Re: The Who Digest Vol 3 Num 76

[amck@eden.com (Alan McKendree)]

At 3:45 3/17/96, The Who Mailing List wrote:
Jason>
>NP: WGFA from the crappy San Francisco 1971 boot.  I don't know why I'm
>listening to it...is this the real crappy one or is that Cobo Hall??

Cobo Hall is reportedly a fake boot made from studio versions of songs with
crowd noise overdubbed :-P.

>Stacy:
>        Out of context, I have always identified with the line, "I want to
>cut myself and see my blood, I wanna come home all covered in mud."
>Perhaps it's because my parents never said things like "girls don't do
>that, they don't get dirty" when I would go outside and dig for worms with
>my friends when I was five.

You sound like my kinda girl...my sisters are the same way.  In fact, my
youngest sister now climbs mountains (literally) that I would never ever
consider climbing...

>  However, I don't think many people can fully
>identify with the entire song, "I'm a Boy," anyway;  It's not exactly
>common for a little boy's parents to dress him like, and pretend he's a
>girl.

Hm.  Good point.

>        Do you expect a woman to hear this line from Quadrophenia, "you say
>she's a virgin? well I'm gonna be the first in," shudder with disgust, and
>say "Oh how dreadful!"

Well, I've cringed inside before, when listening to it with a female
friend.  This is probably more a factor of _my_ upbringing but it's raw
enough that I wouldn't say it myself in mixed company.  Hmm...have I just
discovered that the honesty of Pete's writing has its thorns?...:-).

>        I think women can especially relate to the lyrics of "Anyway Anyhow
>Anywhere," I certainly can.  I don't think the line, "I can do anything,
>any way I choose, I can live anyhow" necessarily has to do with bravado, I
>think the message is universal to men and women all over the planet.

Excellent; I agree...so at least we've found that this alone doesn't
account for the predominantly male audience...

>        I hope I was able to shed some light.
>                                                                Stacey

Yes, but...hm...the fact remains (unexplained?) of the 80% male audience.
I guess it just makes the other 20% all the more special.

And concerning Psrox's comment (Hi Pam) of female Who fans being incredibly
horny...IMHO, I think most fans of the music are going to have a pretty
high appreciation of sex.  Without going into long philosophical
justification, the thing I appreciate about The Who's music is that at the
core it's positive and life-affirming -- many bands have "personalities",
and if I may be permitted to ramble, I've always thought that the Stones
have a sinister Satanic/dark aspect (not that I believe in it, I'm an
atheist FWIW), ZZ Top has a undercurrent of cheerfully kinky sex, George
Thorogood has a strong biker/lets-get-drunk contingent in the audience
(which is funny because he personally seems to be very well-adjusted and
pleasant in concert), the Dead have that acid thing going.  The Who are
unique in my experience in combining high-power rock and roll with
spiritual depth, humor, and, and the core, happiness.  And that attitude is
congruent with the life-affirming activity of (say it with me now) sex.

OK, time to knock it off and get some sleep.  Thanks for reading.

P.S.:  let me add my thanks to Jeff Williams for his detailed comments on
the _Tommy_ re-release.  Very enjoyable, I've got a printout to listen
along with.

Alan

Maybe someday a man will come to you on a flaming pie and say "the Beatles
are the best musicians in human history". If he does, listen, cause he's
fucking right on.   elevator56@aol.com on alt.music.who

"When I'm on stage, it's not like bein' possessed...it's just...*I* *do*
*my* *job*."                 - Pete Townshend