The Who

The Who

Liverpool Echo Arena,

Sunday 30 June 2013

The Who - without doubt one of the giants of classic rock, up there with Led Zeppelin and mentioned in the same league as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It was therefore all right and proper that when they announced a tour, where they would be playing the classic album Quadrophenia, that I would want to attend - but I was not exactly full of vim and vigour at the thought.

For some reason, The Who have never really "clicked" with me, and I doubt now that they ever will. I've always had some of their albums, and have generally "liked them rather than raved about them - my favourite has always been Live at Leeds, which perhaps says something - it is a very heavy album, undoubtedly being a major influence on the heavy rock acts to come - but all the others seemed a bit lighter weight in terms of volume, but heavier in terms of seriousness, which turned me off a bit. They seemed a Guardian reader sort of group, it was "fashionable" to like them, they stood for trendy left wing causes - in other words, U2's fathers, in a way. Added to that, I was put off by them being "mods", the inspiration for The Jam and the arch poser Paul Weller - I've since learned to ignore such silly labels, but mud stuck.

I've had the Quadrophenia album a very long time, a Christmas present long ago from Mam and Dad. I've barely listened to it apart from the first side, so in this day and age of technology I bought it on CD, so as to give it justice before the concert. There was a fair bit of work involved, but I soon loved it - a veritable revelation. What surprised me most was how much The Wall owes to it - Roger Waters seems to have pinched the entire concept, the feel and ambience of the songs almost hook line and sinker - and I don't remember him ever getting any criticism for it. Even a year later, I'm not really sure what the "concept" is - so I'll say, in my opinion it's about alienation from society, from someone growing up - which is also what The Wall was about in my view.

I went to the concert at Liverpool, which suited my friend better, and as he ordered the tickets, I didn't argue. The venue is almost a clone of the MEN Arena, but about 2/3rds the size. Unfortunately out seats were right at the back, which had a bearing on my enjoyment of the concert. There was a large screen of sorts if I remember right, but it seemed to be used for themed videos etc, rather than close ups of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend. They thus appeared like little teeny figures, far away, as Bob Dylan had done, which put me off straight away. The other main gripe for me was the sound - very much too quiet, especially from a group who had once vied for the title of Loudest Band in the World. The show itself was based around the album of course, but it was way too "staged" for me - putting me in mind of when I saw Roger Waters play The Wall at the MEN. It didn't have a half the verve or volume of that performance, and came across to me more like a matinee staging of a musical at a theatre. The effect was further diluted for me by there being a massive backing band - again, like The Wall - but it meant that Daltrey and Townsend were only small cogs in the wheel, and it just didn't feel as if it was The Who playing. Of course, Keith Moon and John Entwistle are both dead, so it wasn't really The Who anyway.

A few extra songs were played to finish off, but I was most disappointed that they played "You Better You Bet", which is just the most awful, flappy pop sell out song. Why on earth they didn't do "My Generation" is beyond me - it is the song that really defines them, and it is tantamount to the relevant groups not doing Smoke on the Water or Paranoid. Get my drift - it left me feeling a little short changed.

All in all, I'm glad I went. It's another classic group "ticked off my list", and Quadrophenia is indeed a classic album and well worth hearing live - it's just that there were so many other, little things, that could have been done a little differently…and better!

05.05.14 fav

ourite has always been Live at Leeds, which perhaps says something - it is a very heavy album, undoubtedly being a major influence on the heavy rock acts to come - but all the others seemed a bit lighter weight in terms of volume, but heavier in terms of seriousness, which turned me off a bit. They seemed a Guardian reader sort of group, it was "fashionable" to like them, they stood for trendy left wing causes - in other words, U2's fathers, in a way. Added to that, I was put off by them being "mods", the inspiration for The Jam and the arch poser Paul Weller - I've since learned to ignore such silly labels, but mud stuck.

I've had the Quadrophenia album a very long time, a Christmas present long ago from Mam and Dad. I've barely listened to it apart from the first side, so in this day and age of technology I bought it on CD, so as to give it justice before the concert. There was a fair bit of work involved, but I soon loved it - a veritable revelation. What surprised me most was how much The Wall owes to it - Roger Waters seems to have pinched the entire concept, the feel and ambience of the songs almost hook line and sinker - and I don't remember him ever getting any criticism for it.

Even a year later, I'm not really sure what the "concept" is - so I'll say, in my opinion it's about alienation from society, from someone growing up - which is also what The Wall was about in my view.

I went to the concert at Liverpool, which suited my friend better, and as he ordered the tickets, I didn't argue. The venue is almost a clone of the MEN Arena, but about 2/3rds the size. Unfortunately out seats were right at the back, which had a bearing on my enjoyment of the concert. There was a large screen of sorts if I remember right, but it seemed to be used for themed videos etc, rather than close ups of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend. They thus appeared like little teeny figures, far away, as Bob Dylan had done, which put me off straight away. The other main gripe for me was the sound - very much too quiet, especially from a group who had once vied for the title of Loudest Band in the World. The show itself was based around the album of course, but it was way too "staged" for me - putting me in mind of when I saw Roger Waters play The Wall at the MEN. It didn't have a half  the verve or volume of that performance, and came across to me more like a matinee staging of a musical at a theatre. The effect was further diluted for me by there being a massive backing band - again, like The Wall - but it meant that Daltrey and Townsend were only small cogs in the wheel, and it just didn't feel as if it was The Who playing. Of course, Keith Moon and John Entwistle are both dead, so it wasn't really The Who anyway.

A few extra songs were played to finish off, but I was most disappointed that they played "You Better You Bet", which is just the most awful, flappy pop sell out song. Why on earth they didn't do "My Generation" is beyond me - it is the song that really defines them, and it is tantamount to the relevant groups not doing Smoke on the Water or Paranoid. Get my drift - it left me feeling a little short changed.

All in all, I'm glad I went. It's another classic group "ticked off my list", and Quadrophenia is indeed a classic album and well worth hearing live - it's just that there were so many other, little things, that could have been done a little differently…and better!

05.05.14