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Nigel Williamson hears Pete Townshend's Lifehouse project get an airing
at Sadler's Wells, 30 years late 
Son of Tommy comes of age 
Before the first live performance of Lifehouse in 30 years, Pete
Townshend was asked why he had resurrected the work. "If I write songs
today, they are written by a very mature, stable, serene, contented,
balanced man. What a yawn. But I look back at that stuff and there is a
passion there," he said. 
Lifehouse was ambitiously intended as the Who's follow-up to Tommy but
after some experimental performances at the Young Vic in 1971, the
planned album and film were both abandoned. Yet Townshend never quite
let go. Several of the songs were resurrected for the album Who's Next,
and over the ensuing years he made various unsuccessful attempts to
revive the work. 
Finally last December Lifehouse was broadcast as a play on Radio 3. To
accompany it Townshend prepared a six-CD boxed set called The Lifehouse
Chronicles which included his original demos, orchestrations and the
two-hour radio recording. 
The plot of Lifehouse is complicated and at times confused and need not
concern us here, for this live show was not a staging, merely a concert
of two dozen songs and orchestrations from the work. Employing a pick-up
band, Townshend had given warning that the sound might be "clunky", and
at one point he apologetically announced that "some of these numbers
could have done with a little more rehearsal." There were rough edges
but, as he had claimed, there was also a passion that was undeniable. 
As a singer he lacks the range of Roger Daltrey (who had been invited to
participate but was in Australia), but he carried the burden of the lead
vocals well enough. But many were disappointed that he stuck to acoustic
guitar, denying us those famous electrified pyrotechnics. He explained
that he needed to avoid the rush that still carries him away every time
he straps on an electric guitar, for as musical director he needed to
stay "on the ground". This was essential for he also had on stage the
London Chamber Orchestra. They performed several orchestral arrangements
without the rock band, but the evening's most powerful moments came when
the two ensembles combined. In particular this brought a compelling
grandeur to Pure and Easy , described by Townshend as the work's
"pivotal" song. 
Inevitably it was the better known numbers which were best received -
Baba O'Reilly, Won't Get Fooled Again, Going Mobile and Song Is Over
were all originally intended for Lifehouse. Yet several of the
lesser-known songs, particularly Pure and Easy, Sister Disco and Mary
were also impressive. It was a flawed but fascinating exercise which
left one all the more eager for the tour by the Who which Townshend
hopes to announce shortly.