Who Cares

The Who and Teenage Cancert Trust (TCT) have teamed up to launch Who Cares, which is designed to raise money for TCT. The news is here. Basically, it's a new way for the fans to get involved in raising money for the charity.

Incidentally, a fan has an authentic Pete Townshend shirt up for auction on eBay, which comes with an autographed photo of PT wearing a similar shirt. The auctioneer says that all proceeds will go to TCT. The link is here.

Roger Daltrey and Eric Clapton Hitting The Road

Roger Daltrey will be teaming up with Eric Clapton in February/March of 2010 for a few shows together. Meanwhile, Clapton and Steve Winwood will continue touring into the early part of next year. More on the news can be found here. I couldn't find any video of Roger and Eric performing - unless you count Clapton in the movie, Tommy - so I have posted Clapton with Pete Townshend.

The Super Bowl Setlist

Twelve minutes is all the halftime act at the Super Bowl gets. “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is over eight minutes, so I wonder what direction the band will go. If Keith Moon and John Entwistle were still alive, I would suggest the same route they took with “My Generation” when they played Live at Leeds in 1970, which is above. Incidentally, the N.F.L. did a nice job on their promotion video for The Who performing at the SuperBowl, which you can watch by clicking this.

Townshend Wants His MTV

Speaking of MTV, the above video features Pete Townshend demanding his MTV and asking Americans to do the same. The promo, which aired in 1982 on MTV, also features Pat Benatar, Adam Ant, John Mellencamp, The Clash, Men At Work, Stray Cats, Joe Jackson, Hall & Oates and Billy Joel.

You Better You Bet

Just posting this because....

"You Better You Bet" was the fourth video to be played on the first ever all-music video channel, MTV, which was launched in the summer of 1981. The keyboardist is John "Rabbit" Bundrick and the drummer is Kenney Jones. The song is off of Face Dances, which is the ninth studio album by the band.

Roger Daltrey and His Fans

Someone made this video - and did a heck of a job by the way - of Roger Daltrey meeting his fans throughout his recent solo tour. The video is accompanied by “Without Your Love” off of Roger’s solo album and the soundtrack to the film, McVicar. Daltrey finished every concert with this song and dedicated it to the people that have followed him for so many years.

Daltrey Solo Tour Concludes

Roger Daltrey’s solo tour concluded Monday night in Florida. I saw Roger November 7 in Foxwoods and November 20 in New York. The latter was the better of the two shows because of the arena. Foxwoods is better suited to see a comedian than a rock star; New York City is New York City. Roger played around 30 shows between early October and late November.

The reviews have been good and it’s nice to see the positive press for Simon Townshend, Pete’s younger brother. Simon did a great job on "Going Mobile" (video above); which is off of the Who’s Next album. I always found that song to be an incredible testament to the band, because it only includes three members of The Who - minus Roger - and still produced an incredibly rich and full sound.

At the New York show, I actually met Roger Daltrey when he was leaving the building following the concert. Before the show while waiting to get into the Nokia Theater I ran into his guitarist for the tour, Frank Simes. Both seemingly were nice guys. The setlists from the two concerts are below.

Roger did quite a bit of storytelling at both shows and from the reviews I have read, he did the same at all of the venues he played. I liked that, some people in the crowd didn’t. There were some interesting stories he relayed before some of his songs such as that he recorded “Behind Blue Eyes” (also off of the Who's Next album) on the day that his beloved pinscher died. Daltrey also talked about working with Irish band, the Chieftains, in 1992 at the Grand Opera House in Belfast, which produced a Grammy-award winning album. Sadly, though, Daltrey said the Opera House - which already had been refurbished after sever damage from a bombing in 1991 - again was badly damaged by a bombing a week later. Undeterred, though, the Opera House has been rebuilt.

Here is a link to Roger performing the Johnny Cash medley (I Got Stripes/Folsom Prison Blues/There Ya Go/Train of Love/Ring of Fire) at the Nokia Theatre in NYC, while here is Daltrey singing "Blue Red and Grey."

So what’s next? Well, Pete Townshend has said he is at work on new music and Roger has said that upon concluding the tour he would be heading back to the U.K. to start recording with The Who. Then there is the Super Bowl in February; right now, the only reason I care about the “big game.”

MGM Grand Theatre, November 7, at Foxwoods, Mashantucket Conn.
Setlist:
Who Are You
Pictures of Lily
Tattoo
Behind Blue Eyes
Days of Light
Freedom Ride
Gimme a Stone
Going Mobile
I'm a Man/My Generation (blues version)
Walk on Water
Squeezebox
I Can See For Miles
Young Man Blues
Baba O'Riley
Johnny Cash Medley
Naked Eye
Blue, Red and Grey
Without Your Love

November 20, Nokia Theatre, New York City
Setlist:
Who Are You
Pictures of Lily
Behind Blue Eyes
Tattoo
Days of Light
Freedom Ride
Gimme a Stone
Going Mobile
Naked Eye
I'm A Man/My Generation
I Can See For Miles
Squeezebox
Born on the Bayou
Young Man Blues
The Real Me
Walk on Water
Baba O'Riley
Johnny Cash Medley
Blue, Red and Grey
Without Your Love

Sunrise

A YouTube gem I came across recently.

Pete Townshend On Purcell

Fascinating radio interview here with The Who's Pete Townshend in which he discusses the influence that 17th century composer Henry Purcell had on his musical career. Townshend discusses the evolution of his music beginning with the band's first album all the way to his present day work and how Purcell's compositions impacted Townshend's work. The interview took place on a show called "Baroque and Roll," a radio program on BBC Radio 4.

Here's what RadioTimes.com wrote about the interview:

Why should it seem surprising that Pete Townshend of rock group The Who should name the 17th-century British composer Henry Purcell as one of his greatest musical inspirations? Snobbery, perhaps. But just listen to the organ intro to "Won't Get Fooled Again" or "I Can See for Miles" and you can hear Purcell's harmonies transmuted into the pop sounds of the 20th century. And it's not simply the music that Townshend is responding to, but also the "tragedy of mortality" that Purcell evokes in such sublime works as "When I Am Laid in Earth" or "The Gordian Knot Unty'd." In this miniature autobiography, Townshend tells us not only the who, but also the how and the when of his musical development, and why he identifies strongly with a long-dead composer whose feelings about the things that really matter so clearly echo his own.

Radio Times reviewer - Laurence Joyce

Keith Moon Movie On Hold For Now

Roger Daltrey was interviewed last week by Westword - a Denver music blog - and the subject arose about a potential Keith Moon biopic. Essentially, Daltrey reiterated what has been said before: that there is difficulty in coming up with the right script. The full interview can be read by clicking this. Mike Myers of Austin Powers' fame has been cast to play The Who's late drummer.

Uncertain Girl

While checking out Pete Townshend's version of "Bargain" that I posted below, I came across this song "Uncertain Girl" which I was unfamiliar with. After googling, I found that it is an unreleased song and was part of Pete Townshend's 2006 rock opera, The Boy Who Heard Music which became the album, Endless Wire.

Pete's "Bargain"

I liked Roger Daltrey and Eddie Vedder's version of "Bargain" (posted here) and was curious to see Pete Townshend's spin on the song which he signs In The Attic.

Blue, Red and Grey

Before he started his current tour Roger Daltrey promised new takes on some songs that The Who hasn't done in a long time or that the band never did in concert. In the first two shows of his solo tour, Daltrey breaks out the ukulele for his version of "Blue, Red and Grey." I'm curious to watch a video of this, although there isn't one on the Internet as of yet, but I saw a couple of reviews in which the critics applauded his rendition of the song.

The above video is Pete Townshend's version of "Blue, Red and Grey." In my opinion, Townshend can make any instrument sound great. The only other ukulele player I know of was the late Tiny Tim, who strangely is somewhat of an Internet hero these days.

"Blue, Red and Grey" is off the By Numbers album, which has always been one of my two or three favorite Who records (a dated word, I know).

Remembering John Entwistle

The late bassist for The Who, John Entwistle, was born today in 1944. "The Ox" passed on June 27 2002. Above is a video of the band performing one of Entwistle's tunes, "Heaven and Hell," in front of over 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight Music Festival in 1970. By the way, I use this song as the theme to my show on BlogTalk Radio.

About That Keith Moon Movie

I have no idea what the status of the Keith Moon movie starring Mike Myers is. Last I read it was in production and slated to be released at some point next year.

By the way, Roger Daltrey who is hitting the road for some solo dates wrote and performed this song in 1978 in honor of Keith, "Under a Raging Moon."

The song features drummers: Martin Chambers (The Pretenders), Roger Taylor (Duran Duran), Cozy Powell (The Jeff Beck Group, Black Sabbath), Stewart Copeland (The Police), Zak Starkey (The Who, Oasis), Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) and Mark Brzezicki (Big Country, The Cult).

Remember 9/11

Remember

2,998 deaths

6,291 injured

No other song encapsulates my feelings about September 11 as this Who classic. A few weeks after the attacks, The Who performed “Won’t Get Fooled Again” along with three other songs 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.

Alice in Chains "Squeezebox"

Bands covering other bands' songs is something that can be a tricky thing, because quite honestly, it doesn't always work so well. But this one is pretty cool. Alice in Chains covers The Who's "Squeezebox," which is the correct title of the song and not what it says on the video screen.

Pete Townshend Working On New Musical

Pete Townshend wrote on his official blog that he is working on a new project. He writes:

FLOSS is an ambitious new project for me, in the style of TOMMY and QUADROPHENIA. In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound 'soundscapes' featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages. Several of the more conventional songs from FLOSS will be featured on a forthcoming Who recording for release in 2010. FLOSS will be heard in concert for the first time in 2011, at a venue and date yet to be established. I am already having talks with producers in New York.

The collected music and sound for FLOSS convey the story of a married couple whose relationship gets into difficulty. Walter, a straight-cut pub rock musician, is able to retire when one of his songs becomes the TV anthem of a big car company. He becomes a house-husband while his wife Floss devotes herself to a riding stables and stud. When he tries to return to music after a fifteen year hiatus, he finds that what he hears and what he composes evoke the ecologically rooted, apocalyptic mindset of his generation. Shaken by this and torn by personal difficulties, he and Floss become estranged. A series of dramatic events in a hospital emergency ward bring them both to their senses.

While Roger Daltrey exercises his ageing vocal chords by embarking on a two month USE OR LOSE IT solo tour, my focus is on FLOSS, which touches on the current issues faced by the Boomer generation. It also addresses their uneasy relationship with their parents, children and grandchildren. As a 19 year old - with My Generation - I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on ageing and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock 'n' roll."

Courtesy of http://www.thewho.com.

Pete Townshend & Dire Straits

Once in a while I find a gem on YouTube, this is one of them. Pete Townshend getting together with Dire Straits in the early 1980's to rehearse for a benefit performance.

There's some cool shots in the video of Townshend meeting Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.

Led Zeppelin "Baby Come On Home" and Other ZOSO (or Zep news)

A few items worth nothing about Led Zeppelin:

First, Robert Plant survived a serious accident earlier this month in London. Apparently and ironically, Plant’s vehicle collided with a car driven by a drug counselor. Plant currently is working with Alison Krauss on a followup to their debut album, Raising Sand.

Second, Jimmy Page has said that Led Zeppelin’s music will not be a part of games such as Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Basically he says that wannabe musicians should try the real thing, which I get, but I think that a whole new generation of fans would be introduced to the music of Led Zeppelin which would undoubtedly be a good thing.

Also, Cream bassist Jack Bruce claims he received death threats as a result of his dissing the Led Zeppelin reunion at the 02 arena last year. Bruce said at the time that Cream was 10 times the band Zeppelin ever was. Funny, 'cause I remember Keith Richards also taking a shot at Zeppelin when told they had a reunion:

“They had one? Well, well done Jimmy (Page) and Robert (Plant) ... ‘Stairway To Heaven don't make it for me, baby.”

I really think these guys say these things tongue-in-cheek and just to get people's goat.

Finally, this song by Led Zeppelin gets virtually no airplay: "Baby Come On Home," was recorded for Zeppelin's first album but wasn't released until their second boxed set in 1993.

The song is a tribute to songwriter Bert Berns.

Good Music For A Good Cause

I picked up the DVD, TCT at the Royal Albert Hall, recently and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw and heard. The DVD is a compilation of some of the artists that performed in 2007 at the annual Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts at the legendary venue. The shows are organized by Roger Daltrey for the charity which raises money for kids suffering from cancer. Proceeds from the sale of the DVD go to the charity.

Below is the setlist and although I bought the DVD for The Who's performance and Noel Gallagher, I really liked everyone, particularly A Band of Bees and the really eccentric performance of Gruff Rhys. Oh yes and there is a Pete Townshend interview included, which the front cover of the DVD describes as being "emotional." I didn't see it as such, but rather informative. For example, Pete says that he and Eric Clapton were summoned by Beatles' manager Brian Epstein to have dinner with the band and to be the first ones to listen to "Strawberry Fields" and to give their feedback - which was that essentially it was the best thing they had ever heard.

1) The Who - The Seeker
2) Noel Gallagher - Don't Look Back In Anger
3) Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller - The Butterfly Collector
4) Kaiser Chiefs - Take My Temperature
5) The Coral - Dreaming Of You
6) The Cure - The Kiss
7) Razorlight and Roger Daltrey - Summertime Blues
8) The View - Face For The Radio
9) Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass
10) A Band Of Bees - Got To Let Go
11) Gruff Rhys - Gwn Mi Wn
12) Judas Priest - Hell Bent For Leather
13) Kasabian - L.S.F.
14) The Who - Baba O'Riley
15) The Who - Tea And Theatre

Martha Wainwright, Pete Townshend and Rachel Fuller Sing "Factory"

Three of my favorite singers got together during Rachel Fuller’s In The Attic show a couple of years ago and produced this video. Pete Townshend, Rachel Fuller and Martha Wainwright sung Martha’s song, “Factory.” Although I have no idea what the song is about, it’s one of Martha’s better songs. Seems like there are many people out there that have these types of informal gatherings in which they play music. Fuller, though, put out a whole CD and DVD last month that was a compilation of her In The Attic gatherings. Some of the artists that appeared were Tenacious D, Lou Reed, Rachel Yamagata, Pete Townshend and others.

Some Music Thoughts: KISS Announces Fan Routed Tour, Roger Daltrey Solo In NY? Zeppelin Loves Joni

I heard an interview yesterday with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on Q104.3 and they discussed something that I think is really cool: a fan routed tour. Basically, the fans votes determine where the band will play on their upcoming tour. Kiss also has a new album coming out. For more click this.

Meanwhile, rumors are going around that Roger Daltrey will play solo at the "Fillmore East" which is actually the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza.

You know what's annoying? Pop-ups on YouTube! Still, it doesn't take away from this gem by Led Zeppelin, Going to California which Jimmy Page and Robert Plant wrote about Joni Mitchell, whom they were both infatuated with. Hence the following lines:

"To find a Queen without a King,
They say she plays guitar and cries, and sings."

The Who News

Click this to read about The Who's "My Generation" being inducted into the Library of Congress, along with Etta James' "At Last."

Pete Townshend's performance at the Secret Policeman's Ball inspired MTV's Unplugged. Now there is a Secret Policeman's Ball Film fest taking place in NYC and Los Angeles. You can read about it here.

Interesting interview with Rachel Fuller (pictured with Pete and Roger) about her music career and work she has done with Pete Townshend.

Also, George Thorogood talks about how his career evolved when realizing he couldn't copy Roger Daltrey, Mick Jagger and Robert Plant.

Finally, Quadrophenia continues to be hailed by the critics as it rolls along in Britain.

Drew Barrymore and The Who's "Squeezebox"

Every once in a while on YouTube I find something that is really unique, albeit out of left field. Thus, is this montage of actress Drew Barrymore with The Who’s “Squeezebox” playing. Yes, I know what the song is about; heck it’s off probably my first or second favorite album by the band, By Numbers. Anyway, it is what it is.

The Who News

One of the best interviews in rock and roll is Pete Townshend. This link is a very good interview with PT about Quadrophenia hitting the stage and growing older. Here is a link to one of my favorite acoustic versions of "Drowned" that Pete has ever done.

Happy Birthday Pete Townshend

Happy Birthday Pete Townshend, born 64 years ago today in Chiswick, England!

Bruce Springsteen Sings "My Generation"

This is a solid cover by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band of The Who’s “My Generation” at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University this past Friday.

Let Me Tell Ya 'bout Ooh Poo Pah Doo!

I like to live in the past sometimes – at least concerning music – and absolutely love this truly rare footage of The Who (temporarily known as The High Numbers) performing "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" and "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying" at London's Railway Hotel back in 1964.

The Who News: Quadrophenia Opens In London

Last night, Quadrophenia hit the stage in London and was received warmly by the critics - some calling it 'stunning.' Here is a link to a review.

The above video is of late bass player John Entwistle doing a solo during "5.15," a song from the Quadrophenia album.

Of the two surviving members of The Who, only Pete Townshend has a hand in the current stage production.

The Who "They're All In Love"

It’s hard for me to rank my favorite albums by The Who, but By Numbers has stood the test of time for me and if it isn’t my favorite it is a close second. By the way, Quadrophenia is hitting the stage in London and will be touring for six months. I would not be at all surprised if the show makes its way to Broadway.

Here is a good interview with Pete Townshend about Quadrophenia and other things.

Meanwhile, "They're All in Love" is a song from By Numbers that I don't know if the band ever played live, but here is a video that someone put together on YouTube.

I Always Say

"I Always Say" another brilliant Pete Townshend demo and a song he later did on his first solo album, Who Came First.

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey at the Kennedy Center

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey were among several honorees last December at The Kennedy Center in Washington along with Morgan Freeman, George Jones, Barbra Streisand and Twyla Tharp. Former President George W. Bush did a nice job speaking for a few moments about The Who. The video is above courtesy of YouTube.

Pete Townshend Getting Divorced

The story here isn't that Pete Townshend is getting divorced from Karen Astley, because the two have been separated for 15 years or so. No, what stood out for me is that Astley has hired Fiona Shackleton as her lawyer. Shackelton (fitting name) represented Heather Mills in her bitter split from Paul McCartney. You may recall that Mill$ made out quite well for her$elf.

Keith Moon Honored With Plaque

The above video is of the recent ceremony in which the late drummer of The Who, Keith Moon, gets honored by the Heritage Foundation with a blue plaque at the site of the original Marquee Club in London.

The Who Maximum R&B Live

Coming soon!

The Who News

I love YouTube and even more so when I find recordings like the one above: a very rare demo of the song "Who Are You" which someone made this video to accompany the song! Great work!

The Museum at Bethel Woods will feature some Pete Townshend memorabilia at an upcoming exhibit which celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Arts & Music Festival. More information is here.

Here is an interview with Rush's Geddy Lee in which he talks of how influential Pete Townshend was on his songwriting.

Big Who fans, Pearl Jam, explain their album, Ten, here.

The band, Mushroom, says here they are going to revive Pete Townshend's Lifehouse, which was a Townshend project that transmogrified itself into the album, Who's Next.

Meanwhile, The Who's rock opera Quadrophenia is being brought to the stage.

The band is currently on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. Click me to read an interview conducted with Pete Townshend by The Australian.

St. Patrick's Day and The Who

I'm a day late - and probably a dollar short - of posting this but I have some Irish-related songs from two of the principle members of The Who. Above is a YouTube video playing the song "Tipperary" from Pete Townshend's Scoop album. Scoop was an album of demos that Pete did while having some fun in the studio.

This is a link to Roger Daltrey joining up with The Chieftains and performing "Raglan Road" for The Chieftains 1992 album, An Irish Evening (Live). I have a handful of albums by The Chieftains, and they are probably my favorite of Irish songsmiths. "Raglan Road" is a poem by Patrick Kavanagh which has also gone under the name of "Dark Haired Miriam Ran Away."

Happy Birthday Roger Daltrey!

Since I am always on top of things, I'm going to send out early birthday wishes to The Who's Roger Daltrey. The frontman from Shepherd's Bush turns 65 on Sunday.

"Real Good Looking Boy" is a song that The Who recorded back about five years ago - with Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer fame on bass - and this above video has some very cool highlights of Roger and the boys.

The Who - Athena

Tomorrow all of the love songs will be rolled out for St. Valentine's Day. Sticking with that topic, I have decided to post The Who's "Athena" off of their 1982 album It's Hard. Purportedly, Pete Townshend wrote this song after an encounter with actress Theresa Russell. He promptly fell in love with her and his subsequent frustration of being rejected by the married woman is conveyed in this song.

The Who - Heat Wave

I’ve had enough of the snow! The only time I like the falling white stuff is when I get a day off out of it, otherwise, ugh! I don’t necessarily want a heat wave either, I just like this song - "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" - covered nicely by The Who in the above video. Of course, the tune was originally and most notably done in 1963 by Martha and the Vandellas (known as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas from 1967-1972).

Pepsi's Generation

I'm not a Pepsi drinker but I really like this new commercial that the soft drink company has come out with featuring The Who's "My Generation." They aired a similar Bob Dylan Pepsi commercial during the SuperBowl, which was one of the few that I liked. What happened to the days when commercials during "the big game" had a big-game feeling? Regardless, I'm looking forward to seeing this spot on t.v.