Pete the genius

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

>I suspect this is what somebody has told Pete (or maybe that he's told 
>himself) in the late seventies.  For some reason he started distrusting the 
>raw material.

This is an interesting point of inquiry--as to why Pete would make this 
change.  It may have been coming for a while.

As Schrade pointed out, there a difference in lyrical complexity as The 
Who's career progressed.  The early "punk" period featured lyrics and music 
that were simply constructed, but which generally included all the 
post-modern art school elements that Pete would be famous for as a 
songwriter: experimentation, spontenaity, irony, etc.

The middle or "classic rock" period included the major rock opera and 
depended heavily on lyrics that invoked archetypes and imagery for effect.  
The complexity increased noticibly during this period, especially in the 
music, as Pete got a handle on composition and experimented with different 
media and structures.

The late or "new wave" period found Pete writing lyrics in a different style 
that often seemed overdone as far as images and references went.  The songs 
made less use of the archetypes, but still contained nebulous double 
meanings that the audience could feel as important undercurrents in the 
songs.

Once these double meanings began to disappear, then the music no longer 
seemed appropriate for The Who.  Critics complained, Roger complained and 
Pete quit.

One clue to what was happening was in that Pete said his earlier easy 
inspiration seemed to disappear as he got older, i.e. the paper remained 
blank.  This meant that, if he was going to continue as a prolific 
songwriter, he would have to find some way to construct lyrics when 
inspiration ran low.

Another possibility is that he began to feel, or someone told him, that 
lyrics should be written with the intellect--that one should slave over them 
and weigh every word, and that they should actually make sense when read.  I 
do know people that prefer the FACE DANCES songs to the earlier ones.  These 
are people who listen to lyrics with the intellect, and expect songs to make 
an intellectual point, rather than an emotional one.

The end point, though, is that Pete seems to have two distinct methods for 
writing lyrics.  As he's gotten older, he seems to have abandoned the raw, 
emotional, archetype method in favor of the more intellectual style.  It's 
obvious that he can still do the archetype method, as we sometimes see it in 
concert.  Yes, I agree that everything he produces this way isn't a song, 
but now and then he does a complete one.

I think this is Pete's genius, and when he's got one, it's right for The 
Who.  He shouldn't turn it into an intellectual exercise.  Save that for the 
solo albums.


keets

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