Kenny and Keith

[QuietOne <drjimmy@cnj.digex.net>]

> Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 00:54:20 -0800
> From: Cain@webtv.net (K Kane)
> Subject: Pete writing songs around Kenny?
> 
> 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? 
 
  Well, remember. like you said, Pete made references to the fact that 
  Kenny's style was more of a "time keeper" (30 yrs video). Keith's
  roundabout style could not be replaced. Im not saying that Kenny is
  a bad drummer, but he certainly was not as flambouyant as Keith. It's
  my opinion that Pete had to write songs to fit a timekeeper. A straight
  ahead drummer, as opposed to a drummer that you have to replace with 
  a 15 piece orchestra. "You Better You Bet" was either made as a pop
  song, to make the charts, or it was just that it fit into the publics
  approval as a pop single. You have to admit that the any sound that
  the group had was diminished with Kenny. There was no longer any bolster
  or backbone. This opinion was made with the fact that Pete wanted to 
  start breaking the band up, therefore writing and keeping his best
  songs for Empty Glass. 

  I don't know if Pete was intent on making it sound like pop, or whether
  it just came out that way. I think that Pete was not as inspired to dig
  deep and bring out what Kenny could do to enhance the band, not after
  losing Keith and having the kids die. I think he did what he had to do
  to write songs to fill out an album for the contract, which he really
  wanted to get out of.
  
> 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.

Well, then Pete was just plain uninspired and didn't give a shit
about what he put on the record. Which is what I really think 
was the problem. 

Do you compare early Kenny to any of Keith's work ?