Re: Quadrophonic or what............

[ACLGC <antonioclaudiocerqueira@yahoo.com.br>]

Hey Nigel, I don't know you, but I ask you anyway:
Please keep send your postings! 
They are amazing! 
Thank you!!!!

p.s.: don't you think 'Our Love Was' from 'Sell Out'
is the most underrated Who's song of all times?
It is wonderful, but they never play it...

-----Mensagem Original----- 
De: "Nigel Morton" <nigel@adastey.demon.co.uk>
Para: <TheWho@igtc.com>
Enviada em: Sexta-feira, 3 de Maio de 2002 09:09
Assunto: RE: Quadrophonic or what............


> It's been interesting to read the many and varied
contributions about The
> Who's album Quadrophenia - yes a true master piece
but I'm undecided as to
> if it's my personal "all time" Who best album as
there are three others that
> constantly draw me back to them - Sell Out; Who's
Next; By Numbers.  But,
> for those that are interested here are some of my
thoughts and memories
> about Quadrophenia.
> 
> I wasn't old enough to have been a proper Mod but I
certainly followed on
> the tail end of it.  I got a wonderful Mohair
two-tone suit around '68 and
> wore it with extreme pride and may have had it on
when I saw The Who for the
> first time @ Bubbles Club, Brentwood, Essex, England
on December 14th '68
> when I'd just turned 15 (they were the second band I
ever saw live, the
> first being Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames).  By
then I was already into
> the band and their singles and the albums released
up to then.  So, when in
> '73 Quad surfaced I was familiar with the concept
and ethos of "modism" and
> had certainly undertaken many of the themes - dead
end jobs; what is it I'll
> take it, who is she I'll rape it (not actually rape
but we all know how
> teenagers used to believe in their sexual prowess);
being pilled out of my
> head and dancing all night; plus enough fights in
and around my home town to
> know the "buzz" you'd get with a bit of physical
violence!
> 
> I was given Quad as an early birthday present from
my then girlfriend - an
> absolutely stunning blond called Karen who also
adored the Who - and played
> it endlessly for weeks on end as I "identified" with
Jimmy and his life and
> how he lived.  It was so fucking scary, somehow, the
greatest group in the
> world and their principle composer had "written"
about MY life!  And I'd
> never met any of them, just how could he / they do
it?  The total power of
> "Had Enough"; "5.15"; "Dr Jimmy"; "Love Reign O'er
Me" succeeded in mentally
> crucifying me for ages and ages!  Then we got
tickets to see them at Lyceum,
> London (infact after queuing overnight and being
involved in some low key
> scuffles to eject queue crashers I managed to get
tickets for the first and
> last nights, November 11 and 13.)
> 
> Shit, what amazing concerts.  The crowd rolled in
wave after wave as
> everyone tried to push to the front when they came
on; fights broke out and
> our ears virtually bled as song after song blasted
out of a PA system that
> was obviously designed for larger venues.  Then, I
remember at somepoint -
> was it during a Quad number or WGFA or the end of
See Me, Feel - at the back
> of the stage a number of mirrors spun around to
create a mirrored backdrop
> onto which super trooper searchlights were shone
illuminating everyone and
> everything and the audience just went absolutely
fucking crazy.  Both Karen
> and I were battered, bruised and deaf when we
dragged ourselves away from
> those shows - we'd just seen the band rip all the
rule book up!  They'd
> argued on stage, they fought with the audience, they
attempted to explain
> the "concept" of Quad and in my opinion they were
just fucking incredible
> despite all the sound, tape and technical problems
what an amazing outfit -
> a rare blending of four disparate talents that
really did become one when
> they were actually for, yep they were absolutely
fucking Quadrophonic!
> (Fortunately the insane scenes with the audience
made the band and the
> promoters realise that the Lyceum had been
inadequate as a venue so four
> more shows were slotted in for December at The
Sundown, Edmonton, London and
> although I attended the first and fourth show, and
they were again
> absolutely amazing they just didn't quite make, for
me, the level of those
> two I saw at the Lyceum.  I have since read - in The
Concert Files - that
> Townshend reckons that the four Edmonton dates were
the best shows they'd
> ever played up to then.)
> 
> As the years passed after those shows we learnt that
The Who had become
> frustrated with the fact that most American fans
just didn't get the
> "concept" of Quad.  So, many, many great songs were
left off the set list at
> live performances only to be replaced, admittedly
with IMHO songs that were
> just as great!  When Townshend revived Quad in '96
for the show in Hyde Park
> I was sceptical that they'd manage to do it and
themselves the justice it
> and they deserved.  It worked in a strange sort of
way but the fire I'd
> originally felt in my gut wasn't there...........
> 
> Until December '96 when it resurfaced, again, at the
cavernous Earls Court,
> and this time it rocked, they rocked, I rocked, the
audience rocked
> FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!  But, the revival wasn't quite
complete it emerged again
> in May '97 @ Wembley Arena and this time I went
along, with after show party
> guest passes, and I took my son Tom.  He'd been
coming to shows with my
> since he was very young and now in his early teens
(13) he had developed his
> own tastes - mostly heavy metal.  So, I was as
pleased punch when once again
> Quadropehenia really rocked out, tore the place up
and was as loud as
> anything I'd heard for years!!!  Tom's opinion was /
is that is was probably
> the second best gig he'd ever seen in his life and
that it was certainly the
> loudest!  (FYI - his favourite gig was by his fave
band, a heavy metal act I
> once co-managed called The Almighty.)
> 
> I rate Quad to this day and think that it's probably
the finest example of
> concept / rock opera album made by anyone.  There's
certainly enough there
> for any true Who fan and fortunately as time has
passed and information
> exchange and cultural understanding has improved it
has been possible for
> none-British fans to really grasp the story line -
helped somewhat, perhaps,
> by the excellent movie based on the album.  But, as
I say in my introduction
> I'm not certain that it's ultimately my favourite
Who album - Sell Out;
> Who's Next; By Numbers - all have their individual
merits and strong points.
> But, that's another posting.  Thanks for reading
this one.
> 
> NM

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