Bad Pub

[Scott Schrade]

Despite the occasional bad review I'm surprised at how *good*
the reviews have been.  Remember how some of us fretted in the
years leading up to this CD, imagining that the album would get
totally trashed & wondering why Pete would even want to put
himself through all that.

Well, we were wrong.  I mean....what?....4 out of five stars in
Mojo & Q Magazine?  4 stars in Rolling Stone.  What seems to
be like 75% of all reviews being favorable?  That's pretty impressive.

Personally, I don't care for the album all that much.  Most of 
my local friends feel the same way, with the exception of one
who was blown away by it.

Not sure what my problem is.  Maybe this CD will hit me in 5
or 10 years, I don't know.  I mean, I like some of it.  Most of the
mini-opera.  T&T is good; I like whatever key that one is in.

But none of it, save "Sound Round" & "We Got a Hit," really
excites me.  I deplore its religious themes.  It makes me sick to
my stomach to see Pete Townshend continue to waste his 
brilliant mind on the supernatural.  He's becoming a pathetic
figure to me.

Daltrey's vocals on the CD are pretty bad, IMO.  He oversings
much of the material rather than choosing to stay within his
diminished range.  It's difficult to even write this.

There is no band cohesion on this album.  There is no *band* on
this album.  I like bands.  The interplay between musicians.
I find none of that here.

But that's just me, & my opinion means about as much as yours.
I am, however, truly happy that the press seems to enjoy it.
And that most of youse guys like it.   ;-)   

My eyes are on the upcoming Lerner film.  2007's right around 
the corner!


- SCHRADE in Akron