The four lads from Liverpool at the very least were adventurous and experimental, most of the other UK rock acts from the late 70`s onwards have never made it big in
the US because they have either been too rough around the edges and not sophisticated enough or they have been mediocre in comparison to American acts who are playing exactly the same sort of music.
the US because they have either been too rough around the edges and not sophisticated enough or they have been mediocre in comparison to American acts who are playing exactly the same sort of music.
America is a place where dreams are made and where dreams are shattered in music terms, not even the mega-successful ABBA ever really made it big in America, even though their glossy pop was very sophisticated and made for easy listening radio.
Whether you are a pop act or a rock act, in america having a good record producer who can tweek your music the right way is as important as the music you write and play.
One seminal english band which was clunky and unrefined but nonetheless a blast to
listen to is The Who.
listen to is The Who.
You dont need me to introduce Pete Townsend I am sure, the eccentric and eclecticly charged original heavy rock guitarist who straddled metal on the odd occasion but never went too far away from the loose and improvised garage sound that took The Who to the heights of fame in the late 60`s and early 70`s.
The band was augmented by the Robert Plant-ish Roger Daltry and the wildman of the skins, arguably one of the craziest son
of a bitch in the music business at the time, the one and only Keith Moon.
of a bitch in the music business at the time, the one and only Keith Moon.
Oh yeah, and how could I forget the bass
guitarist John Entwistle, who like most `bass` players was a bit more reserved and just happy to remain a musician in a rock band.
guitarist John Entwistle, who like most `bass` players was a bit more reserved and just happy to remain a musician in a rock band.
Bass players aren`t exactly renowned for being the ringleaders of backstage sex groupies and being responsible for their lead guitarists smashing their guitar to smitherines on stage for a bit of fun.
Pete Townsend made a habit of doing that forsure. The Who are cited by many punk rock bands as being a major influence, I guess if you combine the swagger of The Who with the grind of The Stooges, who are
also considered to be a seminal punk act, you would come up with a sound which wouldn`t be all together different than the
Sex Pistols and the punk which took over London after 1977.
also considered to be a seminal punk act, you would come up with a sound which wouldn`t be all together different than the
Sex Pistols and the punk which took over London after 1977.
But The Who were just as much old time rock`n`roll as they were hard rock or proto-type punk, and Pete Townsends incendiary and ferocious guitar playing, along with Moon`s outlandish and swashbuckling drumming, combined to make The Who the most robust and energized english rock act in history.
Roger Daltry was never a great singer, but his goofy yet charismatic stage presence made up for his vocal insufficiencies.
I always think of more latter day hard rock vocalist Sebastian Bach of early Skid Row when i think of Daltry, both were very average singers but both had the magical charisma which only a handful of rock vocalists possess.
I was born in `74 so up until a few years ago I actually thought the concept album `Tommy` from the early 70`s, was sort of the beginning of The Who.
I really had no idea up until then that The Who had been around since the mid 60`s, and had recorded a lot of music which ended up on what has become my favourite
recording of the Who, `Live At Leeds`.
recording of the Who, `Live At Leeds`.
I have listened to`Tommy` a few times, which has the radio staple `Pinball Wizard` on it, and I think the song from later on in the 70`s called `Wont Get Fooled Again`, which was popularised by Van Halen for many years when Sammy Hagar was singing
for that band, is a great proto-type heavy rock guitar song.
for that band, is a great proto-type heavy rock guitar song.
But to me `Live At Leeds` is the best thing I have heard of The Who to date, it is a scorching album which is brimming with Pete Townsend's feedback and thundering power drumming from a maniacal Keith Moon.
It serves as being a live greatest hits of their 60`s material, with classic songs that get reborn to virtual heavy metal proportions. `I Cant Explain`, `Shakin All Over`, `My Generation`, `Substitute` and the hilarious parody `A Quick One, While He`s Away`
are just some of the highlights of the album.
are just some of the highlights of the album.
`Heaven and Hell` and `Fortune Teller` are less known songs but are also beefed up to the max for the Leeds University audience.
`Live At Leeds` is now 40 years old but it remains one of the greatest live albums of all time, one of its best assets is its laid back feel. It`s improvisation at its best.
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