It was a hot summer day, as Pete Townshend in 1994, the Swiss press in his Studio in South London, is received. What struck me was how the guitarist, Songwriter and pioneer of the English rock band The Who consumed looked at the time. The bald forehead and the slightly schwommene hull resembled a man of about 60. In the process, Townshend was just 49. Celebrated the birthday. He who had laid the Who-singer Roger Daltrey in 1965, the much-quoted song line “I hope I die before I get old” in the mouth, was prematurely old.

Later, if it turns out that Townshend as a Songwriter was as good as silenced. His last solo album “psycho derelict” was already released in 1993, it was only in 2006, The Who with the disappointing “Endless Wire, brought about” a new work. And since then, Townshend was, apparently, mainly as a book author, his debut Novel “The Age of Anxiety” which will be published shortly.

So loud were The Who to its largest of the time: “My Generation” in 1967. Video: iosonofederico (Youtube)

Now, Townshend and Daltrey are once again a Who Album. On the unimaginative titled “Who” – fresh your guitar rock with a pack of urgency to it. They sound like the Band, The Who no longer are since the untimely death of drummer Keith Moon (in 1978) and the departure of Bassist John Entwistle (2002).

The rivalry between Townshend and Daltrey had already resulted in the 70s in publicly expressed fisticuffs and mud battles – without Moon and Entwistle, the two were left to each other. The mutual animosity was not until this day beige. The new Album “Who was born” without Townshend and Daltrey went at the same time in the Studio.

sound The Who today: “All This Music Must Fade”, the first Song on the album. Video: The Who (Youtube)

the Album, convinced, in spite of these unfavourable initial situation, has conceptual reasons: For the first Time since the rock Opera “Quadrophenia” (1973) white Townshend again, whom he can reach with his music. For young people, The Who can no longer be considered to be a historically interesting Curiosity, that’s why there are the older generations, the need to appeal to Townshend. What is not a simple task, if you don’t want to use only the nostalgic need of the grizzled Fans.

Townshend on the Album, the heyday of his Band a long time ago. In the Songs “Hero Ground Zero” and “Rockin’ in a Rage” illuminates it’s own perplexity. It is sufficient, creative, driven, or be angry, if you don’t want to be in your mid 70 rock musician?, Townshend is surprised again and again. The Daltrey is delightfully impetuous, vocal music provides the answer to this question: Quieter once as the loudest rock band in the world infamous group did not. Only wiser.

Text ugly, but musically, to the point: “Ball and Chain”. Video: The Who (Youtube)

themselves, and pride to the Extreme, between which The Who commuted since its beginnings were in doubt. While Townshend sought to whitewash his introversion on the stage with aggression and theatrics, barked himself Daltrey without regard to their own physique through the noise of the other band members. And told of Frustration, powerlessness and vulnerability.

2019 sing Townshend, and Daltrey with a deep level of dismay about the current world situation in a forceful, but not always eloquent. The electronically enriched work song “Ball and Chain” only works if you listen to the Text throughout. This charge on behalf of the detainees at the U.S. prison camp in Guantánamo is missing the Pointe, the cutting end.

Musically, Townshend uses “Who” only very rarely next to it. “I’ll Be Back”, a move in the direction of R’n’B on the theme of rebirth, acts as a spiritual exercise. “She Rocked My World” is a muted flourish that does not fit entirely to The Who. Why Townshend and Daltrey have to torture your audience, is unclear.

Townshend has always been an Extremist, of The Who like to be in unfamiliar areas and sound areas of tugging. With the double album “Tommy” (1969) he made the rock Opera “socially acceptable”, on the masterful second album, “Who’s Next” (1971) integrated influences of Minimal Music in the brutal Rock of his Band.

a masterpiece of A Song from the past: “Baba O’riley” from “Who’s Next”. Video: The Who (Youtube)

Roger Daltrey in contrast, the Lecturer, the Townshends desire to Experiment was with The Who, if necessary, eindämmte. It is not due to “Who” drift into arbitrariness. Daltrey would not have been cross, would have included the effervescent opening number, “All of This Music Must Fade” with a Rap interlude. A look of thought.

Because of the terrific Songs you can consider yourself lucky to be allowed to Townshend and Daltreys bickering part. Finally, The Who sound, as you would know again what it feels like to be young and desperate. The Album can these feelings re-summon, is only an apparent miracle. Towards the end of a life, where the individual body fail features more and more and more violent, is added to inevitably return in a fainting condition, as it has been since his puberty is not experienced. Townshend will have recognized this Parallel between age and youth for a long time. Otherwise the creative gasp to explain that he shows on “Who”.

The Who: the Who (Universal)

Created: 04.12.2019, 20:05 Uhr