Musings on The Who (Superbowl, etc)

[pringlw]

I know there's another thread where folks offer thoughts on The Who's performance at the Superbowl. I jumped in on that thread, but thought that I wanted to go a little broader than the parameters of that particular thread.

I'll start by saying that I'm 41 years old - which basically means that The Who (in their prime at least) were before my time (roughly in the same way that Nirvana is "before the time" of a current 20 year old). I'm old enough to appreciate what they were, but young enough to have missed it when it was happening.

But I was always clear on what The Who were. The Who in their prime were lanky, irreverent kids who were given a microphone, and used that microphone to belt out their view of the world. Their songs reek of teenage angst, anger & young energy.



I know many believe that they were the seed from which the Punk Rock movement grew. I'm sure that there are people here that can better answer the degree to which this is true, but no matter what your opinion on this, the point is that their best music is a timeless rant about viewing the world through young eyes.



And of course they kicked a$$. Whether it was Townshends flying windmills which inevitably ended in slashed up fingers from his hand flying against his strings, or Keith Moon's frantic playing and kit destruction (while the Ox patiently held it all together). These guys brought an attitude not just to their lyrics, but to their performances.





That's why its so hard to watch the remnants of the band perform today. Today, they are an aging, wealthy part of the broad establishment. It's so far removed from what they were all about that frankly its hard to watch.

Their music - classic timeless rock anthems which view the world through youthful eyes - have been performed by old men so many times that I fear the world has forgotten that they were written by young men. The world will never see a 70 year old Kurt Cobain sing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - but the feeling of "wrongness" about that image is how I feel when I see PT & RD call themselves The Who today and perform "My Generation". This is especially true given that Keith Moon & The Ox are no longer with us.

My point is not to come down on the band. Really my point is that it's a shame that people in their teens and twenties will probably never be able to listen to these old Who songs and realize that they are speaking to them.

The Who is dead. Long live The Who.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594WL...eature=related

[RED5]

As a long time fan and one who was influenced early in my playing by the band ,I stuck with your post. It has always been a tough pull being a WHO fan Questions always begin with "Why do they ruin perfectly good guitars?"(Thanks John Hiatt) So I've come to expect less than complimentary reviews and just be happy with my own broad view of their place in pop history. Your post was well written and well taken. Glad I stuck it out till the end. I espouse the same sentiment. Where are the WHO now? Not the actual band,but a band that carries such weight as to be continously reviewed some 40+ years after thier apex? Sadly, I think that time has past. Soundbites carry more weight today than concepts and are we better for it? Albums are for us old folks,when just a piece of a single can be had online. You have to be hugely gifted to gain more than a moment on todays stage. We were gifted to be a part of a fantastic time in music. Concert tickets did't cost a mortgage payment and we saw the legends that still resonate today. Sorry kids,ya missed it! I for one am grateful to have been a part of that. Again, well said...The WHO are dead, Long Live The WHO.

[emor]

I know it was the Superbowl with an audience of a gazillion people, but it seemed more like one of those PBS fundraisers featuring Doo-Wop groups with one surviving member.

[GM60466]

They got $2.5 million for 14 minutes. I wonder if Pino and Zak setteled for their usual $50K per performance

[topper]

prnglw, that's one of the most insightful comments I've heard in a long time.

[phatbass]

I think Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend are one of the best Who cover Bands ever...

[godofthunder59]

Originally Posted by phatbass

I think Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend are one of the best Who cover Bands ever...

Yeah but they could use a better bassist.

[stratovani]

As the Super Bowl raged on (I'm not a fan of either team), over on VH1 Classic I was watching The Who in a performance done in 1970. It was a fantastic performance by a still-young band at the height of their powers. They played almost all of their hits up to that point, including just about all of Tommy. Then I caught the Halftime Show they put on. It was nothing more than your typical SB entertainment extravaganza - long on flash, short on substance, its sole purpose being to entertain the masses while the teams were in their respective locker rooms. I was saddened to see the mighty Who succumbing to the ravages of age, as I'm sure many other fans were. Townshend seemed to me to be going through the motions, perhaps thinking about the humongeous check he'd soon be cashing. The Who Sell-Out indeed! Daltry, to his credit, gave it the old college try, but age betrayed his once-glorious pipes. After witnessing this spectacle I went back to VH1 and caught the rest of the concert. As I was watching I was wishing I could have caught them live back in the day, but, alas, tickets sold out in minutes and I was never able to see them. My loss!

IMHO it's time for our heroes to call it a day. A lot of them are approaching their 70s and the ravages of time (and hard living in some cases) are beginning to show. My personal favorites, Rush, are in their mid-50s, and still have something left in the tank, so I'd better hustle and catch them some more before it's too late!

[Fishheadjoe]

Well put Pringlw... I couldn't agree more!
Fishheadjoe

[edmidlifecrisis]

I, too had mixed emotions watching them, especially after just watching the BluRay disc of the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. I've been a fan since high school (69-71). Their prime.

I did see them once in their prime, on the Quadrophenia tour at Madison Square Garden in 1973, it of course was amazing. I remember cutting school to go into NYC to the box office to try to buy tickets for their Metropolitan Opera show, and coming home empty handed...

They were not the same after Keith checked out, and certainly after John died they became a sort of tribute band. Their last real spark I think was the Concert for NYC with John, they really smoked the Garden.

Of course, how can one expect anyone to keep up that intensity and level forever, no one's done it yet....everyone ages, (especially me). And that great writing of the glory days, yes, they were young men. Pete was one of the best writers too, just listen to the phenomenal musicality of the original Tommy recording and be amazed.

Look at what Yes and other bands of that era are going through as they try to keep on playing and touring...it ain't easy, it seems.

Good original post.

[jimc]

This caused me to wonder why artists such as these continue to perform, even when well past their prime. It can't be they need the money that much can it? Paul McCartney is richer than the Vatican and still performs.

Maybe they still get the buzz from playing in front of an audience, after all it's all they've ever done. I'm 55 now and playing better than I ever have, I'm not thinking of hanging up my bass just yet.

As long as there's an audience that wants to see it I say let grandpa keep rocking

[Steve Clark]

Originally Posted by jimc

Maybe they still get the buzz from playing in front of an audience, after all it's all they've ever done. I'm 55 now and playing better than I ever have, I'm not thinking of hanging up my bass just yet.

Have to agree with this completely. Can't imagine they need the money that much. I'm 44 and busier than ever as a musician and getting paid for it. The buzz of gigging is better than pretty much anything and I hope to be playing for another 20 years. Sometimes real life after a great, musically satisfying gig pales in comparison. I imagine for iconic figures like The Who or McCartney the contrast is even more dramatic. For what it's worth I thought they sounded great for a couple of guys not much younger than my Dad. My Dad gave up rocking and rolling a long time ago.

[Matt R.]

To the OP- Great post. They're one of my favorite bands ever.

[becker4567]

Having seen the Who several times beginning in 1968, and actually attending one of the 'Lifehouse' shows at the Young Vic, I can agree completely with your views. It is a bit hard to see Pete trying to recreate the angry young man of 35 years ago, and Roger, who had one of the greatest voices in all of rock, warble through a series of television jingles, but their contribution to rock is unmistakable and without question. Lads, its time to call it a day, and besides, there is really nothing wrong with resting on some well earned laurels!

[GreggBummer]

I posted on the other thread... but i wanted to throw in here too.

The Super Bowl performance was pretty mediocre. I thought Rogers voice sounded tired. He may have had a bad day. He was missing his snarl.

@the OP: I really enjoyed your post. Very well thought out. I am 36, and also missed The Who in their heyday. I am still a fan. Given the opportunity to see Daltry and Townsend now... I would still go. Although I don't know if I would pay $250 a ticket.

I disagree with the sentiment that they should hang it up. I think it is great that they are performing. I would love to take my daughter to see a show. It won't be LIVE AT LEEDS, but it would be good enough. I feel the same way about The Stones and LedZep... they aren't the same bands you saw in the 70's, but they are still great bands. I don't believe in making an artist become a slave to himself.

Just my two cents... worth exactly two cents.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by jimc

This caused me to wonder why artists such as these continue to perform, even when well past their prime. It can't be they need the money that much can it? Paul McCartney is richer than the Vatican and still performs.

Maybe they still get the buzz from playing in front of an audience, after all it's all they've ever done. I'm 55 now and playing better than I ever have, I'm not thinking of hanging up my bass just yet.

As long as there's an audience that wants to see it I say let grandpa keep rocking

That's it - they LIKE what they do. And who is qualified to say they can't? No one. As long as people want to see them and pay to do so, there is no reason for them to pay any attention to nay-sayers who think they're a tribute band or a shell of what they were.

Maybe they are.

But why should that matter to people who want to see them? In this world, when they stop turning out...you stop touring. That hasn't happened yet.

I'm closing in on 60 and I frankly don't care if others think they're a tribute band. To me, it's a real treat to see them performing and rocking.

The OP has a great point in that when the Who's classics were written, they were indeed young men and they were expressing all the sentiments that power music of the young. I hope that some of today's young people enjoy it - and I think they do. However, I realize that the age of the band is off-putting to younger people.

Personally - I'm playing as long as I feel like it and they keep coming!

[cbrophy]

Townshend was/is famously famous for not manageing his money well. Daltry might have been a little better, but did not get song writing royalties, so he did/has to rely on his touring for income. Entwistle, when alive, was perhaps the biggest R&R star when it came to spending money...he was practically broke when he died, and would often press Townshend and Daltry to tour, just so he could "Pay the mortgage". As you get older, you still need an income to support the lifestyle. Remember, they made most of their money 40 yrs ago....It don't last forever! Maybe this why they keep going...and going...and going.......I love The Who.....always will.

[DreadRaver]

I recorded the show, didn't watch it until last night.

It was AWESOME.

Daltrey and Townsend were great.

I understand that the 2010 Superbowl had the largest TV viewership of ALL TIME,
and I think THE WHO might have been a contributing factor (I never would have bothered watching, otherwise.)

They certainly rose to the occasion, and they truly deserved the honor.

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by jimc

This caused me to wonder why artists such as these continue to perform, even when well past their prime...Maybe they still get the buzz from playing in front of an audience, after all it's all they've ever done. I'm 55 now and playing better than I ever have, I'm not thinking of hanging up my bass just yet. As long as there's an audience that wants to see it I say let grandpa keep rocking...

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

That's it - they LIKE what they do. And who is qualified to say they can't? No one. As long as people want to see them and pay to do so, there is no reason for them to pay any attention to nay-sayers who think they're a tribute band or a shell of what they were...I'm closing in on 60...To me, it's a real treat to see them performing and rocking...Personally - I'm playing as long as I feel like it and they keep coming!

Originally Posted by GreggBummer

...I disagree with the sentiment that they should hang it up. I think it is great that they are performing...I feel the same way about The Stones and LedZep... they aren't the same bands you saw in the 70's, but they are still great bands...

I gotta' agree with you guys . . . and as you can see in my profile, I'm gonna' be 65 this July 29th! And I'M active, performing live (or rehearsing) with our group just about every weekend . . . I truly want to "Rock 'n Roll 'til I die!"

Originally Posted by GreggBummer

...The Super Bowl performance was pretty mediocre. I thought Rogers voice sounded tired...He was missing his snarl...

I thought his voice sounded "mature" . . . and Pete T's voice sounded amazing, too (for their ages).

Originally Posted by DreadRaver

I recorded the show...It was AWESOME. Daltrey and Townsend were great...

Yeah, I just saw the performance on youtube . . . gotta' agree . . . it WAS awesome!!!!

[Tim C.]

Originally Posted by phatbass

I think Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend are one of the best Who cover Bands ever...

The Who was Pete and Roger's band all along. Keith and John just brought something extra to their sound.