Re: Who taking off their edge

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

I'm talking specifically about the recent release of the BBC SESSIONS here.

There's been considerable discussion on another list about the tendency of 
contemporary sound engineers to add a hard, bright edge to  remastered cds.  
Music fans who had vinyl or bought earlier versions of cds don't generally 
like the sound, which seems aimed at younger fans.  The Who sound on BBC 
SESSIONS was fairly ear-splitting to being with, and of course the 
brightness increased this effect.  It's not something the classic rock 
market would enjoy--they're used to mellower sound. I'm not sure kids would 
know what to make of it, either, and I think the punk market is fairly 
limited right now (regardless of the opinions of critics).  Therefore, it 
didn't sell well.  My opinion in the matter.

I was trying to get a little thread going on how well (or not) The Who and 
camp managed the packaging and sale of their music--their marketing 
strategy, in other words--but so far everybody is still galloping off after 
The Beatles.  :\


keets



> > > Seems like the better strategy would have been to take some of the 
>edge off the material so it would have a broader appeal.
> >
>But the Beatles already had the market cornered on softer, mainstream 
>rock-so i don't think that would have worked.  Besides- what i respect most 
>about the Who is that they never really sold out, continuing to take great 
>risks and pushing the envelope as far as it would go at that time.  They 
>put the cause of advancing music over material rewards (not that they 
>didn't try to make money and succeeded- but probably not as much as if they 
>would have played it safer)


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