Tremors were felt by residents of the northern part of the province, including the capital Quetta
asia1 hour ago
On a rare day off from the first leg of The Who’s 50th anniversary tour, Pete Townshend punctually enters the room with longtime partner Rachel Fuller to discuss Classic Quadrophenia.
The symphonic release of the Who’s 1973 concept album came out earlier this month and includes music by the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and vocals by classical tenor Alfie Boe, rocker Billy Idol, Phil Daniels, and Townshend. There’s also a one-night only performance in London set for July 5.
Townshend, 70, has always felt The Who’s music was very orchestral for a rock band. But for this performance, there’s an entire orchestra and choir to perform his composition. That doesn’t faze him a bit.
“They will get on the tube with their violin and go to the Royal Albert Hall. They’ll look at the music, they will play it to their best of their ability and then they will go home. No fuss, no nonsense ... they are brilliant, brilliant, brilliant trained musicians.”
Townshend had previously dabbled with alternative musical concepts — including bringing rock opera to the masses with Tommy in 1969, a project that launched The Who into superstardom. The album spawned a 1975 movie and a Broadway musical that ran from 1993 to 1995.
Townshend says that writing Quadrophenia, acted as a form of salvation that helped counteract the spoils of success after Tommy and the 1971 release Who’s Next.
“We were in real trouble,” Townshend says of the period in the early 1970s. “Keith Moon had become this kind of clown. Roger Daltrey had become this rock deity. You know, I was in a boiler suit” — a reference to the oversized white coveralls that became iconic for his look at that time.
And bassist John Entwistle?
“(He) was dressing up in spider costumes with silver spiders round his neck,” recalled Townshend.
That’s why the musician took it upon himself to reconnect with fans with album they could relate.
Quadrophenia tells the story of Jimmy, who Townshend describes as an amalgamation of the angry young male fans that made up the band’s early fan base. He’s a lost soul that finds solace in fighting, taking uppers, and music (The Who is a favourite for him). Townshend wrote four themes that reflected each member of the band.
Those melodies help tell a complex story of a confused young man in in Quadrophenia, yet Townshend simplifies it.
“It’s about a boy who’s having a bad day and ends up in the rain and how that echoes and how that changes his view,” he said.
Idol was blown away that he got the chance to play “Ace Face,” the role played by Sting in the 1979 film.
“I love The Who and it’s fantastic to get a chance to interact with these great people,” Idol said recently at a Musicares event in New York honouring Townshend.
The disenfranchised youth theme sums up the appeal of The Who, especially in the band’s early days.
Fuller, who played a big part in shaping the sound of the new release, shares an outsider’s view of the audience base.
“I think what you didn’t have with the Rolling Stones and what you didn’t have with the Beatles, and certainly not with the Carpenters, is that The Who did connect with the teenagers with anger,” she said.
Tremors were felt by residents of the northern part of the province, including the capital Quetta
asia1 hour ago
From streamlining administrative tasks to enhancing patient care, AI is revolutionising the way healthcare is delivered
kt network1 hour ago
Book subscription discounts and exclusive offers from publishing partners are also up for grabs
uae2 hours ago
As weather patterns shift, car owners urged to reassess insurance amid rising flood risks and financial pressures
business technology review2 hours ago
This year's data shows an 8 per cent decrease over the 381 fatalities recorded in 2021
uae2 hours ago
The Gunners have a chance at least to apply some pressure by beating Bournemouth in the early kick-off at the Emirates on Saturday
sports2 hours ago
Financial inclusion is a critical aspect of economic development, and airpay is making significant strides in this direction
business technology review2 hours ago
Automation can play a major role in transforming the audit landscape in the UAE
business technology review2 hours ago