"The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that, but we need someone else to drive things. I’m not leaving [Teenage Cancer Trust] — I’ve been a patron since I first met the charity’s founders.... more than 30 years ago — and that will continue, but I’ll be working in the back room, talking to government, rattling cages."
I've loved The Who since before they released their first album in the United States, but there's always somebody hearing about them for the first time:
I was in high school when I attended my first Who concert in 1979. It was in DC just a week after the Cincinnati tragedy. It remains the most memorable concert of my life, and I’ve been to a few.
In my top 5 bands of all time. Have always loved The Who. They once played in the gymnasium of our local high school, in a suburb of Detroit, in the 60s...just before they became stars here. I was too young. My older sister got to see Keith Moon kick his drums off the stage. All songs and antics aside, these guys were great musicians. Entwistle on base, Moon on drums were two of the best ever in rock. And Townshend...completely created his own style and sound. And...oh yeah, that singer. He wasn't bad. They created so much great music. I still play them regularly.
Love some of their other stuff as well, like Townshend's solo album "White City". Great album.
@O Possum, I found Charismatic years ago from a night where I went down a Peter Gabriel rabbit hole. I'm happy to see her channel is so popular these days. I think her reactions are mostly fake, but she's cute and the videos are entertaining. '
I was slightly too young to see the original lineup; the one chance I had as an early teen was on what turned out to be the original band’s final tour, appropriately called the “Back to Basics” tour, and by all accounts they were at the top of their game - but the show was in the Big City (or what passed for the big city in my south-central-west highly rural state) two hours away, it was a school night, I wasn’t old enough to drive, and nobody would take me. But I’ve seen them in pretty much every other incarnation, and despite what some say about “bah, it’s not really the Who!”, it’s close enough for me, and every show has been magnificent. I’ve also seen Townshend in a small solo acoustic show, and that was fantastic too, and a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Daltrey is a great rock singer, and it’s always been strange to me the the Who never got the props they deserved as a vocal act. They were at least as strong vocally as the Hollies: three strong vocalists, each somewhat different, and they could do it live as well as in the studio. Quadrophenia probably brings that out the most.
I thought about going to see Daltrey on his short summer US tour (one of the shows is not too far away) but decided against it. I suspect that the Who show I say a year and a half ago will end up being one of their last few shows in the US, and I kind of want to let it remain as the final time. A friend of mine saw them for the first time several years ago, and remarked that it was the most moving show he had ever seen, all of those songs piled up together make quite an emotional impact. For me, they were the best rock band ever, and their songs resonated with me in a way that none others did.
Last week, I had a song come up on a playlist by The Dirty Mac, who I hadn't heard of. Turns out it was a one-off supergroup consisting of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards (on bass) and drummer Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. They were performing on a show that was being taped in a studio with an invited audience on 12/11/1968 by the Rolling Stones to be used to help promote their upcoming album, titled The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The bill included Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, The Dirty Mac, Yoko Ono (with The Dirty Mac as her backing band), and finally the Rolling Stones, who as the headliners ending up coming on stage around 2 a.m. the next morning and giving a performance that was a little flat. The Stones ended up shelving the project and it didn't see the light of day until it was released on VHS tape and an album in 1996. The Who's performance of "A Quick One (While He's Away)" is a highlight of the show.
Here is a YouTube link with the entire show, including extras that were not included with the original 1996 release:
I'd recommend watching all of the videos, though. It's a cool show and a neat time capsule of 1968. And no, I have no idea why the audience are all wearing red and yellow ponchos. 1968, right?
I saw the Who at Madison Square Garden maybe ten (?) years ago. Joan Jett opened the show. Even though I always liked the Who, they were quite a bit better than I anticipated. A great show.
”The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that.” Wouldn’t it be great if the guy who said that could meet the guy who said “I hope I die before I get old”?
I became a Who fan in 1970. I saw them in 1973, 1975, and 1976. I had to travel to Atlanta (from Jacksonville, FL) for the first two shows, as they weren't playing anywhere in Florida on those tours. In '76, they did play at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
If I had my preference, I would have most liked to have seen them on their 1969/70 tour, their TOMMY tour. Nonetheless, the three gigs I saw were all fantastic! (I saw Patti Smith Band in Jax in 1978, with a new band as opener--Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I've always thought her show was the fourth best concert I ever saw...trailing only The Who.)
At the 1973 show, their opener was a hometown band to me, Lynryrd Skynrd, the only time I ever saw them, though I was aware of them and saw their name on the marquees of local taverns they played in Jacksonville before they were signed to a recording contract.)
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21 comments:
I saw The Who's first Final Tour in 1982. I went to see the Clash, stayed for The Who.
How many more 'final tours' were there?
Good on, Roger Daltrey.
Great song off of what is unquestionably The Who's greatest album. Not a bad song on it.
Saw em do this on Shindig...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TggO5QroDW0
Favorite = Call Me Lightning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQOm0VQDhJw
Ringo's son Zak Starkey is as energetic as Keith Moon. Amazing drummer!
An opera singer has a YouTube channel where she listens to/watches rock songs she's never heard. Here she is listening to "Won't Get Fooled Again."
Her reactions are hilarious.
"That guy swinging the microphone had better be careful!"
"He's hitting his guitar on the floor! He'll break it!"
The WHO completely botched the global response to the covid epidemic.
What was that?
Never mind…
I was in high school when I attended my first Who concert in 1979. It was in DC just a week after the Cincinnati tragedy. It remains the most memorable concert of my life, and I’ve been to a few.
There are always people hearing J.S. Bach for the first time.
In my top 5 bands of all time. Have always loved The Who. They once played in the gymnasium of our local high school, in a suburb of Detroit, in the 60s...just before they became stars here. I was too young. My older sister got to see Keith Moon kick his drums off the stage.
All songs and antics aside, these guys were great musicians. Entwistle on base, Moon on drums were two of the best ever in rock. And Townshend...completely created his own style and sound. And...oh yeah, that singer. He wasn't bad. They created so much great music. I still play them regularly.
Love some of their other stuff as well, like Townshend's solo album "White City". Great album.
@O Possum, I found Charismatic years ago from a night where I went down a Peter Gabriel rabbit hole. I'm happy to see her channel is so popular these days. I think her reactions are mostly fake, but she's cute and the videos are entertaining.
'
I was slightly too young to see the original lineup; the one chance I had as an early teen was on what turned out to be the original band’s final tour, appropriately called the “Back to Basics” tour, and by all accounts they were at the top of their game - but the show was in the Big City (or what passed for the big city in my south-central-west highly rural state) two hours away, it was a school night, I wasn’t old enough to drive, and nobody would take me. But I’ve seen them in pretty much every other incarnation, and despite what some say about “bah, it’s not really the Who!”, it’s close enough for me, and every show has been magnificent. I’ve also seen Townshend in a small solo acoustic show, and that was fantastic too, and a true once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Daltrey is a great rock singer, and it’s always been strange to me the the Who never got the props they deserved as a vocal act. They were at least as strong vocally as the Hollies: three strong vocalists, each somewhat different, and they could do it live as well as in the studio. Quadrophenia probably brings that out the most.
I thought about going to see Daltrey on his short summer US tour (one of the shows is not too far away) but decided against it. I suspect that the Who show I say a year and a half ago will end up being one of their last few shows in the US, and I kind of want to let it remain as the final time. A friend of mine saw them for the first time several years ago, and remarked that it was the most moving show he had ever seen, all of those songs piled up together make quite an emotional impact. For me, they were the best rock band ever, and their songs resonated with me in a way that none others did.
For one of the greatest live rock video's of all time...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu9HhYv0C7E
(Baba O'Riley live at Shepperton Studios)
Suspect Townsend had a couple of Red Bulls before the perfomance.
I saw The Who in 1980, Keith Moon was already dead, but amazing show.
I also remember there were more drugs on sale outside the show than I had ever seen at any concert.
Althouse, Have you read either Who I Am - Pete Townshend's memoir or Roger Daltrey's Thank a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite?
Last week, I had a song come up on a playlist by The Dirty Mac, who I hadn't heard of. Turns out it was a one-off supergroup consisting of John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards (on bass) and drummer Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. They were performing on a show that was being taped in a studio with an invited audience on 12/11/1968 by the Rolling Stones to be used to help promote their upcoming album, titled The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The bill included Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, The Dirty Mac, Yoko Ono (with The Dirty Mac as her backing band), and finally the Rolling Stones, who as the headliners ending up coming on stage around 2 a.m. the next morning and giving a performance that was a little flat. The Stones ended up shelving the project and it didn't see the light of day until it was released on VHS tape and an album in 1996. The Who's performance of "A Quick One (While He's Away)" is a highlight of the show.
Here is a YouTube link with the entire show, including extras that were not included with the original 1996 release:
The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus (Full Playlist)
And here's The Who's performance if you don't want to listen to/watch the entire show:
The Who - A Quick One (While He's Away)
I'd recommend watching all of the videos, though. It's a cool show and a neat time capsule of 1968. And no, I have no idea why the audience are all wearing red and yellow ponchos. 1968, right?
Thanks Possum, that was great.
I saw the Who at Madison Square Garden maybe ten (?) years ago. Joan Jett opened the show. Even though I always liked the Who, they were quite a bit better than I anticipated. A great show.
Love The Who. I play this in the car when transporting Lefty friends, just as a microagression:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lO91WWJ9tI
Where is the average life expectancy 83?
Some tiny village at the base of a volcano in Hokkaido?
”The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that.” Wouldn’t it be great if the guy who said that could meet the guy who said “I hope I die before I get old”?
ha ha ha
the hopping dance is too funny
I became a Who fan in 1970. I saw them in 1973, 1975, and 1976. I had to travel to Atlanta (from Jacksonville, FL) for the first two shows, as they weren't playing anywhere in Florida on those tours. In '76, they did play at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville.
If I had my preference, I would have most liked to have seen them on their 1969/70 tour, their TOMMY tour. Nonetheless, the three gigs I saw were all fantastic! (I saw Patti Smith Band in Jax in 1978, with a new band as opener--Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I've always thought her show was the fourth best concert I ever saw...trailing only The Who.)
At the 1973 show, their opener was a hometown band to me, Lynryrd Skynrd, the only time I ever saw them, though I was aware of them and saw their name on the marquees of local taverns they played in Jacksonville before they were signed to a recording contract.)
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