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Thoughts on Pino Palladino
- Thread starter TJH3113
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- palladino pino palladino
My only issue with anything Pino related is that I have to use headphones to hear most of his work.
I saw the show at Madison Square Garden and it is true the bass was lost in the mix, pretty badly. But the show was pretty good. It is pretty common for the bass to get lost in these concrete sports arenas. The sound at the garden usually sucks. I was disappointed with the mix. I would have loved to hear what Pino played. Caught about 3 notes in the My generation solo. I can't really figure out how the soundman for the Who, such a bass dominate band, could fail to get a little something out there. I have been in a thousand rooms, where it sounded great at the board and ten feet away it was a different show all together. I hate to be that soundman if Ox was still around and had found out he wasn't heard. Unfortunately Pino is just a hired gun.
The engineer didn't even bump him up a bit until the second "My Generation" solo...unless that was Pino doing it himself (it looked like he stepped up to a pedal board at that spot). You're right, when Entwistle was around, that poopie was front and center. I remember getting chills during 5:15. The bass guitar was such a big part of The Who's sound, it's disappointing to see them all but abandoning it.
An amazing player and a truly nice guy. Had the honor of meeting him once – quite by accident – circa 1995. I already knew of his work on Don Henley's "Building the Perfect Beast" (1984), Paul Young's "Everytime You Go Away" (1985) and other recordings. By pure chance, I happened to be in the same recording studio as him nine years later when he was doing session work for a then tart-of-the-day's follow-up album. Became reacquainted with his work via the John Mayer Trio's "Try!" (2005), and have been listening to his vast catalog ever since.
Cocky atitude, plus John Mayer's singing is pure crap. Even if he were the greatest guitarist who ever lived, that would still be true. I honestly can't name one person whose singing I despise more. As for Pino, I wouldn't be able to add much to what has already been said. He is a genius, but doesn't fit in well with The Who.
So, let me get this straight: If I buy a Who album, say, It's Hard, and I don't like it as much as say, Who's Next, I have no right to my opinion because I'm not in the band? If I buy a ticket to a Who show and I find the bass player to be far less dynamic than the guy I saw with them back in, say, 1985, I'm only Monday Morning Quarterbacking cuz it's all up to them and if I'm not on the team, I should just shut up?
Is that the position you're taking? I don't think you understand the artist/audience relationship very well. You certainly don't seem to know what a critic is.
I have yet to see anyone on this thread deny that The Who has a right to choose any musician they want to back them up. So far, you're the only one I've seen claiming that no one here has a right to express an opinion on their choice.
As for your first paragraph above, many of The Who's fans felt that Kenny Jones was poor choice to replace Moon. They were right, and Roger came to agree with them publicly. Many artists make artistic decisions that seem like good ideas at the time, but with hindsight they admit that they should've done things differently. Happens all the time. To give you examples from the classic rock world, Deep Purple's Who Do We Think We Are? was a mess and all involved admitted it. Journey fired their very good rhythm section in order to update their sound for Raised on Radio and even Steve Perry admits he shouldn't have done that. Kiss recorded a concept album and the band wound up hating it almost as much as the fans did. Have you listened to Black Sabbath's Technical Ecstasy? Chris Squire hated everything Yes did after Tormato until Trevor Rabin joined the band. Then he hated everything after Big Generator. Sometimes these thing happen because of studio or label pressure (Who Do We...?). Sometimes it's ego and money (Kiss). Sometimes it happens because the band is a collaboration, and it goes dry (Yes). Sometimes it's drugs (Sabbath, Thin Lizzy). Sometimes the band leader is a head case (Steve Perry and to be honest, Pete Townshend).
When you're an envelope pushing artist like Pete Townshend, you take artistic chances. And you knock it out of the part a few times and that makes you famous. And especially in his case, you whiff a few times and that makes you human.
I don't have to be in the band to see that. Or to say it.
These two are spot on, imho (among many other replies). I remember reading an Anthony Jackson interview long ago, and Anthony said something to the effect of "Great players who are my competition for session work are a royal pain in the ass. And you know who is a huge pain in my ass? Pino Palladino." (Can't find the exact quote - Bass Player magazine in the 90s I think, but Google is not helping me find the quote I'm remembering). When I read that I had only heard Pino's iconic fretless work. I soon found that there was much more to him than that, though I also do miss his fretless sound, very much.
The only time I have seen the Who was at the Music Hall in Boston, the summer of 71'. I think "Who's Next" was the featured LP.
Particulary a problem when listening on desktop speakers or watching clips on a phone, where the whole frequency range is apt to be missing.
OK, so let's say you're Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey and you own the name The Who. Do you use that name and sell out arenas across the world, or do you call it Townshend And Daltrey and sell out 1000-2000 seat theaters for a fraction of the money? HINT: it's an IQ test
OK, so let's say you're Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey and you own the name The Who. Do you use that name and sell out arenas across the world, or do you call it Townshend And Daltrey and sell out 1000-2000 seat theaters for a fraction of the money? HINT: it's an IQ test
Agreed completely.
But there's doing it, and there's doing it well. I think many long time fans of the band, particularly those of us inspired by the band, have a quibble with how well they are doing it. I can't really criticize Daltrey because age really does affect singers differently than guitarists. They should sell out arenas as The Who, but I think the gist of the OP's thread is that long time fans, especially bass players, might be happier with a more dynamic bassist as their hired gun. Doesn't have to be an Ox clone. But I think that a pocket guy is such a serious contrast to the in-your-face style of the original that the overall result emphasizes the missing piece. Then again, that could be their plan....
did I pass the test?
Got a solid B. You lost a letter grade because people all over the world don't seem to have a problem going to the shows as they are and enjoying themselves. So they are doing it and doing it well, regardless of what you think about Pino in Entwistle's stead.Agreed completely.
But there's doing it, and there's doing it well. I think many long time fans of the band, particularly those of us inspired by the band, have a quibble with how well they are doing it. I can't really criticize Daltrey because age really does affect singers differently than guitarists. They should sell out arenas as The Who, but I think the gist of the OP's thread is that long time fans, especially bass players, might be happier with a more dynamic bassist as their hired gun. Doesn't have to be an Ox clone. But I think that a pocket guy is such a serious contrast to the in-your-face style of the original that the overall result emphasizes the missing piece. Then again, that could be their plan....
did I pass the test?
While I think Pino is among the top bassists ever, he doesn't seem like the right fit for the Who. Entwhistle is hard to replace. My only thought of a possibility would be Billy Sheehan. Might seem like an odd choice, but I feel he and the ox had aggressive styles, as opposed to Pino's more laid back in the groove approach.
I'll take it!
I'll probably have to ding you a point or two for the "if it sells, it's good" philosophy. The OP himself is evidence that some paying customers aren't satisfied with the shows as they are. There is what is "good" and what "sells". Sometimes they coincide, but neither should be used as a measure for the other.
If this lineup was just starting out, you might have had a point. But it's not.
Townshend is formost a songwriter(to me anyway) if this was talk-songwriter I'm pretty sure they would prefer Pino. I love Entwistle, he was one of my earliest heroes, but I would have received a lot less work over the years if I adopted his style and tone.*
Plus I'm not even close to being as talented.
Plus I'm not even close to being as talented.
