Comments On Pete's VH1 Interview

["Scott Schrade" <schrade@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> VH1: I know you're touring with Robert Plant. I'm sure everybody would love to hear
> a Robert Plant-Pete Townshend collaboration.
> Townshend: I wouldn't! [Laughs.]

Me neither!  (Laughs)  Can you imagine?!  Daltrey would go postal!

> (Pete continuing): A Roger Daltrey-Pete Townshend collaboration may not happen either.

Great.  Just great.  Nice attitude, Pete  Great.  Boy that new Who album's gonna be great -
if you have that attitude.  Can't wait.  Way to go, Pete.  Way to be a professional.  Wonderful.
Thanks for fucking with us.  We love it.  Daltrey loves it.  Thanks!  Can't wait for that new
album.

> We shall see.

Yes, great master.  And we shall wait at your feet, great master.  Yes, o Holy One.

> The next challenge for me is whether I can get creative with these guys in the Who that I
> love so much.

Ooooo.....big challenge.  Ooooo.....lots of work.  Big challenge.  You contemplate on that
BIG problem, Pete, when you're out there sailing on your goddamned boat.  Maybe you'll
be able to come up with something.  A solution for this difficult problem.

> VH1: Are you recording right now?
> Townshend: I've just finished writing a book.

Whoopdy-ding-dong-shit.  Write a fucking Who song & I'll be impressed.

> I've written a couple of songs while I've been writing the book but it has nothing to do with
> the Who.

Funny, Pete, you seem to be able to write all kinds of things, except songs for The Who.  Funny.

> We're hoping to go in to do demos and do some writing together in the fall of this year.

"We're?"  This new album's gonna blow......bad.

> VH1: When will you write songs for the new Who album, then? While you're on the road?
> Townshend: No. I don't plan to write any songs at all if I can avoid it!

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!  Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!  Funny Pete.  Flippant Pete.  He hates The Who!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!  He's not going to write any Who songs!  Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!  What
a guy!  Way to go, Mr. Professional Songwriter!  Way to go!  Fuck The Who!  Fuck The Who!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

> I just want to keep an open mind.

Open to what?  Failure?

> I don't want to set myself up.  I don't want to set Roger up either!

So instead I'll just tell you that the album's gonna be shit right now - before we even start.  And
that I'm not into it at all.  I can't & won't write any songs for the album.  It's all Roger's idea.
He's just a buffoon.  I'll laugh at him *with* you after the album tanks, OK?  It's all Roger's
idea.

> VH1: When I asked Roger about whether you would record together again as the Who, he said,
> "Well, if I can talk Pete into it. But don't hold your breath."
> Townshend: This is just bullsh*t. It's not a question of me being talked into anything. I'm com-
> pletely open.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!  Mr. Contradiction strikes again!  What the fuck's he talking about? He's
out of his mind.

> I'm up for anything.

Except actually writing some FUCKING WHO SONGS!!!!  No, that's asking a bit much, isn't it?
Wouldn't want to pull you away from your next novel.  Or your girlfriend.

> I'm ready to go in the studio and run the marathon, but I can't promise to finish.

Fuck it.  Don't even do it.  Just fuck it.  Just say fuck it.  I don't want no half-assed,
Pete-Pissy-
Mood Who album.  Just quit, like you always do.

> My fear in the past has always been that it would be a further humiliation and I've been
humiliated
> enough. I wrote two final albums for the Who that critics, Who fans and even Roger slaughtered.

Ah-HA!!!  Now we're getting to the root!  I.......knew it!!  When it boils down to it, Pompous Pete
is simply afraid.  Yes indeed.  Fear is the key to *his* soul!  I told ya.  He's afraid of the
critics, the
fans, his peers, & his friends.  Mr. Lofty doesn't want to get knocked off his perch.  And after
what?
His wildly successful solo career?  His wildly successful writing career?  Tell me, Mr. Towshend,
just where do you think a bad Who album will leave you as an artist?  Where do you have to go?

> I put my best into them at the time, but looking back, they're not very good records.

You did *not* put your best into them.  You didn't care then, like you don't care now.  No, they're
not very good records - just like the new one won't be any good.  Great.  Can't wait.

> VH1: So if you could have it your way, how would you spend the rest of your musical career?
> Townshend: I love the purity of working on my own, the acuteness of the view.

Again, except when it comes to Who songs.  *Then* he has to have help with everything.  Can't
make demo songs for The Who by myself!  No sir-eee!  All other music writing is easy to do by my-
self!  Not Who songs though!  Can't do that!  Last two albums were shit!  Can't write for The Who
anymore!  Plays & novels!  Plays & novels!

> One day I hope to work on movies and sit down with other creative people like Bowie or Roger
> or Robert Plant or whomever, and share the creative process.

What the fuck is he talking about?

> My girlfriend is a writer and she's always trying to get me to co-write songs with her. As soon as
> we start, I just get embarrassed.

Lordy Jesus.....can you just picture this?  Sounds like a swell gal.  "Hey, Pete, come over here &
write a song with me!"  "Uh....OK, honey."  It'd be nice if Daltrey got that much attention.

> What I'm hoping is that, with the next Who recording, we just enjoy writing together and creating
> together and having fun together. Out of that hopefully a record will come. We shall see.

Ladies & gentlemen......the good mood that Pete got in about 3 years ago is officially over.  Done.
We're back to Pissy Pete.  I'm gonna stop even worrying & wondering about a new Who album.
Looks like it'd be better if it didn't happen at all.  Just forget it.

And this upcoming tour....... If Pete starts making those pouty, disinterested faces a' la '82 &
'89,
I'm gonna feel really ripped-off & cheated.  Why does he have to be this way?!  And just think -
Daltrey has to have face-to-face conversations with this man!  Poor Daltrey.  You have to feel for
him.

Lovely, isn't it?  This rollercoaster ride - being a Who fan.


- SCHRADE in Akron