That '89 Shite

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

I was watching a video boot of the Cleveland '89 show (a show I was
at - my first Who concert!) & it struck me (again) just how horribly
limp & lifeless that show (and tour) was.

Townshend was adopting his "Pete pissy-mood" role even despite the 
huge dollar signs that must've been floating around in his head.
 
Daltrey looked weak & anorexic.  And he wore another one of those
silly scarf-thingies he seemed to be fond of in the 80's. 

Those back-up "singers" were almost always appallingly out of tune.

I counted one good drum fill by Simon Phillips, when for two seconds it 
actually seemed like he became a drummer & not a goofily smiling time-
keeper.  For two seconds he seemed to actually feel the music.  Then,
instantly, he switched right back into his "grinning robot" mode.

The giggling horn section's parts seemed forced & intrusive.  Everytime
I started getting into the music they succeeded  in jarring me back into 
reality.  They were like salad dressing on a salad that already had three
salad dressings on it.

Whatever happened to Steve Bolton & is he still holding on to his wham-
my bar?

Rabbit looked like he had a stomach ache.

Instead of randomly whacking oddly-shaped things, Jody Linscott should've 
just sat in her "cage" & counted money.  That would've made more sense.

And, as usual, the only one I could depend on for excitement was, iron-
ically, The OX.  What would we do without him?

Poor Daltrey & Entwistle looked almost as if they were being held host-
age by Pete - made to go through the necessary motions lest he storm off
the stage & quit the tour.

Pete knew it all sucked, too.  And it was obvious he didn't care.  He was
playing some kind of fucked-up, evil mind game with the Who's audience
on that tour.  "You want The Who?  I'll give you The Who.  The Anti-Who!
The Bloated Who.  The Giggling Who.  The Weak Who.  The Sterile Who.
The Bigger-Yet-Softer Who.  The Diluted Who.  And guess what?!  All you 
demanding fans will take it........right up the arse!!"  And so we did.

Gee, I wonder why attendance at Who concerts dropped off considerably
after that tour?


- SCHRADE in Akron