Media Review of Toronto show

["Brian Giffen" <bg_giffen@msn.com>]

I always get a kick out of comparing the view of "professional rock critics" 
to those of people who actually are involved with music, such as many of the 
folks on this list.

After reading the Toronto reviews from the list, I happened to take a look at 
the "review" in the Toronto Star.  Titled "The Who - a manifestation of 
nostalgia at its worst", the article goes rapidly downhill.   The writer (Ira 
Band - possibly a pseudonym) refers to we Who fans as
"the faithful minions", bassist Entwhistle "who remained invisible for the 
first half hour",
singer Daltrey "who dropped his twirling microphone" and best of all

	"balding, puffy faced guitarist Townshend [who] looked more like a
	crazed headmaster at an English boarding school than a former rock icon"

You can read the rest of this frankly amusing piece of crap at www.thestar.com 
(go into the
 back issue archive and get Life/Ent for July 30)

In Canada, our press is still somewhat dominated by people in their  50s who 
were raised in the English public school system (think of the Peter Fallow 
character in Bonfire of the Vanities). This hack obviously is one of them - 
note the "boarding school" reference.  So don't take the view of a critic who 
thinks the Ox is "invisible" too seriously  -  he's just another aging 
trendoid who can't wait to proclaim the "relevance' of Marilyn Manson (this 
week's no-talent press flashpoint) while putting the boots to another alleged 
dinosaur band.

Canadians love the Who.  My only regret is I won't get to see them in 
Vancouver again.  I thought the Quadrophenia show here in October 96 was 
superb.  I envy those of you who are seeing shows where Pete is playing more 
electric again.  Keep the reports coming in.