Re: In it for the money?

[mleaman@sccoast.net (Mark Leaman)]

>	If you have the SHAKIN' ALL OVER boot, Townshend makes a similar
>comment about America - "We feel very strongly about America... we take
>a lot of your money home and feel strongly about it.  No, but
>seriously..." - just before Young Man Blues, I believe.  That was in
>1968.  He was joking then, and I'd suspect he was joking (at least
>partly) in the above quotation regarding the 1989 Tour.
>	As for Pete's other comments about money, I never saw anything wrong
>with his acknowledging the economic dynamics involved in the music
>industry.  It's an adult industry, requiring an adult, like Townshend,
>with a grasp of the financial issues involved.  Moreover, Townshend
>never, at least to my ears, sounds obsessed with money... he just
>prefers to make a profit.  Nothing wrong with that.  He's certainly not
>bilking anybody, so far as I can tell.  I mean, what's Townshend
>supposed to do to prove his sincerity, eat Granola, wear sandals and
>live on some Hippie commune with Wavy Gravy?

Thomas:

You old capitalist, you. Certainly by now Townshend has made more than
enough to live a bit better than comfortably. He's not the type to blow all
of his money, and bad business decisions are a thing of the past for him. So
at this point, he should be playing for either the love of playing or to
continue his artistic output. Which still costs money; so the costs should
be covered, certainly. 
This is not the case for Daltrey or Entwistle, who aren't getting those fat
royality checks for their songwriting (and plays, and so on). I heard it
reported at the time of the `89 tour that one reason for it was John's
extreme lack of funds (something that's certainly subjective, to say the least).
Townshend (nor any of The Who) was NOT a Hippy. The music was much too
aggressive for that. Look at the Monterey movie. "If you're going to San
Francisco/Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair..." to "This is where it
all...ends." So I would imagine that he would probably bop Wavy Gravy on the
head with his guitar, knocking him off of the stage, and continue playing...

>like.... oh, I don't know.... the Grateful Dead, presently the most
>heavily merchandised group on Earth, after the Beatles.  I mean, Jerry
>Garcia Christmas Cards?!?!?  "Have a Jerry Christmas"!?!?!?  Give me a
>break!  As far as I'm concerned (and do remember that this is merely my
>humble opinion) those  bubbleheads (the Grateful Dead, Country Joe
>MacDonald, et al) can beam their saggin', tie-dyed, anit-capitalist -
>but very wealthy - carcasses back up to the Sixties Mothership (read: 
>the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory) where they belong....

Ah, I see that the Deadhead ethos bothers you somewhat. The band (and
Garcia) were not responsible for those terrible puns, although they may have
been aware of them (and chuckled to themselves...but being too "peaceful" to
do anything to stop it). Give the band its due; they may not have been the
most exciting thing ever to hit stage, but they did manage to start a
lifestyle...and without even trying. That's the best part.

And the last I heard, Country Joe was not even remotely wealthy...

               Cheers                         ML