The Who

[tinnitus photography]

Back in the day, I thought those Les Pauls with the numbers on them were the coolest friggin' things ever

 

looks like Pete still uses the numbering system, but it's not as obvious.

 

[Oil Can Boyd]

Interesting piece on the current version of the Who written by Ira Robbins.

 

http://trouserpress.com/forum/read.php?f=1&i=42564&t=42564#reply_42564

[Analogman]

Dave Marsh shares some of his same views. But - I do not. The Who a singles band? Rubbish. I can see his point, but people want to see these old bands, and they want to play - so that is how it goes.

[tinnitus photography]

He is way harsher than my opinion but makes some extremely valid points. I do recall the footage shown during "The Rock" as being a big WTF.

[Analogman]

That is a good question. It must be some sort of reflection of the state of mind of the modern Jimmy.

 

 

I find the whole idea of video tributes a bit odd. But - that is what the old bands do these days.

 

 

 

Stunning, really.

[theashtraysays]

Interesting piece on the current version of the Who written by Ira Robbins.

 

http://trouserpress....564#reply_42564

Somebody needs to tell Ira that sentence length does not equal journalistic quality. That was painful.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

That is a good question. It must be some sort of reflection of the state of mind of the modern Jimmy.

 

 

I find the whole idea of video tributes a bit odd. But - that is what the old bands do these days.

 

 

 

Stunning, really.

Thanks for posting that. I was at that Amway Arena show.

[Analogman]

I also noticed Pete is using a cable, and not a wireless system.

[mountain bed]

Interesting piece on the current version of the Who written by Ira Robbins.

 

http://trouserpress....564#reply_42564

Thanks for the link, Oil Can. I enjoyed that quite a bit. I have many mixed emotions about the whole thing.

[RaspberryJam]

Trying to decide if it is worth buying tickets for the Dec 9 show at Mohegan Sun. Could those who've gone please chime in?

[Mr. Heartbreak]

I reviewed the Orlando show (briefly) in After the Show: http://viachicago.org/topic/48529-the-who-110312-orlando-fl-amway-arena/

I say go.

[RaspberryJam]

I reviewed the Orlando show (briefly) in After the Show: http://viachicago.or...fl-amway-arena/

I say go.

Ahh, great. Thanks. Definitely going to the "pro" column. Now, how much am I willing to pay for better seats? I'm thinking of holding off a bit since there seems to be a ton available on secondary sites.

[tinnitus photography]

yes. i had a blast.

[opsopcopolis]

Ahh, great. Thanks. Definitely going to the "pro" column. Now, how much am I willing to pay for better seats? I'm thinking of holding off a bit since there seems to be a ton available on secondary sites.

 

Thats what I'd recommend. Secondary market doesn't seem to be too good for these shows, so you should be able to get a bargain

[tinnitus photography]

the best you ever had.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

the best you ever had.

Nice!

Here's a good review of the show in Boston a few nights ago: http://www.bostonher...s-quadrophenia/

By the way, may I just say that Ira Robbins can kiss my ass? Okay, I feel better now.

[RaspberryJam]

the best you ever had.

I see what you did there.

[Shug]

I've been in a Who phase recently, getting ready for the show in Feb. I'm again fascinated with the Lifehouse project and wanted to hear from some of the Who fans here their opinion about it.

 

Wikipedia lists the following as one of Townshend's sequences for the album:

Side 1 (Ray's Story)

 

"Teenage Wasteland" (Lifehouse Chronicles)[3]

"Going Mobile" (Who's Next)

"Baba O'Riley" (Who's Next)

"Time Is Passing" (Odds and Sods) and (Who Came First)

"Love Ain't for Keeping" (Who's Next)

 

Side 2 (Mary/Jumbo's Story)

 

"Bargain" (Who's Next)

"Too Much of Anything" (Odds & Sods) and (Who's Next (1995 reissue) )

"Greyhound Girl" (Lifehouse Chronicles) (Believed to have been recorded by The Who in 1971)

"Mary" (Lifehouse Chronicles ) (Recorded by The Who in 1971)

"Behind Blue Eyes" (Who's Next)

 

Side 3 (Bobby's Story)

 

"I Don't Even Know Myself" (Who's Missing and Who's Next (1995 reissue) )

"Put the Money Down" (Odds & Sods)

"Pure and Easy" (Who Came First, Odds and Sods, and Who's Next (1995 reissue) )

"Getting in Tune" (Who's Next)

"Let's See Action (Nothing is Everything)" (Who Came First and Hooligans)

 

Side 4 (The Lifehouse Concert)

 

"Relay" (Hooligans)

"Join Together" (Hooligans)

"Won't Get Fooled Again" (Who's Next)

"The Song Is Over" (Who's Next)

 

I'd like to create a version of the Lifehouse album myself, using as many early 70s Who performances (as opposed to Townshend solo ones) as possible. For example, I have two Who versions of Pure and Easy, one from the reissued Who's Next and another from a double disc greatest hits comp. I just need to decide which one I like better (leaning towards the Who's Next reissue version). But what about some of these other songs?

 

Any suggestions on specific recordings or favorite versions of these songs that I ought to get would be appreciated.

[dtram]

I've been in a Who phase recently, getting ready for the show in Feb. I'm again fascinated with the Lifehouse project and wanted to hear from some of the Who fans here their opinion about it.

 

Wikipedia lists the following as one of Townshend's sequences for the album:

Side 1 (Ray's Story)

 

"Teenage Wasteland" (Lifehouse Chronicles)[3]

"Going Mobile" (Who's Next)

"Baba O'Riley" (Who's Next)

"Time Is Passing" (Odds and Sods) and (Who Came First)

"Love Ain't for Keeping" (Who's Next)

 

Side 2 (Mary/Jumbo's Story)

 

"Bargain" (Who's Next)

"Too Much of Anything" (Odds & Sods) and (Who's Next (1995 reissue) )

"Greyhound Girl" (Lifehouse Chronicles) (Believed to have been recorded by The Who in 1971)

"Mary" (Lifehouse Chronicles ) (Recorded by The Who in 1971)

"Behind Blue Eyes" (Who's Next)

 

Side 3 (Bobby's Story)

 

"I Don't Even Know Myself" (Who's Missing and Who's Next (1995 reissue) )

"Put the Money Down" (Odds & Sods)

"Pure and Easy" (Who Came First, Odds and Sods, and Who's Next (1995 reissue) )

"Getting in Tune" (Who's Next)

"Let's See Action (Nothing is Everything)" (Who Came First and Hooligans)

 

Side 4 (The Lifehouse Concert)

 

"Relay" (Hooligans)

"Join Together" (Hooligans)

"Won't Get Fooled Again" (Who's Next)

"The Song Is Over" (Who's Next)

 

I'd like to create a version of the Lifehouse album myself, using as many early 70s Who performances (as opposed to Townshend solo ones) as possible. For example, I have two Who versions of Pure and Easy, one from the reissued Who's Next and another from a double disc greatest hits comp. I just need to decide which one I like better (leaning towards the Who's Next reissue version). But what about some of these other songs?

 

Any suggestions on specific recordings or favorite versions of these songs that I ought to get would be appreciated.

 

A topic near and dear to my heart. I have done this many times although I have never seen that wiki entry that splits it into 4 pieces like that although that sequencing is more or less what I have done in the past.

 

The issue that I always run into is what would have been on Lifehouse had it come out in its time, summer of '71. If that is going to be the criteria of your comp, then Put The Money Down, Relay and Join Together are automatically out as they were recorded in Spring '72. I wish the Lifehouse Chronicles had dates on the demos because it is unclear, and I have never seen definitive dates of when they were demoed. My hunch is that they were post Who's Next and may or may not have originally had anything to do with Lifehouse. They may have been part of the Rock is Dead, Long Live Rock story that Pete wrote that evolved into Quad. We know that Long Live Rock and Is It In My Head were part of that and given that those 2 songs along with 3 above were recorded in Spring '72, I think that is plausible. I also dont think I Dont Even Know Myself had anything to do with Lifehouse as it writing and original recording was pre-Lifehouse, It was supposed to be on that EP i believe

 

We also know that the one Entwhistle song written for Lifehouse was When I Was A Boy so I believe that should go on any Lifehouse comp.

 

My criteria is, if it was recorded by the Who at Olympic by Glyn Johns, it goes on the comp. I do not like the Kit Lambert versions at all. My only exemptions are My Wife, i dont include that even though it was recorded at Olympic because it had nothing to do with Lifehouse. I add Mary and Greyhound girl because they are clearly Lifehouse tunes and in the case of Greyhound Girl, one of the great lost Townshend songs imo. I leave out Teenage Wasteland because it was clear that Townshend combined the instrumental Baba and Teenage Wasteland and created something much greater. No way would TW have been recorded by the Who once the fully formed Baba was done.

 

So my list goes:

 

"Baba O'Riley" (Who's Next)

"Going Mobile" (Who's Next)

"Time Is Passing" (Odds and Sods) Olympic Verison, this version is the best imo

"Love Ain't for Keeping" (Who's Next)

"Bargain" (Who's Next)

"Too Much of Anything" (Odds & Sods) Olympic verison

"Greyhound Girl" (Lifehouse Chronicles)

"Mary" (Lifehouse Chronicles )

"When I Was A Boy (Who's Missing) Olympic Version

"Behind Blue Eyes" (Who's Next)

"Pure and Easy" (Odds and Sods) Olympic Version

"Getting in Tune" (Who's Next)

"Let's See Action (Nothing is Everything)" (Hooligans) Olympic Version

"Won't Get Fooled Again" (Who's Next)

"The Song Is Over" (Who's Next)

[Shug]

Awesome! Thanks so much, I knew some Who scholar would have an informed opinion. I know less about Lifehouse than you, but its clear that the project evolved over time and took many forms. Given that, I don't have a problem including stuff The Who recorded in 1972 if Pete says they belong on Lifehouse. And maybe Teenage Wasteland (which I've never heard, just going off of your description) does belong since on Townshend's rock operas, musical riffs and themes would often re-occur throughout the piece?

 

Regardless, thanks for your input, I'm gonna have a lot of fun going through these songs and coming up with different versions of this enigmatic Lifehouse project.

 

IMO (and in opposition to Ira Robbins) the Who's Next period was The Who's strongest for songwriting and studio recording. Anything that was recorded between Tommy and Quadrophenia is stuff that I want to hear.

 

Thanks again!

[Analogman]

There are (at least) two bootlegs you may want to check out - From Lifehouse to Leeds, and P.T. Demos For The Who - "Lifehouse" - Demos 1970/71 (Pete Townshend: Genuine Scoop.)

[dtram]

Awesome! Thanks so much, I knew some Who scholar would have an informed opinion. I know less about Lifehouse than you, but its clear that the project evolved over time and took many forms. Given that, I don't have a problem including stuff The Who recorded in 1972 if Pete says they belong on Lifehouse. And maybe Teenage Wasteland (which I've never heard, just going off of your description) does belong since on Townshend's rock operas, musical riffs and themes would often re-occur throughout the piece?

 

Regardless, thanks for your input, I'm gonna have a lot of fun going through these songs and coming up with different versions of this enigmatic Lifehouse project.

 

IMO (and in opposition to Ira Robbins) the Who's Next period was The Who's strongest for songwriting and studio recording. Anything that was recorded between Tommy and Quadrophenia is stuff that I want to hear.

 

Thanks again!

 

My pleasure. You're right, you can pretty much make Lifehouse anything you want it to be as Pete has a habit being inconsistent in interviews and his own story so its hard to really say what would go where. I happen to love the sound of those Olympic sessions. After all those years of being criminally represented on record by Kit Lambert, they just sound like an uncaged animal in those sessions. And it's funny, Glyn Johns recorded the sessions at Olympic in '72 but they just dont have the same feel.

 

As for Teenage Wasteland, it is incredibly interesting to listen to but I dont think the who ever recorded it or even tried it and I think once Pete merged it with the instrumental Baba he was done with it. That being said, when he did those lifehouse shows in 2000, he used it so who knows. Amazon has the DVD which is worthwhile: http://www.amazon.com/Pete-Townshend-Music-Lifehouse/dp/B00005UQ86/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354061381&sr=8-1&keywords=pete+townshend+lifehouse

 

But I think the 2 CD set of the whole show is out of print. I have both :-)

 

I do agree that the '70 to '72 period is Pete's strongest but I'd go a year longer and include Quad, cant wait to see it in a few weeks.

 

If you need any of the tracks, let me know.

[Shug]

I picked up all those songs except Greyhound Girl, Mary and When I Was A Boy. Its really too bad the Who's versions of those first two are lost. I'm not really that excited by Townshend demos, especially if they were recorded years later than '71, but I'm not really clear on when they were. I would like to hear When I Was A Boy, but its only available on Who's Missing and on Amazon, you can't buy the individual tracks as MP3. I'm not gonna buy that whole album for one song.

 

I know what you mean about the NYC sessions with Kit Lambert vs. the Olympic London sessions with Glyn Johns. In general, the later are stronger. I do prefer the NYC version of Pure and Easy, though. The Olympic version has a better guitar solo and lead guitar is more prominent in the mix, but the rest of the track sounds less aggressive to me than the NYC version. The Townshend lead vocal version of Love Ain't For Keeping is also really good. Which session was that recorded at?

 

I love Quadrophenia, too, it means a lot to me because it really spoke to me when I was a mixed up kid, as I'm sure it did for many who love it. But the Lifehouse/Who's Next songs, to me, are on another level of brilliance. Getting In Tune, Going Mobile, Pure And Easy, The Song Is Over, these are amazing to me, maybe more than ever. Who's Next is a masterpiece, no doubt about it to me, not a weak song on it.

[Analogman]

There is some cool stuff on those Who's Missing compilations. When I Was A Boy is a John Entwistle song (you probably knew that.)

 

I am rather fond of Let's See Action/Join Together/Relay.

 

I received Hooligans for Christmas in 1981. I still have it.

[dtram]

I picked up all those songs except Greyhound Girl, Mary and When I Was A Boy. Its really too bad the Who's versions of those first two are lost. I'm not really that excited by Townshend demos, especially if they were recorded years later than '71, but I'm not really clear on when they were. I would like to hear When I Was A Boy, but its only available on Who's Missing and on Amazon, you can't buy the individual tracks as MP3. I'm not gonna buy that whole album for one song.

 

I know what you mean about the NYC sessions with Kit Lambert vs. the Olympic London sessions with Glyn Johns. In general, the later are stronger. I do prefer the NYC version of Pure and Easy, though. The Olympic version has a better guitar solo and lead guitar is more prominent in the mix, but the rest of the track sounds less aggressive to me than the NYC version. The Townshend lead vocal version of Love Ain't For Keeping is also really good. Which session was that recorded at?

 

 

The Townshend demos are actually pretty well produced with all the instrumentation.  Mary is definitely '70-'71 vintage and I'm pretty sure Greyhound girl is too and I dont think Roger would have sung Greyhound any better than Pete, it's a keeper.  Glyn Johns himself mentions that PT had some of the most amazing demo's he's ever heard.  I'm not sure if any Who versions of these are lost or just not released.  Time is Passing was found for the Odds & Sods reissue, who knows what else is in there.

 

I'm pretty sure the Townshend vocal version of Love Ain't For Keeping was from the same Record Plant sessions as all of the other Kit recorded stuff but I'd have to check.  This is definitely a YMMV zone here, I prefer everything recorded by Johns over the Lambert stuff, just sounds more vibrant to me.

 

In the interest of complete accuracy, the versions of Pure and Easy and Wont Get Fooled recorded by Johns were actually recorded at Stargroves (which I'm pretty sure was Mick Jagger's house) on the Rolling Stones mobile studio.  The Who liked the results of those sessions so much they then went with John's to Olympic to record the rest.

 

Later tonight when I'm home I'll put Mary, Greyhound Girl and When I was a Boy on sendspace for you.

 

Thanks for getting me into this, I needed something to jump start a who mood for me with the Quad show coming up; this did the trick.