Pinball Wizard An Embarrassment?

["Kevin O'Neal" <kevinandt@xxxxxxxxx>]

>From: Alan McKendree
>Subject: Pinball Wizard An Embarrassment?
>
>Does that mean I'm second guessing Pete?
>
>You're sure coming close.

Show me the cigar.

>Stating that PW is his biggest sellout

It's one of the biggest sellouts in rock.

>pretty much carries a built-in negative evaluation, given the definition of
the term, and it's not much of a leap to infer you think he shouldn't have
done it.

See, this is where I'm having a problem with you Alan.  You seem to want to
pin me to some sort of interpretation behind what I write.  I'm writing very
literally.
I really don't have an opinion on whether he should or shouldn't "have done
it".  He did it.  Fact.  Many people will indeed see it in a negative way.
Fact.  I, personally wish he and all artists would stick to their true art.
That doesn't mean that I think Pete is bad for doing it.  He had needs.  He
met those needs.  It paid off.

>My extensive research indicates there was nothing in PW's place before Pete
went home and dashed it off.  Pete was going to toss Tommy out there without
that >thread and hope it flew.

Exactly.
And, I bet it would have.

>Sure, he didn't have to stick with The Who, he could have become an
accountant

My point exactly.

>but he wanted The Who to have the biggest success possible, and Nik
convinced him (without much argumentation, just a simple declarative
sentence or two) that >PW would help that.

You're now making it sound like Nik and Pete corroborated on this for a
spell, and came to some sort of agreement.  My research tells me that Pete
threw Pinball out there because he was looking to get a good review out of
this influential critic.  He was placating the guy.  And, it was Pete's
suggestion.  Nik didn't say, "hey, how 'bout pinball!  I *love* pinball!
What happened is more like Nik going "hmmmmmm, geeeee Pete, this is pretty
heavy shit here.  We need something to lighten the mood a bit (don't agree!)
and capture peoples attention.  Hmmmm?".  Pete then said "I got it!  How
'bout making Tommy a Pinball Wizard!  (winks to Roger)".  Nik's face starts
to glow and says "Yes!  That's brilliant!  Tommy will be a Pinball God! (Nik
imagining his likeness as Tommy) (Pete and Roger seeing $$$$).
<disclaimer...all of the above is fictitious.  I don't even know if Roger
was there.  Alan?>

>I think that's unprovable, pretty much a subject for idle speculation.

Well, we agree on that.

>I think it's a more interesting work with the pinball thread in there.
Even *much* more interesting.

Ok.  I think it's an abrupt and strange left turn in the story.  One that
was included to placate a critic.  TO ME, the story suddenly becomes
fiction.  Unbelievable. Silly.
TO BE CLEAR, that's not always a bad thing.  I just like the purer aspects
of Tommy better than the pinball part.  And, others I've spoken with seem to
hold the same view.  It's another thing that I've had to explain to
people....like Pete's homosexuality thang, or the pedophile thang......

>Given that opinion, I think it sold better because of PW and related songs
(and I'm pretty sure you agree).  Would it have sold well enough without
pinball to save >The Who's career?  I don't know, that seems like another
impossible question to resolve.

Again, agreed.  I'm looking to satisfy my own quest for purity, while Pete
had the obligation and responsibility of satisfying the bottom line.

>>So, you're saying Pinball Wizard is supposed to be a joke?  Well, to me it
kind of is.  But, I think the joke was missed by a whole bunch of people.
>
>I'm saying it was a new note in an otherwise monotonous (single-noted)
work.

Monotonous?  Wow.  I wouldn't have used those words.  Far from monotonous
IMO.

>It was comic in the classic sense of incongruity, but it was raised by the
merit of the work above the level of a simple joke.

I don't believe this was the plan.  I believe this was a side-effect.  I
think Pete (and I *know* Nik) thought this would be a great thing.  How is
it placating Nik if the intention is to be sarcastic and treat Pinball like
a joke?
Despite my Cousin Schrade's insulting attempts to imply that I am not
intelligent enough to see the deeper meaning here, I don't believe this was
part of the master plan.  And, I *know* that many people don't regard it as
sarcastic or a joke.  Just strange, confusing, silly.  When you inform that
the reason was to win favor of a rock critic, it opens up an entirely
different level of poo-poo-dom.
If there is evidence to suggest otherwise, I'd like to hear it.
Which came first,....the chicken.....or Tommy?

>>You just seem to be much more comfortable with rocks most glaring example
of kissing-up to a critic, than I.
>
>Not that you're second-guessing him, of course.

I'm not.  I'm stating facts and perceptions as I understand them.  You can
disagree with a person without meaning to say they are wrong.
Obviously, in light of Tommy's success, Pete was right.  Doesn't mean that
*my* personal needs were met.

>Are you saying you think "kissing up to a critic" is *not* prostituting his
vision?

Of course not.  Wait, let me check that................yep, that's right.
"Kissing up to a critic" is indeed prostituting his vision.
But, as you point out and support, he had reason.
All I'm saying is I personally wish I could talk-up Tommy with people
without this chapter of it's "development" coming up.
When it does,.....well.....in the words of Ricky Ricardo......"Lucy, you've
got a lot of esplaining to do!"
It is quickly frowned upon.
If people aren't seeing this with their friends, I would argue you're not
talking about The Who enough with them.
We, on this list, do *not* hold the typical perspective of The Who.

>>Good.  And, it really doesn't bother me either.  My initial point, by
saying "it's the embarrassment" of the album,
>
>Not that you're second-guessing Pete...

Compared to the rest of the album..........
Is this where I'm supposed to feel baaaaaaaad?

>I think we've hashed this out as much as we can.

Thank you!

>My interpretation makes it a source of interest, wonder, appreciation, and
inspiration for me.

Well, thanks for excluding me from all of that.
I don't give Tommy a second thought, I guess.

>>Who gives a turd what Nik thinks?  An insecure Pete Townshend who wasn't
sure how this new concept album complete with rock-opera would fly with Jon
>>and Jane Q. Public?
>
>Pretty much, yes.

Exactly my point.

>Not that you're second-guessing a young, insecure Pete, of course.

My apologies if I've upset you in anyway.

>>I do.  And that's all I've ever said.  It's you who seems to have had a
problem with Pete selling out for that price.
>
>Squeeze me?  I'm in FAVOR of what he did.

Yet it is you who seems to be quite sensitive about any sort of suggestion
that this could (is) be seen by many as a negative thing.  If you don't have
a problem with it, then why so defensive?
......thou protesteth too much.

>Selling out is not the hugely bad thing that the words seem to connate.

>If you don't think "sell out" has bad connotations, you're either fooling
yourself or trying to fool me.  From my American Heritage dictionary, "To
betray one's >cause or colleagues".

Your words.
So, how does it make you feel?
Have you ever had to defend this before?  With people who aren't Who
"experts"?

>And yes, I put the disclaimer in because I don't think pandering is a good
thing

Whot?

>I don't think pandering is a good thing

One more time...

>I don't think pandering is a good thing

>and I don't think The Who practiced it after achieving fame.

As I've stated.

>Nor do I think they practiced it on their way up.

Pete admits as much.

>when he added Pinball Wizard to Tommy it added to the effectiveness of the
work without losing the impact of his original vision.

He was lucky, 'cause there's no way he could have seen the ultimate effect
when on "impulse" he decided to "cow-tow" to Nik.

>-30-

33?

Kevin in VT