Re[2]: White City

["Kevin Winn" <kwinn@chrome.com>]

Jim responds:
>What makes you think that if the Who had done it, it would have been 
>better than the other post-Moon Who albums?  I am convinced that by the 
>end of 1980 that Pete didn't give a shit about writing for the Who 
>anymore--EG was a hit and it finally confirmed what Pete had been 
>searching for all along--he could be popular on his own. I just don't 
>think Pete can write or make Who records anymore.  He simply can't give 
>himself enough to them; he simply doesn't want to anymore.  His material 
>is better without the Who nowadays.  I would like to see Pete continue 
>working with Entwistle cos John can make any rock music sound better--why 
>he's not in a major band amazes me.  I don't think Pete can write for 
>Roger-as-Who-vocalist anymore ("After the Fire" is not really a Who song, 
>IMHO, even though I've read that the band was slated to perform it at Live 
>Aid, but couldn't tolerate each other enough to do proper rehearsals for 
>it).

Well, I think you've hit on the problem - once Pete started writing "for 
the Who" things began going awry.  When Pete just writes songs and the Who 
interprets them, THAT'S when things worked.  It's like trying to write a 
"hit."  There's no formula.  It works or it doesn't, no matter how hard you 
try.  I happen to think some of the Who's best material are interpretations 
of other writer's work.  "Young Man Blues" comes to mind.  So does 
"Heatwave."  And the Leeds versions of "My Generation" and "Magic Bus" are 
more examples of the band taking off from a platform.  I don't feel like 
Pete was thinking about how "the Who sound" would work with these songs 
when he wrote them.  Pete's solo songs worked much better than post-Moon 
efforts not because the personnel had changed, but because he felt free 
from writing "Who" songs.  "After The Fire" is a good example of Pete 
obviously trying to write a Who song.  And I agree with your feelings about 
Entwistle.  I am biased, since JE was THE major influence in my own bass 
playing, but his value in the mix continues to be highly underrated.



>>- "I Am Secure" sounds to me like a sequel to "I'm One" from Quad.  Sort 
>>of checking back in with Jimmy after he's 35, married and has a couple 
>>squirrely teens of his own.  Especially in the last two lines of the 
>>song. 


          >Interesting thought.  Sad to see that things haven't gotten 
          >any better for Jimmy.

Did you expect anything else?  Jimmy was one *seriously* screwed up 
individual - words that many have used to describe Pete (including Pete 
himself!).  No coincidence, I think, since Jimmy was clearly an 
autobiographical character.

OK,
KLW