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Corriere della Sera Article



Corriere della Sera  09/12/1996

"WHO WITH QUADROPHENIA REBELS AGAIN"

London.
	Here they are reunited again, this time for conquest of Europe.
	Rock's icons for more than a quarter of century, The Who of Pete Townshend,
Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle had left off sparks on saturday night at
Earls Court in London, in the first part of a tour that will come to Italy
in May. Each person about fifty years old and each voice a bit weaker from
old age, the members of the band remain myths for the public: about 13.000
fans got together in the huge English arena which will also have Tina Turner
as a guest soon, and for a few hours London lived the 60's again and the
Mod's rebel culture.
	As in the big concert in June in Hyde Park and for the last appearence in
USA, The Who, for the first show in England, have chosen ""Quadrophenia"",
the rock opera composed in 1973 (six years after became a film) and is about
violence and alternative young people who lived in Great Britain 30 years
ago, the "mods".
	It's a story about Jimmy, a boy who, in a society escapes from a strictly
ruled world by using drugs. The title Quadrophenia speaks about all
sensations Jimmy feels.
	Two guest stars, who were received by the deafening shouts of the public,
interpreted some roles in the opera: Billy Idol and P.J. Proby, who will
probably exhibit with the group also in the italian part of the tour, in the
Forum of Milan.
	As the maxi screen was showing images in black and white in the "Swinging
London", scenes where bands fought along English coast an part of Jimmy's
life, the three Who, who remained after death of Keith Moon, in 1978, are
still real rock stars.
	John Entwistle, wearing black glasses an gaudy red leather jacket, Pete
Townshend wearing black sober suit and Roger Daltrey, full of energy,
wearing tight blue jeans and white vest, they have played one success after
another, from the instrumentals music 'I am the sea' and 'Quadrophenia', to
'The real me', 'Cut my hair', 'I'm one'.
	The official part of the concert ended with the unreal sounds of 'Love
reign over me', but the public - not usual young people who normally crowd
to see the Oasis or Blur - didn't want the concert to finish. The fans
started to stamp their feet on the ground and shouted the names of the their
three idols, so the group in désabillé, Daltrey had already his dressing
gown on and was drinking a hot cup of tea, came back on the stage to sing.
	"Thank you - said Townshend who was touched - even if you didn't know what
you would have found, you trusted us. I love you, I love you very much
....". An explosion from the public broke out.
	Here are the four bis played as if they were among friends, without the
spotlights: 'Won't get fooled again", "Naked eye", "Behind blue eyes" and
"who are you", to which everybody sang the chorus "Who! Who! Who".
	"This is our real return - said Townshend  after the concert - The meeting
in Hyde Park happened by chance, because I was afraid to exhibit alone. But
we wanted this tour". 
	For now there won't be new recording ("I know I'm not be able to compose
the hits which The Who needs"), but perhaps a staging of a play of
Quadrophenia will come true and follow the scening of Tommy.
	The Who are looking forward to cross the English Channel: "Quadrophenia is
an European kind of  opera and young people of nowdays should know about
Jimmy, a boy with their problems.

This article is full of mistakes (ex. 5 bis not 4, "Substitute"; many young
people saw the concert; first show in England; ....) and foolish opinions
(ex Voice a bit weaker from old age;...), but it is very important, because
the most important of the Italian newspaper issued an article about The Who.
(Italian newspapers usually issue articles about foolish music like
M.Jackson or about zombies like Rolling Stones and not about real good rock
music).


Ciao.

Ambrogio Brambilla
brm@interconsult.it

Interconsult Wise S.r.l.
http://www.interconsult.it