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It is generally acknowledged among rock aficionados that
The Who in their heyday were the most exciting live band on
the planet, with their Live at Leeds album (1970) hailed as
the greatest live album of all time. The compositional skills of
Townshend have always been way beyond the conventional,
as is proven not only in classic songs like “My Generation”
and “Baba O’Riley” but also in his two great rock operas (a
form he more or less invented single-handed) Tommy and
Quadrophenia.
Today, despite the deaths of Keith Moon and John Entwistle, The
Who strongly remain a potent force on the rock music scene,
with Townshend continuing to write and seek new musical
challenges and Daltrey still the charismatic front-man he’s
always been. Their “Concert for New York City” appearance
after the tragedy of 9/11 was a classic, as have been their
annual performances at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of the
Teenage Cancer Trust. In 2006, Pete Townshend wrote The Who’s
first studio album for the new millennium, Endless Wire and the
band toured Europe and the US during 2006 and 2007.
In 2012/2013, The Who embarked on the Quadrophenia and
More Tour, performing their landmark rock opera in its entirety,
marking the 40th anniversary of the original 1973 release of
this double-album masterpiece. The critically acclaimed and
highly successful tour closed at London’s Wembley Arena
(Quadrophenia: Live in London DVD came out in June).
“The visual presentation was stunning, which is credited to Roger and
his creative team. I was in charge of the musical arrangements that
drove the visuals,” recalls Frank Simes, who’s been working as
the musical director for The Who. “We also sang four-, five-, and
six-part vocals, and these were all live without an audio track. These
vocal parts were sung on the records, but The Who had never sung all
the harmonies in their entirety on stage. It was a huge responsibility to
prepare for the tour, and, yes, I felt the pressure and stress at times, but
all in all, it was an incredibly rewarding experience.”
360 MAGAZINE
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