Re: Lack of official boots

     I wrote:
     >However, I suspect that one of the primary reasons that boots aren't 
     being released is >the artists.  They've worked for years to put out  
     "quality" work, and have little >interest in releasing what they 
     consider inferior material.  It's quite a different >perspective from 
     the fans. 
     
     Then born2run wrote:
     ^^Well, I just have two words for you -- "Who's Last."  Let's face it 
     ^^-- artists and labels are perfectly capable of releasing crap 
     ^^officially while letting far superior material languish in the 
     ^^vaults.  
     
     My reply:
     Dear God, I never want to imply that the way The Who's material has 
     been released has been good!  And after MCA/Decca's release, against 
     the band's wishes, of "Magic Bus - The Who On Tour" and "Who's Last," 
     a good case could be made that The Who's label has ripped them off 
     more than any bootlegger.  I wonder who Pete has warmer feelings for, 
     the bootlegger that released his best demos as "The Genius Of Pete 
     Townshend" and paid him nothing, or the label that pays him, but 
     releases such substandard material as "Who's Last."
     
     In all the discussion of "rights," I think it must noted that the 
     artist's rights have little or no bearing on what is "good" for the 
     artist as well as the fans.  Here's just a partial list of The Who's 
     recordings that would have been significantly delayed or never 
     released, if not for the pressure of bootleggers:
     
     The Who's studio version of "Pure and Easy"
     "Naked Eye"
     "Long Live Rock"
     The 1971 live recording of "Bargain"
     "Here 'Tis"
     "Leaving Here"
     "Early Morning Cold Taxi"
     All Pete Townshend demos
     
     Not only would fans have been hurt if they had never had access to 
     this material, but The Who's total work would have seemed much weaker 
     without them.
     
                                Something to think about,
     
                                Brian Cady