The Afterword

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Pete Townshend Pure and Easy

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I contribute essays to a blog/mag on spirituality in pop culture. I wrote one on John Lennon a few years back and posted it here so I thought I might repeat the process…

When I was around 20, I came across the album ‘Scoop’ by Pete Townshend. ‘Scoop’ was an album of ‘demos’; written sometimes to show others; sometimes just to road test songs. But, often, writers have found that the demo expresses something immediate, something of more substance than the product that is polished and released to be consumed.

In those times, prior to the immediate access to the songs that digital platforms now provide, I needed to endure an impatient bus ride home and then upon arrival at home hope that both the record player and the room that housed the record player were available for my use. I would pass the time of the bus ride looking at the back of the album, reading the notes, looking at the lyrics, anticipating what was to come when finally, finally, the chance to play the music would present itself. The key remarks that stand out that he had made for the album are that he continued to » Continue Reading.

What have you learnt today?

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Catching up with yesterday’s Guardian I discover that pornography’s Richard Desmond is a jazz drummer and is in a band with Roger Daltrey, modestly named The RD Crusaders.

Given that the band formed in 2003 I’m mystified as to how this juicy nugget has eluded me until today.

Here they are doing unspeakable things to Start Me Up.

Anyone else discovered something worth sharing with the group?

Tommy Versus Quadrophrenia

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Tommy made The Who international stars. Critics drooled over it, a full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy, performed by a four piece band across four sides of vinyl. Pete Townshend was hailed as a genius. Its plot might have some holes and too many songs are there purely to move the story on but there is much to be thrilled and excited by. I’m Free, Pinball Wizard, Sensation, Christmas, We’re Not Gonna Take It, and the ten-minute instrumental Underture are all excellent, full of solid pop melodies, delivered with power and grace.

Most bands only manage to release one double studio album, if any. A few years later, The Who released a second ambitious rock opera. This time, the story reflects the band’s own struggle to come of age in the sixties, featuring a confused four-way split personality, one for each band member. Hence the title Quadrophrenia. The songs are less tuneful than on Tommy but are much more direct and rock harder. The Real Me, 5:15, The Punk Meets The Godfather, I’m One, Bell Boy and Love, Reign O’er Me are all tours de force. It is the album on which the rock synthesiser comes » Continue Reading.

Whograss

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This sounds like fun – a hillbilly version of ‘Tommy’. If only they’d gone the whole hog and retitled it ‘Bubba’…

PR blurb:

THE HILLBENDERS present…. The Who’s TOMMY: A Bluegrass Opry

Hit US show comes to the UK for the first time in July

The HillBenders, from Springfield, Missouri, finally bring their legendary full-length bluegrass version of The Who’s rock opera TOMMY to the UK. Already a hit in the US, Rolling Stone described the show as ‘full of windmilling arms, intricate harmonies and creatively composed layering. The production was intriguing – in a most excellent way’. Videos here: www.whograss.com

JULY 15 Bristol Americana Weekend 17 Larmer Tree Festival 20 Milton Keynes International Festival 21 London Union Chapel (www.serious.org.uk/tommy) 23 Gateshead, The Sage SummerTyne Festival

Original creator of TOMMY, The Who’s Pete Townshend apparently loves the Hillbenders’ unique version and chatted to them about it when he invited them to see The Who live in concert in Nashville last year – the day after their own sold out performance in the city. (Full story: http://www.cybergrass.com/node/4584). And on April 28 the band will play Roger Daltrey’s Teen Cancer America presents North Carolina Cares charity event in Raleigh, NC.

“Ever since » Continue Reading.