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An older,wiser Townshend.....Part 2 of 3 Parts.....



WHO ARE YOU?
 During its 17 years of recording,the Who was one of rock's most potent
and volatile outfits. Crafting a distinctive sound from primarily R&B
influences, it was celebrated for it's pointed social
commentary----introducd in the first hit, "My Generation"-------and its
explosive, violent concerts, during which Townshend and Moon would smash
their instruments.
 The Who also was known for its inner-band conflicts over control and
direction, which put a substancial burden on Townshend as the group's
main creative force. The Who tried to soldier on for a couple of years
afer Moon's death in 1978, but by that tme the surviving members seemed
too worn out to continue in earnest.
 Daltrey, who claims to have called the Who off 18 years ago when he
felt the pressure of the band was harming Townshend, surmises that his
partner's change in attitude toward the band is the product of Townshend
gradually coming to grips with the Who's legacy and other people
expectations of him.
 "We've gone up and down over the years, but it's never really gone
away," Daltrey says.  "We enjoy our company. We enjoy the camaraderie of
the band now. Pete has come an awful long way....He hasn't got all the
old hang-ups he used to. I think he really appreciates it. How can he
not?"
 But Townshend, who acknowledges grappling with alcoholism both in and
out of the Who, says he always has valued the group more than he's been
given credit for.
 "I was badly,badly burned (out) when I came out of the Who, and I think
that's the only way I can express it," explains the divorced father of
3, who's eldest daughter,  Emma, also is a recording artist. "I wouldn't
take responcibility for what was going on; I was looking for someone to
blame, and that was a mistake."
 "But today we get together and play, and it's a very different
backdrop. All of that  other stuff is gone. It's gone and it's history."
 And that, he says, has resulted in a much more civil relationship
between the three surviving Who founders.
 "Roger and I had a little kind of five-minute squabble during
rehearsals (last fall) and I think we both loved it,really,in a sick
kind of way," Townshend recalls.  "We realized what we were doing was
playing out or old roles that had nothing to do with the way we felt
today. Now.......I think we really value the differences, such as they
are."