Losing My Who-virginity

[James Sigel <JSigel@WINSTON.COM>]

Ah nostolgia...

     Ironically, before I was a Who fan, I was heavily into Aerosmith and Zeppelin.  Closed minded to the rest.  At one point, I do remember Elton John's version of "Pinball Wizard" from the Tommy film, and loving the hell out of it.  When I heard the origional Who single on the radio, I remember scoffing and saying that these guys sucked; Elton's version was far superior.  Another piece of evidence towards proving the theory that all youngsters are incredibly stupid.

     Anyway, the irony of my Who-mitzvah or coming of age, came the very day that Keith Moon died.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  I was 12 years old and I was happened upon the TV news.  They were covering Keith's death and there was a still-photo (one we've all seen a hundred times) of a blurred Keith at the apex of a cymbal crash.  I was hypnotized.  I ran upstairs to my older brother's room and started playing an old 8-track tape of Who's Next.  I liked what I heard.  My brother bought "The Kids/Alright" soundtrack and I played that until the tape disintegrated.  Since then, I've never looked back.

Now, I'm 32 and there is not a single element of the Who that I've become tired of.  Somehow, albums, videos, songs, articles, etc... get put away for a time, but they always re-surface.  My love for the Who gets re-ignited and re-invented every year.  I can focus my complete attention on one element of the band and be as entertained and enlightened as if I were concentrating on the whole.  (ex.  Focusing in on Keith's "Quadrophenia" drumming only, throughout the album; next listening, I may focus on John's bass, etc....)  They are so deep, that you'll never find the bottom.

Jim in Chicago

"Rock and roll's got no future.  It doesn't matter."  RDaltrey