Not
being a fan of The Who I, however, readily admit to absolutely loving
their early singles. I must say, I prefer these guys in shirts adorned
with targets and arrows, rather than fringe. The first 8 cuts of the latest version of their greatest hits (there are about 5 compilations)
have lots of chiming Rickenbacker guitar pushed through brilliant Vox
and Marshall amps It’s pure mid-sixties, and Pete Townshend primarily
invented that sound. Even though The Beatles also made use of the
Rickenbacker 6, and 12 string guitars, George Harrison’s approach was
more “composerly,” and studied, than Pete’s extroverted strumming. One
might assume his thrashing was to make up for lack of technique as a
soloist. Maybe so, but his sense of time is impressive. Check out his
playing in I Can’t Explain, The Who’s first single, released way back in
‘64. The guitar solos are mostly rhythmic, with a few licks thrown
in. In the second solo, Pete works in a quarter note triplet riff that
is pretty startling as a device for that time.
The
video is quite stunning as a depiction of what looked cool in the clubs
in London, 1964. But there are so many creepy boys doing freakish
dance moves, it leaves me rather speechless. Where are all the girls?
Unspeakably odd. Halfway through the video the band is in another club, and Roger looks exactly like David J from Bauhaus.
The
Kids Are Alright, from their 1965 album, was released as a single in
1966, reaching #41 in the UK and #85 in the US. Townsend said their
“greatest hits” should be more properly be called their “greatest
flops.” The video is priceless, showing the band in très chic mod
styles, and a somewhat awkward lack of stage presence. Note Roger’s
shirt, buttoned down, and buttoned up to the throat. And check out his
mod hairdo: that little puffed up bouffant where the hair is brushed
back from the crown of his head is so very au courant. Keith has his
Union Jack shirt on, and Pete is in that long Edwardian jacket. These
boys really knew how to dress.
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