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.