Re: doing unplugged

[Jeff Williams <jeffw@mxim.com>]

> From amck@eden.com Fri May  5 14:13:02 1995
> Date: Fri, 5 May 1995 16:10:29 -0500 (CDT)
> From: Alan McKendree <amck@eden.com>
> To: Jeff Williams <jeffw@mxim.com>
> cc: csc2imd@cabell.vcu.edu, thewho@cisco.com
> Subject: Re: doing unplugged
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> Content-Type> : > TEXT/PLAIN> ; > charset=US-ASCII> 
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> 
> On Wed, 3 May 1995, Jeff Williams wrote:
> 
> >  Still, Slip Kid and Squeeze Box pale to Quad.
> 
> I like Slip Kid a lot, but Squeeze Box -- exsqueeze me but if you're
> looking for a bad song by Pete, say no more.  Actually, it's not so
> much that it's a bad song as that the American public clasped it to
> its collective heart and made a hit of it, much to Pete's surprise --
> I remember an interview wherein he said, "It's just a ditty..." -- and
> my horror, leading to interminable radio play and concert-performance
> waste-of-time.  The US record-buying public has shown horrible taste
> concerning Who singles; I think it was "I Can See For Miles" that they
> received with a collective yawn...arrgh.

Speaking of I Can See For Miles, when I saw them in '82, and then on PPV in '89, I couldn't recognize 
the song until Roger started singing.  It was completely butchered.  I have a Polydor pressing of the original
whose mix sounded like it had a shit, shower and shave - it's so damn crisp! And the bass comes right out.
 Very wierd.  Not that the standard version on Track was bad, it's just that this one stood out.

Squeeze box I liked because the jangly guitar, the starting chords (no whoever you are out there you don't have
them correct.  We'll compare tabs if you want. I could possibly eat humble pie on this.  I'll do likewise on
the first four chords of the Overture of Tommy. Guitarists out there on the right honorable list may face me
heavily on this, so I take it as good as I give it...), and the banjo all fit in well, and even the synth
wasn't out of place strangely..  Not a classic song but made up for by being very very cleverly crafted. 
Also once again proving that Moon was good studio, he was good live.  He could adapt well.  Drumming at least.

It's just that compared to Quadrophenia it was kinda a happy, skippy album, and I was after deeper darker shit.
But for me the passage of time has relieved me of my initial sense of disappointment.  Kinda like In Through the
Out Door did.  But the lack of energy on that album and Plant's destroyed voice can't ever be overlooked.  I 
don't mean to digress, but realize before this Presence was the previous album, a bunch of soothing hard rock 
cranked out in 12 days!  I liked it on 1st listen. Period.


  

JW