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Re: the "authentic" who




Alan writes:
>At 10:18 10/30/95, arthur lizie, jr. wrote: 
>>our beliefs about what it means to
>>listen to the "real" who were challenged, with an opportunity to adapt or 
>>deny.  seems like a lot of people here deny rather than admit change.  not 
>>a complaint, just another observation about the myth of authenticity in 
>>popular music.

>Well said.  I've about given up on trying to defend the band's 
>changes/innovations through the years.  Seems like the gripers want them to 
>be what they were when the gripers first discovered them, starting with 
>those who complained about "A Quick One" not following the 2:50 pop single 
>format, if not before...and of course those who swore off them when Tommy 
>came out...etc. etc.

>I'd much rather live in the present and listen to what Pete, Roger, and 
>John have to say to me today than bitch because they continued playing 
>after Keith died.


OK, simmer down guys!  I wasn't trying to complain or wail about "oh, the 
Long Lost Genuine Who..."  I just opined that their live music lost power 
after Moon, and seemed to lack the identity/direction of previous years.

I honestly think It's Hard was a pretty decent album.  I was willing to cut 
the boys some slack for a few albums to re-establish or redefine their 
sound.  Pete wasn't, though...

Live performances are a different story.  There is no shame in recognizing 
your limitations (yeah, even the ones due to Age - the bane of Rock Stars). 
Page/Plant was a great example.  Neither of them tried to reach too far.  
Robert is simply not capable of sustaining those notes anymore.  So he and 
Page worked within their limits, applied a little creativity and came up 
with a killer show, without simply adding more people to cover up their 
lost abilities.

I would love to see the Who play live again.  But I want them to realize 
that it *cannot* be the way it was.  PT talks a lot about that over the 
years.  Why doesn't he DO IT?  Clapton recorded his last album, then toured 
behind it, and he TOLD his audiences "look, this show is a blues show.  
You're not gonna hear Layla or Wonderful Tonight.  Sorry, but that's it."  
and people are respecting that.  Why Pete thinks it would be any different 
for the Who is beyond me.  I for one would love to see an acoustic Who 
show.

OK,
KLW