Re: Quad/WBN

[Jeff Williams <jeffw@mxim.com>]

> >I agree to some extent, but this album was really where we saw Moon begin to
> weaken...
> 
> I think I need to remind everyone that not all the material Pete has written
> was really suitable for Keith as a drummer. It's hard to imagine Keith
> "weakening" for "Who By Numbers", then going on tour shortly after and
> playing some of the BEST drums he ever played. Read John Entwislte's comments
> in the August "Record Collector".
> 
> Let's go back a minute to "The Who Sell Out", besides "I Can See For Miles"
> (which was recorded as a single--and with the drums poorly recorded and mixed
> too low), where does Keith really shine on this album? Do these songs lend
> themselves to Keith? As good as he is on "Leeds", there's not much for him to
> do on "Tattoo", is there? On "Quadrophenia" the drums never stop, but not all
> the material was written that way. And, lastly, Keith's drums don't get a
> fair chance in the mono mix of "A Quick One". A pity...
I'd like to jump in here....

First, one of Moons' great talents was to gauge his playing for the situation.
Sure, his most obvious was when he was balls to the wall, but For example
Pure and Easy he is subdued, but in the subduedness (sic?) he came up with
clever ways to express himself.  I think he was the man of the hour for
all songs, and I Can See For Miles is one where I remember drums the most.

Back to my thing about drummers:  O.K. the two other drummers who have played
this very song with the Who where those to whom I referred.  I Can See for
Miles was unrecoginizable for the first several bars.  I mean, I saw them
in '82 at the Kingdome, and sound suckiness aside, the damn song went on and
on and I was going, "What the hell song is this?"


Jeff