Observer-Reporter on Endless Wire

Wed Nov 1 09:56:55 CST 2006

He may get some endorsement money for mentioning the brands, or he might just be answering some questions en masse that he frequently receives from fans with home studios. 

-----Original Message-----
From: thewho-bounces at igtc.com [mailto:thewho-bounces at igtc.com] On Behalf Of jimthewhofan at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 10:47 AM
To: thewho at igtc.com
Subject: Re: Observer-Reporter on Endless Wire

 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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