I’m confused. A child of the ‘60s, I grew up believing life’s about more than toeing the line. Yet daily, my existence feels more and more of a compromise. And I know I’m not alone. Many of my friends are experiencing a similar identity crisis. What was once the exclusive prerogative of the angsty teenager now seems almost the Zeitgeist. So I put on Who’s Next, and for 40 minutes at least, I know, or rather feel, everything’s going to be alright.

Pete Townsend’s songs have always been about the struggle to develop and believe in a coherent, meaningful self. Many other groups have dealt with similar themes. Yet the make-up of The Who ensures their sonic essays pack a dynamism and intensity you cannot doubt. Almost uniquely, the main songwriter doesn’t sing his own lyrics. For me, this mismatch produces an electrifying tension. It’s as if vocalist Roger Daltrey has to constantly prove he’s up to articulating Townsend’s thoughts and emotions. Throw in perhaps rock’s greatest drummer, Keith Moon, and the revolutionary bass machinations of John Entwistle, and you have a quartet so much greater than the sum of its parts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wonderful invention, the iPod. Thousands of songs, in your pocket. Music wherever you go. The soundtrack of your life. And then there are subscription services like Napster, offering downloads from every genre and sub-genre since time began. Not to mention music in cars, elevators, shops and restaurants, TV shows and advertisements, even while you wait for your phone call to be answered. Where melody, harmony, and beat were once an art, then a product, today they are almost a utility. Like electricity or water, they are ubiquitous.

Read the rest of this entry »