Drummers

[Jacksonjim@aol.com]

Clem Burke would certainly have had Moonie's enthusiasm.  Mick Avory? Nope,
not in my book.  Carl Palmer (suggested originally I believe by Mark L.)
would have been excellent, and he wasn't "busy" at the time (ELP had folded
by the end of 78). Bill Bruford could have easily duplicated Moonie, but his
inclusion in the band would have meant a serious departure from the usual
Who.  It would definitely have been worth hearing and Bruford certainly had
their wearwithall to play with a melodic bassist (but, you know, Bruford
wouldn't have taken shit from Townshend, Daltrey, or Entwistle).  

Why was Kenney Jones tabbed for this gig?  I think he was chosen by Pete (at
least Pete says, in the latest Q, that he picked him) in an effort to
drastically alter the Who's sound.  Pete attempted to radically alter the
Who's sound upon Moonie's death.  He admitted back in 79 that this was a new
Who.  To those who didn't know, here's what Pete wanted to do:
1.  bring in a new drummer as a full-time, quarter-share member
2.  bring in another guitarist, at least for live performances
3.  Make a keyboardist a full-time member (presumably that would have been
Rabbit)
4.  have a larger live ensemble (the second guitarist, the keyboardist, the
horn section, the new drummer); Pete projected that this larger live show
would allow him to do things onstage other than "carry the band."  

This "plan" was laid out in  Charlsworth's 1982 trade paperback bio of the
Who (sadly out of print, I think, but worth it if you can find it, right up
there with Barnes's MAX R&B).  Obviously, this Who was never realized.  I
imagine that Daltrey wouldn't stand for that radical of an alteration.  So,
they compromised.

I have to guess that Pete wanted Kenney because he knew Kenney pretty well,
had recorded with him before on the TOMMY soundtrack, thought he would be a
more stable person than Keith (yes, Kenney had a reputation as a drinker, but
had no Keith-ian exploits on his resume), and that Kenney's style was a
marked contrast to Keith (check out Pete's comments on the 30 Years video
before they do the rehearsal for SISTER DISCO).  Also, I have wondered if
John supported the choice of Kenney because Kenney would never overplay and
hence, overshadow Entwistle's basslines.  Maybe Pete also knew that Kenney
was in no financial shape to argue with him once he joined.  Kenney needed
the Who gig, professionally and financially.  

I think our acceptance of Kenney rests with how much we would have bought
into Pete's scheme of changing the Who's sound.  I'm not sure I would have
supported the alteration of the Who's sound, though my favorite Who albums
are those that involve a more complicated sound (SO, WN, QUAD).  I seem to be
one of the few, though, who really liked the Who's sound on the 79 shows.  I
find those shows to be a good mixture of old Who energy with new Who
precision, range of song selection, and control.  However, something happened
when it came time to produce their first studio album with Kenney.  I don't
blame FACE DANCES on Kenney, but there is a lack of energy (the exception may
be THE QUIET ONE).  Really, only Entwistle's playing is up to snuff.  I mean,
we can't blame Kenney for Pete's songs, Pete's drinking and drug use, and
Pete's decision to reduce his guitar work.  Kenney, IMHO, redeems himself a
bit on IT'S HARD, which has some good Who material. I think that if Pete
hand't signed his solo deal, we might have gotten some really good early 80s
Who, though I don't think it's fair to say we'd have gotten EMPTY GLASS or
CHINESE EYES simply with Roger's vocals in place of Pete's and Entwistle's
trademark runs.  

You know, something just struck me--I like Kenney's playing on the 79 shows
because he played those songs the way I would have.  I always loved drumming
along to those boots, so that must be it.

Off soapbox for now,

--Jim

NP. UK, live, NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, 1979 (Hey, Kevin Winn--some UK is
commercially available on CD)

PS.  Back to Bruford:  does anybody have the lowdown on why Bruford didn't
like Moonie (or didn't like Moonie's playing)?  Was it a matter of Bruford
complaining about a technically deficient drummer getting all the press and
adoration?