Half A Who Fan

["Scott Schrade" <schrade@akrobiz.com>]

I'll try to keep this short.  I've decided to leave the list.  For the past few months.....

Ha!  Just kidding!  Did I get anyone?

OK, so I'm watching this local band last weekend.  Basic four piece.  The guitar
player has a nice Rickenbacher & a Mod-ish haircut.  He's using his toggle switch
quite a bit.  He's also rubbing the guitar on various stage fixtures making lovely noise.

Then, about 6 songs into their set they launch into "I Can't Explain."  OK, now I'm
fairly sure the guitar dude *must* be a Who fan.  He's *really* into it.

At the end of their set they do a cover of "In The City" by The Jam.  I'm thinking,
"Well, that's it.  I gotta talk to that guitar player.  He must be into The Who, Mods,
etc."

And then, after being coaxed to play one more song.....what do they play?  Why
of course "A Legal Matter" by The Who.  I'm going crazy by this point.  They're do-
ing "Legal Matter" for Christ's sake!  Even if it is a bit sloppy, they're still doing it.

And of course they end "Legal Matter" with some nice auto-destruction, albeit no
smashed guitars.

So after a little while, I go up to the guitar dude & here's what followed:

ME:  I've just got two questions.
GD (guitar dude):  (laughs)  OK, go ahead.
ME:  Number one - How many Who albums do you have?
GD:  (just laughs - as if he gets that question a lot)
ME:  No, I'm serious.  How many Who albums do you have?
GD:  Well, not a whole lot.  A few.  I don't listen to much after TOMMY.
ME:  Really?  That's writing off a lotta good stuff.  OK, question number
        two:  What's your favorite album by The Who?
GD:  (face lighting up)  Oh, MY GENERATION, definitely.
ME:  QUADROPHENIA?  You don't even listen to QUADROPHENIA?
GD:  Oh, I've heard it.  I just prefer the old stuff.  Before TOMMY.

We talked some more & I told him I enjoyed the show, etc., etc.

The conversation irked me a bit because it reminded me of this girl I dated a while 
back who, like Mr. Guitar Dude, only enjoyed the pre-TOMMY Who.  I'm not an
idiot, I know people like that exist.  But being someone who has bought into the 
*entire* WHO, it's hard for me to imagine drawing that line, so-to-speak.

Some music fans only get off on that unpolished, garage-sounding Who & seem
to cringe at the later, more mature, more produced Who.  

I guess I understand that point of view but everytime I meet one of those "half a Who
fans" I'm always left a bit puzzled & disgruntled.  It's like, "You're almost there!
You're so close!  Let's complete your training!  Much excitement awaits you!"

(sigh)

Anyone else ever met "half a Who fan?"


- SCHRADE in Akron