Slamming Roger

[comlib2@hookup.net (Gary Sumpter)]

It's difficult to speculate on Roger's state of mind concerning Pete (and 
vice versa) because both men have gone from one extreme to the other over 
the years.  There have been times when they've made little or no effort to 
disguise their contempt for each other, and there have been times when 
they've seemed like the best of friends.

At several points during his '94 show in Toronto, Daltrey took Townshend to 
task - basically for not being there.  He suggested we should all "write him 
letters".  Bitter?  I think it was an honest expression of Roger's 
disappointment.  He, like us, KNOWS that The Who on a good night can blow 
ANY band out of the water; the big difference of opinion between Daltrey and 
Townshend is that Roger loves to perform live, and Pete doesn't (his handful 
of recent shows notwithstanding).  The fact is, neither is getting any 
younger, and they don't NEED to work.  Take your pick - Roger keeping The 
Who's material alive, or Pete releasing half-baked, mediocre concepts that 
would have sounded a hell of a lot better had he deigned to record them with 
The Who.  White City and Psychoderelict would have made killer Who albums.

I've heard both Pete and Roger describe life in a band as a marriage.  Well, 
what happens when a marriage ends and one of the partners is still very much 
in love?  In this case, Roger's love for performing with The Who?  As much 
as we might love the solo stuff that both men have released, when it comes 
down to it, give me a Who tour - with Pete, Roger, John and Kenney - any day.

Pete's concern about touring with the Who (according to a brief interview in 
People magazine) is his hearing.  So they compromise, letting Pete play 
acoustic, and bringing in someone else to play lead.  Works for me.

Daltrey has a lot more talent that we give him credit for.  To dismiss him 
as just a stubborn, overbearing lout with a loud voice seriously maligns the 
man with the greatest voice in rock.

He doesn't NEED to work, he could (and often is) content to enjoy life on 
his farm.  But as he once said, "we'll all be rocking in our wheelchairs".  
Pete's reply was something like "well, HE might be, but I won't".

Well, I hope Roger DOES keep rocking - to me at least, he's always been the 
heart and soul of The Who, despite Pete's monomaniacal attempts to rewrite 
history (i.e., "Pete Townshend's Tommy", "Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia" - 
talk about a BETRAYAL of Roger, John and the memory of Keith!).

Fully in support of Mr. Daltrey (with whom my youngest daughter shares a 
birthday),

Gary