St.Petersburg Times

[Jester <jester13_us@yahoo.com>]

My local rock station had this on their site. Sorry if
it's been posted before.It's a review from one of the
Florida shows.HHmmm! How many words does this guy
spell wrong?



Show me a concert tour by a long-past-its-prime band,
and I'll show you a cynical grab for cash. Take the
Rolling Stones, sure to punch the clock every four
years for another workmanlike world tour. Ditto for
any number of lesser British or American acts from the
early rock era. 

The Who, on too many occasions, has fallen victim to
the same temptation, trotting out the hits for stadium
or arena treks whenever the solo careers of
guitarist-songwriter Pete Townshend or singer Roger
Daltery seemed most in danger of collapsing. 

The band's latest jaunt, though, may actually be about
the joy of playing meaningful music, to judge from the
Who's show Tuesday night at the Ice Palace. Daltrey,
56, Townshned, 55, and bassist extraordinaire John
Entwistle, 55, attacked vintage material more
vigorously and creatively than the three have
demonstrated in a long time. The 2 1/2-hour show, far
more inspired than their 1997 Quodraphenia show at the
same venue, nearly made us wish that the group would
follow up on promises of a long-overdue return to the
studio. 

About 12,000 fans were treated to sturdy, often
exciting performances of favorites during a concert
that began and ended with two songs dating back 35
years. I Can't Explain, the opener, all British
Invasion bounce, had Townshend offering four
ceremonial bowling-ball strikes on his gutiar, and
Daltrey executing the first of many
microphone-twirling moves. The final My Generation, a
counterculture anthem turned into a feel-good jam, was
bolstered by Townshend's incisive guitar solo, tasty
organ work by keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick, and
Zak Starkey's propulsive, swaggering drumming. 

Seldom a disappointning note was sounded in between,
thanks in part to the real cohesion of these players,
as opposed to the oversized ensembles that have turned
previous Who shows into virtual revues. The mid '60s
charge continued with Substitute and Anyway, Anyhow,
Anywhere before swerving in another direction with the
funk-edged punch of the seldom-performed Relay. 

Entwistle, white-bearded and looking like somebody's
rough-and-tumble grandfather, sang lead on My Wife,
with backup from the tan, fit and well-preserved
Daltrey. That tune, complete with the bassist's
trademark thundering 16th-note runs and a last-chord
air leap by Townshend, was the first of a string of
singles from the immensely popular Who's Next album,
released in 1971. 

"I suppose when I die, I'll have someone bury it with
me," Townshend said of the disc, raided for the
shimmering keyboards and power chords of Baba O'Riley
and the familiar strains of Bargin, Getting in Tune, I
Don't Even Know Myself and Behind Blue Eyes. A
triumphant Won't Get Fooled Again was equipped with as
much fury and power as the piece had when its composar
was young and angry. 

Townshend, unusually chatty and often extolling the
glories of Florida sunshine, addressed reports about
his hearing loss, supposedly the reason he has shied
away from playing electric guitar during the Who's
most recent road trips. 

"My hearing is just fine," he said moments before
plunging into a solo version of Drowned, accompanied
only by his hard strumming on an acoustic guitar. 

That Quadrophenia piece was joined by others from the
1973 rock opera, including Real Me and 5:15, the
latter a showcase for Entwhihstle's amazing array of
maneuvers on his fretboard. Tommy, the Who's 1969 rock
opera, yielded Pinball Wizard, which opened with its
usual fast-strummed guitar figure, yet another
Townshend creation that has become one of the world's
most beloved rock 'n' roll riffs. Didn't they all turn
out that way? 

--St.Petersburg Times


           -jess in jersey


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