Re: The Who as an influence

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> ML:
> 
> three cheers for the BYRDS, my favorite 60s group!

Yes, and without them we wouldn't have Elvis Costello, REM, Gin
Blossoms, Tom Petty, Toad The Wet Sprocket, etc. etc. etc. A very
underrated band, and mainly because they changed so much after Crosby
left IMHO. I've only found out recently just how strong a "voice" Crosby
was in the band. Who knew? I thought McGuinn was running the
show...until I heard the "import" Tamborines And Twelve Strings.

Now, on to Wally...

> It was an Eddie Cochran song first, was it not?

It was, but listen to the Cochran version then the Who version, and then
tell me which Blue Cheer was doing.

> More influential to whom?

Oh, every Rock musician who heard it (which would be most of them, I
think). Look at music before MG (Chuck Berry/Blues) even by The
"fabulous and original" Beatles, and then see how different it was after
December 1965 (or perhaps it would be more accurate to put it even a bit
earlier, since surely Lennon/McCartney had seen The Who perform before
MG was released).
As for Beatles music itself, as any Beach Boys fan of the time could
tell you, it wasn't quite as original as it may appear while watching
retrospective Beatles films/video.

Have you heard the Marquee Club "import" from 1964? You can hear the
difference in The Who's music that early (as opposed to everyone
else's), even when they're jamming off a Kinks riff.

> And, besides just because you said so, can you back this statement up with anything?

The proof is there for anyyone to hear. It might take some younger
people a bit of research for the dates, but that's time well spent
anyway. The musical environment around The Who's career is very
important when discussing their music. It can tell one, for instance,
that while WHO ARE YOU wasn't one of the band's stellar releases, it was
still superior to the majority of what was released that
year...especially if you focus on their peers.

> Top 10 in England, 74 in the U.S. charts. Besides you, who did it influence?

Musicians, of course. The casual record-buying public are a poor way to
measure good music or influence...or do you feel that Snoop Doggy Dog,
Kiss, Madonna, Oasis (and so on) are important, influential acts? Do you
credit every band who've outsold The Who with more influence? I doubt
it, and even if you do I certainly don't. Record sales mean nothing but
how much money a performer has made or how popular they are. The same is
true with concert sales.
BTW, it was QUAD the influenced me more than any other Who music, not
MG. Unless you count LAL securing The Who as my favorite band...

> They influenced The Who. Or didn't you know that?

I'd have to say that The Who influenced The Beatles...Paul has admitted
as much, albeit just lately. If ANY Beatles album influenced The Who, it
could have been REVOLVER (arguably their best album). Maybe. There
again, Harrison's Taxman sounds remarkably like a Who song...don't you
think?
Apparently Paul Weller thought so.

> After the Beatles made it
> by writing their own songs, Pete Townshend started writing songs and The Who
> became The Who instead of an R&B cover band.

Not exactly the sort of influence I was thinking about. I meant the
music itself. As for the influence you're citing here, The Beatles
opened the door for a lot of bands, sure...but The Who smashed through
the doorframe and surrounding wall when they came through, you know.
They invented Punk (Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, MG) and Heavy Metal (so
would Zep even existed if not for The Who?). Did The Beatles do this? Or
anyone else, for that matter?
I'd also say that it was Dylan more than The Beatles who influenced Pete
in this regard. But there again, Dylan influenced The Beatles...and
everyone else!
Look, I like The Beatles. They were a fine band, if somewhat less
substantial than others (the song My Generation says more in three
minutes than The Beatles said on their first four albums). I like Zep,
too, or did until PRESENCE was released. But I think both of them have
gotten much of the credit that should have gone to The Who. TANJ (There
Ain't No Justice)!


              Cheers                       ML