Grand Experiment Or High Stakes Gamble?
The Who may not have made the first concept album, but they were the first to give the concept a name – rock opera – and their initial experiment with it drove their breakthrough with American rock audiences.In 1969 a few groups had tested the waters with albums that wove all of the songs around a central theme. In 1967, The Moody Blues had Days of Future Passed, The Beatles had Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 1968 brought The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.
The Who had produced a concept album in 1967, The Who Sell Out, produced like a radio station broadcast, complete with fake commercials. But Tommy, composed by the band’s guitarist, Pete Townshend, was a much bolder experiment. Nobody had used the term “rock opera” before, nor had previous concepts been as unique as the story of a blind, deaf, mute boy who masters the game of pinball. It was also a huge gamble. Had it failed, The Who would most likely have never been heard from again.
20 Years Later
Travel through time to 1989. John Entwistle is still alive, proving why he is considered one of the most influential bass players of all time. The band is no longer a “power trio,” now including keyboards, a second guitar, and a small horn section. Pete Townshend still has hair.The group officially disbanded in 1982, but was convinced to get back together for a 25th anniversary tour in 1989. The second show on that was at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. The first disc in the Tommy and Quadrophenia Live DVD set captures the band’s guest-star-laden performance of Tommy on the 20th anniversary of its initial rocking of the rock world.
This performance is high energy throughout. Townshend and lead vocalist Roger Daltrey skip, slide and high step around the stage almost as effortlessly as they had 25 years earlier. As usual, Entwistle stands quietly still, concentrating all of his energy into his instrument, often providing the lead melody. Simon Phillips on drums and Rabbit Bundrick on keyboards manage to move around nearly as much in their seats as Daltrey and Townshend on stage.
The quality of the guest performances varies. Patti LaBelle and Phil Collins give inspired performances. Elton John seems, quite uncharacteristically, to just be going through the motions. Steve Winwood seems to be truly into the story. Billy Idol, though full of energy and enthusiasm, seems out of place.
The Other One
Four years after Tommy the band embarked in 1973 on their second and last full scale rock opera. The main character in Quadrophenia, Jimmy, has multiple personalities, each a representation of the band’s four members. Progressive rock fans embraced it as the group’s best album ever. Everyone else either considered it too pretentious or were simply bewildered by what it was supposed to mean.All aboard the time machine again, destination 1996. Entwistle is still working his magic. On drums now is Zak Starkey, looking a great deal like his father, Ringo Starr. Townshend has less hair.
A crowd of 150,000 gathered in London’s Hyde Park to hear The Who perform Quadrophenia in its entirety for the first time in 23 years. Once again, guest stars are invited: P.J. Proby as a character called The Godfather; Billy Idol is back, this time as The Ace Face; actor Alex Langdon as the main character, Jimmy.
Daltrey and Townshend are noticeably less energetic than in the Tommy performance. Quadrophenia was made into a movie in 1979, and portions of the film were used to support this performance. Unfortunately, this only serves to make it seem even more disjointed and confusing than the original album.
There are some musical high points. Townshend’s largely acoustic performance of “I’m One” is a keeper. As oddly miscast as Billy Idol seemed in Tommy, he is perfectly suited for his role here, as seen (and heard) in “I’ve Had Enough.”
After the Operas
The Who may have blazed trails with rock operas, but they represent only a small portion of the group's total body of work. Accordingly, the third disc in this set is something of a live greatest hits compilation, culled from the Los Angeles and London performances, and from a 1989 concert at Giants Stadium.Daltrey and Townshend provide track-by-track commentary on both the Tommy and Quadrophenia peformances, which can be called up at the touch of a button, superimposed over the concert footage.
Maybe rock opera isn’t your thing or maybe you haven’t listened to The Who since it was comprised of Daltry, Townshend, Entwistle and Moon. This collection is still worth having, both for its musical high points, and for its documentation of important points in the career of one of rock’s most important groups.
