Re[2]: White City

["Kevin Winn" <kwinn@chrome.com>]

Marty writes:
>I think that Pete's main writing weakness   since the WHO's breakup has been 
>his overriding need for context for everything he does. The great thing about 
>Empty Glass and CHinese Eyes is that the context for these two albums (Pete's 
>personal breakdown and subsequent triumph over his demons) is not overt or 
>forced. For the past 10+ years, Pete has felt the need to create fictional 
>scenarios (sometimes part autobiographical) in which to present his songs, 
>whether it be Jimmy (the White City main character), Hogarth (his Iron Man 
>character), Ray Highsmith (PsychoDerelict), or even Tommy for that matter. 

>I do wish Pete would writing from the hip again. I feel that he's still got 
>another Empty Glass in him. Take away the context, and y'know what? You still 
>have some fucking brilliant songs, Pete. 

Very nicely put, Marty!  I couldn't agree more!


>1) There is almost no guitar from Pete on the album. And the PT solos that 
>are there are really unorthodox and unusual (Secondhand Love, Crashing By 
>Design). Dave Gilmour is a fine guitarist, but let's face it folks: take away 
>the delay, chorus and reverb, and you come up with one very average 
>guitarist. Watch the Deep End Live video or listen to the CD: he's not doing 
>anything very spectacular. Granted, he's a whiz in the studio, but live, he's 
>quite surprisingly average (This judgement was made after seeing the Fake 
>Floyd twice in 1987).               

True that the guitar-ness of WC follows the downward trend from Empty Glass 
through Chinese Eyes, but I gotta disagree about Gilmour, Marty!  He 
appears to me to be just the kind of guitarist who doesn't have to dominate 
a song.  He seems truly interested in the contribution of the guitar to the 
overall concept of the song (see Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Steve Howe).  
As for his technical abilities, I'd like to hear someone match the 
intensity of his slide work on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part IIV" or the 
pure feeling behind *all* the solos on Dark Side Of The Moon.  I'd hardly 
call the construction of the solo in "Comfortably Numb" *average*!


>2) White City, as an album of songs, is way too short. These days it qualifies 
>as an EP more than a full album. What about Nightschool, Pete? How about the 
>other White City outtakes? You blink once, and the whole thing's over. A 
>three-year wait between It's Hard and White City, all for 38 minutes of music? 
>Come on now!!!

I think this is a result of it being released before the expanded length of CD's
had been fully accepted.  In other words, this was an album written to be a 
vinyl release, that happened to come out just as the CD market was taking off.

OK,
KLW