Townsend: Not The Who Without His Songs
Pete Townshend took time out to answer fans questions on www.thewho.com and lay to rest any plans on the Who recording an album of R&B covers. Townshend wrote, “As for recording an album without my songs, what would be the point of that? There are millions of musicians who can play other people’s music better than I can. Let them cover other people’s songs. I’m a composer. Covered in warts, arthritic, deaf, battered, bitter and tired. I’m ready for my best work.”
When asked about what artist’s material he would feel comfortable being placed next to the band’s official catalogue, Townshend answered, “Cover versions? What would I want to cover to compare to my best songs for the Who? Leonard Cohen? (Bruce) Springsteen? (Bob) Dylan? Joni (Mitchell)? (Charles) Mingus? Mozart? I’m happy to cover myself.”
When asked about his thoughts on Roger Daltrey’s announcement that the Who’s follow-up to 2006’s Endless Wire album would a T-Bone Burnett-produced collection of non-Townshend material, he admitted: “I have no interest in it really. Roger had the idea to do something on his own (while I was writing this year) for this web site. I said if I was free I’d like to play on it. T-Bone Burnett was invited to produce it and it looked for a while as though it might make a proper record for Roger.”
Townshend added that the prospect of he and Daltrey recording a covers set under the Who banner was blown out of proportion: “Suddenly people were talking about T-Bone making the next Who record. A Who record without my songs is not a Who record, it’s a record by some musicians using the Who brand name to get attention… T-Bone, a genius in my opinion, could make a great record of covers with Roger, because Roger is one of the truly great interpretive singers of rock. T-Bone would have a harder time with me, and the Who with me taking a major role. I would simply get in his way, and he would get in mine. We both know that.”
Townshend was asked why he and Daltrey, who have both gone on record stating how much they love the band’s 1975 album The Who By Numbers, continue to omit the album’s songs from their tour setlists, explained, “I could play ‘Blue, Red, And Grey’… (Roger)… is keen to do ‘Slip Kid’ but I don’t like it much without the piano and backing vocals I ported in from my demo. Roger and I both love the album now, but the songs are not very well known, and some of them are quite tricky to play.”
He answered the final question “What will you do when the Who decides to hang it up and call it a career?” by saying, “I already quit several times. No one closes the factory.”
Townshend says that these days, he tries to keep the politics and creative spark within the Who at a manageable level so as not to get trapped again in the rut that split the band in 1982: “It had almost destroyed me. It had destroyed one of the members of our band, the whole machine around the Who. I actually felt by the time we hit 1982, that there was no point really trying again, because what we would do would be a shadow of what we’d done before.”
Coming on November 18th will be a Blu-ray DVD of The Who: Kilburn 1977. The disc will feature two legendary shows; the band’s London Coliseum concert from December 14th, 1969 and Kilburn State Gaumont from December 15th, 1977 — which was drummer Keith Moon’s second-to-last performance with the band prior to his death the following year.
The Who kicks off their 10-date North American mini-tour on October 21st in Auburn Hills, Michigan at the Palace Of Auburn Hills.
Meantime Pete Townshend says that he hopes that there is never a military conflict between Israel and Iran. Townshend answered fan club members’ questions on thewho.com and when addressing a question pertaining to religion and his followings of spiritual leader Meher Baba, he explained, “Meher Baba’s teachings suggested that all religions, faiths and spiritual pursuits needed revitalization in this particular age. He also recommended that his followers didn’t reject their family religion. So I still regard myself as a Christian… If I ever meet President Bush I will strongly urge him to dissuade Israel from EVER bombing Iran. I think Iran has some very, very cool people and history and a nice art college — just like Israel.”
He went on to explain that the past problems in the region continue to plague the younger generations: “Why… can’t we all just get along? History itself is the answer, what has happened in the past really does affect us today, there is no denying it. If we do deny it, we are making a terrible mistake. We should of course live in the present, that’s where the spiritual lesson is carried. But it’s not easy.”
When asked about his thoughts on the current U.S. election, Townshend spoke frankly on the U.S., yet refused to place himself on either candidate’s side: “I follow it, but it is your country not mine. Pity that, because your country is the greatest in the world. I’m happy to have a place in it. I would vote for whichever candidate was willing to continue to act as an international force… The new president has a tough job, but will be leading a country that is closer to an ideal than any other. I am not a Neocon, but neither am I a p***y. Human beings are essentially cowardly unless they are trained in the military to put their natural fear on hold. If you show them your a**, your enemy will bite deeply.”
Earlier this year, Roger Daltrey said publicly that he hoped that Sen. Barack Obama wins the Presidency.
The Who kicks off their 10-date North American mini-tour on October 21st in Auburn Hills, Michigan at the Palace Of Auburn Hills. The band has just added a second night at Japan’s Budokon Arena on November 19th, marking the band’s fifth stop in their mini-tour of Japan.