RE: Psychoderelict

["Kipp, David G." <KIPPD@PCMAIL01.SYSTEMS.GEC.COM>]

I'll take a stab at explaining Psychoderelict.  Although, I currently don't 
own a copy. My car was stolen with the CD last year. I told the cops they 
were after the Townshend Cd and not the car.  BTW, neither was ever 
recovered.  Forgive me if I'm weak on song titles and names.

The main character is Ray Highsmith, a.k.a Ray High, who is an aged rock 
star who has lost his drive/ambition to write new fresh stuff. 
(autobiographical to Pete?).  Ray's manager, Rastus (sp?), is looking for a 
way to revive the artistic flame in Ray in order to bring back the big 
payday.  He meets Ruth Streeting, a journalist, who loathes Ray because she 
personifies him as an arrogant, shallow, rich rock star.   Ratus tells Ruth 
about  "the English boy's" complacency and Ruth has an idea.  Since Ruth has 
musical ambitions of her own, she e-mails a letter to Ray saying she is a 
young girl with many insecurities. Ray, one who has insecurities of his own, 
begins a correspondence with her and eventually gets her music released. 
There's a scandal, reported by Ruth, involving Ray with this underage girl. 
Like all good sex scandals, it helps Ray sell records. Only one problem, Ray 
falls in love with this "young fan". Hence the songs, "your love is 
incredible" and "meet a soul and you fall in love".  This episode in Ray's 
career ignites the creative flame in him and as Ratus proclaims,"We're back 
on top where we belong".  Ratus eventually discovers during sex with Ruth 
that she is actually the young fan who has been writing to Ray. At the end, 
Ray appears to realize that Ruth is actually the young girl.  What does all 
this mean, who knows? Pete has said himself  sit back and enjoy it, let it 
just happen.
     For me, the songs themselves speak individually, not just as a whole 
work.  "I want that thing" is Ray trying to get that hunger back. 
 Capitalism at it's best. Total ambition.
      "Time is plentiful" is a unique perspective on age. (A topic Pete has 
addressed before).  Even though we're all here for a specific number of 
years, time is infinite and people should keep taking more and more of it. 
Try to out live the dinosaur.
     "Make me real" probably refers to Ruth. I've personally met a few 
people in my life who "didn't have the kind of a heart a lover can steal."
     When I first heard this album,  I couldn't connect with it.  However, 
like all Townshend songs, the meaning of the words have changed, along with 
the changes in my life.

Dave Kipp

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From: owner-thewho
To: thewho
Subject: Psychoderelict