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Re: The Who Mailing List Digest V7 #116




> 	All I can say is that I hang on every word Pete writes. His
> thoughts/lyrics are what has separated The Who from other bands. Yes,
> obviously The Who has many other talents, but no other band guides me in
> life like The Who (Pete).  My friends, music doesn't guide a person, words
> do.  The music is just a very pleasant added bonus that gets me THROWING
> FURNITURE!!!!!!!

The thing I like about Pete's writing is that he adapts to the style of
the music.  You've got straightforward Pete (My Generation, TKAA), 
tricky-talking coolwalking Pete (Substitute, Misunderstood), poetic Pete
(Sea Refuses No River, Christmas), and so on down the line. 

FWIW, some favorites:

Love: "You take away the breath I was saving for sunrise; Each day I spend
in an echoed vision of you."

Wistfulness: "Goodbye, goodbye sister disco, now I go, I go where the
music fits my soul.  And I, I will never let go, I'll never let go, 'til
the echo of the street fight has dissolved."

Anger: The entirety of Jools and Jim (one of the most angry songs I've 
ever heard -- reminds me a bit of John Lennon's first solo album, except
Pete's album was a lot less spotty).  But especially:
"Did you hear the stuff that Krishna said? Or know for you that Jesus'
blood was shed?  Is it in your heart or in your head?  Or does the truth
lay in the center spread?"

And probably my all time favorite (name that tune!):
"I am a wall awaiting a catchword; I see the city laid out like a
patchwork."

Still, at the risk of mass flamethrowers, I think Pete has his weak points
in song-writing.  He goes for easy rhymes a little too often, even
rearranging the words and sacrificing sentence structure to make them fit.
I guess you could argue that in some cases this fits the anger or
terseness of the song, but he can only get away with "I asked my dad where
Lily I could find" because the rest of it's so brilliant.  And often he
can't find the write music for his more poetic works, which makes Chinese
Eyes a doozy lyrically but a little awkward musically.

> 	BTW, why is your chin red?  ;-)

Probably because chaos soon will reign in our Rael. :-)

> From: "Jon Dawson" <thirdofnever@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Wall of Sound/Blues-what Mark said/Storytellers
> 
> Did the Wall Of Sound article say that "Goin' Mobile" was on the disc?

Heh.  I bet they meant "Getting in Tune", which was great to hear.  Good,
simple lyrics there, while we're on the topic.
 
> And here's something else that will probably get me lots of hate mail, I 
> thing Storytellers, with the exception of Baba O'Riley, was boring.

Agreed.  Especially the part about BBE being about Europe.  Maybe if I was
European I would understand, but I already know what that song is about,
Lifehouse-wise.

> Also, on my 3rd BTTB listening...where does the electric guitar come from 
> near the end of the loud section on BBE?  Pete's on acoustic, Daltrey ain't 
> playing....must have been one of the touch ups.

I was noticing a few places where there were too many guitars.  A bit
deflating.  I think 5:15 had some dubs too.

Never spend your guitar or your pen,

Wes