Re: Who Are You, anyway

["Mark R. Leaman" <mleaman@sccoast.net>]

> Have you actually listened to the music behind the lyrics on "Who Are 
> You"?

Keets:

Since the day it was released.

> PT continued to develop the structural complexity after Quad.  

I don't agree with you on this. I think he leaned a bit more toward Jazz
with WAY, but whether that's actually "development" is the question. Or
just a change in direction, which is how *I* see it. And it was IMHO a
direction not for The Who, since they were the essence of Rock. To me this
is why WAY doesn't quite work...Pete is reaching beyond the ability of the
band. Sure, he always did that...but this time, his reach exceeded their
grasp.
I do believe this was a direction better suited for Pete and Entwistle
without the others. Moon was certainly no Jazz drummer (despite being
influenced heavily by them, and Buddy Rich in particular) and Daltrey is no
Cab Calloway. Although I wouldn't mind hearing him sing Minnie The Moocher.

> doesn't have the scope Quad does, but the individual songs are easily 
> comparable.

That's a tough one, mainly because QUAD is meant to be taken as a whole
(like TOMMY) and the songs work best together. However, IMHO, there are no
songs on WAY which compare to: Sea And Sand, The Punk Meets The Godfather,
I'm One, Is It In My Head, Drowned, and Love Reign O'er Me...just to name
half the album...

> I think if I wanted to recommend PT as a composer (rather 
> than a songwriter) "Who Are You" might be the album I'd use.

Not me. Once again, IMHO, QUAD was his crowning achievement. I knew it
after the first listen, 12/73 two days after Christmas (although at the
time I had no reason to think he wouldn't better it next time). As time has
passed, my appreciation has only grown. Now it is

> I haven't 
> completed any kind of definitive analysis of this idea, but give me 
> time...

You can have as much as you like. After all, I've had more than 20 years
and less for you would hardly be fair.

> My impression is that it's an excellent piece of work.

You certainly have a right to feel that way. I like it a lot, don't get me
wrong, but do feel that the band should have come up to the standard they
themselves set.

> Why,  specifically, do you think the two songs above are poorly done

I think Love Is Coming Down is just plain weak. The subject is OK, but not
particularly original, and the execution is poor. It sounds a bit forced to
me, and is definitely too "stagey." I'd say this also applies (to a lessor
degree) for Guitar And Pen. Is this writing from the heart, or an attempt
to be artistic? Art must flow; it cannot be forced. I don't feel the flow
here. QUAD, on the other hand, emotes honesty. Or, as Byran Adams might
say: straight from the heart.
As for New Song, there's nothing "new" about it. As the lyrics themselves
acknowledge; it's my impression that Pete was trying to be self-effacing to
the point of humor here...but it's not funny. Take the humor out and it
insults the hard-core fan: "I write the same old song with a few new
lines/And everybody wants to hear it..." If this is true, Pete, then why
bother to be creative? Just crank it out like The Stones were doing by this
time.
Then we get to an almost sexual phrase, abusive sexuality that is: "Admit
that you really want to hear it." Or should he be a bit clearer: "Admit you
like me even though you don't understand what I'm saying or doing. You
don't like the REAL me, just the image you've created in your mind which
can do no wrong." Yes, that would have been better. And he DID say this
same thing better, in QUAD (but from the other side of the aisle): "You
only became what we made you..."
And Pete admits readily enough that you can "Turn on your radio/Love is my
friend/Again and again and again/Join in and sing now/It don't mean a
thing..." Certainly the best line in the song, but then again the song
should have ALL been this good! Anyway, "It don't mean a thing." Too bad!
It should, and it used to!

> And I like 
> JAE's songwriting.  Why does more of his songs reduce the quality of the 
> album?

I like his songwriting too, but except on a few occasions I don't think it
came up to Pete's level. And in this particular case, only one song does
(IMHO): 905. I Had Enough is OK, but marred by the horns and especially
Rog's hoarseness. 
Along with the weakened songwriting and drumming, this seemed to me at the
time clear proof that the band had passed its peak. Something I was already
worried about, because of WBN not being as strong as QUAD.
Trick Of The Light is a great Entwistle song, but it doesn't rise to the
level as they say.
At the time, this little Who fan waited three freaking long and lonely
years for a new Who album...and when THIS was it, I was extremely
disappointed. I knew they could do better...Hell, Pete did better on his
own later and IH is also better IMHO, although perhaps not that much
better.