God Bless Ye, Kenney Jones!

[comlib2@hookup.net (Gary Sumpter)]

A recent remark:

>   Yea, but to my mind, if it doesn't have Keith on traps, it just ain't the
>same thing.  And with Kenny, it's not even close....(Sorry, but I just really
>hate Kenny Jones... I mean REALLY).  So what I'd love is to hear a version 
>from Keith's prime; the Shepperton rendition is o.k., but Keith's playing is
>pretty weak here.  But as far as I'm concerned, I'll take bad Keith over Kenny 
>any day.  Just my humble opinion.  

Granted, it "ain't the same thing" without Keith; nor would it have been the 
same without Pete, Roger, or John.  As Pete said back in '79:  "...the 
feeling is we are starting a new band.  People have got to live with the 
fact that The Who they knew has gone..."

Personally, I love Jones' work (with the Small Faces, Faces, and The Who).  
His stage presence could never match Moon's, but he was a solid drummer who 
laid it down in muscular fashion.  Watching the 30 Years of Maximum R&B 
video, I'm struck by the notion that the first couple of years (79-81)with 
Jones were phenomenal - The 'Oo really WERE the best rock 'n roll band in 
the world.  Somewhere between '81 and '82, Pete clearly lost interest.  
Empty Glass - in my opinion, the last thing Pete's done that sustains his 
passion over the course of an entire album - should have been a Who album, 
along with the choice cuts from Face Dances.  Take a look at footage from 
'82 - Roger, John and Kenney are clearly kicking ass.  Pete looks like he 
wishes he were already critiquing books for Faber & Faber.  He used to 
perform - like Moon - with abandon, like THIS show could be his last; toward 
the end, he looked like he prayed it WAS.

As it turned out, he got his wish, and the world lost the band that not only 
created rock 'n roll, but continued to re-define it.  No, we can't blame 
Kenney Jones for any weakness we perceive in the post-Moon Who - it falls 
squarely on Pete Townshend's shoulders.  As Daltrey said toward the end of 
his concert in August '94 concert in Toronto:  "You should all write him 
letters."

Cheers,

Gary