Ratings of The Who's solo catalog

[Brian Cady]

>From The Calgary Sun
http://calsun.canoe.ca/Showbiz/2006/10/01/1930466-sun.html
[I cleaned this up a bit from the rather confusing original layout. Oh, and wasn't there someone named John who put out a solo album or two? - BSC]

Figuring out who is Who
By DARYL STERDAN, SUN MEDIA

Meet the new Who solo albums -- same as the old Who solo albums.

Well, almost. Fans have to wait until Halloween for Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey to release Endless Wire -- the first Who studio album since 1982's It's Hard.

But, in the meantime, they can get reacquainted with the albums the British rock icons made during their downtime.

Universal just re-issued more than a dozen Townshend and Daltrey solo discs, all in remastered form and most with rare bonus tracks. Which ones are a bargain and which ones should you just let f-f-f-fade away?

Read on -- but don't expect to hear any of these songs when the band plays here on Thursday.

ROGER DALTREY 
Daltrey 
*** out of ***** 
YEAR: 1973 
STORY: One year after Townshend's Who Came First, Daltrey dips his toe in the solo waters with this batch of poppish tunes by -- no kidding -- Leo Sayer. 

Ride a Rock Horse 
*** out of *****
YEAR: 1975 
STORY: In 1975, Daltrey was indeed riding high thanks to the Tommy movie. Emboldened by his success, he takes it up a notch, hiring Russ Ballard to provide smouldering funk and R&B backbeats for his meaty vocals. 
 
One of the the Boys 
*** out of *****
YEAR: 1977 
STORY: On this relaxed album, Daltrey broadens his horizons with ballads, country and whatever else strikes his fancy. John Entwistle lends his thunderfingers and pitch-black voice to a couple of cuts. 


PETE TOWNSHEND 
Who Came First 
**** out of ***** 
THE YEAR: 1972 
THE STORY: Call him The Seeker. After years of rock debauchery, Townshend had a spiritual rebirth, embracing the teachings of Meher Baba. This homespun offering finds him turning down the volume on laid-back Baba paeans, augmented by tunes from his aborted Tommy followup LifeHouse. 

Empty Glass 
***** out of *****
YEAR: 1980 
STORY: If you only want one Townshend album, this is it. Fuelled by midlife crises including the 1978 death of drummer Keith Moon, Pete dishes up his most powerful and direct solo material. Not coincidentally, it sounds a lot like The Who. 
 
Scoop 
**** out of *****
YEAR: 1983 
STORY: Townshend opens his vault and compiles 25 solo recordings, experiments, covers and demos cut at home between 1964 and the '80s. A magnificent idea, magnificently presented. If there's anything better than hearing The Who, it's hearing the songs as he conceived them. 
 
White City: A Novel 
*** out of *****
YEAR: 1985 
STORY: Quadrophenia it ain't. But it is a loose concept album about the British class system and the urban dystopia of housing estates. Thankfully, you can ignore that thematic hooey and enjoy the decent tunes on this consistent if underwhelming set. 
 
Deep End Live! 
**** out of *****
YEAR: 1986 
STORY: At some point, it seems, Townshend decided it was easier to record shows than write songs. Now his catalogue has a slew of live CDs -- but this first set is one of his best, thanks to an energized performance, a crack band (shamefully uncredited here) and a strong set list. 
 
Another Scoop 
**** out of *****
YEAR: 1987 
STORY: Presumably encouraged by the warm welcome given its predecessor, Townshend dug up another 27 demos, oddities and orphans. But here's the surprise: This two-disc set is almost as good as the first. 
 
Psychoderelict 
*** out of *****
YEAR: 1993 
STORY: Aiming high again -- perhaps too high -- Townshend resurrects elements of LifeHouse for a semi-autobiographical radio drama about a fading rock legend, his ambitious dream project and a trumped-up pedophilia scandal. 
 
KEITH MOON 
Two Sides of the Moon 
** out of *****
YEAR: 1974 
STORY: On the list of albums that didn't need to be expanded and reissued, this disastrous set from The Who's madcap drummer is at the top. Oh sure, hearing Moon the Loon and dozens of drinking buddies jam, crack jokes and butcher In My Life and Don't Worry Baby sounds like a guilty pleasure. But after you hear a few of Moon's tone-deaf vocals -- and realize he only drums on three songs -- the gag gets old faster than he did. 
 
Not satisfied? 
Head over to www.themusic.com. This online retailer is the official outlet for The Who 2006 Encore Series, which offers live CDs and DVDs from the band's current tour. 

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