The Who - Join Together

Back in January, The Who performed at the "Concert for Killing Cancer" charity show. The "Join Together" finale included The Who with Debbie Harry, Bryan Adams and Jeff Beck and features a classic "Pete Townshend" moment at around the 5:08 mark. I'm not sure if he is referring to the crowd singing "Join Together" or to something else that he is not pleased with.

I've watched this video several times now and mostly focus on the exchanges between Pete and Jeff Beck. But there is another notable exchange which occurs around the 1:50 mark, Bryan Adams comes over to ask Roger Daltrey for help because he has forgotten the words. Daltrey, who appears to be a pretty good-natured person in general, helps Adams out with some cheat sheets that are on the stage.

Oh well, it's for charity so what can you do.

New Pete Townshend Interview

A new interview was posted over the weekend with Pete Townshend in the blog section of The Economist. Click here if you want to read it. It's a very good and worthwhile read which touches on many subjects, including Pete's book which is due out in 2012.

Roger Daltrey Tour Announcement Video

The above video is to promote Roger Daltrey's upcoming Tommy tour which begins in the U.K. in July and will make its way to the U.S. in September.

Pete Townshend on The Beatles

There's nobody in rock that gives better answers than Pete Townshend. Let's go back to 1967 where Pete (in the above video) discusses the British music scene and the impact of The Beatles.

In another interview - which is from 1995 and one that I cannot find on YouTube but was an extra on the 2008 DVD, TCT at the Royal Albert Hall - Pete talks about how he and Eric Clapton were invited over to listen to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein. Pete claimed that he and Clapton were the first ones outside of The Beatles to hear the album from start to finish.

Pete Townshend on Led Zeppelin

It wasn't too long ago that I posted this on TheWho.com's message board and what a response it got. The thing is that with Pete Townshend and his thoughts on Led Zeppelin (or anything for that matter), he changes his mind quite often. That's what you get with Pete. I've read comments from him where he does nothing but praise Zeppelin. By the way, his expression at the end of the video is great because he realizes that what he just said is going to get plenty of attention. Townshend, though, has always saved his greatest criticism for himself and has always been The Who's harshest critic, which is something that I'm sure has and still can drive Roger Daltrey a little nuts at times.

Remembering Led Zeppelin's Only Australian Tour

In 1972, Led Zeppelin would tour Australia for the only time. The video I came across above looks back on that tour, which includes a gallery that contains some of the photos taken of the band.

Roger Daltrey Bringing Tommy to North America

Just announced over on TheWho.com, Roger Daltrey will be touring Tommy throughout North America beginning in September with his solo band. Click here for the official announcement. The dates are below:

DATE CITY VENUE
9/13 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock

9/15 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Pavilion

9/17 Boston, MA Agganis Arena

9/18 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

9/21 Philadelphia, PA MANN Center

9/23 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum

9/24 Hartford, CT XL Center

**9/27 Montreal, QC Place Des Arts

**9/28 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place

**9/30 Toronto, ON Sony Centre For The Performing Arts

10/1 Windsor, ON The Coliseum at Caesars Windsor

10/5 Minneapolis, MN U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center

10/7 Hammond, IN Venue at Horseshoe Casino

10/8 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House

10/11 Cedar Park, TX Cedar Park Center

10/12 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre

10/14 Kansas City, MO The Midland by AMC

10/16 Broomfield, CO 1STBANK Center

10/19 Los Angeles, CA NOKIA Theatre

10/21 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic

10/22 Las Vegas, NV The Joint

10/24 Portland, OR Rose Quarter-Theatre of the Clouds

10/25 Seattle, WA KeyArena at Seattle Center

**10/27 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena

**10/29 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place

**10/30 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome

**11/1 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre

**11/2 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre

**Shows on sale Thursday, May 19. All other shows go on sale Friday, May 20. Tickets for the U.S. shows are available at www.aeglive.com.

The Who Uncut

I'm really enjoying Uncut's special edition dedicated to The Who, which hit newsstands last month. Every one of the band's albums are reviewed and the issue also features some very good interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. With each album review the magazine rates The Who's songs by giving it anywhere from one to five stars. Although I don't remember any of their songs rated as one-star worthy.

Alex Lifeson On Pete Townshend

Some very interesting quotes from Alex Lifeson of Rush on Pete Townshend in the May 2011 issue of Classick Rock Magazine. Lifeson said that "The Who were always a major influence on everything that Rush ever did, from the very start."

"While I'd never question the Beatles' right to be regarded as the greatest songwriters in history, nonetheless what Townshend did with the Who made more of a mark on us. What he's generated is an amazing body of work, with songs so diverse yet also connected by the fact that we're dealing with a man who wasn't ever afraid to give us a glimpse into his world, his thought process, (and) the way he dealt with his problems."

"(He) made me aware that it was OK to for a great musician to prove he wasn't infallible. That's great quality we've never forgotten in Rush. . . It's so hard to choose just one song to represent what he's all about. . . The choice would come down to 'Pictures Of Lily,' 'I Can't Explain,' or 'Run, Run, Run.' They're all so different, yet also have that unmistakable strand of Townshend running through them."

Lifeson chose Townshend as the greatest songwriter in rock for the special issue of the magazine which names the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time as chosen by rock's greatest songwriters.

Pete Townshend Shopping Memoir

According to Crain's, Pete Townshend (pictured to the right of Ronnie Wood) is shopping his memoir. Pete began writing his autobiography around 1998 or 1999 and the article says there is a possibility a deal could be reached this week with a publisher.

Scenes From It Might Get Loud

I watched the It Might Get Loud (2009) DVD recently, which showcases the guitar styles of Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White. I thoroughly enjoyed the DVD from start to finish and it contains some really cool scenes about the three men and their backgrounds. Here are a few below:

The first is of the trio covering The Band's "The Weight." Some commentary is interspersed during the video. The Edge sings first followed by Jack White.


Up next Jimmy Page shows The Edge the theremin, which you will recognize from live performances of "Dazed and Confused" and "Whole Lotta Love."


Finally, Jimmy Page plays "The Battle of Evermore" at Headley Grange where Led Zeppelin recorded Led Zeppelin IV.

Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin Magazines

A new website has been launched that contains Led Zeppelin's press coverage over the last five decades, specifically highlighting the band's magazine covers. The website is here and contains over 1,4000 magazine covers chronologically covering Led Zeppelin. This is a really cool website. Just to clarify, each magazine cover contains at least one member of Led Zeppelin. Unbelievable!

The Who - Long Live Rock (1979)

One more song from that concert in London at the Hammersmith Odeon. Here and here are the previous posts. "Long Live Rock" was written as part of the Lifehouse project which became Who's Next. For whatever reason, "LLR" was not included on the 1971 album, but eventually appeared on the 1974 rarities album, Odds & Sods.

The Who - The Real Me (1979)

This is a really good concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on December 28, 1979. Thanks to the YouTuber that posted it. Here The Who perform "The Real Me" which is off of their 1973 album, Quadrophenia.

The Who - Sparks (1979)

Let's go back to December 28, 1979 now and a performance of one of my all-time Who favorites, "Sparks." This one takes place at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. I mentioned in my prior post here about a poll on TheWho.com asking what is your favorite song off of the Tommy album. I think it's safe to say that if I were to declare one song my favorite, "Sparks" would be it.

The Who - Pinball Wizard (Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970)

TheWho.com recently had a poll asking what is your favorite song on the Tommy album. So far in first place is "Amazing Journey" followed by "Pinball Wizard." This is one of the more memorable performances of the song; one that occurred in front of 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience

The above videos are of Jason Bonham bringing his Led Zeppelin Experience to Florida during this past year's Super Bowl weekend.

Jason Bonham Tour

Jason Bonham has kicked off a new set of dates with his Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience tour. Last night the tour began in Wallingford, Connecticut at The Dome at Oakdale. For all of the tour's dates click this.

Led Zeppelin - Bron-Y-Aur Stomp (Studio Version)

Following along on my two previous posts, the above video is the studio version of "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp," which appears on Led Zeppelin III. By the way, if you want to know the correct pronunciation click this which I came across on a website here.

Physical Graffiti Site to Become Led Zeppelin-Themed Tea Shop

Staying on the topic of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti album. I came across this story a few months ago that the building which served as the cover for the album is now being transformed into a tea shop. Click this for the full story.

Led Zeppelin - Bron Yr Aur

Here's a clip from The Song Remains The Same which I mentioned in my previous post with "Bron-Yr-Aur" - the non-stomp version - being played.

Led Zeppelin - Bron-Yr-Aur

I'm going to go back to my post here in March about "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp." The video above is "Bron-Yr-Aur," which was misspelled on the Physical Graffiti album as "Bron-Y-Aur." The studio version appears during the film, The Song Remains the Same. As the video title says it's not the "Stomp" version, which appears on Led Zeppelin III.

Pete Townshend On Letterman

One of several appearances by Pete Townshend on Late Night with David Letterman. This one comes from June 28, 1989

Pete Townshend At The Roundhouse 1974 - My Generation/Magic Bus

More from Pete Townshend at the Roundhouse on April 14, 1974. In this video, Townshend sings "My Generation/Magic Bus."

Pete Townshend On Letterman (1985)

Pete Townshend visited Late Night with David Letterman on November 12, 1985 in order to promote his solo album, White City.

Pete Townshend At The Roundhouse 1974

Pete Townshend at the Roundhouse in London on April 14, 1974 singing "If I Were a Carpenter/Happy Jack/Tattoo."

The Who - I Can See For Miles (Kansas City 1980)

The Who visited the Kemper Arena in Kansas City on April 26, 1980 and one of the songs in their setlist was "I Can See For Miles," which the band did not play live very often.The audio is a bit low, but it's still pretty decent.

Robert Plant and The Band of Joy Featured on the Artists Den

If you get a chance, check out Robert Plant and the Band of Joy on the Artists Den which is airing on PBS this month. The concert took place on a snowy February night in Nashville at the War Memorial Auditorium. A preview is above. I'm hoping that Plant and his Band of Joy come back to the New York area soon, although their tour is extending through the summer in Russia so it could be a while.