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Post by oh oooh on May 19, 2020 13:32:22 GMT
  "I’ve never really liked The Who,” announces Pete Townshend. “I’m serious. I think that they undermined the craft, they undermined the ideas, they turned into a heavy, stupid band that could get a bigger reaction smashing a guitar than playing a beautiful solo. I never liked it, I still don’t like it.”Nice to see he's seen sense in his old age! Happy birthday you old windbag! |
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god
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Post by ~ / % ? * on May 19, 2020 14:07:20 GMT
I'm glad he is till around.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2020 14:15:44 GMT
Yeah it is, he's always interesting at least.
It's a strange quote though. I mean he was the musical director of the band and ultimately responsible for it going in that direction and for so long.
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Post by ~ / % ? * on May 19, 2020 14:23:27 GMT
There are probably more knowledge-able Who fans on board, but I felt the guitar smashing diminished throughout the 70s. I never felt they were a heavy band, their heaviest moment was probably Who's Next through By Numbers. Even at their heaviest they were pretty supple and melodic (as was Sabbath, which people overlook).
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Post by Reactionary Rage on May 19, 2020 14:33:03 GMT
There are probably more knowledge-able Who fans on board, but I felt the guitar smashing diminished throughout the 70s. I never felt they were a heavy band, their heaviest moment was probably Who's Next through By Numbers. Even at their heaviest they were pretty supple and melodic (as was Sabbath, which people overlook).
Quadrophenia and Who's Next are Big sounding albums but hardly monolithic and without nuance or beauty.
I think, live at least, by the mid 70s something was lost in their pursuit of noise but then Townshend and Moon were drunk as sailors on shore leave so probably trying to cover up for their playing a bit too.
There's always been that tension between Arty Pete and the rest and maybe he thinks the Rest took over, symbolically at least. He's tried to distance himself from his past before...maybe he's fallen out with Rog over Brexit.
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Post by Charlie O. on May 19, 2020 14:55:44 GMT
There are probably more knowledge-able Who fans on board, but I felt the guitar smashing diminished throughout the 70s. He was pretty much done with it by '69. |
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Post by Charlie O. on May 19, 2020 15:01:05 GMT
There's always been that tension between Arty Pete and the rest and maybe he thinks the Rest took over, symbolically at least. I think the tension has most often been between Intellectual Pete and Visceral Pete. And I've noticed, as I'm sure we all have, that as Intellectual Pete gets older he's more and more inclined to talk bullshit. Whether this is for shock value or because he really is that deeply confused, I don't know. |
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Post by Charlie O. on May 19, 2020 15:01:57 GMT
Oh, and Happy Birthday, you dear man!
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Post by ~ / % ? * on May 19, 2020 15:09:30 GMT
There are probably more knowledge-able Who fans on board, but I felt the guitar smashing diminished throughout the 70s. He was pretty much done with it by '69. Cheers! that's what i thought, but i figured i be safe incase there was some outlier event: '72 Waterloo, IA And like Jimi, Pete found himself stuck, but obviously found a way through Did the windmilling take up the space where the smashing had once been? |
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Post by Charlie O. on May 19, 2020 15:17:37 GMT
He was pretty much done with it by '69. Cheers! that's what i thought, but i figured i be safe incase there was some outlier event: '72 Waterloo, IA There were such episodes, but they were very much the exception rather than the rule.
Did the windmilling take up the space where the smashing had once been? Nah, he'd always done that. I think you could say that Tommy filled that void! |
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Sneelock
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Post by Sneelock on May 19, 2020 15:19:13 GMT
He is the Who so it makes sense that he would direct his long festering self loathing at it.
I'm sure you can tell I'm a big fan.
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Post by ~ / % ? * on May 19, 2020 15:27:40 GMT
He is the Who so it makes sense that he would direct his long festering self loathing at it. I'm sure you can tell I'm a big fan. Indeed, I read the statement as to what the band became rather than directing it at the band members, though my understanding is he has done blamed/decried various members also, recently. By Numbers is where he faltered, he should've allowed an Entwistle tune, not done the solo album, added The Relay, etc., and he diluted the bands brand with novelistic solo albums ala Ray Davies. |
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rayge
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Post by rayge on May 19, 2020 16:05:46 GMT
Smoking rollies makes you go bald |
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Post by sloopjohnc on May 19, 2020 16:32:52 GMT
Love him as a musician, but his autobiography was almost painful to read. And when he says shit like this quote, he's lucky his name isn't Simon, rather than Pete. He is not as smart as he thinks he is and I certainly wouldn't want to get stuck in a conversation with him at a party. You'd never get in a word and be looking for a way to escape in under five minutes.
One of those kind of guys who can talk about himself and not in what seems like a roundabout way.
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Post by Charlie O. on May 19, 2020 16:50:07 GMT
He is not as smart as he thinks he is and I certainly wouldn't want to get stuck in a conversation with him at a party. You'd never get in a word and be looking for a way to escape in under five minutes. I would relish the opportunity! Self-absorbed though he may be, I think he understands the difference between an interview and a casual conversation, and he can be very funny (at least, that used to be the case - hopefully still is). |
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