new sound new album

[Jeff House <jjthandmeh@juno.com>]

ML  "I think if The Who do a powerful, stripped-down (and most importantly)
non-slick album (the rougher the better), they have a shot. It could be a
concept album IF the songs also stand on their own (like WN). They're
definitely going to have to use either their "classic" sound (reference
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting) or a completely new one (my choice
and yours, I know) at least as good as the one used for the WAY gateway
mix."

Agreed - mostly.  If they record it live, we will get the proper mix of
rough power.  The WAY Gateway thing has a non-Who sound.  I like it very
much, and it is suitably hard.  It just does not sound organic or
collaborative enough for The Who.  They have just as much strength in their
chemistry as comes from Pete's blueprints.

keets (referring to TKAA2K lyrics posted by Pete)  "I like this, too, but
it's almost too cold.  He's thought about it too much and phrased it Pete
solo style.  I like the flag one better, because it's so raw.  It pretty
much sums up what The Who is about."

Now here is a great start on a new concept/opera album.  Finding one's way
in the world is really an arc from teenage rebellion and angst to the eve of
death with many responsibilities along the way.  I think this is the logical
place for the material to find its themes.  Remember that Pete started
fooling with TKAA in 1998 just after he took a stab at penning his
autobiography.  Its a great framework to do Quad II or "The Boy Who Heard
Music".

How about this for a model?  Use the Lifehouse idea of interaction with the
audience to work out the bugs in the new material.  A series of gigs in
London (maybe @ SBE) where the new stuff is played and then the audience is
encouraged to give the band feedback on the material.  The band takes this
feedback and uses it to hash out compromises amongst themselves.  The
results are then recorded in the final gig and released as the new album. 
The new album is also the soundtrack for a film that has been made of the
interactions in the band and the surrounding drama and subplots.  Or not.

Jeff