The Who!
I just finished watching a documentary on THE WHO. I forget the name but it is the one that is out now. This thing was TREMENDOUS! The bonus extras were four, individual shorts based on the way each member of the band plays. For example, The Edge explaining the brilliance of Pete Townsed as well as Eddie Vedder chiming in. Lots of drummers explaining the genius of Keith Moon too. I am no drummer (although I did learn the Greg Kihn catalogue for THE GROOMSMEN, but apparantly switching your feet on the base drum in mid song is supposed to be near impossible. Keith Moon did it for fun.
I started wondering about guys that are greater than the rest of the people in their band but don’t nesseccaraly get the accolades. FOR EXAMPLE: THE EDGE is just a WITCH at guitar and all of his wa-was and toys. I think he plays live with at least 14 pedals as well as a machine that re threads sounds through the dat so he can play over something he just finished. Everyone in U2 have to know that the Edge blows all of them away as far as talent goes, right? DO they talk about it?
Did The Who ever talk about how they would have been just as cool without Roger Daltry? I am am sucker for power trios..(Nirvanna, The Police, The James Gang etc…) I really believe The Who may have been BETTER without Daltry.
Did everyone in Guns and Roses all know at the same time that Axl Rose sucked? How do you bring that up in the next “house meeting”? Don’t start dropping “Ringo Starr was the luckiest guy in the world!!” comments on me. he was the perfect drummer and the perfect PERSONALITY for the Beatles. He wouldn’t say shit if he had a mouth full of it which was great for the Paul/John dynamic.
Sometimes you are so good that you work your way OUT fo a band (Mick Taylor of the Stones)
Anyway, check out the documentary of the who if you get a chance.
Pretty facinating. Or you could go to youtube and look at project gary
and leave a comment
Jay
Jay,
I think you are underestimating the importance of the voice as an instrument. Are you thinking that Pete Townsend’s voice could have carried The Who? Pete himself would disagree with that, because even though Roger had issues with the group at times, Pete always kept Roger as the singer.
The Who would have been just as ferocious without Daltrey. Just listen to any non vocal parts from “Live at Leeds”. The three of them sounded like a dozen angry freightrains loaded with pure rock and roll coming to kill you, and you were willing to die. As far as Ringo goes, the same people who think he was lucky to be in the Beatles are the same people who think the high water mark in rock drumming is “that fill in Tom Sawyer”. As a drummer I have nothing but respect for ringo’s playing and the cool parts he came up with. If you don’t dig him then lock yourself in a room with your Dream Theatre cd’s and calculate time signatures or something. I just started watching the Who doc (The Amazing Journey) and it’s worth anyones time.
I saw the James Gang on their reunion tour a few years ago and they are still better than most of what passes for live rock these days. That’s not me being “things were better in 19??”, it’s just a fact. I’m sure the ratio of crap to great live bands is the same today as it always has been.
Thoughts and prayers- Mikey
Well you guys obviously have good taste in music.
I just picked up a huge Who book from 1958-1978 with pretty much every gig documented and dated. It’s great to read some of the stories about Moon. The guy was nuts. Also switching feet isn’t that hard if you practice it a bit. I did it fine when I broke my leg, you get used to it after awhile.
I say Roger stays because John nor Pete would have the singing chops to keep the band at the level they played at. Plus Pete’s nearly deaf.
I also think Ringo did a great job for the time.
Music now just stinks, I just picked up “Live at Leeds” on disc and am looking to complete my collection again with the remasters. I mean seriously, what are the last 5 cd’s you guys have purchased that is “new” music?
I am not big into music but I am sometimes stumped on why a band gave themselves their name. The who jumps out as one of those bands, so I looked it up, and the rumors are hilarious when it comes to band acronyms.
The Who: The legend goes like this: a bunch of people were brainstorming for names. The band members were already so deaf they kept saying, “The who?”. Finally, someone suggested the Who as their name.
Here is a list if you interested. http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/music0_name.html
just found this website and believe I fell into a time warp and went back to 1968. Just heard that the Stones hired some bikers for security at their upcoming Altamont show. Should work out well. Anxious to hear your thoughts…
Caught you with Ron Bennington on the XM Unmasked podcast. May have been the funniest 45 minutes I’ve ever heard on my IPOD, way funnier than “Alanis: Live at the Lilith Festival”
You doing Buddy Hacket. Absolutely wonderful, thanks for the laughs!!
i wonder if mick taylor was able to keeps a private jet after he left the stones?
I’m not a U2 hater or anything, but.. Edge uses all the effects pedals and layers because his licks are all the same.
Jay I know you love The Edge and U2. So do I. But, I just can’t agree with you that he is one of the great guitarists. Pretty much the same sound with tons of effects. When I think great guitarists, I think Hendricks, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn. I believe to be a great band you need a cast of characters. The Who had that. Daltry was the straight man. While Townsend and Moon were running around smashing things, Daltry and Entwistle didn’t hardly pay attention to and kept playing. Never seen in todays music. Bad Religion Rules !!!!!
Oh yeah one more thing……………….
You were great on the Rome show today!!! I laughed my ass off then pissed all over myself.