Re: Empty Glass

["Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

A little nitpicking:

> And this material would have put The who back on top up the music scene 
> if it was recorded as a Who album. 

The Who *were* on top of the music scene in '79/'80.  They were hugely
popular.  Rolling Stone magazine's Band of the Year in 1979.  What it 
(EMPTY GLASS as a Who album) possibly *could* have done was *keep* The Who
on top of the music scene in '80/'81 - better than FACE DANCES did.

> They would've talked about this stuff as culturally relevant as the 
> Clash and punk rock during that same era.

True, but EMPTY GLASS gets it's fair share of respect & acknowledged im-
portance in the annals of rock history.  But sure, as a Who album, it 
could've been elevated that much more.

> I think that Empty Glass is the greatest Who album that never was. 

Perhaps this warrants a track-by-track examination.  I still see EMPTY
GLASS as a strong Pete *solo* effort - as opposed to songs Pete recorded 
that *should've* gone to The Who.  

EMPTY GLASS still retains much of the "softer" elements found in Pete's
solo work rather than material that jumps out & screams, "Who song!"

Obviously, it's the least soft solo effort from Pete which may be the
reason it's often lamented as not being a Who album.

But let's look at the individual tracks:

"Rough Boys" - Definitely screams, "Who song!"  I can *hear* (imagine) 
Roger singing the bulk of this with Pete doing the "Gonna get inside you..."
part.

"I Am An Animal" - Great song.  But would it have made a great *Who* song?
I'm not so sure.  It's a rather delicate & dainty song, for the most part.
On a Who album, it probably would've been sung by Pete anyway because of
its high vocal register.  Hearing Entwistle play on this would have been
interesting.

"And I Moved" - Again, another great song, but not one that seems like a 
Who song that got away, IMO.  On a Who album, would this have been 
another one for Pete to sing?  Because of the subject matter?  Would Roger
have sung it?  Either way, this would've been another "softer" song on
this imagined Who album.

"Let My Love Open the Door" - If done on a Who album this would be akin
to FACE DANCES's "You Better, You Bet."  A strong, catchy, punchy Who song.
"Softish" but still danceable.  This one's definitely a Who song that got 
away.  Again, one can easily imagine Daltrey singing it.  

"Jools & Jim" - Yep.  Another Who song that got away.  Daltrey would
have sung the verses & choruses, & Pete would've sung the "But I know for 
sure...." part.

"Keep On Working" - This one just says, "Solo Pete," to me.  I can't hear
it as a Who song.  Maybe.  In a lazy, silly, "Dogs" sort of way.

"Cats In the Cupboard" - I don't like this song & wouldn't want to hear
a Who version.  You might disagree.  It screams, "Solo Pete," to me.

"A Little Is Enough" - Delicate & dainty again.  Would it have been a good
Who song?  I don't think so.  It'd probably be another Who song sung by 
Pete.  Another song that says, "Solo Pete," rather than "Who song that got
away."  IMO.

"Empty Glass" - Who song that got away.  Definitely.  Drop the "doo wop"
backing vocals, though.  Never did like those.

"Gonna Get Ya" - Major Who song that got away.  "5:15"-like lyrical struc-
ture that begs for a reading by Daltrey.

So, out of 10 songs, I see 5 that *definitely* fit the "Who mold."  The
others, however, are more reminiscent of Pete solo songs &, IMO, can't be
definitively argued as being great lost Who songs.  

In conclusion (!), I see EMPTY GLASS as being about *half* of a great 
"could have been" Who album.  The rest of the tracks fit comfortably in 
the solo Pete realm, IMO.


- SCHRADE in Akron

Every scientific truth goes through three stages: first, people say it
conflicts with the Bible; next, they say it has been discovered before;
lastly, they say they always believed it. 
	- Louis Agassiz (1807 - 1873)