Pete Townshend - Acid Queen

Last song from the Prince's Trust Concert on November23. Pete Townshend plays "Acid Queen" from the Tommy album. If you want to see the rest of Townshend's set click the "Prince's Trust Concert" tab below.

Pete Townshend - I'm One

"I'm One" is another great song from Quadrophenia, which Pete Townshend plays really well by himself.

Pete Townshend - Drowned

Probably my favorite song that Pete Townshend plays live is "Drowned," which is off of the Quadrophenia album.

Pete Townshend - Corrina, Corrina

Pete Townshend covers Bob Dylan's "Corrina, Corrina."

Pete Townshend at Prince's Trust

The audio is a little bit low, but Pete Townshend talks to the crowd at the Prince's Trust in the above video.

Pete Townshend - Won't Get Fooled Again

A solo performance of "Won't Get Fooled Again" by Pete Townshend at the Prince's Trust Concert at the Royal Albert Hall on November 23.

Pete Townshend Interview

Pete Townshend gives his thoughts about his performance and talks about some other issues backstage at the Royal Albert Hall.

The Who - Shakin' All Over / Spoonful

From the Live at Leeds Complete bootleg, The Who sing "Shakin' All Over" with a portion of "Spoonful." The song "Shakin' All Over" was written by Johnny Kidd and released in 1960 by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. "Spoonful" was penned by Willie Dixon and recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1960.

Led Zeppelin On Jim Morrison

Apparently members of Led Zeppelin were not too impressed with The Doors' Jim Morrison. Below are some comments made about the frontman by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. I have heard Plant speak pretty glowingly of Jim Morrison, but those comments have come over the last couple of years.

Plant in New Musical Express:
“We only played with the Doors once in Seattle and it seemed like he was screwed up. He was giving the impression he was into really deep things like Skip Spence of Moby Grape. You get into a trip of your own that you don’t really realize what’s going on in the outside world. Morrison went on stage and said ‘Fuck you all’ which didn’t do anything except make a few girls scream. Then he hung on the side of the stage and nearly toppled into the audience and did all those things that I suppose were originally sexual things but as he got fatter and dirtier and more screwed up they became more bizarre. So it was really sickening to watch. My wife and I were there watching and we couldn’t believe it."

"...Morrison started saying all those strange things which nobody could get into. There were one or two people there crying ‘You’re God, you’re king’ and I was thinking why?”

Page also in New Musical Express:
"I was surprised after hearing a lot of advance publicity in England about how sexy Jim M. was. How virile and whatever. I was surprised to see how static he was live on stage.”

“Being dressed in black leather can only go so far but standing there like my father would on stage doesn’t really come across for me. As far as I could see the Morrison thing is just an embarrassment towards the audience. He would actually insult them and swear at them and his sexual thing is more an introvert thing, it isn’t so extroverted as Robert’s.”

Robert Plant On Singing and Aging

“My voice has changed but I can go to high places if it’s what I have to do.”

Robert Plant made those comments to VH1 Radio and were reprinted on UltimateClassicRock.com. For more click this.

Robert Plant and The Band Of Joy - Down to the Sea

One of the best songs that Robert Plant and the Band of Joy played on their recently concluded tour was "Down to the Sea," which comes from Plant's Fate of Nations 1993 solo album. The above video is from a concert at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium and part of Live from the Artists Den that aired on WLIW.

Robert Plant and The Band of Joy - Silver Rider

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy covered two songs by the band Low for Band of Joy (2010). The songs were "Monkey" and "Silver Rider," which also appeared on Low's album, The Great Destroyer. Above Plant and B.O.J. sing "Silver Rider" on July 30, 2010 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida.

The Who News Roundup

Plenty of news about The Who the last couple of days.

First up, Keith Moon was remembered yesterday on what would have been his 65th birthday. Click here for an article at mlive.com and then another story on UltimateClassicRock.com here.

Meanwhile, part 1 of an interview that aired last night with Pete Townshend on BBC2 can be found by clicking this. Pete goes over the early days of The Who in an hour-long discussion. Part 2 will be put up on the website next week.

Gibson.com takes a look at the Pete Townshend J-200 Signature Artist Series acoustic guitar at this link.

The Who - Dogs Part Two

I have not heard this song until a few days ago. From the 1969 B-side of the "Pinball Wizard" single comes "Dogs Part Two," which is an instrumental that Keith Moon gets the credit for.

Keith Moon Drum Solo - Won't Get Fooled Again

Another great drum solo from Keith Moon. This one comes from the DVD The Who at Kilburn and a concert at the Gaumont State Theater on December 15, 1977.

Keith Moon - Who Are You (isolated drum track)

I came across this video yesterday of Keith Moon's isolated drumming on "Who Are You."
The footage of the band comes from the movie The Kids Are Alright.

Keith Moon - Rare Drum Solo

I'm not sure where this comes from, but it's classic Keith Moon! Also, starring a goldfish.

The Who - Isle Of Wight (1970)

The Who at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. The video is the conclusion of "Water" and includes a jam involving Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon.

The Who - Pure and Easy

Today would have been Keith Moon's 65th birthday. One of my favorite songs by The Who, "Pure and Easy," opens with trademark Keith Moon drumming. The audio above of "Pure and Easy" comes from the Record Plant in New York on March 17, 1971.

The master tape of this recording was mistakenly thrown in the garbage. Years later it was auctioned off and included on a bootleg, From Lifehouse to Leeds. In 1995, the tape was recovered by executive producer Chris Charlesworth and put on the reissue of Who's Next.

Final Show for Robert Plant and The Band of Joy

Sadly things have come to an end for Robert Plant and the Band of Joy. Plant and the group (Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott, Byron House and Marco Giovino) performed their last show on August 7 at the Big Chill Festival in Herefordshire, U.K. Although, this doesn't mark the end for Robert Plant's solo career as he has stated he wants to write some songs with Miller. For more on the final concert click this.

The Who - Sparks (Amsterdam 1969)

Pretty good audio from a concert The Who did in Amsterdam on Septembr 29, 1969. The "Sparks" portion begins around the 3:20 mark.

The Who - Time Is Passing

The Who sing "Time is Passing," which appeared on the 1998 reissue of Odds & Sods. The song was intended for the never completed Lifehouse. Pete Townshend also sang it on his 1972 solo album, Who Came First.

The Who - Sparks (New York 1970)

The quality of the sound is not great for this version of The Who's "Amazing Journey/Sparks," which comes from a concert at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York on June 7, 1970. "Sparks" begins around 3:17.

Robert Plant - Tall Cool One

The third single released from Robert Plant's 1988 album Now and Zen is "Tall Cool One." Previously released songs from the record were "Heaven Knows" and "Ship of Fools." Plant and keyboardist Phil Johnstone wrote the song, while Jimmy Page is on guitar. "Tall Cool One" is notable because it contains samples at the end of some Led Zeppelin songs including "Black Dog," "Whole Lotta Love," "Custard Pie" and "The Ocean."

Robert Plant - Ship of Fools

"Ship of Fools" is off of Robert Plant's 1988 solo album Now and Zen.

Robert Plant - I Believe

Robert Plant's 1993 Fate of Nations album may be his best. "I Believe" comes from that album and is dedicated to Robert's late son Karac who died in July 1977 from a stomach infection.

Robert Plant - Big Log

Of all of Robert Plant's solo songs I particularly like "Big Log," which comes from Plant's 1983 solo album The Principle of Moments. Ironically enough, Victor Krauss covered this song for his album in 2004. Victor is the brother of Alison who most people know teamed up with Robert in 2007 for Raising Sand.

Robert Plant - In The Mood

"In the Mood" from Robert Plant's 1983 solo album The Principle of Moments was another big hit for Plant and received a fair amount of play on MTV at the time. The song was written by Plant, guitarist Robbie Blunt and bass player Paul Martinez. Also, Phil Collins was the drummer.

Robert Plant - Little By Little

Robert Plant turned 63 this past Saturday. I've enjoyed much of what Plant has done as a solo artist, in addition of course to his work with Led Zeppelin. One of his bigger hits was "Little by Little," which Plant wrote with his keyboardist at the time, Jezz Woodroffe. The song is off of his 1985 album Shaken 'n' Stirred.

The Who - Sparks (L.A. Forum 1971)

I'm never disappointed by "Sparks" and that's why it has its own label here on this blog. For the above audio, which comes courtesy of YouTube, let's go back to December 9, 1971 and the L.A. Forum in Los Angeles. The sound is shaky in spots, but that's OK with me. A few interesting spots for Pete Townshend. The first comes between 9 and 13 seconds which he somewhat repeats around 47 seconds. Also, he does something a little different around the 3:27 mark. The above "Sparks" clocks in at around seven minutes and so it is probably one of the longest versions I have heard. Also, John Entwistle's work on this or any "Sparks" should never be discounted, even though Pete and Keith Moon get the most attention on the song.

John Entwistle - Cinnamon Girl

John Entwistle covered Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl." It appeared as an outtake on The Ox's 1971 solo album Smash Your Head Against the Wall. The Who also played this song during some of their concerts in 1970.

Pete Townshend's Quadrophenia Guitar Sold for $50,000

I'm way behind on this but Pete Townshend's Les Paul guitar that he played on the band's 1972-73 Quadrophenia tour has been sold at an auction for $50,000, according to Gibson.com. If you want more information on the guitar (pictured above) click the Christies' link here.

The Who - Woodstock 1969

We are coming up on the anniversary of Woodstock which took place from August 15-18, 1969. A big moment for The Who was when they played "See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You" as the sun began rising at the festival in upstate New York. The above video comes from the movie.

Before They Were The Who

I came across this picture from around 1962 of The Detours, which featured from left to right Pete Townshend on rhythm guitar; John Entwistle on bass; Colin Dawson as the lead singer; Doug Sandom on drums; and Roger Daltrey on lead guitar. This particular group was active between 1962 and 1963. Dawson was fired by Roger in 1963 and Gabby Connolly was brought in to fill in as the lead vocalist for a short time until Roger took over. In 1964, the band realized there was another group in America named The Detours and so they decided to change the group's name. Townshend's old college roommate Richard Barnes suggested The Who and the rest as they say is history.

Pete Townshend Inducts The Rolling Stones into the Rock Hall of Fame

Great speech by Pete Townshend (pictured second from left with the band) inducting the Rolling Stones into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Pete Townshend Collaborations

Pete Townshend has stated on several occasions that he has always found it difficult to collaborate. Even on the album he did with Ronnie Lane, Rough Mix, there aren't any songs that the two co-wrote.

But there is one person that some feel Pete would work well with: Mick Jagger (pictured to the left with David Bowie and Pete).

Townshend supplied extra guitar on the Rolling Stones' song "Slave" on their 1981 Tattoo You album, but Pete and Mick have never written together.

"Y'know, even very, very intimate friends like Mick Jagger, and I'm a great fan of his solo work, I think it's incredibly underestimated. Y'know, he's asked me to work on several records with him and I've very much enjoyed doing it. But he's never suggested that we write together. Now, his ex-wife Jerry (Hall) used to say all the time, 'You and Pete should write together.' And we would kind of go, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. It may happen, it may not.'"

My money is on it not happening, but we'll see.

Pete did provide guitar for two songs - "Gun" and "Joy" - on Mick's Goddess in the Doorway album which came out in 2001. "Gun" is below.


U2's Bono also worked on "Joy" which you can see Jagger and Bono working together if you click this.

Another rock star that Pete has never done any writing with is David Bowie, although Pete did play guitar on a few of Bowie's songs:

Below Pete and Bowie on "Because You're Young,"which is off of Bowie's 1980 album Scary Monsters and Super Creeps.


The video below is Pete and David Bowie on "Slow Burn," which is from Bowie's 2002 album Heathen.

Quadrophenia Boxset Coming

TheWho.com has announced November 14 as the day that the Quadrophenia boxset will be released. The announcement is below:

“Quadrophenia is the Who album I am most proud of” – Pete Townshend

A stunning ‘Director’s Cut’ of the landmark 1973 album produced, authorised and overseen by Pete Townshend.

After the 1971 album ‘Who’s Next’, Pete Townshend returned to the ‘rock-opera’ concept, so dramatically realised through ‘Tommy’, with another ambitious double-album masterpiece. Based around the story of Jimmy – Quadrophenia tells the tale of a young mod and his struggle to come of age in the mid-1960s.The story also takes its influence from the band’s early fans from the original mod era, and its themes of teenage angst and disaffection still resonate strongly today.

The project was intended to reflect the four characters of The Who and features some of Townshend’s most inspired, personal song-writing - way ahead of its time in scope and purpose.

This is one of the most widely recognised albums of The Who’s career because of its classic depiction of mod culture, its renowned imagery and the magnificent music and powerful performances.

The album is hugely significant in popular culture, influencing many other artists, musicians and film-makers – inspiring the classic 1979 British film by Franc Roddam and the UK ‘mod revival’ of the 1970s.

“This 2011 revisit to The Who’s 1973 Quadrophenia recording is inspired by current and continuing interest in the project,” explains Townshend. “The Who performed a concert version of the piece at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010 for the Teenage Cancer Trust with excellent reviews, and the success of that event led to the prospect of a Who tour in 2012 based on the album. The last such tour was between 1996-1997.”

The album is scheduled for release via Universal Music Catalogue on November 14th, 2011. The box set gives a unique insight into the creation of this landmark album and will feature a re-master of the original double album, Pete Townshend’s previously unheard demos including songs that didn’t make it onto the original album, an exclusive eight track 5.1 sound DVD, a deluxe hard-back book, previously unseen personal notes, photographs, memorabilia and other exclusive material that will be announced over the coming months.

‘Quadrophenia: The Director’s Cut’ will be the definitive version of the album and a must for any self-respecting fan of The Who and beyond.

To accompany the box set, double vinyl, 2-disc digi-pak and digital versions will also be released. Pre order now by clicking here.

Led Zeppelin Live in Knebworth 1979 Full Concert

In August 1979, Led Zeppelin played the Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire, England. Someone has put the audio of the entire concert up on YouTube.The band's performance received mixed reviews, although in my opinion the negativity was a bit overblown.

The Who - Sparks (Madison Square Garden July 31, 2002)

Great memories from a great tour. I was at this show at Madison Square Garden in 2002. Robert Plant was the "opener."

The Who - Documentary (1982)

A huge thank you goes out to the YouTuber that posted this documentary about The Who's tour in 1982. I can never get enough of this stuff!

The Who - Roadies Documentary (1972)

A quick clip of The Who in Sweden; part of a roadies documentary shot in 1972.

Pete Townshend On Keith Moon

Pete Townshend discusses Keith Moon and the lifestyle the late drummer was leading during the filming of the movie Tommy, which came out in 1975.

The Who - I'm London (1979 Passaic)

Let's go back to September 10, 1979 and the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey. Pete Townshend makes up "I'm London" using the riff from "Join Together." The song was never recorded for any studio albums and was only used one other time during the 1979 tour.

Roger Daltrey 1970 vs Roger Daltrey 2011

Roger Daltrey 1970 vs Roger Daltrey 2011 by Scott Akister

A nice job by Scott Akister who weaved together Roger Daltrey singing "Young Man Blues" on the 1970 album Live at Leeds with Daltrey doing the same song at a concert on his tour of Tommy earlier this month. Akister wrote in the description on Soundcloud.com that only some of the vocals are from the concert on February 14, 1970 while the rest were recorded on July 13, 2011 at the Cliffs Pavilion concert in Southend, U.K.

Roger is sounding very good on this current tour as does his backing band which consists of Simon Townshend on rhythm guitar and vocals; Frank Simes on lead guitar; Jon Button on bass; Loren Gold on keyboard; and Scott Devours on drums.

Pete is Stone Deaf.....or Maybe Not?

Roger Daltrey told the Daily Mail that Pete Townshend is "almost stone deaf" in an interview published on July 15. Townshend responded on TheWho.com a couple of days later and wrote that he isn't stone deaf and is planning on joining Roger next year for a tour of Quadrophenia. The entire post is below:

Pete is Stone Deaf...... or maybe not?

My hearing is actually better than ever because after a feedback scare at the O2 Indigo in December 2008 I am taking good care of it. I have computer systems in my studio that have helped me do my engineering work on the forthcoming Quadrophenia release. I have had assistance from younger forensic engineers and mastering engineers to help me clean up the high frequencies that are out of my range. The same computer systems work wonderfully well on stage, proving to be perfect for me when The Who performed at the Super Bowl and doing Quadrophenia for TCT at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010. I'm 66, I don't have perfect hearing, and if I listen to loud music or go to gigs I do tend to get tinnitus. DON'T WE ALL????

The reason I am not on the road with Roger is that this is entirely Roger's adventure, one that is bringing him great joy. I don't belong on this Tommy tour. I wish him well, sincerely, and I look forward to playing with Roger again doing Quadrophenia next year.

The Who - It's Your Turn

Back to the 1980s and "It's Your Turn" which is from The Who's 1982 album It's Hard. Some places have it that this is the B-side to "Athena." I checked Wikipedia and "A Man Is a Man" was the B-side. Just to further confirm that this is correct I found the "Athena" single being sold on ebay here.

I like this song and I don't believe that The Who ever played it live. Also, for whatever reason it was not released as a single. The interesting thing about the song is that John Entwistle wrote the lyrics, but Roger Daltrey is singing it. There are not many instances where this happens - if there are any at all - and off the top of my head I can't think of one.

Roger Daltrey Playing Ireland Tonight, Featured in Irish Times

Roger Daltrey (pictured on the far left with John, Pete and Keith in case you didn't know) continues his solo tour of Tommy with a stop at Marlay Park in Dublin, Ireland. An interview with Daltrey appears in the Irish Times which you can read here.

Pete Townshend On The Windmill

Pete Townshend says in the above interview that he started doing the windmill after watching Keith Richards warm up before a Rolling Stones concert. Richards, though, was not doing a windmill but some stretching.

Pete Townshend and The Rolling Stones

Pete Townshend has often spoke of his love for the Rolling Stones. Townshend joined them for "Slave" which is off of the Rolling Stones' 1981 album Tattoo You.

The Who - "5:15" (Royal Albert Hall 2010)

On March 30, 2010 The Who played Quadrophenia at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the week-long Teenage Cancer Trust benefit shows. The above video is "5.15."

Jimmy Page Website

If you haven't done so yet, check out Jimmy Page's website at JimmyPage.com. One of the things I really like about it is every day it features an "On this day...." So far the site is refreshed daily.

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (STUDIO)

"Stairway to Heaven" is a great song. For me that is not even a debate. The biggest complaint about it is that the song is overplayed. Here's what I do whenever a song comes on the radio that I'm not in the mood for: I change the station. Wow, big concept. Let's just say I get a little tired of people complaining about what is on the radio and what is not on. There are just too many options today to be "forced" to listen to anything.

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (2007 Reunion)

One of Led Zeppelin's classics and another great from Physical Graffiti is "Kashmir."

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (2007 Reunion)

A song that has never suffered from a lack of airplay on classic rock radio is "Stairway to Heaven." I think the band and in particular, Robert Plant, did a great job with the song during the reunion show.

The Who - Marquee Club Residency (1965)

If you can ignore the French commentary this is pretty cool. Unless, of course, if you speak French and then it doesn't really matter. The video shows The Who in their very early years when they had a residency at the Marquee Club in London.

Jimmy Page - 2007 Reunion

What a great view this fan had at the Led Zeppelin reunion concert in 2007. The above video has Jimmy Page messing around.

Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same (2007 Reunion)

Let's go back to Led Zeppelin's reunion show in December 2007. One of the highlights undoubtedly was the performance of "The Song Remains the Same."

The Who - The Kids Are Alright (2006)

The Who performed "The Kids Are Alright" during the BBC Electric Proms from the Roundhouse in London, which was later shown on MTV.

Roger Daltrey - Tattoo

Roger Daltrey opened his solo Tommy tour at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, U.K. on July 3. Following the playing of Tommy, Daltrey and his solo band played some other songs by The Who, including "Tattoo." After the song Roger jokes with Robert Plant (who was in the audience and reportedly lives nearby) that he had it easy in Led Zeppelin because they had long guitar solos as opposed to The Who, which did very few guitar solos.

Simon Townshend - Going Mobile (Glasgow)

A definite highlight from the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland on July 6. Simon Townshend plays "Going Mobile" which is off of The Who's 1971 album Who's Next.

Roger Daltrey - Amazing Journey/Sparks

Roger Daltrey and his solo band playing "Amazing Journey/Sparks" on July 10 from the Newport Center in the U.K. The "Sparks" portion begins around the 3:00 minute mark.

Roger Daltrey - Blue Red and Grey

One of my favorite songs ("Blue Red and Grey") off of one of my favorite albums (The Who By Numbers). This video comes from the opening night of Roger Daltrey's Tommy tour which began on July 3.

Roger Daltrey in Nottingham July 9

"Listening to You" finishes up the Tommy section of a concert at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, U.K. on July 9. So far the reviews have been really good for Roger's tour. All of the dates and venues can be found here.

JimmyPage.Com Is Now Live! Also, Page Plays with Black Crowes Last Night

Jimmy Page has launched his own website here. Page has stated in interviews that once he got the site going he would be getting back out on the road and playing music. Last night, Page joined The Black Crowes to play "Shake Your Money Maker" at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.

Pete Townshend - Pure and Easy

One of Pete Townshend's best pieces of music is "Pure and Easy," which was the centerpiece for Lifehouse. Townshend plays it live in London for VH1 Storytellers.

Roger Daltrey - Johnny Cash Medley (Glasgow)

A video shot by a fan at the Clyde Auditorium, also known as the Armadillo, in Glasgow, Scotland on July 6. Daltrey goes into a Johnny Cash medley following the group's performance of Tommy.

Won't Get Fooled Again Isolated Drums

Well this pretty much is as good as it gets. Keith Moon's drumming has been isolated during "Won't Get Fooled Again."

Pete Townshend and John Lennon

I'm always curious about how the greats regard one another and if their paths ever crossed. For this post here are a few items on Pete Townshend and John Lennon.

There is more in this interview but below is one snippet of something Lennon had to say. For more click here:

"Listen to “Twist and Shout.” I couldn’t sing the damn thing I was just screaming. Listen to it. Wop-Bop-a-loo-bop-a-Wop-bam-boom. Don’t get the therapy confused with the music. Yoko’s whole thing was that scream. “Don’t Worry, Kyoko” was one of the f****’ best rock and roll records ever made. Listen to it, and play “Tutti Fruitti.” Listen to “Don’t Worry, Kyoko” on the other side of “Cold Turkey. I’m digressing from mine, but if somebody with a rock-oriented mind could possibly hear her stuff, you’ll see what she’s doing. It’s fantastic, you know. It’s as important as anything we ever did, and it is as important as anything the Stones or Townshend ever did. Listen to it, and you’ll hear what she is putting down. On “Cold Turkey” I’m getting towards it. I’m influenced by her music 1000 percent more than I ever was by anybody or anything. She makes music like you’ve never heard on earth."

Pete Townshend on John Lennon from an interview here:
"I had an incredible conversation once with Paul McCartney. The difference between the way Lennon and McCartney behave with the people that are around them is incredible. What Lennon does is he sits down, immediately acknowledges the fact that he’s John Lennon and that everything for the rest of the night is going to revolve around him. He completely relaxes and let’s everybody feel at ease and just speaks dribble little jokes, little rubbish like he’s got, In His Own Write and little things. Like he’ll start to dribble on and get stoned and do silly things and generally have a good time. Of course everybody gets into his thing and also has a generally good time."

"But Paul McCartney worries, he wants a genuine conversation, a genuine relationship, starting off from square one: We’ve got to get it straight that we both know where we’re both at before we begin. One of them is f******* Paul McCartney, a Beatle, the other one is me, a huge monumental Beatle fan who still gets a kick out of sitting and talking to Paul McCartney. And he’s starting to tell me that he digs me and that we’re on an even par so that we can begin the conversation which completely makes me even a bigger fan. That’s all it serves to do. The conversation comes to no purpose and all he serves to do is to confuse himself. He’s trying to say, 'Oh, you know, you know where you’re at. I know where I’m at, we’re both really just us and let’s talk.' So what do you say? I’m a fantastic fan of yours, man.”

If you are interested in more links on The Who and The Beatles click this for what purportedly is the last photo of John and Paul. There is also a picture on that page of Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Keith Moon.

Also, the picture is no longer available, but here is a link to an auction of a copy of Arthur Janov's The Primal Scream, as sent to Pete Townshend by John Lennon.

Pete Townshend and The Kinks

I came across this article here entitled "Pete Townshend Writes About Playing Chicago with the Kinks in 1969 Letter."

Click this for a full size of the letter. You may need to increase the font size of your browser to read it.

Townshend has often talked about his admiration for Ray and Dave Davies including the influence that some of the Kinks' songs had on Pete's writing. From The Kinks Wikipedia page here:

"Pete Townshend of The Who was particularly affected by the song: "'See My Friends' was the next time I pricked up my ears and thought, 'God, he's done it again. He's invented something new."

Roger Daltrey: I Only Hit Pete Once

The latest issue of Uncut Magazine features Roger Daltrey. It's out in the U.K. and should be on newsstands in the U.S. pretty soon. I've read that Roger Daltrey punched Pete Townshend during a rehearsal around the time the band was taking Quadrophenia on the road in 1974. I'm assuming that this is the incident the magazine is referring to. I'm looking forward to reading the article.

The Who - Melancholia

I have been listening to The Who Sell Out quite a bit lately. In my previous post I mentioned "We Close Tonight" off of Odds & Sods as a song where Keith Moon's drumming is really great. I also like "Melancholia" from Sell Out. By the way, the person that made this video really captures the essence of the song.

The Who - We Close Tonight

Keith Moon's exceptional drumming ability is fully on display during "We Close Tonight" which is off of The Who's 1974 album Odds & Sods. John Entwistle sings lead, while Moon also does some singing. Whenever a drummer attempts to sing some people automatically say it's horrible. I don't think that is the case on this song.

John Bundrick News

A few months ago it appeared as though keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick was upset with his fellow bandmates. I wrote about it here. It appears that the whole thing was a misunderstanding as Bundrick probably posted an angry blog thinking that The Who were touring Tommy without him when he wasn't notified that it was Roger Daltrey and his solo band. Bundrick seems to be keeping busy until hopefully a tour in 2012. His website is here.

The Who - Amazing Journey/Sparks (Cap Center 1976)

As The Who get set to begin the Tommy section of a concert, Keith Moon introduces "Amazing Journey/Sparks." The "Sparks" portion begins around the 4:42 mark. The song is from a show at the Cap Center on August 3, 1976 in Landover, Maryland.

Roger Daltrey Talks to Rolling Stone

Roger Daltrey spoke with RollingStone.com on the eve of his tour of Tommy. Daltrey touched on a number of topics including his vocal surgery, the future with Pete Townshend and his upcoming tour. The interview is here.

Complete Dates for Roger Daltrey's Tour of Tommy; Facebook, Twitter Contest

Courtesy of TheWho.com I have listed all of the dates and the venues for Roger Daltrey's tour of Tommy below. If you want the links for the arenas click here.

Also, there is a contest that has been started with the chance to win two tickets to a show on the tour. All you have to do is pick your favorite song off of Tommy and post it on Facebook or Twitter. Click this to enter.

UK TOUR
3 July – Wolverhampton (Civic Hall)
4 July - Gateshead (Sage)
6 July - Glasgow (Clyde Auditorium)
7 July - Manchester (Bridgewater Hall)
9 July - Nottingham (Royal Centre)
10 July - Newport (Centre)
12 July - Bristol (Colston Hall)
13 July - Southend (Cliffs Pavillion)
15 July - Guilfest
16 July – Hampshire (Broadlands)
19 July - Hull (City Hall)
21 July - London (Indigo 02)
22 July – Norwich (Blickling Hall)
24 July – London (Indigo2 at the O2)
26 July - Dublin (Marlay Park)
28 July - Isle of Man (Royal Hall)
30 July - Belgium (Lokerse Festival)
31 July - Denmark (Valdemars Castle, Svendborg)

U.S./CANADA TOUR
Tue-9/13/11 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Live
Thu-9/15/11 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Encore Park
Sat-9/17/11 Boston, MA Agganis Arena
Sun-9/18/11 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
Wed-9/21/11 Philadelphia, PA The Mann Center
Fri-9/23/11 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
Sat-9/24/11 Hartford, CT XL Center
Tue 9/27/11 Montreal, QC [French | English]
Wed-9/28/11 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
Fri-9/30/11 Toronto, ON Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Sat-10/1/11 Windsor, ON The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
Wed-10/5/11 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
Fri-10/7/11 Hammond, IN The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
Sat-10/8/11 St Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
Tue-10/11/11 Cedar Park, TX Cedar Park Center
Wed-10/12/11 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Fri-10/14/11 Kansas City, MO The Midland by AMC
Sun-10/16/11 Broomfield, CO 1STBANK Center
Wed-10/19/11 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
Fri-10/21/11 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic
Sat-10/22/11 Las Vegas, NV The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel
Mon-10/24/11 Portland, OR Theater of the Clouds
Tue-10/25/11 Seattle, WA KeyArena at Seattle Center
Thu-10/27/11 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
Sat-10/29/11 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
Sun-10/30/11 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
Tue-11/1/11 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre
Wed-11/2/11 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre

Simon Townshend's New Song

Simon Townshend has released a new song, "Looking Out Looking In," on his website (video above). The 50-year-old younger brother of Pete will be part of Roger Daltrey's upcoming tour of Tommy which begins in the U.K. this Sunday.

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love Medley

The above "Whole Lotta Love" medley includes "Boogie Chillun," "Let's Have a Party," "Hello Marylou" and"Going Down Slow." The music comes off of the 2003 Led Zeppelin album How the West Was Won

New Robert Plant DVD

A new DVD on Robert Plant (pictured above with Alison Krauss) is scheduled to be released on August 23, according to antiMUSIC. The article says the DVD will include rare footage, interviews and performances.

I'm looking forward to it!

Roger Daltrey and Slash

I came across this cover by Roger Daltrey and Slash of Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy."The song appeared on the 2006 album Guitar Gods: The Classic Rock Anthems, which you can find on Amazon.com here.

Roger Daltrey and Ray Manzarek Interview, Roger Also Comments on Jim Morrison

The above videos come from an appearance Roger Daltrey made in 1995 on Denton, which is an Australian comedy/talk show hosted by Andrew Denton. Daltrey is not the only guest as Chris Isaak, Dick Dale and The Doors' Ray Manzarek join in for some talk and later on they have some fun and play "My Generation" and "The End."It's pretty cool for me to see Roger and Ray being interviewed together.

Also, if you have never seen the video, Roger Daltrey discusses Jim Morrison below. By the way, Morrison died 40 years ago this upcoming Sunday.

The World According To Pete Townshend

Pretty much everything fans would want to know about Pete Townshend is covered in an article on Gibson.com, in which they gather up some Townshend quotes that have appeared in various magazines over the years. If you want to read it click here.

One More From Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Black Dog

"Black Dog," off of Led Zeppelin IV, once again done by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Black Dog

A few different versions of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss singing "Black Dog," which is off of Led Zeppelin's 1971 album, Led Zeppelin IV.

The first performance took place at the Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto on July 14, 2008.

In the second video, the duo tackle the song at a concert on May 22, 2008 at Wembley Arena in London.

Finally, the last video comes from the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2008.

John Entwistle - Sparks (Isolated Bass)

John Entwistle passed away nine years ago today. A YouTuber posted John's isolated bass on "Sparks" where you can hear some of his mastery.

Pete Townshend and Clem Burke

I came across this video recently of Pete Townshend and drummer Clem Burke (of Blondie fame) recording in the studio. It's a short clip of the song, but I'm pretty sure Townshend is singing "Come to Mama," which is from his 1985 solo album, White City.

The Who and Led Zeppelin

This video is not the best in terms of quality, but it's still pretty cool to see members of The Who and Led Zeppelin backstage at the same time. Led Zeppelin opened for The Who on May 25, 1969 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, which was the only time both bands appeared on the same bill together. This concert took place as part of Led Zeppelin's second tour of North America. The opening seconds of the video shows Cream performing in London on their farewell tour in 1968.

The Who - Pure and Easy

One of my favorite songs by The Who is "Pure and Easy." It was the centerpiece of Lifehouse, but for whatever reason was left off of Who's Next when the album was released in 1971. This recording, which was done by The Who in New York, was included on the deluxe edition of the album that was released in 2003. The song contains some of my favorite lyrics:

"There once was a note, pure and easy
Playing so free, like a breath rippling by
The note is eternal, I hear it, it sees me
Forever we blend and forever we die."

Later on in the song:

"We all know success when we all find our own dreams
And our love is enough to knock down any wall
And the future's been seen as men try to realize
The simple secret of the note in us all....in us all."

Roger Daltrey - Amazing Journey/Sparks (2011)

This is a much tamer version of "Amazing Journey/Sparks" then what we are accustomed to, but then again this is Roger Daltrey and his solo band. Yes, I like them and yes, they are very good. But there is no Pete Townshend.

Many people (myself included) feel that the way Roger and his band do it is more like the one that appears on the Tommy album, which I have posted below.

By the way, the above concert was at the Royal Albert Hall in March as part of the TCT Benefit concerts. The "Sparks" section begins around 3:24.

The Who - I've Been Away

I've always liked John Entwistle's writing both as a solo artist and as a member of The Who. The late bassist had a dark sense of humor and wrote some real gems such as "Boris the Spider," "My Wife" and "Heaven and Hell." Another song that I really like is "I've Been Away," which appeared on The Who's second album, A Quick One (1966). Lyrics are below:

I've been away so long
Wonder where I went wrong
Spent the last year inside a cell
Never ever go away again
I've been so sad and lonely
Never ever ever gonna go away again

It's a waste of time doing time
When you didn't commit the crime
It wasn't me it was my brother Bill
Emptied out the till never gonna speak to Bill again
He's made me sad and lonely
Never ever gonna speak to brother Bill again

It was no use, they put my brother on the jury
He bribed the others 'cause he owns the local brewery
They let me out today
Brother Bill's gonna pay
No one's ever gonna speak to Bill again
Never ever gonna speak to Bill again
He'll be too cold and bony
Never ever gonna go away again
Never ever gonna go away again
Never ever gonna go away again

The Who - Amazing Journey/Sparks (Fillmore West 1969)

We've covered the Fillmore East here, so now let's travel to the west coast for the Fillmore West. This version of "Amazing Journey/Sparks" took place at a concert on June 19, 1969. The "Sparks" portion of the song begins around the 3:13 mark.

Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand

I'll never understand why radio stations seemingly never play this song. Sure, I've heard it on Carol Miller's Get the Led Out, but other than that I can't remember ever hearing "Achilles Last Stand" on any station. It is over 10 minutes long, but so what? Anyway, "Achilles" comes off of Led Zeppelin's 1976 album, Presence. Many believe that this song gave birth to heavy metal music. Regardless, it's one of my favorite Zeppelin songs.

The Who Come Home

Roger Daltrey proclaims "We're Home!" and The Who go right into "I Can't Explain" at the Empire Theater in their hometown of Shepherd's Bush in December of 1999. Eventually the band would release this song along with a number of others on the Blues to the Bush live album, which combined shows the group did at the Empire and also at the House of Blues in Chicago.

Quadrophenia Demos

After Pete Townshend's announcement yesterday that he is working on an expanded Quadrophenia, I did a little digging and came across some of Townshend's home demos from 1973. The pictures in the video are from the Quadrophenia movie.

Pete's New Blog Post

Pete Townshend has a new blog posted on TheWho.com. He discusses some very interesting plans regarding Quadrophenia. The full text is below:

Pete's Blog

1st June, 2011

WHAT I'M DOING EVERYDAY

I am shut away in my home studio at the moment working to restore the demos of Quadrophenia. Bob Pridden is doing surround-sound mixes of selected tracks. Jon Astley is remastering the original vinyl mix, and evaluating his own 1996 remix (the one where you can properly hear Roger's astonishing vocals). I am sitting in a pile of notes, desk diaries, photos (I took a lot of my own between 1971-1973 when Quadrophenia emerged), original lyrics and writing liner notes.

I am really enjoying this work. Bob's mixes are mind-blowing. My demos are among the best I've ever done, and include some real quirky tracks that didn't make it onto the final album. I still find studio work strange – I have to have the speakers very low in volume, not what I'm used to. This package, due in October if all goes well, is another Live at Leeds and Hull – or even another Lifehouse Chronicles – in the making. You are going to love it. I hope so, because I am missing this summer sunshine to get it completed on time.

In my recent interview with my friend Simon Garfield for INTELLIGENT LIFE, I professed some difficulty in my interaction with fans as I grow older. What is so wonderful about working on Quadrophenia is that back in 1970, all the way through to the recording in 1973, the primary challenge for me was to tell the story of the Who's fans and at the same time address the wayward creative needs of the band as individuals and artists. The Who, and Jimmy as a kind of model for one or all of our fans, really had developed a powerful symbiosis that deserved a project like Quadrophenia both to honour the mechanism and address why it started to fail almost a soon as it had begun

So I am enjoying working with the music, but I'm enjoying writing about it too.

Jimmy Page Working on Website, Music

Jimmy Page was interviewed last month at the Ivor Novello Awards, a British awards show in London. He reiterated his desire to finish his website and to get back on the road playing music. The website, which is only a front page at this point, is called JimmyPage.com. Naturally, the interviewer asked Jimmy about a Led Zeppelin reunion, which isn't happening in the near future. But I suppose the interviewer had to ask. Page was also asked about Bob Dylan, who recently turned 70.

Led Zeppelin - How Many More Times

"How Many More Times" is the final track and longest song on Led Zeppelin's first album, checking in at about eight and a half minutes. I could say this about many Led Zeppelin songs, but "How Many More Times" contains some of John Bonham's most skillful drumming. By the way, Bonzo would have been 63-years-old yesterday.

The Who - Amazing Journey/Sparks (Minneapolis 1969)

The collection of great versions of "Amazing Journey/Sparks" grows with this one from the Guthrie Theater on June 8, 1969 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Who - Early in the Morning (Minneapolis 1969)

Following "Shakin' All Over," The Who launched into another fantastic song at the Guthrie Theater on June 8, 1969 in Minneapolis. The song is a cover of Elmore James' "Early in the Morning," which can be found here and here.

Pete Townshend On Solos

During a 1980 interview with Steve Rosen of Sound International, Pete Townshend was asked if it was important for him to have the technique of a Jeff Beck. Townshend answered by saying that the joy he would get from a solo would never be as great as what he gets from expressing himself through a song.

You can read the full interview here.

Pete Townshend On Feedback

I came across an interview Pete Townshend did in 1980 with Steve Rosen and Sound International. Among the many questions that Pete was answered was if he was the first to use feedback. Pete answered that he had an agreement with Dave Davies and Jeff Beck that they would argue until the day they died over which one came up with feedback. However, Townshend added that it was probably happening in many places at once.

For the entire interview click this.

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.