/percussion and piano are all Townshend.

New 50th-anniversary comp (yawn)...but it's got a new hat!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-who-record-be-lucky-their-first-new-song-in-eight-years-20140925

"Dogs"! That's a first for a non-box hits comp.

Good point! "Dogs" never gets enough love.

And in all honesty, I'm tremendously excited about the new song.

Ah, here it is:

http://youtu.be/7K_CGq-1u1E

I'd somehow never heard 'Dogs' until a couple of weeks ago - it really is a lovely song (xposts).

It features prominently on http://albumsthatneverwere.blogspot.co.UK/ "Who's for Tennis"

But you knew that already, right?

Stupid spelling corrector..

http://albumsthatneverwere.blogspot.co.uk/

ooh hadn't seen that -- looks totally good.

Thanks for that link, Mark G. It's often claimed that the Who weren't as prolific as the Stones or Kinks in those days; they were, it's just that little of it was released at the time (and they were also on the road more than both of those bands combined).

Would love to see that blogger reconstruct the aborted 1972 Who album.

tbf nobody was as prolific as the Kinks in the late 60s

Lifehouse?

Look deeeeeeeper.......

I'd seen his Lifehouse reconstruction, and it's pretty spot-on, though I'd quibble with the inclusion of "I Don’t Even Know Myself," as it was originally earmarked for the aborted 1970 7 Foot Wide Car, 6 Foot Wide Garage EP (along with "Postcard," "Now I'm A Farmer," "Water," and "Naked Eye"), and wasn't part of the Lifehouse concept.

But they started work with Glyn Johns on a record in 1972 that was to include all the Lifehouse leftovers, plus "Long Live Rock," "Love Reign O'er Me," "Is It In My Head?" "Can't You See I'm Easy," and "Riot In The Female Jail" (the latter two of which may not have been recorded by the Who).

That new song is okay. Not great, but far from embarrassing. The main thing is probably that Daltrey isn't shrill.

Ha, yeah, but I don't think Daltrey is physically capable of being shrill at this point. I'm really digging the new one, and production-wise it's streets ahead of anything on Endless Wire.

His voice sounds strangely muffled. The song is actually quite catchy -- I played it twice last night and I can still remember the chorus this morning.

I wish Mike Post Theme was on the greatest hits

Yeah, seriously; apart from "Who Are You" (the song), that's the best thing they've done since The Who By Numbers.