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Re: The Who Mailing List Digest V6 #6



Hey Who-folk,

I've been visiting family for over two weeks so I just finished reading all
the old emails (whew!).  Hope I'm not too late to throw in my two cents on old
topics, starting with:
Bands I dig other than The 'Oo!!:

Beatles
Stones (pre-"Some Girls")
Kinks 
Hendrix
U2 (before "Joshua Tree")
Peter Gabriel 
Lou Reed
Velvet Underground
Bowie (old stuff)
Creedence (America's rock band IMO)
Creem & Derek & The Dominoes
Pink Floyd
Yes (the old stuff)
Genesis (w/ Gabriel)
Allman Brothers
Buddy Guy
Beach Boys (mainly for "Pet Sounds")
Sex Pistols (when in the mood)
Chuck Berry
Little Richard
The Cure (pre-90s)
Living Color
Cracker (my favorite 90s band)

Favorite Who Albums:
1) Who's Next - Not as grand in scope or atmosphere or cohesion as Quad, but
this was the one that baptized me in fire.  The Baba O'Riley kick off and the
earth shattering BBB and WGFA ending was manna from heaven at fourteen years
old.
PS:  A friend got me the remastered 25 yr anniv. WN for Christmas and I played
it on my dad's huge new sound system late one night (2am) when everyone else
was out of town.  Good Lord!!  I forgot what that damn album could do to me!
I did something I haven't done in probably ten years (since I learned to play
guitar):  I turned the stereo so loud that when WGFA hit its mid-point I
started airjamming, windmilling, jumping off the coffee table in a crouch ala
Pete and generally losing my mind in WHO ecstasy.  That was a daily ritual
when I was 16, but I'm double that age now.  All I can say is, I will never
again underestimate The Who's ability to restore youth with a single well
placed power chord.  God, that final scream is the definition of Rock!!  Lord,
I need a cigarrette (and i don't smoke)!!
2.  Quad:  Pete's masterpiece.  And yeah, "Sea And Sand" is one of my all time
favorites.  Definitely the saddest Who album ever.  If this album doesn't
pierce your heart you don't have one.
3.  Tommy:  Especially the instrumentals.  I love the Overture, Keith is on
fire!!  Also another one that for all its production flaws has emotional
punch.  The "See Me Feel Me" insert in "Christmas" could make a statue weep.
4.  Who Sell Out:  I love it.  A weird, beautiful mix and easily the funniest
Who album ever IMO.
5.  Live At Leeds:  Like the old sticker proclaimed, still, the Greatest Live
Album Ever Made.
6.  My Generation:  Oh yeah
7.  Who Are You:  Not a great album granted, but the title song and the
Entwistle tracks still make it Olympian in my book.
8.  A Quick One, Who By Numbers, Odds and Sods:  All have priceless moments, I
can't decide but lean toward AQO.  But I think "However Much I Booze" is one
of the most underrated Who songs with a killer jambreak!
9.  It's Hard, Face Dances:  Sans Keith, but admirable still.
10.  Magic Bus, etc.:  Compilations and botched live albums (Who's Last) which
didn't touch the bands glory or power.

Anyway, it's a New Who Year.  Good to read about all the young Who fans (after
the fire the fire still burns)!!  Shows how truly timeless the boys are.
Thanks to the people who turned me on to Husker Du.  I bought Zen Arcade a day
ago in a used CD store, but I haven't listened to it yet.  

Long Live Pete, John and Rog
-Leo