Is you is or is you ain't a Who fan?

[Oust_the_pretender <bushchoked@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Ted's fans might disagree with that statement. Hopefully they don't take 
offense, since they run around in orange clothing and carry ammunition. 

Tiger:

I think only the most hard-core fan Nugent might try to pretend Teddy Bush-buttfuck buddy Nugent contributed to Rock music at ALL, whereas The Who are one of if not THE (IMHO) most influencial Rock band of all. And therein lies the difference.

>In response to your email: I understand your way of thinking. I don't 
completely agree with it, but I can see why, out of extreme loyalty to The Who, you would not want to go to their shows.

Jo:

To me, it's obvious. They are diluting the power of their own legacy. Lowering the bar, trashing the standard they set. Change the name, change the standard. Doesn't anyone STAND for anything anymore? Pete used to.

>When I go to the show in 2004, I don't expect to see The Who with John, 
Keith, Pete and Roger, so how can I be disappointed?

That's fine. What you're saying is you don't expect to see The Who, and you don't. So you're not disappointed in the Pete N John Oldies show and revue.

>I'd rather celebrate the magic that still exists, not boycott them.

Magic? It's like comparing Lord Of The Rings and Dungeons And Dragons. One is a classic, the other just a fantasy movie (not even a good one). No, what we're talking about is Pete and Rog finding a John sound-alike (shades of Judas Priest!) and pretending to be what they used to be.

>Because I see boycotting them as punishing them.

If I had the power to punish Pete Townshend, I wouldn't. But I don't...you don't. I don't mind sending him a wake-up call, though.

> Does Pete deserve to be punished for still being creative and 
wanting to create songs? Does Roger deserve to be punished for still being able 

No, so why do they have to punish ME and other loyal and caring Who fans by calling it The Who???

>Why does it have to be all or nothing?

That's where the integrity comes in. If I didn't care about these sorts of things, I wouldn't be a Who fan. It's not "all or nothing," it's "right and wrong."

>If you live your life being afraid of being disappointed, your going to miss 
out on opportunities to grow.

I'm not afraid of it, but when I see it coming I'm certainly going to avoid it. 

>The who's music is not the same without him - I sadly missed his fingers on 
the 2002 tour, and the loss of songs that don't work without his magic.

Steve:

I completely agree.

>Terrible Ted on his tour with ZZ top this year,,,my god he kicked ass!!!!

Bill:

But for me it's not about loud. I could name a dozen bands, from Van Halen to Motley Crue to Britney who can generate as much if not more excitement than The Who do live. However, The Who have a quality that no other band has. Live, studio, wherever.

>Who gives a monkey's ass what they call themselves as long as they play or 
record or whatever.

I do. Many do, actually. Why can't The Who be the special ones, the ones who don't sell their legacy for a handful of cash? That's what Pete always made me believe, anyway.

>Daltrey, 59, is livid at the way he says some public officials released
unfounded accusations as if they were fact, and a sensation-hungry press

I wonder how he'd feel about Rush Limbagh saying The Who were just a bunch of noise the other day? It doesn't change MY opinion of Limbagh one single iota.

>Hey, what about Two Who, instead of The Who or DT's?
Do you think it's a good idea?
Well, maybe not, but it's a conciliation deal...

Tom:

Or Who's Left, the sort of humor John would appreciate.

> are available. How could someone call themselves a Who fan & not have 
a huge collection of bootleg Who CDs?

Scott:

YEAH!

>So, who's the better, more hardcore fan? 

ME, ME, ME! (jumping up and down, doing a Horshak imitation)

>Because some Who fans just don't like the live sound of the band in its
current incarnation. The dynamics have changed. It's a different sound.

I didn't see them with Kenney Jones for just that reason. I'm watching them at Live Aid as I write this and it's just not all there.

>OK, I gotta admit, this is a bit confusing. You don't like the sound of 
the band without Keith & John, yet all it would take for you to go see a 
live show now would be if they called themselves something other than The
Who?

Because the standard would be different. And again, calling themselves The Who is not for we the fans or even those fans not present currently...but for the general unwashed drunken Joe Schmoe types who want to see The Who because "They ROCK, man, almost as good as LED ZEPPELIN or KISS! I saw Aerosmith last month! THEY ROCK!"

>So which is it? What's bothering you? The sound of the band? Or the name
of the band?

The sound not being the band. If you know what I mean.

>BTW, when I told a friend this weekend that The Who were going to tour again
next year she immediately said, "They're not gonna call themselves The Who,
are they?!" ;-)

See what the general Rock fan thinks of it? It's like getting fooled, and we were told not to get fooled again! Thanks, that was a fine example.

>"Why not? It's their band," I responded.

Because it devalues their band?

>Mark can speak for himself

Jim M:

Yes, I think there no question about that here. Ha ha!

>, but I don't think that's it. He said he'd go if
they didn't call themselves "The Who", right?

Right. "Formerly of The Who" would be OK with me. But when you call it The Who, you advertise a certain thing that no longer exists.

>I do agree that we shouldn't be going around saying list members aren't fans

Yeah, and I never said anyone wasn't a fan if they do go to a show. I just wish they wouldn't in my own "we should all strive to be more" way of thinking.

>your reply to Jo. But then you replied to Mark and I got confused again. Hmm. 
Mark, which is it? :-) 

Jon:

Which is what? Or should I say which is Who? Because THAT I can answer. Well, I don't know another way to say it except there are levels of Who fans...as Steve and I are extremes on either side of this "version of The Who" if it must be called that. Some are into the lyrics, feel, magic...that would be me, for one (not to imply Steve isn't, this is a different thing entirely) and some just want to hear Pinball Wizard for yet another weary time. Baba. WGFA. BBE. (yawn)

>Yeah, but we need to know why Mark isn't going because he is such a good fan. 

Why? Why should you care if I have to cut my hair?

>I don't want to be going to the Who show feeling like a sell-out or a 
dumb-ass. ;-) 

Oh, PLEASE! I never said or implied any such thing. I'm talking about MY perspective on this issue. Isn't that what a discussion board is all about? If we all agreed on everything, it would be quite boring.



Cheers         ML

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