Re: Everyone's Favorite Thread: FD & IH

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

>You've made a good point here - BUT, can't the same be said for the
>production on "Tommy" versus the live versions of those songs? Prime 
>example; "I'm Free." That was a (dare I say it!) weak song on the original 
>album that only gained strength in the live show. Many of the songs on 
>"Tommy" are "weak" on the album compared to the live shows - BUT they had 
>Moon at the bottom of them, pushing them along.

I had an interesting experience with the TOMMY album back around Christmas 
time.  Normally when I put the album on, I mean to sit and listen to it, but 
this was a social situation so it had to play in the background.

TOMMY sounds dated these days because of the slow tempo, but when you're not 
paying attention, it's actually the beat that snags you.  I could tune out 
the words, and the guitar, and Roger's voice, but I couldn't tune out the 
beat.  When you strip away everything else, there's Moon underneath.


>As for Pete's lyrics on those last two albums - those songs are "wordy" 
>without the key "catch phrases" that he had on his previous "great" songs. 
>Too many to list here, but you know the ones I mean. The lyrics, generally, 
>are pretty good, if you can wade through the imagery and metaphor - which, 
>I guess, points out their limitations. Roger has a hard time 
>screaming/singing through them. Most were written by Pete with Pete's 
>delivery in mind - not Roger's. And that's probably the biggest difference.

I definitely agree with you here.  Pete's voice improves the delivery, but 
they songs are still obscure.  In many cases the casual listener has no key 
to the imagery and metaphor.  If you don't know the history, or haven't read 
Pete's biography and other commentary, you can end up totally at a loss.  
They're very personal songs and often lack the universality of most earlier 
Who songs.


>"Athena", "After The Fire" and "Don't' Let Go the Coat" are three songs 
>that sound sooooo much better (IMO) when Pete sings them.

I like Roger's version of "After The Fire."  We can go either way on that 
one.


>Okay - class discussion: Would those last two Who albums have been "better" 
>or more highly regarded if Pete had done more of the vocals
>Talk amoungst yourselves...

FACE DANCES definitely yes.  It sound like it should have been a Pete solo 
album.  IT'S HARD maybe so.  They've tried for a heavier productio--which 
seems half-assed.


keets



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