Re: Beatlemania

[John Hughes <john@pureneasy.fsnet.co.uk>]

Ernie, re

> > like i've said, if it wasn't for the who, there would never be a 
> > Jimi Hendrix 

Umm, got to disagree with you here, I've seen nothing that indicates
that Hendrix was in any way *personally* inspired by The Who. 

I doubt that he'd really heard the Who *except* as a quirky singles band
on his travels in the chitlin circuit during 1965 and 1966. It was there
he developed the stage act which he used later in a rock/jazz setting of
the JHE. His talent was seemingly just in him.

In fact, I also seem to remember reading that Chas Chandler was inspired
by Cream to set up the 3 piece Jimi Hendrix Experience. And there is no
way Clapton Bruce and Baker were inspired by the Who!

> > nor a led zeppelin, nor heavy metal, nor hard rock, nor classic 
> > rock, nor acid rock, nor punk rock!    

And again I've got to disagree with you here. The Who were a singles pop
band as far as the public were concerned up to Pinball Wizard. When I
saw the Who in 1968 they were most avowedly typical of bands of the era
who'd had chart success; they played lots of singles, a few covers, and
a few self penned no singles songs. I don't remember the whole set list,
but I remember (in no particular order

Heaven and Hell
Fortune Teller
Pictures of Lily
Tattoo 
I'm a boy
Relax
Substitute
Summertime blues
Boris the Spider
Happy Jack
I can't explain
My Generation
A Quick One

What distinguished them from the rest of the chart bands (please again
remember my British perspective) was the quirky, witty and relatively
mature subject matter of their singles - okay, the Louie Louie rip off
accepted:-) which was only matched by the Kinks, who were for me the
great unrecognised British band of the mid '60's.

It strikes me that the Who developed after I can see for miles (in
Pete's eyes) flopped, and he began to take the band into a harder, more
"rock" oriented direction, bringing more extended jams into the live
show for example. 

As for there being no such thing as Led Zeppelin until the Who, what do
you think Jimmy Page was doing in the Yardbirds for goodness' sake? He
was outjamming Pete, out soloing Pete and in general terms out
innovating Pete in the months before the Yardbirds imploded into Led
Zeppelin.

Dazed and confused, complete with violin bow solo on guitar was a staple
of their live show for months before Led Zep.

As for heavy metal, come on. The MC5, if anyone is were the progenitors
of the style we recognise as Heavy metal. 

The Who were and are unique. They neither created genres of music nor
followed the herd. That's my opinion, whether you want to challenge them
or not is fair enough.

Cheers,

John