Bettye Lavette Sings "Love Reign O'er Me"

There were three performances that stood out for me last night while watching the Kennedy Center Awards; Dave Grohl singing "Who Are You," Beyonce singing "The Way We Were" and Bettye LaVette singing "Love Reign O'er Me." The latter of which I have posted the video courtesy of YouTube above.

Let's forget comparing this singer to that singer or this actor to that actor for a moment and let's look at it this way: There are billions of people that have walked this planet; millions have tried to sing; and then there is a small percentage that gains some notoriety and then even a smaller percentage that gets honored by the President of the U.S. at such a classy and very well put together event. That's amazing to me and I'm sure those honored (Twyla Tharp, George Jones, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Morgan Freeman and Barbra Streisand) realize that as well.

Because Barbra Streisand is so out-spoken in her political views, I forget how talented and accomplished she is: winner of a Tony, Grammy, Emmy and Oscar!!!! I would say she has done quite alright.

The Who "Love Reign O'er Me"

I can't imagine having a more difficult song to sing then, "Love Reign O'er Me," so Godspeed to the person or persons that tries to perform it and do it as well as Roger Daltrey could back in his heyday. I couldn’t find video yet – probably will be available tomorrow – of Bettye LaVette’s performance at the Kennedy Center Awards show, however, I did find this video which someone made that fits pretty well with the song. The tune closes out the Quadrophenia album.

Kennedy Center Honors The Who, Others Tonight

Tonight at 9 o’clock on CBS, the Kennedy Center Awards show will air which was taped earlier in the month. The honorees are The Who’s surviving members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman, George Jones and Twyla Tharp.

This has to be the crowning achievement for Pete and Roger being welcomed to the White House. Roger stated that The Who were influenced by American music so things have kind of come full circle. I don’t know how much of the event will be aired, but I would imagine that the much talked about performance of “Love Reign O’er Me” by Bettye Lavette will make the broadcast. Lavette's rendition of the tune brought Townshend to tears and caused Streisand to ask Pete if he was the one that wrote the song!

I’ll be watching…

The Who News

Things never seem to be dull for the boys from Shepherds Bush...

Roger Daltrey will narrate a special documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the death of Beach Boys' drummer, Dennis Wilson, for BBC Radio 2, called Pacific Ocean Blues: The Life and Death of Dennis Wilson.

Meanwhile, Pete and Roger were among the honorees at the annual Kennedy Center Awards. Click this for more.

Spitfire Productions has been, well, on fire, lately for The Who; The Who: Live at Kilburn 1977 sits atop the Billboard DVD music charts, while Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Long Form Music Video."

Book Review of Mark Wilkerson's Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend

Who Are You: The Life of Pete Townshend
by Mark Wilkerson

This was a well-written and extensively researched book. I didn't think there was much more for me to learn about Pete Townshend, but thanks to what must have been author Mark Wilkerson's tireless work, I came away knowing so many interesting things about PT after finishing this book.

I think this book is great for any fan of classic rock and is a must for Pete Townshend's fans. I have always had the utmost respect for Townshend's work, but now understand the depths of it even more so. Wilkerson's fairness provides an extremely objective view of PT; warts and all.

The Who News

Michael J. Fox recently rocked out with The Who during a charity fundraiser. For more on the story, click this.

Meanwhile, WNEW.com has this item about the pending release of The Who at Kilburn 1977. I got to see snippets of the show on PBS recently and although the usually difficult-to-please Pete Townshend predictably thought the band was awful, I thought that they did a very good job.

Thanks WNEW.com

My friends (I sound like John McCain with that one) over at WNEW.com posted an excerpt and a link from my review of The Who concert at the IZOD Center. Click this for more.

The Who Rock The Izod Center

The Who rocked New Jersey’s Izod Center (née Meadowlands) last night in a show that saw the band play a wide array of songs from their incomparably expansive music catalogue.

The loquacious Pete Townshend was at his most arrogant and played guitar the best I have ever seen him. Roger Daltrey was masterful; swinging his microphone and singing Pete's songs with an unbridled passion. He hit the high notes on "Love Reign O’er Me" and "Won’t Get Fooled Again" like he was 30 years younger. Drummer Zak Starkey was at his most manic on the drums; while Pino Palladino delivered strong bass playing.

Palladino and Simon Townshend (extra guitar) combine to try and replicate the rich sound of the dearly departed, John Entwistle, and do a fine job. Meanwhile, long-time Who-mate John”Rabbit” Bundrick was brilliant on keyboard.

The opening act, Canadian trio Inward Eye, were also very impressive, although the arena was probably a third full when they performed. I look forward to their album coming out in January on iTunes.

But, the very enthusiastic and surprisingly young crowd, filled up the building for the legendary twosome from Shepards Bush, England. The Ooo once again did not fail to take me away on a spiritual voyage, quite thankfully bereft of “Joe the Plumber” and “promises of change.” No, this was something better and more fulfilling then almost anything I have ever experienced. This is something that I have seen over and over again and have never grown tired, nor bored of.

This was a Who concert: brilliant, arrogant and spiritually uplifting!

Setlist:
I Can’t Explain
The Seeker
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
Fragments
Who Are You
Behind Blue Eyes
Real Good Looking Boy
Sister Disco
Baba O’Riley
Gettin’ In Tune
Eminence Front
5.15
Love Reign O’er Me
My Generation
Won’t Get Fooled Again
Pinball Wizard
Amazing Journey/Sparks/See Me, Feel Me
Tea and Theatre

Very Cool Video Montage of The Who

"Real Good Lookin' Boy" off of The Who's 2004 greatest hits album, Now and Then. Greg Lake (of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame) plays bass on this song.

Courtesy of YouTube.

The Who Being Honored at The White House...and that's not all!

The Who's surviving members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey (pictured with Aerosmith's Joe Perry) are being honored by the Kennedy Center in December which means a trip to the White House. What's funny about this is that Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand and Twyla Tharp are also being honored. Funny, you say? Think about it, Streisand in the same room as President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condie Rice? As my old friend Gorilla Monsoon would say, "The tension, you could cut it with a knife!" The full story is here.

Remember September 11, 2001

Remember

2,998 deaths

6,291 injured



September 11, 2001 was one of the saddest days of my life and for many other people all over the world, as well as one of the worst days in the history of this great country. America's engagement in partisan politics for years is one of the reasons, I believe, which led to the events of that day and was also a culmination of us not being prepared for the wide-reaching capabilities of Islamic terrorism, in general.



No other song encapsulates my feelings about September 11 as this Who classic has come to doing. A few weeks after the attacks, The Who performed “Won’t Get Fooled Again” at the Concert for New York City, which was a star-studded event at Madison Square Garden honoring the first responders of September 11, 2001.

The Who "Athena"

I search and search and search for articles on the Georgia-Russia battle - maybe I should just follow the oil - and all I find are stories covering the John Edwards' fiasco. America's unquenchable desire for the salacious is befuddling, no doubt. Nonetheless, the whole thing makes me think of The Who's "Athena." This one comes off of the band's 1982 album, It's Hard.

Zak Starkey Out Of Oasis

The guy who used to have the two best part-time jobs in the world, Zak Starkey, is out of one of those gigs. Oasis has apparently dropped Zak from the band after some dustups between Zak and Noel Gallagher. Now, though, it looks like there are problems already with the new drummer, Chris Sharrock. Zak's other pt job is as The Who's drummer. Click here for more.

Pete Townshend Speaks On: Feud With Roger, VH1 Rock Honors, Eddie Vedder

He's one of the better interviews in rock and really in all of entertainment for that matter because he never gives canned remarks. Pete Townshend may say things tongue-in-cheek that get the usual tightasses of the world even more uptight (Prozac is strongly recommended for those folks), but he always has something interesting to say. This link is from Rolling Stone in which Pete talks about the VH1 Rock Honors Show, Eddie Vedder and some other items.

He also wrote recently the following in regards to his alleged dustup with bandmate Roger Daltrey:

"The delicious gossip from (blogger) Perez (Hilton) is that Perce (Daltrey) and I have separate dressing rooms. That may be true but we chat about the show in the steam room and whip each other with birch twigs."

Canned comments? I think not!

The Who Rocks VH1

VH1 did a very nice job last night with their VH1 Honors The Who show. I liked the way they mixed up the commentary from musicians and actors with the performances of the Foo Fighters, Incubus, Flaming Lips and Pearl Jam. Tenacious D and Adam Sandler also were very good – especially Sandler! Sprinkled in with all of it were interviews with The Who and their associates talking about the band and their music. Some of the clips were taken from rockumentary Amazing Journey, however, I would say the majority was fresh stuff.

The Who predictably knocked the ball out of the park with their usual classics and then closing with the tune "Tea and Theatre" from Endless Wire (2006).

A couple of other quick ones (pun intended): Check out my top 20 songs by The Who by clicking (20-11) and (10-1). Also, find out why there are 100 million reasons why Pete and Roger will put aside their differences for the upcoming U.S. Tour by clicking here.

Now, this report is according to an “unnamed source” that spoke with the New York Post. Hmmm….Kind of reminds me of how in 1996 the Post reported the trade of Wayne Gretzky from the L.A. Kings to the New York Rangers was imminent and that Gretz was shopping in Rye for a home. Hmmm…I was so excited I think I stayed up all night watching the ESPN crawl and listening to WFAN to hear when the deal would be finalized. It never came. Another New York Post exclusive! Which like my old friend Gorilla Monsoon (yes, him again) would say, that and a subway token gets you to Brooklyn as long as you don’t get robbed along the way. Hmmm…

VH1 Honors The Who

Tonight VH1 Honors The Who will air at 9 p.m on both VH1 and VH1 Classics; to say that I am looking forward to the show would greatly understate my feelings.

I usually scoff at having pop culture figures as heroes because they WILL let you down at some point as they are human just like we all are. That’s what the song “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is all about; not putting anyone on a pedestal, nor making someone or some ideology the “new religion.”

Yet, I will say that The Who have had a profoundly positive impact on my life and if there was anyone in the world that I would love to meet and chat with, it would be the surviving members of the band: Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. I particularly would love to sit with Pete Townshend as I have always been intrigued by his creative prowess.

Nonetheless, I hope VH1 does the right thing and in addition to paying homage to the original members, gives due to all of those that have contributed so greatly to the band over the years such as the group’s early managers, Kit Lambert ( May 1935 – April 1981) and Chris Stamp; the group’s late publicist Pete Meaden; producer Shel Talmy; the incredibly brilliant producer Glyn Johns; Who soundman Bob Pridden and former drummer Kenney Jones. I also hope they give a nod to current Who members Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (extra guitar) and John”Rabbit”Bundrick (keyboards).

R.I.P. Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978)

R.I.P. John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002)

Long Live The Who!

Sean Kilkelly Ranks The Top 20 Songs By The Who (10-1)

Just like VH1, I'm doing my own honoring of The Who today! I will readily admit that the title of this post is a bit misleading and should just be "my favorite 20 songs by The Who." Because, quite frankly, I had a heck of a time narrowing it down to only 20. I could have gone for more songs, but then ranking them would be even more difficult. The list below is not set in stone, although my top three are. This post is also going to take a permanent spot in my links section on the right. In order to not overload your computer I have decided to break this up into two posts, below are the top ten, for 20-11, click here.

10- I Can See For Miles (June 2002)


9- Pictures of Lily (1967)


8- Baba O'Riley (The Kids Are Alright Movie)


7- Relay (1973)


6- Going Mobile (Who's Next 1971)


5- Bell Boy "Keith's Theme" (Live 1974)


4- My Generation (Smothers Brothers)


3- Who Are You (The Kids Are Alright)


2- Amazing Journey (Live 1970)


1- Substitute (1966)

Sean Kilkelly Ranks The Top 20 Songs By The Who (20-11)

I hope breaking up the rankings into two posts works, we'll see. Remember, both posts are going to take a permanent spot in my links section on the right. Below are #20-11, for the top ten click here.

20- I Can't Explain (Live at Leeds 1970)


19- Pinball Wizard (Isle of Wight 1970)


18- You Better You Bet


17- It's Not True


16- The Seeker (1970 German t.v. show)


15- Won't Get Fooled Again (Concert For NYC)


14- We're Not Gonna Take It (Live)


13- Sally Simpson (1989 Tour)


12- The Kids Are Alright (1965)


11- A Quick One, While He's Away (The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus 1968)

The Who Tour U.S. This Fall

Below is the information, with more dates expected to be added.

As far as anything else, the one thing on t.v. this week that I am really looking forward to watching is VH1 Honoring The Who. For more click this.

DATE LOCATION
Oct. 21 Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Mich.
Oct. 22 Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario
Oct. 24 TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
Oct. 26 Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 28 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
Oct. 29 Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
Oct. 31 The Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ
Nov. 3 Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Nov. 8 Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 9 Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

The Who Plans For VH1 Honors

Rolling Stone has an article up on their website which features Roger Daltrey discussing the upcoming “VH1 Honors The Who” show. Apparently, the band will play “Slip Kid,” which they have not done live since 1976. That song is off one of my favorite albums, By Numbers, from 1975. He also says that he has no idea if it will be shown on television due to the network probably airing the more standard tracks by The Who. The concert takes place Saturday night, however, it will air Thursday July 17. To read the full story, click me. I actually came across this video below on YouTube of The Who performing Slip Kid/Dreaming From The Waist in New York back in 1976.

Keith Moon with Led Zeppelin

Had history been different, Keith Moon and John Entwistle might have been members of Led Zeppelin. Nonetheless, here is a video of Keith Moon joining Led Zeppelin on stage in Los Angeles from 1977. Moonie died in September of 1978.

Woo Hoo For Fans Of The Who

If you’re a fan of The Who like I am, you’ll love what VH1 has planned for the week of July 12 (this comes courtesy of their website):

Legendary. Celebrated. Renowned. The Who. Beginning on Saturday, July 12, VH1 Classic pays homage to The Who with 5 days of exclusive programming leading up to the premiere of "VH1 RockHonors: The Who" premiering on VH1 on Thursday, July 17 at 9:00 PM. The week of exclusive Who programming will feature concerts, programs and movies."Rock Doc Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" Airs on Saturday, July 12 at 9PM ET/PT"

Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" is an exhilarating feature-length film about one of the most influential rock bands in history. Spanning over four decades, the film tells the unfolding story of The Who, from the group's origins as a 1960's schoolboy R&B cover band, through their meteoric rise and artistic breakthroughs, to the infighting, the breakups and reconciliations. The film features all-new, never-before-seen interviews with Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and others, rare and recently discovered concert footage, artist profiles and more.

"On Tour: The Who Virtual Ticket" Premieres on Sunday, July 13 at 9 PM EST/PT"On Tour: The Who Virtual Ticket" gives viewers an all-access pass to the lives of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time, The Who. The cameras will follow the jet setting band as they travel from show to show, and chronicle their daily activities from when they get out of bed until the last chord is played. "Virtual Ticket" will let you see the hard work and preparation that goes into planning a world tour. Fans will get an in depth look as Peter and Roger discuss life as apart of The Who and the ups and downs they have had to face on their long journey to success.

"The Who: Six Quick Ones" Premieres on Monday, July 14 at 9PM ET/PTA feature film and the sister project to "The Story of The Who," "The Who: Six Quick Ones" is a six-part film which integrates sessions with each individual member of the band and links The Who to the Mod and Pop Art movement. It also takes a look into the recording of their latest album. Throughout the episode each member will showcase his musical abilities in the first four segments.

"Classic Albums: The Who 'Who's Next' "Airs on Monday, July 14 at 11 PM EST/PT"Who's Next" reigns as 'the' classic album. It demonstrates both the excellent writing abilities of Pete Townshend and in nine tracks shows just why The Who is considered to be the greatest exponent of British rock music. Pete gives a performance to remember when he plays "Pure and Easy," from the" Lifehouse" album for the first time in 20 years. Roger Daltrey reminisces over the negatives of using pre-recorded music during live shows.

"Rock and Roll Picture Show: Tommy" Airs on Tuesday, July 15 at 9 PM EST/PT Tommy is the story about a troubled boy, who, after his father's death withdraws himself from the rest of the world. He soon finds that he has an amazing talent and gains fame by defeating the Pinball Wizard, played by Elton John. The movie chronicles Tommy's rise to fame and fall to shame, meanwhile giving viewers an amazing soundtrack, scored by The Who's "Tommy." Witness a legendary album and watch some of rock and roll's greatest musicians as they bring this 'rock opera' to life. Starring Roger Daltrey, Ann Margret, Elton John, and more.

"Electric Proms: The Who" Premieres on Wednesday, July 16 at 9 PM EST/PT Legendary rock band The Who showcase their musical talents in front of a sold-out London crowd at the Roundhouse. Hit after hit is churned out as each member belt out tunes that leave the crowd ecstatic. Baba O'Riley gets the crowd going with her extended version of "My Generation." Roger Daltrey follows up with his timeless hit "Pinball Wizard" from the 'rock opera' "Tommy" and Pete Townshend shows why he is considered a guitar genius when he performs "See Me, Feel Me" Zac Starkey, Ringo Starr's son, fills in for Keith Moon on the double drum kit.

"VH1 Rock Honors: The Who" Premieres on Thursday, July 17 at 9 PM EST/PT. For the first time ever, fans will have the opportunity to see some of the biggest names in rock together on one stage during the third annual "VH1 RockHonors" event paying homage to legendary British rock band The Who. "VH1 RockHonors: The Who" will deliver a night of high-voltage tribute performances by Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, The Flaming Lips and Incubus all leading up to the spectacular grand finale performance by The Who as they rock the stage.

Who News

I’m not a "gamer" but if there was ever even the slightest and I do mean slightest chance that I would become one it would be because of this piece from rockband.com:

A dozen classic songs by The Who get new life as Rock Band™ game play. MTV Games and Harmonix announced today that even more of the legendary group's greatest hits will be added to the Rock Band catalog of downloadable content with the release of “The Best of The Who Rock Band Edition.”

“We’re really pleased to have our songs featured in Rock Band,” says Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who. “It allows our established fan base to interact with our music in a way that’s fresh and exciting, while also exposing our songs to new audiences.”

“I’m a fan of Rock Band,” says Who guitarist Pete Townshend. “I play the game with my son and girlfriend and love the way it brings different generations together through music. I like the idea that people of all ages will be having fun playing our songs.”

“The Who is consistently one of our most requested bands" says Paul DeGooyer, SVP Electronic Games and Music, MTV, "and it is great to be able to bring this unique compilation of their music to the Rock Band community.”

The 12 songs were selected by Harmonix and MTV Games after consulting with Townshend and Daltrey, who helped curate the track list. The downloadable tracks represent the meaty, beaty, big and bouncy best of The Who, including classics such as “Amazing Journey,”“Baba O'Riley,” “Sea & Sand,” three songs from the classic Live At Leeds album (including a special edited version of “My Generation”) and more.

Two More Great Performances from John"Thunderfingers"Entwistle

The final two videos I am going to post this morning are of The Who performing "My Generation" at Woodstock in 1969 and the band's Teenage Cancer Trust charity concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2000. The latter of which is of John Entwistle's solo during the song "5.15." His bass performance on this song clearly shows why he is "Thunderfingers."

Woodstock 1969


Royal Albert Hall

The Who - "Silas Stingy" written by John Entwistle **MUST WATCH**

The below video, "Silas Stingy," is from The Who Sell Out album and is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. John Entwistle (pictured above in his famous skeleton costume) wrote the song and is the lead vocalist. Whoever put this tribute video together did a great job!

R.I.P. John Entwistle

R.I.P.

"THUNDERFINGERS"

John Alec Entwistle

October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002

Mike Myers Talks About Keith Moon Movie

Finally, some news on the movie about Keith Moon (featured) starring Mike Myers. In a recent interview, Myers discusses the Moon role and some other upcoming characters he'll be playing.

Click here for more.

A Conceptual Sell Out

Lists are very subjective and usually seem as though they are only written to spark controversy. Maybe that was the case recently when I saw on the WNEW blog that they decided to post some of their favorite concept albums. The usual albums got mentioned such as The Who’s Tommy, Green Day’s American Idiot and Pink Floyd’s The Wall amongst others. But for my money The Who Sell Out (1967) is what I would call pound-for-pound my favorite concept album out there.

It’s a fun album built around a pirate radio station that played nothing but Who songs with some fake and some real jingles sprinkled in. It also features a mini-opera, "Rael," whose instrumental bridge would be used two years later as “Underture” on the Tommy album.

The most well-known song on the record for radio was “I Can See For Miles,” which Pete Townshend described at the time as "the loudest, rawest, dirtiest song the Who had ever recorded."

Paul McCartney read the interview in which PT described the song and in response wrote “Helter Skelter” for The White Album.

According to Wikipedia:

McCartney then "wrote 'Helter Skelter' to be the most raucous vocal, the loudest drums, etcetera" and said he was "using the symbol of a helter skelter as a ride from the top to the bottom—the rise and fall of the Roman Empire—and this was the fall, the demise."

The pictures above are the front and back of quite possibly The Who’s finest album.

Incidentally, the complete WNEW list of the top concept albums is here.

Some Of Rock’s Best To Honor The Who

Pearl Jam, the Foo Fighters and the Flaming Lips are all confirmed to be part of VH1's "Rock Honors" charity concert honoring The Who in Los Angeles on July 12. The show will air on July 17 at 9 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust fund.

Happy Birthday Pete Townshend!

Yesterday was Pete Townshend’s 63rd birthday, so I just wanted to send him my most heart-felt birthday punches!

I’ll never forget when I saw Townshend perform “Drowned” at the Quadrophenia show at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1996. Just awesome is all I can say. Right here is a video of PT performing “Drowned” at the Secret Policemen’s Ball. More on that from Wikipedia:

In 1979, Townshend became the first major rock musician to donate his services to the human rights organization Amnesty International when he performed three songs for its benefit show The Secret Policeman's Ball - performances that were released on record and seen in the film of the show. The show was Townshend's first major live solo appearance. Townshend's acoustic performances of three of his songs ("Pinball Wizard", "Drowned", and "Won't Get Fooled Again") were subsequently cited as having been the forerunner and inspiration for the "unplugged" phenomenon in the 1990s. Townshend had been invited to perform for Amnesty by Martin Lewis, the producer of The Secret Policeman's Ball who stated later that Townshend's participation had been the key to his securing the subsequent participation for Amnesty (in the 1981 sequel show) of Sting, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Phil Collins and Bob Geldof. Other performers inspired to support Amnesty International in future Secret Policeman's Ball shows and other benefits because of Townshend's early commitment to the organization include Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour and U2 singer Bono who in 1986 told Rolling Stone magazine: "I saw The Secret Policeman's Ball and it became a part of me. It sowed a seed...."

I Want That Magic Bus!

Now this is a cool contest! For $10 you can win The Who's Magic Bus (pictured above) in a raffle. Go here for more information. Proceeds from the raffle go to Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), a charity that Roger Daltrey spearheads.

Speaking of which, Roger and Pete Townshend closed out the TCT Concert Series at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night with an acoustic set. Pete's brother Simon played mandolin for "2000 Years." Here is the entire setlist:

Let's See Action
Behind Blue Eyes
2000 Years
Mike Post Theme
Won't Get Fooled Again
Tea and Theatre

I'm not sure who else played, but the annual event usually has some good performers such as Noel Gallagher, Brian Adams, Paul Weller, etc.

The Who Play Acoustic Set

The Who will close out the eighth annual Teenage Cancer Trust concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on April 13 with an acoustic set. This recent announcement allows me to walk down memory lane! I remember the night like it was yesterday, a hot summer evening in New York City and I was on my way with some friends to see The Who perform Quadrophenia... It was a great show with a bunch of special guests. But one of the highlights was after the Quadrophenia part was over, they belted out some of their heavyweight songs like “Won’t Get Fooled Again" as part of an acoustic set! Oh if only I could find my flux capacitor and go back in time…

Sean Kilkelly Hears The Who!

and maybe you will too! From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) — VH1 holds The Who in such high regard that the rock group is the only act being honored at its upcoming Rock Honors.

Now in its third year, the Rock Honors typically celebrate a handful of momentous rock groups and artists: previous honorees have included ZZ Top, Genesis, Kiss and Queen.

But this year, only the Who will be celebrated during the two-hour broadcast, to be taped July 12 in Los Angeles and aired on the network July 17. The group, which now consists surviving members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, is due to perform along with other acts who will pay tribute to the legendary band.

"The Who defined the rock era. Their music truly pushed boundaries, connected with millions of rock fans and inspired countless bands to fulfill their own musical destinies," said Tom Calderone, VH1's executive vice president and general manager.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers came to prominence in the 1960s with hits like "The Kids Are Alright," "My Generation," and created the groundbreaking rock opera "Tommy."

Drummer Keith Moon died of an overdose of prescription drugs in 1978, and bass guitarist John Entwistle was found dead of a heart attack in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2002.

The rest is from me...

Meanwhile, a biography on Pete Townshend is slated to be released in America this fall. Click this for more.

Thomas Scot Halpin, The Man That Filled In For Keith Moon Back In 1973, Dies

It was 1973 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, and an inebriated Keith Moon had passed out. Pete Townshend asked if there was anyone in the audience who could play drums. Scot Halpin stepped up and filled in for Moon. He would go on to win Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Pick-up Player of the Year Award.” Halpin died on February 9 at 54. For more on the story, click here.

That's the only time that Moon was unable to perform at a concert, which is strange because his drinking really picked up around 1976-77, when The Who were not touring as much.

Keith Moon died in 1978 after attending a film preview with Paul and Linda McCartney of The Buddy Holly Story. He had overdosed on a drug intended to curb his drinking.

Derek Jeter and The Who

The only person as cool as Denzel Washington and myself (haha); Derek Jeter in a new commercial for Gatorade with The Who's "Sparks" playing in the background.

Rockestra Theme

Paul McCartney got together with a bunch of artists to record Rockestra in late 1978. The above video is a performance in London of the "Rockestra Theme" at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea. The intent of the concerts was to raise money for war-torn Cambodia.

The Who's Keith Moon died a month before the original recording of the song, otherwise he would have been involved. I'm so glad Pete Townshend didn't wear one of those ridiculous looking silver suits that all the others are wearing.

Nonetheless, it's quite an impressive lineup of rockers.

"Lucille" From Rockestra

This is a performance of Little Richard's "Lucille" from the same Rockestra concert which I write about in the above post. I've read that Pete Townshend was particularly thrilled to finally get to perform alongside one of his idols, Hank Marvin of The Shadows.

The Who "It's Not True"

I've been hitting some home runs lately with my recent finds on YouTube. This song is from The Who Sings My Generation album.

It's a video of the band performing "It's Not True" on some show. I've replayed this one at least a dozen times already! The album was released in 1965 and this performance took place in 1966.

I don't think they ever released the song as a single, or if they have ever done it in conert very often either. Anyway, enjoy!

Van Halen Covers "Magic Bus"

On their current tour, Van Halen (with David Lee Roth) have been covering The Who's "Magic Bus." Nice job, guys! Of course, I prefer The Who's version, especially the live one they did on the Live At Leeds album, but VH doesn't disappoint! The above video was done at a Van Halen concert in November 2007.

Van Halen Covers "Won't Get Fooled Again"

Long before Van Halen covered "Magic Bus," they also did a good job with Who classic "Won't Get Fooled Again." Van Halen included the song on their Live: Right Here, Right Now (1993) album. The above video is of the band with Sammy Hagar performing "Won't Get Fooled Again" in the studio. Great job, guys!

The Who News

Two classic London concerts that The Who put on are going to be released as DVDs this September. The performances take place at the Coliseum in 1969 and Kilburn in 1977. Both are, of course, during the Keith Moon era. I don’t know much about the Kilburn one, but I have heard that the Coliseum show is awesome!

In even better news, Roger Daltrey is planning on launching a second unit for teenage cancer patients in Glasgow, Scotland. The first one opened in May 2007. For more on the story click this. Daltrey is a patron for Teenage Cancer Trust. The proceeds from The Who's annual shows at the Royal Albert Hall go to the foundation. This year I've read they are trying to get the surviving members of the Sex Pistols to also perform at the concerts.