Who - Endless Wire (W/Dvd)
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Free Music Notes for Endless Wire (W/Dvd)
Free Music Review: The Who Rocks Again
Hit: 5 Stars
If the Rolling Stones were the "world's greatest rock-n-roll band," then The Who were certainly the greatest rock band. Pete Townshend's slashing guitar chords defined the essence of rock without the roll, taking the music beyond the blues grooves of its early days and adding an explosively percussive punch that paved the way for power chord metal as well as punk rock and its progeny.
It's been 24 years since the last album of new music was released under the Who moniker. And it's been even longer--1978's Who Are You--since the band issued anything of consequence. After drummer Keith Moon's death that September, Townshend seemed to lose his focus and Face Dances and It's Hard from the early `80s did not come close to the band's previous standards.
For the next twenty years, the remaining trio--Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey and bassist John Entwistle--toured once in a while and, around the turn of the century, began to act like an ongoing concern again. Unfortunately, Entwistle died shortly thereafter, in 2002. But Townshend and Daltrey, whose friction-filled relationship was the stuff of legend in the old days, found themselves coming together with the brotherly bond of longtime friends who've weathered many a mutual storm.
At last, we have a new album by The Who, one that is worthy of the band's name. Ironically, Endless Wire is the most un-band record in the group's history--Pete Townshend played all of the instruments on most of the tracks, including drums and programmed drums. But, the demos he prepared for the guys back in the day were mythical in their thoroughness; given modern technology, the band-like quality of the instrumental backing should come as no surprise.
Daltrey's voice is in fine form. It's deeper than it useta be, and he's lost a little on the upper end, but his instrument has held up much better than most screamers of his era. Townshend's songs recapture the glory days, with arrangements right out of his once-familiar bag of tricks.
The disc's opener, "Fragments," begins with a near-quote from Who's Next's "Baba O'Riley," a repetitive synth line over which Pete windmills a crunchy, air-guitar inducing chord sequence that leads into four minutes of classic Who, complete with rich vocal harmonies in counterpoint to Daltrey's vibrant, questioning wail: "Are we breathing out or breathing in?"
"A Man in a Purple Dress," an angry indictment of the judgmental aspects of organized religion, is one of several all acoustic tunes, reminiscent of The Who By Numbers; "Two Thousand Years," with Townshend on mandolin, violin and viola, sounds like a questioning prayer, the other side of the spiritual coin. "God Speaks of Marty Robbins" is a delicate piece sung beautifully by Townshend himself, and on "In the Ether," he affects a guttural Tom Waits growl to deliver one of his most arresting vocals ever.
"Mike Post Theme" is filled with the potent start/stop dynamics that characterized much of The Who's greatest work, "It's Not Enough" rocks hard over what sounds like a choir of hammered dulcimers, and "Black Widow's Eyes" recalls "Sister Disco" from Who Are You.
Much is being written about the mini-opera that fills up the second half of the CD. Titled "Wire & Glass," it consists of eight fragments and two fully realized songs in a suite more like side two of Abbey Road than "A Quick One" from The Who Sell Out. The plotline ostensibly follows the rise and fall of a teenaged rock band, but I think it's really Townshend's way of reflecting on his own band's career. "Mirror Door" is a rockin' celebration of music itself, tying together Howlin' Wolf, Link Wray, Beethoven and Doris Day.
If there's a radio format left that'll play new music from an old band, the extended version of "We Got a Hit" tacked on at the end of Endless Wire will prove prophetic--it's a hit-single-in-waiting that contains every element of the original quartet's classic sound, and it clocks in at 3:04, perfect for airplay. It's a delicious denouement for a tasty album, one that resurrects and revives the name and reputation of one of rock music's greatest bands.
And just to rub it in, there's a 5-song bonus DVD included, capturing Townshend, Daltrey and their current touring lineup (including Ringo's boy Zak on drums and Pete's little brother Simon on second guitar) live in Lyon, France, in July--further proof that these guys have no plans to spend their senior years rocking only in chairs.
Originally published in Port Folio Weekly, 12/12/06
copyright © 2006 Port Folio Weekly. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
Free Music Review: 21st Century Who
Hit: 5 Stars
When a popular band does not release a studio album of new material for over two decades, diehard fans can never be sure what to expect. I have been a Who fan since I saw them play "I Can See For Miles" on the Smothers Brothers television program, many years ago. After that moment, I saved my allowance money to buy "The Who Sell Out", which remains one of my very favorite albums to this day. I continued to follow the band closely up through the Kenny Jones years and until "It's Hard", feeling at that time that the Who was producing music that was still vital despite changes in its sound and despite original Who drummer Keith Moon's death.
It wasn't until a few years ago when I saw The Who at the Gorge Amphitheatre at George, WA that I thought of them again as a functioning band. They gave an incredible performance on a wonderful night, on the late bassist John Entwistle's final tour. After that show, I wondered if there would ever be any new studio material, particular after the sad passing of Entwistle. A few years later, I found myself on pins and needles awaiting the release of "Endless Wire".
Not knowing what to expect, when I first listened to this new album I was taken back through the Who's history, but also into the future. While certain parts of "Endless Wire" may recall the earlier Who, some parts incorporate later Who sounds and recall some of guitarist/composer Pete Townshend's best solo work... but this album sounds like it is all here, happening right now. My thought after hearing "Endless Wire":
This is The Who in the 21st Century.
Stripped-down arrangements on songs such as "Tea and Theater", "Man In a Purple Dress" and "God Speaks of Marty Robbins" heighten the sense of intimacy within this music. As Townshend ages, he continues his spiritual journey; as a result, one difference between this and earlier Who music is that more songs touch more directly on faith, mortality and eternity. The title track "Endless Wire" is a joyful-sounding song about something infinite and glorious, something of near-mythical proportions which Townshend has discovered within music itself. In "God Speaks of Marty Robbins", he sings "I knew I'd find music and time were the perfect plan..." On the other hand, he doesn't seem to be in support of organized religion at all, as "Man in a Purple Dress" appears to be all about the importance of the individual, above churches, in finding one's spiritual self.
Roger Daltrey sounds older, wiser and deeper, but he certainly does not sound weary. He sings with vigor, and he proves he is still the consummate vocal conduit for Townshend's lyrics. As Daltrey has done in the past, he spans an emotional spectrum with his rich vocals. Townshend's voice is also in good form, despite its descent into mostly baritone territory. The production is impecccable; it tends to be dry in places, with very little reverb or effects added on sparely-arranged numbers, causing some of these guitar-and-vocal arrangements to sound naked, almost vulnerable. Zak Starkey is a fine drummer, and he can change his style whenever he needs, to suit the needs of the band. Pino Palladino works well as the band's bass player, and long-time band associate John "Rabbit" Bundrick adds keyboards that fill out the sound. Check out the keyboards in the album opener "Fragments"... now what song does that remind us of?
I couldn't have asked for a more perfect return by The Who from studio exile. Their energy is still there. Townshend's songwriting and guitar playing have not diminished with time, and Daltrey sounds as good as ever. "Endless Wire" takes me back to my boyhood Who memories through some familiar rhythms and sounds, as it pulses with the life of The Who. It also takes me ahead into a time of maturity. It reassures me that the passage of time does not always mean that good things become lost. Despite the loss of two revered band members over the years, The Who has aged like a fine wine, learning to discover and rediscover good musical things along their journey. I am looking forward to hearing their NEXT studio release, confident that it will be as immediate, as relevant and as important as "Endless Wire".
I am now going to go crank up "Mike Post Theme" full blast!
Free Music Review: The return of The Who is arguably 2006's best album!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Who's new album Endless Wire is the first new album by The Who since their 1982 album It's Hard.
Alot has changed, aside The Who, since 1982. In 1982, most people had cassette tapes, Atari 2600s, VCRs, cable MTV and New Wave, Metal and soft rock drek ran the charts. Fast forward to 2006 and now it is CDs/MP3s, DVDs, satellite and the music scene is now run by hip hop, country, pretty boys and scantily clad dressed women. Also, The Who in that time disbanded, regrouped several times for tours in 1989, 1996/1997 and 200o before founding bass player John Entwistle's death in 2002 and The Who has soldiered on since with just original singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend being the sole survivors of the original lineup.
When I first heard The Who were recording a new album, I was nervous and excited at the same time. The album has taken four years to create but was worth the wait as you will read ahead.
The opening track Fragments starts with a synthesizer that deliberately reminds fans of Baba O'Riley before turning into a full-on throttle rocker. Next is an acoustic number Man in a Purple Dress which is another great tune. Next is one of my favorites on the album, the majestic rocker Mike Post Theme which is just a killer number and possibly my favorite on the album. Next is the acoustic In the Ether and has Pete singing lead and his vocal delivery reminds me of Tom Waits' singing but is a stellar number. Black Widow's Eyes is next and is another excellent rocker and Zak Starkey's drumming on this track is top notch as is bass player Pino Palladino's bass fills.
We follow with another acoustic number Two Thousand Years featuring Daltrey and Townshend duetting passionately and musically sounds like Blue Red and Grey on 1975's The Who By Numbers. God Speaks of Marty Robbins is next and is another excellent acoustic number featuring Pete on lead vocal. Following that is the album's first single, the rocker It's Not Enough which proves The Who can be competitive with today's "so-called" bands. We end the songs portion of the album with You Stand By Me with just Pete and his acoustic guitar.
The album's second half consists of the "mini-opera" entitled Wire and Glass. We begin the Wire and Glass portion with a stellar drum roll by Peter Huntington that recalls the late Keith Moon on the rocker Sound Round. We continue the rocking with Pick Up the Piece and Unholy Trinity. Then we slow down the opera a bit with Trilby's Piano with Pete singing with some lovely piano playing by his girlfriend Rachel Fuller on piano and a orchestral arrangement by Townshend with help from Fuller. The title cut is a short acoustic vignette from Pete and is a great piece (a longer version appears at the end of the CD). Next is a reprise of the album's opener Fragments of Fragments. We follow it with the rocker We Got a Hit (which is repeated at the end of CD as a full length version). They Made My Dream Come True follows and is another excellent number. Mirror Door is an excellent rocking piece which rocks and we close the album with Tea and Theatre which is another great number.
Endless Wire has proven to me that Townshend and Daltrey have as much right to go on as The Who despite the deaths of John Entwistle and Keith Moon. It also proved that The Who is still a relevant band in 2006 and are as fresh and competent as trash like My Chemical Romance, Evanescence and so on are.
The initial issue of Endless Wire includes a DVD with five tracks recorded live at the Vienne Amphitheatre in Lyon, France from July of this past year and is a nice bonus to a terrific album from the duo which are spirited renditions of I Can't Explain, Behind Blue Eyes, Mike Post Theme, Baba O' Riley and Won't Get Fooled Again.
Also, Best Buy also offers a similar limited edition version but with a 7 track mini-live album/CD that duplicates two of the tracks and offers spirited versions of The Seeker, Who Are You, Relay (a/k/a The Relay), Greyhound Girl and Naked Eye in place of I Can't Explain, Behind Blue Eyes and Baba O'Riley.
Endless Wire is a welcome addition to The Who's catalog and I hope debuts at #1 unless Barry Manillow or Meat Loaf somehow manage to outsell Endless Wire.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Free Music Review: Going where the Who has never gone before
Hit: 5 Stars
this CD is unlikely to please that small sect of Who purists who were hoping for track after track of power chords, soaring vocals and songs that just say it all. After a series of tours, Pete finally put his foot down and said no more until there's new music. Thankfully, Townshend has put much of his concerns about the past to rest (along with his divorce and legal troubles) and has moved the Who into new territory with Endless Wire.
Who fans like myself have waited for a long time for this to happen, and for many of us there was trepidation: both were writing songs, or writing together? What would they call themselves, Who-2, the new Who, or something else? Would it be a concept album, or something else?
By my own admission, I had to listen to this CD through a couple of times and really had to think about it--but with most of Townshend's stuff, you have to do that, and THEN you get it.
Now, some reality checks for you: Daltrey is in his early 60's and he does not hit the upper range as he once did. Instead on a number of tracks he's plumbing the depths of that still-powerful voice. Townshend still has the power chords, but his subtle skills on acoustic really get a workout. And the backing band includes the touring group of Zak Starkey, Pino Palladino, Simon Townshend and John Bundrick--included in recording were the likes of drummer Peter Huntington, Billy Nichols and Rachel Fuller (a fine artist in her own right, and...Townshend's writing partner, among other things we now know). That in itself shows Pete's moving forward--it's not just him, it's others that can facilitate what he's trying to get out.
Okay, the music: the first nine tracks are songs that Townshend felt strong enough for the Who to do, and he is right. "Fragments" returns to familiar themes with that miasma of keyboards and effects and morphs it into a very interesting song. Daltrey tackles it all well. "A Man In A Purple Dress" should infuriate religous nuts, as it puts the finger on those who claim to be God's representatives; supposedly it was Mel Gibson and the alleged "Passion" that got Townshend mad and inspired this song. I believe it.
"Mike Post Theme" rips a society that loses itself and amuses itself to death, and other standouts are "Black Widow's Eyes" and "God Speaks of Marty Robbins." "It's Not Enough" was co-written by Townshend and Fuller and reminds me a bit of the more contemporary Who, say from the period of "Face Dances" or "It's Hard."
The mini-opera, "Wire & Glass" is the last half, and Townshend has put the pieces of his story "The Boy Who Heard Music" into song. They flow well together, unlike the mini-opera "A Quick One," which was a pastiche of different songs yet was a groundbreaking concept in the 60's.
"Pick Up The Peace" and "Endless Wire" are among the better tracks, with Townshend again baring his soul on "Trilby's Piano," or at least that's how I see it. It was the success of Townshend's weblog for the story that led him to bring this forward, and I'm glad he did.
The inevitable question is how does Endless Wire stand up to past Who glories? I really can't answer that. In terms of the personal lyrics and getting to the heart of things, perhaps "Who By Numbers" was in that vein.
The Who...were they ever really away? We didn't let them, I guess. Whatever went on over the past quarter century, Townshend and Daltrey have aged, but somewhat gracefully, have a better relationship than ever and know they have much more to give. It ain't your father's Who, but Pete and John can still kick the crap out of 99% of the hard rock bands out there today.
PS: The DVD is a short piece from a show earlier this year; one new song as a bit of a tease, but all the concerts of the past few years are available from the band's website for charity. Good quality stuff, straight from the board.
Free Music Review: A complete surprise from Townshend & Daltrey
Hit: 5 Stars
Although I'm an avowed Who fanatic, I hesitated buying "Endless Wire" for a year after its release because... well... The Who doesn't really exist anymore. If the band only arguably ceased to exist after Moon died, it undeniably was no more after Entwistle thundered out of this mortal coil. Perhaps if they'd called this an album by "Townshend & Daltrey" or something, I may have been enticed sooner. But "The Who" is a name that carries a lot of weight. Besides, every live clip I've seen of "The Who" for the past ten years suggested that Daltrey's voice was pretty shot (one too many primal screams after one too many rote renditions of "Won't Get Fooled Again", perhaps).
Long story slightly shorter, after seeing the terrific "Amazing Journey" doc, my curiosity was sparked enough to pay a few bucks for the album. I was absolutely shocked when I finally listened to "Endless Wire". This may not be "The Who" with a capital "W", but it sure sounds like them. In fact, I'd venture to say that this is the best album with the words "The Who" on its cover since "The Who By Numbers" (and I'm not a "Who Are You" or "Face Dances" basher. I even have a soft spot for "It's Hard", although that record sounds far less like a Who record than "Endless Wire" does).
First of all, Daltrey must have been downing the tea and lemon in the studio because his voice sounds tip-top, even on gut-shouters like "Mike Post Theme" and "It's Not Enough" (although the strain is very apparent on the accompanying bonus live DVD). As for Townshend, this is without a doubt the strongest set of songs he has penned since "Empty Glass." "Mike Post Theme", "It's Not Enough", and "We Got a Hit" are almost painfully catchy songs and as powerful as much of the band's best 70s material (all in all, the sound is very similar to that of "Quadrophenia"). Lyrically, Townshend is still Townshend: honest, nasty, funny, topical. It's appropriate that the two most lyrically pointed tracks on the record are stark, folky, acoustic songs, although they could not be more different in execution: "A Man in a Purple Dress" is a well-deserved poison pen letter lodged at the elders of organized religion, while "You Stand By Me" is nothing short of a love letter to Daltrey. Anyone who has followed the often ugly relationship between Daltrey and Townshend over the years (which has even come to blows on occasion) will be floored and moved by "You Stand By Me." As for the "mini-opera", I haven't the foggiest idea what it's all about, but these miniature songs are just as strong as the full-lengths ones.
Considering that the album consists of a whopping 19 tracks, it's also pretty impressive that it only falters a couple of times, most notably on the Townshend-sung "In the Ether", on which he attempts a Tom Waits impersonation but winds up sounding a lot more like Fat Albert. Also, the litany of dead rock stars in "Mirror Door" is a bit dopey, as is Daltrey's mannered delivery. However, those are two minor quibbles. If you were as skeptical as I, don't hesitate a moment more. This is an excellent album by Townshend & Daltrey, or The Who, or whatever the hell you want to call them.