Re: The Who Digest Vol 3 Num 74

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>Let's face it, adolescence sucks. For girls and for guys. Let's not forget,
>at the time when Pete was growing up, women were quite opressed, and even
>though it may have seemed to a guy that girls had the upper hand, it's not
>necessarily true. So when guys were dealing with what they saw as being "at
>the mercy of the women," girls had an entirely different set of issues to
>deal with. Neither one was necessarily more difficult, but either sex was
>oblivious to the trials and tribulations of the other. 

Athena:

Wish I'd known you way back when. I would have definitely had more sympathy
toward women than I did. Instead, I was surrounded by girls who told me that
(take your choice) Alice Cooper, Grand Funk, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath,
Joni Mitchell, Stones, Allman Brothers...were better than The Who. Guys too,
for that matter.
I used to say that The Who were an intelligence test. I might amend that now
to say that understanding QUAD is the test.


>Quadrophenia, taken from a very basic level, describes adolescence, and what
>a terrible time it is. Anyone can relate to that. You don't have to sit and
>ponder the lyrics to every song on the album to understand that. The
>important thing is the feeling of the album, something that is universal, and
>that everyone that has ever been an adolescent can relate to. That's what
>gives it its power. I think that explains its appeal to guys as well as to
>girls. I personally believe it paints a very accurate picture of what
>adolescence is like for both sexes. Jimmy and I don't have all that much in
>common, but I can relate to the way he feels more than I can to actual people
>sometimes. Just a thought.

And since Rock Music is all about adolescence (or started that way, at
least), that would make QUAD the definition of Rock...which is what I've
always said. 
I would like to think of QUAD as universal...it would make a good primer for
every adolescent to learn in school...but unfortunately, the "masses" don't
seem to even come close to liking it, let alone getting it.

                  Cheers                     ML