[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Who's Who?!?




>Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John...

Mike:

My first impulse was to reject these guys...I mean, Jagger already did two
Who songs (The Last Time and Under My Thumb) and Elton's Pinball Wizard is
not my cuppa really, well...but then I remembered Bowie's version of ICE and
AAA, both of which I like quite a bit. And I also remembered Daltrey's
version of Zep's Rock And Roll, which I would have been skeptical about had
I not heard him pull it off (it sucks but not because of him). So maybe.
Maybe.
What I was thinking of, however, was something more along the lines of
Sugar's nuclear (not to be confused with Duh-Bya's "nucular") explosive
version of Armenia. The Sex Pistol's version of Substitute. Or Green Day's
My Generation.
Actually, long ago I put together my own Who tribute album I called Who's
Who?!?. Along with the aforementioned songs, it also includes:

Gorky Park - MG
ICE - Scorpions
Shaking All Over - Smithereens (yes, I know it's not really a Who song)
Disguises - Jam
TKAA - Eddie And The Hot Rods
Summertime Blues - Blue Cheer (see above, but The Who did it first and BC
heard them too!)
So Sad About Us - Jam
The Seeker - Smithereens
Substitute - Ramones

This before Pearl Jam ever covered our boys...one day I'm going to have to
expand it and put it all on CD.

>This is the "Jimmy on the Rock" stage of his life

Joe:

Now that's an interesting way to look at it. If I'm reading you right, what
you're saying is Pete's in the reflective moment just before he moves ahead
(as we presume Jimmy did). And that would have to mean an album of NEW
material! Sounds good!

>I liked the thought offered by Mike (I believe) that the acoustic doesn't
>provide for the type of "release" that the electric does.  But, it sure
does
>make you a better guitar player.  He's on top of his game.

Kevin:

I'd say Pete has always been a better acoustic player anyway, but I would
then have to disagree with Mike (if it was Mike) because I think he's damned
powerful on acoustic. Take WGFA from Madison Square Garden `96. I was there
the night before, and felt every bit as much power from the song as I had in
the two times I'd seen him do it electric.

>is using feedback in the way only Pete can.  Feedback is a lost art form.
I
>thank the Who Gods that Pete, the master of feedback, is putting it back on
>the map where it belongs.

I think this has been something Pete has been struggling with for most of
his career. He used feedback early on because he wasn't such a good lead
player, and then Hendrix took it where Pete could not (at least not then)
which intimidated him. So he saw much less legitimacy in using it, I think.
And to return to it is like returning to the old material, something he
spoke against during much after Quad in 1973. He even said he broke up the
band (`82) because he didn't want to become an oldies act.
But now, it appears, he feels free enough with his legacy to relive it a
bit. There IS a classic Who sound, and Pete avoided it (especially after
Keith died). But you can hear it on their version of Saturday Night's
Alright and in the latest concert tour. And even though it makes me feel as
if I'm wrong for feeling this way, I'm glad. I'm big on moving forward, but
it's OK to return to the core, I guess. Especially when it's such a great
core.
Gawd, I'm mellowing with age. Kill me now.

> It's like a worm-hole to the soul.

Nice one.

>Ever wonder how this new album will be marketed?  Will it try and go for
the
>larger audience, like Carlos?

Oh, I HOPE not! Sorry if I offend anyone here, but that album bites. Carlos
has done some incredible music (most of it in the early `70's), but that
album winning a grammy invalidates the value of a grammy. And if anyone
thinks that's the best Santana they've ever heard, I refer you to Lotus or
at least Caravanserai. After you've listened to either or both, we'll talk
about the best Santana.

>"OK KEETS, PUT DOWN THE WOODEN SPOON, AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

Keets:

To quote one of my favorite songs: "When they kick down your front door/How
you gonna come/With your hands on your head/Or on the trigger of your
gun..."




"The new President of The United Sates is
    what I would call a cunt "
              Pete Townsend

               Cheers                 ML