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Re: Pinball Wizard An Embarrassment?



> I'm really quite amazed at the amount of resentment this seems to be
> generating.

I don't resent you for it!  That's all in your mind!  It's just an in depth
Who discussion to me.   

> Well, don't let it ever be said that I don't have objectiveness, or ability
> to criticize a Who song.

Never!

> It has *always* been portrayed by anyone in The Who camp, *including* Pete,
> that Pinball Wizard was added so as to garner a positive review from Nik
> Cohn, *because* Nik Cohn was a *big* fan of pinball.
> Scott, 1+1 really does equal 2.
> Why do you want to hide from this?

I'm not hiding from anything (he said, getting angrier).  Your evidence is
what the "Who camp" has stated.  Well, the "Who camp" has also stated 
over & over that Moonie drove a Rolls Royce into a swimming pool, too!
The Who camp *loves* to spin a good yarn.

> >Wow.  How horribly unethical.
> 
> To some, yes.

Well, let's read what Who biographer Dave Marsh has to say about the
song "Pinball Wizard" in his book BEFORE I GET OLD: THE STORY
OF THE WHO:

"This track virtually redefines a whole area of rock in its own image, the
one song on TOMMY that realizes all of Townshend's hopes:  musical,
narrative, & spiritual.  (Townshend & Nik Cohn agree that Pete wrote
the song partly because they were both zealous pinball players.... The
obsessive passion behind Tommy's pinball playing is also linked to Meher
Baba's incorporation of gameplaying as part of his work.)

-- pages 327 - 328

The "story" of Pete writing it to get a favorable review from Nik is con-
spicuously absent here, & Pete himself is said to enjoy the game, as well.
Go figure.


- SCHRADE in Akron