What's with The Who?

SmoothOperator

Gold Member
I have noticed an unusual amount Keith Moon adulation. I kind of don't get it. I mean I grew up listening to the Who, via my parents, especially that one record with "Happy Jack" and "Pin Ball Wizard", "Mamma's Got a Squeeze Box", etc. I even bought tickets to a Who concert one time to go with my Dad, though I am pretty sure that wasn't Keith behind the kit. Never once did I think wow what an amazing drummer. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate Entwhistle's skill on bass, but I still think that Entwhistle is about the only one of the Who that can play his way out of a paper bag, and the rest of the Who were deaf rockers that compensated by being overly loud. Is it just me, or do I have unrealistically high expectations for drumming? Other drummers from a similar time period that I have come to appreciate though my tastes have shifted from the rock scene include Ringo, Steve Gadd, Mickey Hart(The Dead had two drummers even). Right, now I went back and listened to that track "Squeeze Box", and sure enough "the music was all-right", but nothing special.
 
Re: What's with the who?

I'd say "what's with the influx of Who bashing?"

Do we need another thread to discuss the same thing?

Squeeze Box is a pretty silly song, even by their standards.

Go listen to the entire Quadrophenia album from beginning to end.
Then the entire original Tommy album
 
Re: What's with the who?

Your post begs the question though, what qualifies as an 'unusual amount of adulation' ....a recent post ...or two...or three?

The Who isn't for everybody, but neither is Miles Davis, or Frank Sinatra. Its music.
 
Re: What's with the who?

Valid point. Keith Moon was very interesting to watch. Technically not the best but he made up for it with showmanship. He defined 'rock star drummer'. There will never be anyone like him. Larger than life personality. There was a lot to him people never knew. His love for his child and depression due to his divorce. Something like that.

Pete played power chords. Rogers vocals were good. The Who were more flash than substance but they did make some memorable music. Unlike Kiss, who was makeup and two good songs.
 
Re: What's with the who?

I'd say "what's with the influx of Who bashing?"

Do we need another thread to discuss the same thing?

Squeeze Box is a pretty silly song, even by their standards.

Go listen to the entire Quadrophenia album from beginning to end.
Then the entire original Tommy album

Well, were the who bashing my momma's squeeze box by saying the music was just "all right"?
 
Re: What's with the who?

The Who were more flash than substance

Granted none of them were virtuoso's, I'd think songs and songwriting qualify as 'substance'. Townsend was one of the better, more poignant songwriters of the 60's - 70's rock bands. They also (along with the Small Faces Nutgone Flake) created rock opera.
 
Re: What's with the who?

I always thought that generally speaking and with some exceptions, The Who wrote superior rock songs. Entwhistle embodied everything I personally like in musicians, monumental talent/ability/execution all the while looking like he's thinking about what he wants for lunch the next day. Townsend is a gifted writer, love his compositions. His guitar playing fit beautifully. I give him a lot of credit for allowing the others to shine. Daltry has arguably the best rock voice ever. Moon was a freak of nature. What a combination. They are rock royalty in my book.
 
And while we're at it, can we talk about how the beatles weren't really the best band ever, too?
 
Re: What's with the who?

I always thought that generally speaking and with some exceptions, The Who wrote superior rock songs. Entwhistle embodied everything I personally like in musicians, monumental talent/ability/execution all the while looking like he's thinking about what he wants for lunch the next day. Townsend is a gifted writer, love his compositions. His guitar playing fit beautifully. I give him a lot of credit for allowing the others to shine. Daltry has arguably the best rock voice ever. Moon was a freak of nature. What a combination. They are rock royalty in my book.


same opinion......Live at Leeds sound way superior, raw and original, unpolished, no gimmicks effort than their Tommy concert with all the extra horns and additional guitarists and Simon Philips on the skins.
 
Re: What's with the who?

the Who was punk rock .... before punk rock even existed

Indeed.

While the Beatles may have influenced more people, the Who influenced more genres of music than any other band.

The Who's influence can be found in
Punk.
New Wave
Deathrock/goth
Prog
Symphonic rock
Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
Pop
Comedy
Modern Blues

Yes, Pete wrote a lot of silly songs that had little more than comedic value. He also wrote a lot of very serious with deep meanings songs. And many songs in between.
 
Re: What's with the who?

put on Live At Leeds....and if you don't hear one of the most amazing explosive rock bands in the history of recorded music ....then you and I have a completely different perspective on the evolution of rock & roll and what bands contributed to it

they are also the kings of conceptual albums

listen to the Who sell out.... brilliant songs with built in commercials.......awesome record

not to mention A Quick One, Tommy, and Quadrophenia

while everyone was putting flowers in barrels of guns and painting flowers and peace signs on their faces ....the Who was smashing stages and basically telling you to piss off

the Who was punk rock .... before punk rock even existed

...Or the DVD of the Isle of White concert...Pete to the crowd (after Keith seemed to have disappeared from the stage ) "We can't play until we have our conductor back, Keith where are you; WE NEED OUR CONDUCTOR" i'm para-phrasing but that sums it up pretty good. There is a lot more that goes in to a band than just playing concerts and his drumming is so accurate & creative after that point that it WAS like watching a conductor.
 
Re: What's with the who?

same opinion......Live at Leeds sound way superior, raw and original, unpolished, no gimmicks effort than their Tommy concert with all the extra horns and additional guitarists and Simon Philips on the skins.

I don't know, when I saw them live, I thought the trumpet solo was next to as good as Entwistle's bass solo. But, if you think about it, musicals/operas never really have great music or dancing, though they usually have pretty entertaining music and dancing.
 
I have noticed an unusual amount Keith Moon adulation.

Nah, just the usual. Been going on for decades even without the benefit of the internet.

Right, now I went back and listened to that track "Squeeze Box", and sure enough "the music was all-right", but nothing special.

It's obviously unfair to judge a band or its players on a single track.

As for being nothing special, a song doesn't have to be special in order to engage, amaze, inspire, or simply be enjoyable. Perhaps the fact that the entire band played it straight on that track is what's so special.

I'm not a Who or Moon fanatic, although I have the band's key albums (and Keith's solo LP) and a good appreciation for what they did and how integral Moon was to the sound, the music, and the band, based on what he did. The Who wouldn't have been the same Who without Keith, and his presence in any other group would have been the kiss of death for those bands.

I guess what's special is the relationship that could have only existed with Keith, Roger, Pete and John.

Bermuda
 
Re: What's with the who?

.the Who was smashing stages and basically telling you to piss off
Hehehe, succinctly superb!

A couple of years ago, I had quite a long running conversation with Kenny Jones across most of an evening. Discussion was mainly in a gear sound meets playing style context, but some of Kenny's insights into the post Moon era were most interesting. Very few of which I care to repeat here, but the overall picture was one of sheer credit for keith's ability to pull groove out of apparent chaos.
 
Re: What's with the who?

Hehehe, succinctly superb!

A couple of years ago, I had quite a long running conversation with Kenny Jones across most of an evening. Discussion was mainly in a gear sound meets playing style context, but some of Kenny's insights into the post Moon era were most interesting. Very few of which I care to repeat here, but the overall picture was one of sheer credit for keith's ability to pull groove out of apparent chaos.

oooh, I'm jealous.

I'd love to talk to Kenny.

I've often said he gets often overly criticized for things that were out of his control.
I spend much of my youth listening to the Kenny era of The Who.
 
Re: What's with the who?

put on Live At Leeds....and if you don't hear one of the most amazing explosive rock bands in the history of recorded music ....then you and I have a completely different perspective on the evolution of rock & roll and what bands contributed to it

they are also the kings of conceptual albums

listen to the Who sell out.... brilliant songs with built in commercials.......awesome record

not to mention A Quick One, Tommy, and Quadrophenia

while everyone was putting flowers in barrels of guns and painting flowers and peace signs on their faces ....the Who was smashing stages and basically telling you to piss off

the Who was punk rock .... before punk rock even existed

Yeah,that about says it all.The whole band was a force of nature,and never did anything the easy way.This is who we are,and this is what we do,and this is how it sounds.No apologies,so take it or leave it.

Kind of what rock was suppose to be about.A generation that didn't want to silenced any longer,and social revolution.

TO the OP,just listen to Live at leeds on you tube.The Opening number is "Heaven and Hell',which is an Entwistle composition.The band literelly explodes,like someone turning an a light switch,and you have to keep reminding yourself,that this is a 4 piece pand,playing live.No tape tracks,no clicks,no Auto-tune.

They just walked on,and played some of the best rock music,ever written .Only Keith,in my opinion,could breathe life into Townsends music ,like no other drummer could.

They were perfect for one another.Was he a textbook technical wizard,who practiced 8 hours a day ...no.But maybe,he didn't need to be.

Steve B
 
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Behind Blue Eyes ,,, One of the greatest songs ever written. It stands the test of time, as many of their songs do. The Who have left an indelible mark on Rock history that I am truly grateful for. Moony's contribution is hugely appreciated . But I wouldn't want to be like him.
It's not them as technicians of music, it's them as pioneers!
 
The Who just seemed to have more balls than almost any other band. Between Townsends anger, Entwhistles fury on the bass, Daltrys ballsy vocals, one of the best screams in the business, backed up by a tsunami of drums, but with beautiful dynamics that is Keith Moon... holy crap, they were an atom bomb of energy.
 
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