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WHO'S COMING BACK
by Jenny Eliscu

"This is not The Who," says Pete Townshend.  Again.  He said it before
1989's twenty-fifth anniversary tour, he said it before 1996
Quadrophenia-redux tour, but this time it's harder to swallow.  For the
first time since 1983's "Farewell Tour" [sic - 1982] (the first "last
chance" to see them) Townshend will play electric guitar, the Who will
perform without horns or any such elaborate accompaniment, and the set list
will only include hits like "My Generation" and "Baba O'Riley."  Perhaps
more surprising, Townshend says he thinks the tour, which hits Jones Beach
Theater July 9, is what God wants.
New York: You've hinted that each Who reunion would be the last.  Have you
decided to never say that again?
Townshend: I thought it was stupid of me to shut the door on what was
essentially mine.  I'm doing this because I want to be with Roger and John,
not because I want to revive The Who.  But if the Who gets revived in the
process, so be it.  And I know what to do: Bleed a bit.  Tell them to shut
up.
New York: Do you feel like you have to go through a routine onstage?
Townshend: I was having problems with that in 1973 [sic - 1974] -- people
were screaming that I smash a guitar or jump.  There was once a chorus at
Madison Square Garden: "Jump, jump, jump."  And I thought, "I don't want to
fucking jump.  I'm drunk -- I'll fall over."  And I didn't want to be told
what to do by the audience.  What inspires me now is that I can play games
with that.  I might just stop the show and ask the audience to "jump, jump,
jump."
New York: They'd probably be puzzled by that.
Townshend: No, they'd have to fucking jump, otherwise I'd quit.  If I tell
them to jump, they'll jump.
New York: Do the three of you spend much time together?  Or is it like, "See
you onstage"?
Townshend: The latter.  We have nothing in common.  The time when I was most
comfortable with the Who mindset was around '76: Keith was still going
strong, and I looked utterly gorgeous and felt great. So we would travel
together on airplanes, be together in the dressing room, and have a laugh.
At the same time, I felt uncomfortable with how comfortable I'd become, and
increasingly, I had to be drunk to have fun. And I never found touring very
exciting. Everybody else used to think it was one of the most exciting
things on Earth - "Oh, we're on tour with the Who." And I used to think,
"Yeah?" I feel like maybe in this lifetime I'm doing something I've done
before, because I didn't get it right the first time. And I feel, "Do I
really have to go out on another tour? Is this what God wants?"
New York: You must believe the answer is "yes".
Townshend: I'm kind of doing it because I'm trying not to interfere with
what happens next. And I don't know what I'm missing until I'm in it again.
[Laughing] Like an old man who's not having enough sex.

        -Brian in Atlanta
         The Who This Month!
        http://members.home.net/cadyb/who.htm