FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Smelodies on December 16, 2009, 07:59:15 PM
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What's your take on The Who?
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I went with "OK with great moments." I love the early singles and half of Sell Out but after that it gets pretty spotty. Tommy is one of my least favorite albums of all time.
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Moi 'tis in the majority.
'Tis a rare event.
Stay on groovin' safari,
Tor
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I want to say they're great, but they pretty much suck after Sell Out. I love Sell Out and everything before that so much, though, that I tend to forget about everything else.
EDIT: Is Quadrophenia good? I haven't listened to that yet.
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I found a 24 year old Smelodies conspiring to murder "I Can't Explain."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjWYA_b-Gbw
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I am a fan of The Ox.
(http://www.the-who.eu/Pics/johnentwistle1.jpg)
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I am a fan of The Ox.
(http://www.the-who.eu/Pics/johnentwistle1.jpg)
I would love to have one of those old timey tuners that I think is resting on the huge horn and speaker cab in the background.
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GREAT ...
including a lot of things about their music and their personalities that are hugely embarrassing and questionable. But that's part of their greatness.
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Like masterofsparks and several others, I voted "okay with some great moments."
"Sings My Generation" and "Sell Out" are two of the greatest albums ever made, IMO. The early singles are pretty fantastic, particularly 'I Can't Explain.' "Quadrophenia" has some uneven moments, but is mostly great. "Who's Next" and "Tommy" are quality albums, but I don't really need to hear either of them again. The rest of their recorded output varies from average to below average.
Also, has there ever been a better rhythm section than Entwistle and Moon?
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The singles were pretty good (even the later dud albums had a couple good tracks on them each), and I really dig a couple of their albums, but I'm not the biggest fan overall. I'm going with the "Some stuff was great, but they were just okay" option.
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I have been a Who fan since I was 13 or so. The fact of the matter is that it is Pete Townshend who wrote almost every single note of music they put out. He, in my opinion, is one of the best songwriters of the 20th century, ranking up there with Lennon and McCartney and all those other much-heralded dudes.
Since he has been putting out music pretty much constantly since the early 1960's one would assume that some of his material is stronger than others. Only a few years ago my enthusiasm for Pete started to wane after hearing the new "Who" tracks from the recent record(s) but I stumbled upon his blog/video diaries and they made me jump up and down for joy.
First of all, he apparently uses my favorite DAW Ableton Live, AND he's somewhat of a goofball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAzLAYGZCGg
He seems to be a genuinely funny guy... and he's definitely smart and very open to new technologies and media.
How can anyone argue with the guy who wrote so many classic pop tunes and who hasn't had a regular job in nearly 50 years? Townshend is super, in my book.
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I am a fan of The Ox.
(http://www.the-who.eu/Pics/johnentwistle1.jpg)
I would love to have one of those old timey tuners that I think is resting on the huge horn and speaker cab in the background.
The remastered DVD of The Kids Are Alright (which I got for nearly nothing in the cutout bin) has a special feature of Entwhistle playing (with video) from this performance with ONLY the bass. I think they did this as a tribute after his death or something... Anyway, it is mind blowing how that dude played... And the massive VOLUME. You can hear parts of the rest of the band leaking through his bass pickups.
Not surprisingly, he was pretty much deaf and relied on reading lips most of the time.
Hey! I found it on YouTube: (it is silent until about a little more than a minute into it... but it's worth the wait)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lf10U0yZrs
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Well, this was a no-brainer for me: Great.
EDIT: Is Quadrophenia good? I haven't listened to that yet.
I think it is good. Entwhistles (and Moons) work on The Real Me is incredible.
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Once during a "getting to know you" segment a couple years ago Tom asked me to rank the members of The Who from best to worst, and I ranked Pete Townsend last, which seemed to throw Tom for a loop, seeing as he did write all the songs and everything. But after Pete Townsend got caught up in that whole child porn scandal earlier in the decade he took up permanent residence in the basement of my Who member rankings. The Ox will always be the best part of The Who for me.
Oh, and "good."
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Once during a "getting to know you" segment a couple years ago Tom asked me to rank the members of The Who from best to worst, and I ranked Pete Townsend last, which seemed to throw Tom for a loop, seeing as he did write all the songs and everything. But after Pete Townsend got caught up in that whole child porn scandal earlier in the decade he took up permanent residence in the basement of my Who member rankings. The Ox will always be the best part of The Who for me.
Oh, and "good."
Townshend was totally exhonorated, you know.
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Once during a "getting to know you" segment a couple years ago Tom asked me to rank the members of The Who from best to worst, and I ranked Pete Townsend last, which seemed to throw Tom for a loop, seeing as he did write all the songs and everything. But after Pete Townsend got caught up in that whole child porn scandal earlier in the decade he took up permanent residence in the basement of my Who member rankings. The Ox will always be the best part of The Who for me.
Oh, and "good."
Townshend was totally exhonorated, you know.
...except for the part where he admitted to paying to look at child porn. But I probably should have left that can of worms closed in hindsight - this is not really the thread or board for it.
Ironically, though, "A Legal Matter" is probably my all-time favorite Who song.
Glad to see "Bad" has gotten 0 votes so far.
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Once during a "getting to know you" segment a couple years ago Tom asked me to rank the members of The Who from best to worst, and I ranked Pete Townsend last, which seemed to throw Tom for a loop, seeing as he did write all the songs and everything. But after Pete Townsend got caught up in that whole child porn scandal earlier in the decade he took up permanent residence in the basement of my Who member rankings. The Ox will always be the best part of The Who for me.
Oh, and "good."
Townshend was totally exhonorated, you know.
...except for the part where he admitted to paying to look at child porn. But I probably should have left that can of worms closed in hindsight - this is not really the thread or board for it.
Ironically, though, "A Legal Matter" is probably my all-time favorite Who song.
Glad to see "Bad" has gotten 0 votes so far.
Operation Ore investigation and police caution
As part of the Operation Ore investigations, Townshend was cautioned by the police in 2003 after acknowledging a credit card access in 1999 to the Landslide website alleged to advertise child pornography.[25][26][27] He stated in the press and on his website that he had been engaged in research for A Different Bomb (a now-abandoned book based on an anti-child pornography essay published on his website in January 2002) and his autobiography, and as part of a campaign against child pornography.[28] The police searched his house and confiscated 14 computers and other materials, and after a four-month forensic investigation confirmed that they had found no evidence of child abuse images. Consequently, the police offered a caution rather than pressing charges, issuing a statement: "After four months of investigation by officers from Scotland Yard's child protection group, it was established that Mr Townshend was not in possession of any downloaded child abuse images." In a statement issued by his solicitor, Townshend said, "I accept that I was wrong to access this site, and that by doing so, I broke the law, and I have accepted the caution that the police have given me."[29] As a statutory consequence of accepting the caution, Townshend was entered on the Violent and Sex Offender Register for five years.[30][31]
Well, erm.. you opened the can... I just want to set the record straight. Townshend has been a big contributor to childrens charities and has always been a stand up guy. What happened to him used to be called "railroaded," now I guess they call it a "caution."
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We're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one, I think. I agree with what the police said when they cautioned him and added him to the sex offender registry - that "research" or "curiosity" is no defense, and that the real crime isn't why you did it, it's injecting money into a system that abuses children. Anyway, if his story about research is true, who needs to actually pay money to "research" that stuff? Dude should have known better.
But seriously, let's call a detante - I really didn't mean to shit all over your Pete-love. I like more than my share of artists who have run well afoul of the law (ODB to thread). What we do agree on is that he was/is one of the all-time great songwriters (Pete, not ODB). I was just jamming out yesterday to that deluxe reissue of The Who Sell Out that came out this year - soo, so much good stuff on that.
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We're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one, I think. I agree with what the police said when they cautioned him and added him to the sex offender registry - that "research" or "curiosity" is no defense, and that the real crime isn't why you did it, it's injecting money into a system that abuses children. Anyway, if his story about research is true, who needs to actually pay money to "research" that stuff? Dude should have known better.
But seriously, let's call a detante - I really didn't mean to shit all over your Pete-love. I like more than my share of artists who have run well afoul of the law (ODB to thread). What we do agree on is that he was/is one of the all-time great songwriters (Pete, not ODB). I was just jamming out yesterday to that deluxe reissue of The Who Sell Out that came out this year - soo, so much good stuff on that.
I get where you're coming from, and yes let's let this go.
Have you ever heard his Scoop 1 and 2 collections of Who and solo demos? Superb (the first one is better).
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I went with "OK with great moments." I love the early singles and half of Sell Out but after that it gets pretty spotty. Tommy is one of my least favorite albums of all time.
QFT
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I saw them on the last tour, the one for 'Endless Wire', and they were fantastic. Entwhistle was very much missed, though.
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Eh...
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"Great!"
As far as ranking
1a.Pete Towshend (tie)
1b.John Entwhistle (tie)
1c.Keith Moon (tie)
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267.Roger Daltrey
Never has a big rock band had such a "not getting it" band member as Roger Daltrey. I don't mean to bring the guy down. When he sings pretty, Roger is great... and if he was the peacemaker in the band, then great too.
But when Roger tries to sound rough and tough, ugh it's awkward, especially when you see him do this on video trying to out-Robert-Plant Robert Plant but with frilled denim wings.
Edit/PS: And sorry Roger, but that whole centaur thing on one of your solo albums? That's just wrong, pal.
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Pete Townshend impressed by Super Bowl spectacle, felt supported by football-centric crowd
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 1 hour ago
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Pete Townshend is used to playing in front of stadiums filled with rabid fans who know every note of The Who's songs. He didn't get that at the band's Super Bowl halftime performance, but he's OK with that too.
Townshend and bandmate Roger Daltrey performed a medley of some of their most famous songs on entertainment's biggest stage Sunday, including "Won't Get Fooled Again" during a 12-minute set that included a laser-lit stage and plenty of fireworks.
While the crowd was involved, and some held up their cellphones to illuminate the night as instructed by the stadium announcers, they were somewhat subdued, and was clear it was not a Who event.
Backstage after their show, Townshend laughed and said: "You know, you could kind of tell from the stage the crowd is really here for the game."
"It was nice for that reason. It was nice to feel a part of something and not having it all to be about us," he added. When it was mentioned that most rock stars want everything to revolve around them, he joked and said: "We're too far gone to care I think."
It was the first football game Townshend and Daltrey, both Brits, ever saw (Daltrey went after his performance to watch the game, which the New Orleans Saints won over the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17). Townshend said he was awed by the spectacle, and the sheer work of putting together the event.
"It's extraordinary," said Townshend. "You forget how big sport is and how every week it happens ... I'm not trying to be humble but we felt like a very small piece of a huge team."
The Super Bowl also saw the debut of a new remix of "My Generation" by will.i.am and Slash. It is available for sale on Amazon.com, will.i.am's dipdive.com and the Who's website, and proceeds will go to aid Haiti after the earthquake there.
Townshend said he was impressed with the remix: "It's actually very elegant, it's not gangsta," he said of will.i.am's rap on the song.
Townshend called his entire Super Bowl experience a success, despite protests by some children's rights advocates about his presence in the Super Bowl.
Townshend was arrested in 2003 in Britain as part of a child pornography sting but later cleared. He accessed a website containing child pornography but said it was for research for his own campaign against child porn. He was required to register as a sex offender, despite being cleared. Townshend said he has been a children's advocate for years and was abused himself as a child.
He had to address the controversy at the Who's Super Bowl news conference, and though he feels like the protests were "a bit of a cheap shot," he said it was "dealt with fairly elegantly in the press conference."
"I think if people don't believe, they fall on that side of the line, there's little I can do, but most people have been very kind, very understanding, and I know I did nothing wrong," he said.
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Yeah, I was thoroughly surprised by their performance last night. I thought nothing could beat the Superbowl genius Bruce Springsteen gave with the running in to the cameras and the chicken wings remark but The Who totally brought it, IMHO. I thought they had a ton of energy and was totally impressed.
As far as what I know of their stuff, I know Tommy pretty well but because of the Broadway show, not the actual Who recording and I love the song "A Quick One While He's Away" because of Rushmore but they're obviously pretty great at least in performance and I wouldn't be averse to listening to more of them.
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Best starters for The Who are "A Quick One" and "The Who Sell Out", especially the expanded CD versions whose bonus stuff is completely worth it.
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The Super Bowl gig was kind of dull, but I liked Zak Starkey's drum kit and custom cymbals.