Pete's checkbook and Quad

[Dave Elliott <dae@cbcosmos.cb.lucent.com>]

Paul wrote:
> > My guess is that Pete's willingness to work
> > with The Who is inversely proportional to his bank acount.

Mark Leaman replies:
> I hope that's not true...it seems to me that, after Broadway TOMMY etc.
> Pete shouldn't be in any financial straits. I believe this tour (at
> least) has a different motive; it gives Pete a chance to vindicate QUAD,
> which was panned upon release and almost impossible to recreate live (in
> 1973). Pete has often been accused of trying to rewrite The Who's
> history...this time it may be true.

As I recall, Quad was received pretty well by most critics (though I do
remember one saying that Quad was easier to appreciate than enjoy), and was
not panned.  But, it never came close to having the popular appeal of Tommy.
This miffed Townshend, and with the horrible tour that followed (rowdy
crowds not wanting to hear Quad, uneven performances, Keith collapsing on
stage, etc.) the whole thing was perceived by him as a failure.  IMO this,
coupled with his turning 30, resulted in The Who By Numbers and its scathing
self-examination/deprecation.

I believe that you are right in seeing the current tours as an attempt to
vindicate Quad and restore it to its rightful place in public perception as
a rock masterpiece.



Dave Elliott