Re: IH > WAY, Tis True

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>
>As much as I don't hate It's Hard compared to the "Who purists", I can't 
>believe ANYONE would prefer this album to Who Are You.  Simply put, this 
>album proves as tired as the band was (even with Keith's problems) that the 
>Who were nothing without Keith.  As much as I've diagnosed when Keith Moon 
>"lost it", I still realize he had a knack for feeling the music.

Ian:

Well, you have to be realistic. Moon was gone forever. IH was never going to
be a "Keith" Who album. No one should have looked for it, and I certainly
didn't. It's fashionable to put down the non-Moon Who, but for my money they
were still a great Rock band. Better than their contemps. I don't follow the
school of: no Keith = no Who. It was a different Who, and IH was a great album.
WAY was weak from the first song. Even Pete's guitarwork on New Song makes
one cringe a bit. He played better on MY GENERATION. It has no real message
(it's been said before, and better, by The Byrds). Love Is Coming Down is
pathetic. The demo sounds better (which is true of all of the WAY demos I've
heard). LICD should have been a Townshend solo song, or barring that he
should have been the singer. Guitar And Pen had potential, but is overblown
and overproduced. Might have been good live, but they didn't perform it. And
the damned whiny strings in Had Enough, LICD, and G&P...in the words Kevin
in the movie Quadrophenia: "Would you leave that out, please?"
I also don't agree with you that FACE DANCES had better material. It had two
of the worst Who songs EVER (Did You Steal and How Can You). Another Tricky
Day wasn't up to any standard, let alone any on IH...it's just there. It has
a damned disco beat in the middle. The lyrics even have that
California-lifestyle message...from The Who??? There are a few good songs on
the album: Don't Let Go The Coat, Daily Records, You, The Quiet One. I
reserve my judgement on You Better You Bet...obviously a single, not a
serious song.
IH was a good, solid Rock album with plenty of great Townshend (and
Entwistle) lyrics and a fine performance from the band as it existed. WAY
sounds like a weak last gasp from a band that was on its last legs.
Townshend (fortunately) regained his vigor and went on. It's a shame that it
took Moon's death to do it, but Pete admitted as much at the time.
BTW, I like Athena. It may not have been a great single, but it is a good song. 


                   Cheers                   ML

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."  L. Long