Re: New Tommy CD

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>I happen to like Face Dances over It's Hard myself, because of "How Can You 
>Do It Alone", "Did You Steal My Money", and "Another...".  I feel those 
>three songs are better than any on It's Hard with the exception of "Cry If 
>You Want".   The one thing that saves It's Hard for me is the production, 
>Glyn Johns does a good job.  Other than that I hear a tired and frustrated 
>band on the creative level.  That's much different from Who Are You where 
>it's more physical exhaustion of dealing with the pressures.  Athena 
>would've made Squeeze Box sound brilliant if placed on WBN.  In a sentence, 
>It's Hard really showed the Who lost their edge.  Before it was gradual and 
>showing on FD, but It's Hard was like hitting a brick wall.  That's not to 
>say I don't like it, but it's probably the last Who album I listen to out of 
>the rest.


Ian:

You and I have certainly differed in the past (with no hard feelings on
either side, I hope)..but I cannot believe that Did You Steal and How Can
You are two of your favs on FD! I rate them lowest on the scale of Who
songs, along with Don't Look Away and See My Way. In other words, FD and AQO
are IMHO the worst two Who albums (not counting WHO'S LAST). 
I will say this for FD; half of the songs are great. Don't Let Go The Coat,
The Quiet One, Daily Records, You, and Another Tricky Day are all very good
(if not the strongest) Who songs. On IT'S HARD, I'd say: everything except
One Life's Enough is very good to great. I love Athena, Cooks County (it's
so...Who) and Cry If You Want especially. It did take some time to
appreciate A Man Is A Man and Why Did I Fall For That, but they would both
have been at home on WBN (I think). Oh well, chalk it up to a different
opinion...

       Cheers                        ML