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Re: Another opening chords attempt




> From davids@shell.portal.com Wed May 10 11:04:08 1995
> From: David Schenfeld <davids@shell.portal.com>
> Subject: Re: Annother opening chords attempt
> To: jeffw@mxim.com (Jeff Williams)
> Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 11:01:17 -0700 (PDT)
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> > Townshends hardest stuff (at least the early stuff):  Solo on Can't Explain
> > (actually Jimmy Page),
> Pete has stated that He (not Jimmy) did the solo.  Jimmy is doing rhythm. 
> You might to take it public in the list if you disagree, because
> I can't remember the article where I read it.
> 
> 
> Thanks for the overture chords..
> -David
> 
> 

I'd bet my Rick on Page doing the lead, because it was far more intricate
than anything Townshend was playing back then.  The chords (when transcribed
PROPERLY, not BALLPARKING) reek of Townshend's Django influences.  Many
of the formations show up in subsequent songs.  But maybe I'd back off 
as Townshend pulled off some interesting bits on lead here and there throughout
the first album and bootlegs contemporary to it.  The studio lead is way way
more complicated than the live versions of the period.  The transcription of
the lead indicates some real wierd runs and timing.  They are exceptionally
hard to decode, being on a 12 string.  Half-speed yields some secrets.   

Of course Page played rhythm on Bald Headed Woman (one of my favorite songs of
all time) 'cause he was the only dude in England at the time who had a fuzz 
box, and wouldn't let Pete play it.  That's O.K. Pete's eventual use of 
distortion was some of the tastiest in the galaxy, perhaps the galactic cluster.
I mean, he worked over the Hiwatts when everyone else including Page was using
Marshalls.  Yet earlier he got a real mean sound outta the Vox (re:  the OX, 
the live version of Daddy Rolling Stone - Jeez those songs sound like the
inside of a Pratt and Whitney).  Of course Page used Supro amps on the first
few albums, giving them their distinctive sound, before going on to Marshalls.
I've played through a Supro - tiny, but gets an incredibly mean distorted 
sound - rich and funky (not skippy - re:  WBN)
Then Townshend got those pukey Crates or whatever the hell else he was using
and decided one morning he wanted his sound to suck, so that was that for that.

See, I don't always slam 'im.  He's real good at what he does good and real 
bad at what he dudn't do so good.

Jeff W.