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Athena and IT'S HARD



>I posted once but it never showed up so I shut up. But recent derogatory
>remarks about the song Athena (among other things) triggered an argument
>reflex I thought had been long lost so here goes. I always liked Athena. I
>wouldn't defend it loudly in a crowded room as a work of art but against a
>claim that it's one of their worst songs ever I know I'd just shake my head and
>turn away. On that album alone there's way too much stuff beneath it to call
>it anything worse than MOR radio material. I mean, erase the vocal on Cooks
>County and listen to what's left. THAT may be their worst song ever and I
>like it anyway. More or less.

Richard:


I agree with you that Athena is a good song. I love it; Daltrey, Entwistle,
and Townshend sound great, and Jones ain't too shabby either.
But I completely diagree with you about Cooks County; it's a typical post-WN
Who song. Again, all of the players are strong and Daltrey is powerful. Love
the slashing guitarwork toward the end. There's some powerchords for ya.
If I were to pick a bad song on IT, it would have to be One Life's Enough,
perhaps because I just don't like that kind of song...I don't think much of
Imagine A Man either. Why Did I Fall For That might spring to mind, but I
like the lyrics a lot. Clever ("The streets of the future/Littered with
remains/Of the fools and all the so-called brains..."), that. A Man Is A Man
falls under this catagory, too. I especially like the "can't break a brick"
line.
Of the Entwistle songs, I suppose One At A Time is the weakest...but even
with the horn intro it's a real rocker. Dangerous is also very good (maybe
Entwistle's best lyrics).
I've Known No War would have been great without the string solo part, and
again It's Hard is clever enough to be worthy. Cry If You Want is The Who's
Stardom In Acton.
Sure, I took this opportunity to promote IH against all the poison aimed at
it not-so-long ago. I think it's a fine album, and it appeared (at the time,
when Townshend was claiming that the band would still make studio albums)
that The Who were on the rise (instead of the decline) for the first time
since BY NUMBERS. It was a very hopeful album, and I still wish for the
follow-up that was never made: SIEGE.



                   Cheers                   ML

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity."  L. Long