the who

Tommy (the Movie): a) Good, b) Good-Bad, c) Bad, d) All of the Above?

May 152009

UPDATED: FOLLOW COMMENTS FOR CAST OF ROAD HOUSE TRADE CHALLENGE!

Last night, following a very long day of business and pleasure, I got home around 10:15 pm, checked e-mails, confirmed the losing score of the Phillies’ game had not been overturned, and then flipped channels for a spell until I could barely keep awake. Then, just as I was about to call it a day, I saw that Ken Russell‘s Tommy was about to come on! This is one of those train-wreck movies I can’t help but watch whenever it comes on. I was both fascinated and repelled by it when I saw it in the theaters as a kid, and my reactions to the movie have not changed since then on repeated small-screen viewing. I knew from the start that I would pay for staying up an additional hour today—my brain was already starting to throb from overuse—but I rationalized that it had been some time since I saw the opening scenes, with the boy actor as Tommy. Beside, I told myself, it would be good for Rock Town Hall.

I ended up watching through the scenes with the boy and the first, highly influential scene with Roger Daltrey as the deaf, dumb, and blind adults Tommy being taken by his mom, Ann-Margret, to the Marilyn Monroe-worshipping church led by Blooz Minister Eric Clapton. I consider this film highly inspirational on a personal level because Daltrey exemplified what would become one of my most cherished bits of comedy at home: my love for and impersonation of actors acting blind in movies. No offense to our blind Townspeople checking in, but Hollywood really gave you the shaft when it came to a lousy repertoire of approaches to acting blind.
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I Have Joined a ROCK BAND

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 272008

We got our boys ROCK BAND for Christmas. Friday, after setting the game up for the boys, I was asked to join their ROCK BAND. Our oldest son is the gamer among us. He’d had some experience playing this game and Guitar Hero with his friends, so he would clearly be the band’s leader.

Our younger son hasn’t shown much interest in video games, but he likes to rock and demonstrates the most potential for being a future frontman. His big brother is thrilled by the prospect of getting his little brother to join him in playing video games. I think this is a good thing.

I was brought into the band for my veteran wisdom and likelihood of mastering the drums, which I imagine would be pretty tricky for people (adults, at least) who’ve never messed around on a real drum kit with a real pedal. At least I’d like to think this is the case.

As we began our first warm-up session, my younger son couldn’t keep up with the lyrics of one of the songs. He’s in second grade and he’s not an advanced reader for his age. “You failed!” shouted my older son, over his guitar part. Our little guy threw his mic down on the couch and stormed off. I asked our guitarist why he had to use the term “failed” and tried to explain to him the hardships his brother faced 10 minutes into his ROCK BAND career. “I was just saying what it said on the screen,” he replied. It was cool. We went downstairs and convinced our singer to return to practice. We agreed we should switch instruments to see how it felt to be in each others’ shoes. I’d sing, to show our less-experienced bandmate how hard that job can be for even a veteran with better reading skills.

“Let’s make Daddy sing a song he hates!” my big boy said. Continue reading »

Popeye Rock

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 192008

Recently we pondered the musical foundation of Classic Pink Floyd. I learned some useful information, such as the influence of Miles Davis‘ Kind of Blue on Rick Wright‘s keyboard stylings and the fact that “Run Like Hell” was a pisstake on disco. All that I learned helped strengthen my confidence in my recent realization that Classic Pink Floyd, beginning at the time the band found its true voice on Dark Side of the Moon, had more in common with The Who and U2 than I’d ever considered, something I will hereby term Popeye Rock.

“I am what I am.”

I believe the case can be made that most rock bands that connect with the public to some degree develop their sound from an established musical foundation, or traditions. In some cases the influences run deep and are easy to spot. In other cases, as is especially true in the playlists and sales charts of any given genre, the traditions may run as deep as last week’s playlists and charts. In short, rock ‘n roll musicians usually structure their individual talents around an identifiable sound. The craftwork rock musicians typically put into their music involves applying the “fabric” of their instruments to an existing “frame”: stylistic conventions dictating beat, melody, verse-chorus-middle eighth structure, etc. The Beatles are credited with blowing open the vault of rock’s available frames, but it was always the frame that dictated the course of the music.

This was the uninterrupted history of early rock ‘n roll until The Who came along. They may have introduced the Popeye Rock approach that, while still not the norm, has become a viable path toward making rock ‘n roll, especially following the massive popularity and influence of both Pink Floyd and U2.
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Last Man Standing: British Terms First Learned Through Specific Rock Songs

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 172008

For those who won’t – who can’t – wave the white flag, this Last Man Standing has returned to The Main Stage!

I was listening to The Who’s “Magic Bus” the other day and it occurred to me that I first learned the word queue while grooving to this song. To this point, who knows how many British terms and slang I’d learned from The Beatles and The Stones, but I distinctly remember becoming aware of this queue word thanks to “Magic Bus”. I was probably 13 or 14. In coming years I’d learn many more British terms and slang through rock songs. I’m sure you did too. In this week’s Last Man Standing, I ask that you recount British terms/slang and the specific rock songs that first exposed you to these words. It’s all right if more than one of you were first exposed to the word lorry, for instance, by two different songs.

Townspeople from outside the US are welcome to share the converse, American expressions first learned through specific rock songs.

Your Choices for Worst Song by These Major Artists

Posted by pudman13

Dec 112008

Songs from this album are not eligible for nomination.

Sometimes you learn more about people’s taste from what they don’t like than from what they do like.

Keeping that in mind, I’m asking people to post their choices for worst song by each of five key ’60s/’70s artists. The only caveat is that the songs should be from the prime parts of their career (ie, nothing from Empire Burlesque from Dylan, no ’90s Stones songs, no solo McCartney, and no live or otherwise alternate versions of songs.) I’m more interested in the “why” than I am which song people choose, so please back up your choices!

The artists are

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Who
Led Zeppelin
Bob Dylan.

My choices follow the jump.
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Join Together: RTH Gets Serious About ’70s Who

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Dec 052008

HVB made a great point when this post first ran: The Who don’t get dragged through the ringer of Rock Town Hall with half the frequency of some other titans of rock around here. Maybe it’s because we’re mostly dudes and because The Who was so vital to our sense of budding dudeness as teenagers. Could there be Rock Town Hall without the rite of passage that was the Stages of Who? Rather than get too heavy, I say we revisit HVB’s hard-hitting questions on ’70s-era Who AND go one step further: add our own previously unasked question about this band.

This post initially appeared 10/17/07.

Ah, that lovely little band from Shepherd’s Bush: The ‘Oo. I’ve long been puzzled by the lack of pissing contests, name-calling and prissy, fists-thumping-on-your opponent’s-chest nerd-fights on the topic of this band. Sure, all the closet prockists in this Hall can agree that there’s something perfect and inviolate about pre-Tommy Who, but — after that? There’s loads of stuff we haven’t come to blows over. Yet.

In order to start the healing process even before the conflict has begun, I suggest you all take a moment out of your busy day to answer at least a few of the following questions. As always, feel free to take any one of these issues and really get serious with your answer.

1. Show of hands: let’s leave aside the issue of lip-synch’ing for a moment: rate the Who’s BBC “Join Together” clip as a source of rock entertainment. Scale of 1 to 10: how much do you enjoy watching it?

2. Our Moderator has said he finds Who By Numbers disappointing. I think that’s a mealy-mouthed way of ducking his responsibility to declare the thing a “turd” or a “treasure.” Where do you come down on this album?

3. Name the worst — and the best — album covers in the 1970s Who canon.

4. ‘Fess up: how many times have you actually listened to Live At Leeds from start to finish? Speaking for myself, I can barely make it through one track of that album at a time.

5. Once again, I ask: should the band have called it quits when Moonie died?

6. SHOWDOWN! Who’s Next or Quadrophenia?

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

Musicians Outside the Blues/R&B/Jazz/Country Traditions Who Should Have a Greater Influence on Rock ‘n Roll

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Dec 032008

We ran a poll recently that asked “What musician is cited most frequently among rock nerds based on their relation to a famous band long before anyone has heard said musician’s own music?” The most frequent response was La Monte Young, the minimalist composer under whom John Cale studied and who presumably was a great influence on the music of the Velvet Underground. Young is a good example of what I’m seeking from you: Musicians outside the blues, R&B, jazz, and country (ie, North American) musical traditions who you would like to see have a greater influence on rock ‘n roll.

Be creative or call for greater influence by a previously cited influence, such as Pete Townshend’s “Baba O’Riley” influence, Terry Riley. How do you hear these non-North American sounds fitting into your rock ‘n roll? Paul Simon’s dipped outside the North American well with success. Prog-rockers have dipped into the European tradition with varying degrees of success. I know some of you listen to non-Western artists. Have you ever wished more of a particular artist’s sound could be worked into rock ‘n roll?

I look forward to your visionary comments.

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