RE: Who Needs This?

["Brian Cady" <cadyb@home.com>]

I've been trying so hard not to get into opinion lately because I'm just
tired of arguing points that can never be proven, but I really can't let
this one slide by without a comment or two. Let's look at Turner's review of
IT'S HARD to find what the review says about Turner as much as IT'S HARD.

Turner:
> "Athena" is the single, side one's opening opus, & a real bummer
> a la FACE DANCE
> (sic) / QUADROPHENIA.  (Why QUAD is mentioned here, I'm not sure;
> unless the
> reviewer particularly disliked it. - Schrade)

You're right on your guess Schrade. This reviewer hates QUADROPHENIA. Most
people forget that the reviewers that rejected IT'S HARD were just as likely
to reject QUADROPHENIA for the same reasons.

> If something smells sorta SERIOUS here you've caught the right
> scent.  And, it turns out,
> odoronos abound.
....Pete's logged a lot of time
> thinkin' about alla this & it's clear that HE WANTS YOU TO DO THE
> SAME.
....tunes that
> *cranked* & absolved attention
> from the glowingly self-conscious *message* themes &
> introspective crosstalk
....Townshend's soul-search for higher
> spiritual planes is about as interesting as a frog in a trout
> pond.
....drivel's about all
> that's left in the *absence* of unrequited power-chord histrionics.
....There's nothing
> particularly FUN or ELECTRIC
> or DANGEROUS....The conspicuous
> absence of these fundamental WHO
> bldg. blocks is replaced on IT'S HARD with the listless sobriety
> of ADULTHOOD.

To sum up what Turner felt Pete should have supplied were tunes that were
fun and sounded like the early singles. And for God's sake avoid any
meaning! Perhaps instead of Tony Bennett he should have been listening to A
Flock Of Seagulls or Toni Basil or any other pop star who didn't bring up
nasty subjects like nuclear proliferation, the greed culture or, gasp,
maturity. I can only hope he never grew up.

        -Brian in Atlanta
         The Who This Month!
        http://members.home.net/cadyb/who.htm
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