Observer-Reporter on Endless Wire

Wed Nov 1 09:47:05 CST 2006

 yeah, I was disappionted to see Pete go all MIX MAGAZINE on us and detail the gear. Big deal. I think it's safe to presume Pete uses pro gear. 

 -----Original Message-----
 From: brianinatlanta2001 at yahoo.com
 To: oddsandsods at thewho.net; Relayers at yahoogroups.com; thewho at igtc.com; thewho at igtc.com
 Sent: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 9:02 AM
 Subject: Observer-Reporter on Endless Wire

  Observer-Reporter (Washington, Pennsylvania)
http://observer-reporter.com/Main.asp?SectionID=28&ArticleID=31472

New disc from The Who better than no Who at all
Brad Hundt - Staff writer

The liner notes to "Endless Wire," the new album by The Who, contain what very 
well could be the dullest prose I've ever read.

All the tracks on this record started life in my home studio, recorded on 
Quantegy 499 tape using a Studer one-inch 8-track analogue tape running at 15 
ips. Vintage Neve, vintage and modern Focusrite, JoeMeek Manley and vintage Pepy 
Rush analogue modules were used during recording," Who founder Pete Townshend 
writes about the nuts-and-bolts of making the disc.

He continues, "Microphones were by Neuman, AKG, Soundelux, AEA, 
Calrec-Soundfield É"
What I really want to know is, what kind of teacups and sugar spoons were used 
during breaks?
Believe it or not, this goes on for a couple of very long paragraphs. I usually 
take such flagrant techno-geek babble to be a bad sign. Just think back to all 
those awful albums released by the band Boston in the late 1970s -- they seemed 
less a vehicle for music than an excuse to try out fancy equipment and for group 
leader Tom Scholz to yammer on and on about it in magazine interviews.

"Endless Wire," due in stores next Tuesday, is better than that, though it's 
bound to suffer by comparison when you put it up against great Who albums from 
days gone by like "Who's Next" or "My Generation." As has been widely-noted, 
"Endless Wire" is the first new studio disc by The Who since "It's Hard" 24 
years ago -- to put that in perspective, the last time there was a new set of 
Who songs in the stores, compact discs were just being introduced in Asia and 
Amazon was still primarily known as a South American river.

There are some Who admirers, in fact, who consider this a Who album in name 
only; after all, drummer Keith Moon, whose raucous style contributed so much to 
the group's sound, died in 1978, and bassist John Entwistle followed suit in 
2002. that leaves only Townshend, singer Roger Daltrey and a battalion of 
session players to carry The Who flag forward.

But even if "Endless Wire" is more easily classed as a Townshend solo album on 
which Daltrey happens to sing most of the lead vocals, it's a relatively 
enjoyable set. Both Daltrey and Townshend's voices have become noticeably 
weather-beaten since they last collaborated in the studio -- in fact, on "In the 
Ether," Daltrey sounds like the busted-muffler troubadour Tom Waits. So 
Daltrey's vocals don't swoop and soar the way they did on Who standards like 
"Won't Get Fooled Again" or "See Me, Feel Me," but he's still in the fight and, 
at 62, that's not something to take for granted.

"Endless Wire" may be the first new Who disc of the CD era, but it has the feel 
of an old vinyl disc in the way it's divided in two sections: The first nine 
cuts are all songs that stand on their own, while the remaining 11 make up a 
29-minute "mini-opera" called "Wire and Glass." I've never really been a fan of 
rock operas or pretentious concept albums, so, to be honest, it was my least 
favorite part of "Endless Wire." It has its moments, sure, along with a few 
where you'll probably be tempted to hit the fast-forward button.

"We Got a Hit," which is part of "Wire and Glass," is like those roof-raising 
arena rockers that Townshend and company created so effortlessly way back when, 
as is "Mike Post Theme," inspired by the composer of many television theme 
songs. "Man in the Purple Dress," which Townshend wrote after seeing "The 
Passion of the Christ," is a tasty acoustic ballad, while "Two Thousand Years" 
has Townshend playing a mandolin with the same gusto that he typically applies 
to the electric guitar.

When will we see another Who album? Who knows? If they wait another 24 years, 
Townshend will be 85 and Daltrey will be 86. In any event, "Endless Wire" will 
undoubtedly be a cause for rejoicing to all the Whovians who thought they'd 
never see another new Who album again. And even if it doesn't reach the heights 
of the group's greatest efforts, second-tier new Who is better than no new Who 
at all.

-Brian in Atlanta
The Who This Month!
http://www.thewhothismonth.com

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