2007-01-03
There will always be a certain amount of appreciation in my heart for old time bands.
They always have a tendency of climbing their way back to show all the kiddies how it's really done. And even more, I will add on remarking that it doesn't matter how many tragedies have tried to claim them, or that there is an average of two to three guys actually left alive from the original band, they will still go on. I will give the classic example of Lynard Skynard and now adding Daltrey and Townshend, the surviving members of "The Who", which surprisingly decided to name the new album "Endless Wire" over "Who's Left" (as a sequel to the classic "Who's Next").
It's been a long period of time since "The Who" were actually a full time band. A long period without an actual serious full length tour, no new releases (leaving out small tributes here and there and some nostalgic confrontations with their hits from the past). Even though musically not much was happening, personal tragedies occur one after the other with the death of their bass player John Entwistle, and the accusations and trial of Pete Townshend for entering internet sites dedicated to child pornography, which on both he was found not guilty. What better way is there to end this period but with a new album? Enter "Endless wire".
The album opens with a glimpse from the past, all fans would easily recall "Baby O'Reilly's" theme, and more of these glimpses appear here and there throughout the album. Another glimpse from the past is their classic form of album construction with the mini opera "Wire & Glass" to seal the album.
The first part (up until to the beginning of the mini opera) contains 9 tracks. I would say nostalgic feelings do arise every now and then, but the right word to place here would be longing for their old material. It is easy to see that there's something missing. Maybe it's Daltrey's voice that is slowly wearing out, or maybe it's the lack of originality, energy and exploration we were used to get from "The Who". I'll say "Mike post theme" is quite cool, "In the ether" made me miss Tom Waits, and appreciate him even more while I'm listening to Daltrey's vocals doing a weird distorted voice. For me, "You stand by me", which Townshend sings on his own is the highlight in the first part of the album.
"Wire and Glass" on the other hand, is much more energetic, a shred of hope to catch some sparks of the original "Who" flame, you start remembering that maybe these guys have something to do with the band who composed "Tommy", "Quadrophobia" and "Who's next". In a way, we get to hear how good vocal melodies were made in the real seventies state of mind from the real deal and not a bunch of overgrown teenagers trying to "catch the influence of".
This is a very ambitious album, 19 tracks is a lot of information to put out on one CD, and that kind of quantity is something you have to prove worth for. The first part, a more quiet part, maybe marks the state of mind this pair is in these days with their age. The mini opera is a reminder of what it kinda used to sound like, but isn't shy with the tiredness that marks this album.
Even though "The Who" entered the new millennium as a productive band, I will still prefer to show "Tommy" to my kids, as a reference to good music that I used to hear when I was young.
Roy Povarchik
