Pete writing songs around Kenny?

[Cain@webtv.net (K Kane)]

Quiet One, re:

...I think Pete wrote songs around Kenny, and it merely came out like
pop sounds.

I don't really want to make a case for Face Dances or It's Hard.  I
don't question your opinion as to the quality of the albums; however, I
do question your logic here.  It is true that Pete saw Keith's death as
an opportunity to forge a new sound with the Who (he said so many
times); therefore, Keith's death probably influenced a shift in Pete's
writing and the band's sound.  But what evidence do you have that Pete
was tailoring the songs to fit Kenny's style?  Remember that Kenny Jones
was drummer for the Small Faces/Faces before joining the Who.  The Small
Faces, while certainly capable of producing great pop, were an
incredible rock band as well (any fan of the "My Generation" LP MUST
seek out the SF's first album.)  As for the Faces, they certainly don't
strike me as being "pop".  So, even if we were to accept that Pete would
ever consider writing his songs to fit someone else's specific style,
why didn't these albums rock as impressively as the Faces and Small
Faces at their best, or (on the pop end of the spectrum) recall the
Small Faces singles circa 1967?  Perhaps I'm wrong, but I just don't
hear much support for your theory.  Because if Pete REALLY wanted to
write songs to around Kenny, they probably would have turned out a lot
bleeding better than they did, IMO.

Brian