Re: FACE DANCES

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

>1) Pete's writing style:  Pete was then going for a complex, poetic
style of writing in which he said he was smashing words and images like he 
used to smash guitars.  So the songs have strong images in them that are 
complete non-sequitars (like "volcanoes exploding through snow" in "Music 
Must Change" for instance; yes, I know it's on Who Are You).  This "obscure 
and oblique" style of writing was very off-putting to fans who were 
previously attracted to Pete's writing for its straight-forward 
emotionalism.

Anybody have an idea why Pete went to this style of writing, and whether 
this has affected the success of his solo albums?

It's definitely less accessible than his efforts with the Who where you 
don't really have to listen to the words--just sort of feel your way through 
them.  His solo albums are very nice--the music is generally complex enough 
to work on the brain the way they're saying classical music does.  It'll 
play in the background and sort of help you think, or else you can pay 
attention and dig through what he's saying in the lyrics.  In that way it's 
very much different from the best Who music that demands your whole 
attention.

I recall an interview where he said "See Me, Feel Me" was much to obvious, 
and though I can't recall the date, I think it was fairly recent.  Was it a 
conscious decision to retreat from this kind of frankness?  Was it too 
painful?  Or did he just decide he didn't like doing that any more and that 
he wanted a more mature approach as a lyricist?

I love some of the little narratives he comes up with in this latter style 
of writing, and it shows off his insight, humor and verbal ability quite 
well, but obviously it doesn't have the charge that the other stuff has.

One nice thing about IT'S HARD is that he wavers between the two styles.  Am 
I right in thinking he doesn't appreciate "Eminence Front" a whole lot?  
Somehow this one squeaked through the overwriting process, maybe because he 
needed something for the album and didn't take time to fool with it--sounds 
like the demo is right there on the album.  That one and the jam version of 
"How Can You Do It Alone" are clear demonstrations of what makes up Pete's 
genius, but you'd wonder if he knows that.

I think I've said before that he accesses the subconscious--that channeling 
thing he talked about in John's studio--and his genius is that he can 
immediately put this into words that listeners understand.  When he feels 
it, it's good right then, and it doesn't need complex re-writing.  "Eminence 
Front" is a perfect example.  Nothing to it, but it's pure genius.  Maybe he 
thinks that's too easy?  ;)

"How Can You Do It Alone" is a stark example of how he can ruin things by 
over-intellectualizing.  The jam comes right up out of the subconscious and 
it's good right then, but I can't find the same meaning in the album cut at 
all.  It's gone.

BTW, there was a comment over on O&S that in this jam Pete and Roger 
collaborated to put the meaning together.  It's possible that Roger has some 
ability to do this same thing, but it's just under-developed.  Anybody have 
a reaction to that?


keets
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