The Who. Why should I like them again?

[Taverner]

I liked them for about a month in my Classic Rock phase. Listened to a lot of their stuff and loved the 'Jungle Ska' rhythm and tour de force.

Then I got sick of them.

Got a hold of some early stuff in my 'Brit Invasion' phase. Loved it for about a week.

Now - meh...

But should I give them yet one more chance?

[The Midway Rebel]

1. Yes. Because they are the high priests of rhythmic noise.

I mean Entwistle alone...geez. Probably the best 4 string electric bass players ever, certainly so in the genre of rock music (note I did not say rock n' roll). And Moon, the inspiration for the Animal Muppet. Every beat is about to fly apart. Moon is going to explode on the drum stool. KA-BOOM! And Pete's guitar and writing...man. One of the first guys to just turn everything on the amp to 10. Listen close, he was trained by a flamenco player. And Roger? I'm pretty straight but, dayum -- you know what I'm sayin?

But, to truly enjoy them, you gotta pronounce the bands name like you were a member of the Sex Pistols.

For example, 'God, I love the fuckin' Ooo' or, 'the Ooo are a fuckin' great band' maybe the 'The Ooo are a fuckin' smashin' band.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN6ZpEpVU18&feature=related


My god...just listen to this shit.

cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello cello

God, I love the fuckin' Ooo.

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. Best performance ever of that one

was at the Rolling Stones' Rock n Roll Circus in December 1968. They actually blew the Stones off the stage at their own party, due to Brian's sorry condition, but it embarrassed the Stones so badly that this tape sat in a vault for decades...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uMKPWvgjk0

[The Midway Rebel]

10. Yeah, that is the one I was looking for.

Then I found the cut from Leed's. I agree with the comment below. Best. Rock Music. Live. LP. Ever. I am listening to the rest of Live at Leed's now.

I had heard that story behind the R n'R Circus films. The Who had just returned from a long US tour and were in peak performance shape that night. Also, that the footage languished in a vault for years and additionally that a vast majority of the footage was destroyed. The Ooo's perfomance on the film steals the show, IMHO. Otherwise, I did not care for the film. Too much Tull. Not a fan.

Plus, it is kind of sad to see Brian so fucked up.

[mix]

2. Here's one very good reason...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR5v4yyPV6Y

[driver8]

18. Love that song, album and movie!! n/t

[mix]

21. me too

[driver8]

19. deleted -- accidentally posted twice.

[kwassa]

3. Live At Leeds, one of the greatest live rock albums ever.

I don't know why YOU should like them. I only know why I like them

I think Keith Moon the greatest rock drummer of all time. Roger Daltry is one of the worst rock singers of all time. Definitely a mixed bag.

Townsend is the master of chord rock. He wrote some great songs.

[carlyhippy]

4. listen and realize that you can like them again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2KRpRMSu4g&feature=related

[The Midway Rebel]

5. For the guitar geeks in the Lounge tonight:

On this LP, THAT is the sound of a 50's Gretsch 6120 guitar plugged straight into a cranked up Hi Watt amp.

That guitar was given to Pete by a great American guitar player by the name of Joe Walsh.

Pete, in a (likely amphetmaine fueled) rage subsequently smashed it on stage one night and later had it rebuilt.

[begin_within]

6. The "Who's Next" album, and in particular, "Behind Blue Eyes,"

gets them a pass for life as far as I'm concerned. I think of "Behind Blue Eyes" as the best song composition of the rock era.

[Swede]

20. Here is it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfuWXRZe9yA

[begin_within]

25. That is strange...

...the audio in that Youtube video is not the same as the original version included on the "Who's Next" album. I have the album and it is clearly different from what is heard in the Youtube video above. The recording of it heard on the original release of "Who's Next" is heard at this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaekgRtsTiQ

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. meh? heh.

you Soo are Not a child of the 60's.

[Taverner]

11. What can I say? GenX to the core!

Born in 1970

[The Midway Rebel]

12. Here ya' go then GenX'er.

Your Generation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HTI76H0Ojc

You can tell these guys loved the fuckin' Ooo.

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. GenX's "English Dream" might as well have been written by Pete himself

First time I heard this way back in 1979, I thought it was a "tribute" to early Who.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUKHhXEQEM

[MiddleFingerMom]

9. Agreed about "Live at Leeds" being one of the greatest live rock albums ever...

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...and "Young Man Blues" being one of the most iconic of rock songs.
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Each ONE of those guys had more balls than your average pool table.
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What they are now... is not what they were then.
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That's just ONE of the magical things about recordings of any kind.
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[mtnester]

13. 5:15

that's why

[mitchum]

15. Guitar feedback...

but they have never given me that sustained rush that some other bands provide

[DevonRex]

16. You should NOT. One hit wonder with Behind Blue Eyes as far as I'm concerned.

They put an effin' commercial on an album for cryin' out loud. A commercial. What's his name wore the damned dorkiest white jump suit and is the biggest controlling asshole on earth. Half the band wanted to quit because of him. Look, the drummer and bassist were great but what's his name had his thumb on them so hard they couldn't create the way they could and should have.

So, they were a commercial success with no teeth. A fucking pop band. Whoopee.

[The Midway Rebel]

26. You are misinformed.

According to Billboard.com, The Ooo have charted albums in tbe Top 200 in the years '69, 70, 71, 74, 76 and 81.

They have charted albums in the Top 100 in the years '67, '71, and '76.

The song "My Generation" is listed at number 19 in the list of the Greatest 200 songs of the 1960's. "Pinball Wizard" comes in at #132 on that list.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" was the 7th most popular song listed for the year 1971.

I couldn't find an easy list of all the Ooo songs that charted in the Top 40 but even a casual survery of this thread will tell you it was very likely more than one.

[Fire Walk With Me]

17. Always give the Who a place to play. Seconding Live at Leeds as brilliant.

Few have made a guitar anywhere near as expressive as Pete.

[tedder10]

22. who is simply the best....

The Who is simply the best live band ever, studio work is OK, but live no other band compares.

[keroro gunsou]

23. yes

one word: quadrophrenia.

[Sequoia]

24. No.

But I do like Rain Down on Me and Magic Bus and maybe Generation.

[midnight armadillo]

27. No idea.

Overrated.

[mikeSchmuckabee]

28. Why not? Maybe you should try the Kinks?