Friday, November 14, 2008

The Who (Rhoades]

Who Wants to Hear ‘The Who’? – I Do!

Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Every Monday night, that popular TV show “CSI: Miami” blasts out its theme song – “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Old rock ’n rollers will recognize it as a ’70s anthem by The Who.
The Who consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend (he wrote “Won’t Get Fooled Again”), drummer Keith Moon, bassist John Entwistle, and lead singer Roger Daltrey. This Brit band was known for its energetic live performances, which often included smashing guitars on stage. For years they were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for giving the “loudest concert ever” – 126 dB, measured at a distance of 32 meters from the speakers at a 1976 concert.

The Who has sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide. In 1990 they were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

I once asked my old pal Terry Stewart, president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, about The Who, the group having reformed in 1999 as a five-piece band with John “Rabbit” Bundrick on keyboards and Zak Starkey (Ringo’s son) on drums. Terry just shook his head and muttered, “It sure ain’t the seventies.”

If you weren’t part of the ’70s music scene, you missed some memorable performances by The Who. And those endless reunion tours just aren’t the same, for Keith Moon died of an overdose in 1978 and drugs got Pete Entwistle in 2002.

As close as you’ll come to reliving those glory days is by catching a special showing of “The Who at Kilburn: 1977” this Saturday night at the Tropic Cinema.

This never-before-released concert footage was shot for Jeff Stein’s documentary “The Kids Are Alright,” but sat unused in The Who’s vault for 30 years.

At the time, the off-and-on band had been on hiatus for more than a year, but were persuaded to reassemble at the Gaumont State Theatre in North London on December 15, 1977. Filmed before a live audience, it has been described as Keith Moon’s “penultimate live performance.”
Townshend is a crazy man here, bouncing around the stage, banging his head with his Les Paul, wrapping himself in his guitar cord, and going off on a guy who dares to touch his guitar picks during the rendition of “My Wife.”

Shot with six cameras on 35mm, the angles jump around a bit (but so do the performers). The good news: this vintage footage has been digitally restored and the audio tracks have been completely remastered. Ear blasting!

And if you like the Tropic’s presentation, the DVD will be released on November 18th.
“The Who at Kilburn: 1977” features such favorites tunes as “Behind Blue Eyes,” “My Generation,” “Happy Jack,” “Dreaming From the Waist,” “I’m Free,” “Pinball Wizard,” … oh yes, and that familiar “CSI: Miami” theme song, “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”

srhoades@aol.com
[from Solares Hill]

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