The Official The Who Thread

[lonestar]

Whoa, I've heard that story, but never thought it was true.

But if it's on Wikipedia, it must be true!

I read it in their biography, and later saw a video of it.

[Zydar]

I'm actually looking for a good Who biography to read. Which is the best them?

[Orbert]

Whoa, I've heard that story, but never thought it was true.

But if it's on Wikipedia, it must be true!

I read it in their biography, and later saw a video of it.

I'm not doubting you; it just sounds so much like a legend that I never took it seriously.  If it's documented and all that, then obviously it happened, but really it sounds more Frank Zappa eating shit on stage (never happened) or Robert Plant getting a blowjob from a groupie during one of Jimmy Page's guitar solos (actually that one sounds possible).  Saying Keith Moon got so wasted one night that they had to get someone from the audience to play the drums -- that just reeks of urban legend.  But hey, rock and roll is a strange and wonderful world.

[masterthes]

theres actually a bootleg that's been released that documents that night

[lonestar]

Whoa, I've heard that story, but never thought it was true.

But if it's on Wikipedia, it must be true!

I read it in their biography, and later saw a video of it.

I'm not doubting you; it just sounds so much like a legend that I never took it seriously.  If it's documented and all that, then obviously it happened, but really it sounds more Frank Zappa eating shit on stage (never happened) or Robert Plant getting a blowjob from a groupie during one of Jimmy Page's guitar solos (actually that one sounds possible).  Saying Keith Moon got so wasted one night that they had to get someone from the audience to play the drums -- that just reeks of urban legend.  But hey, rock and roll is a strange and wonderful world.

I wasn't trying to back myself up, I had a friend waiting on me and posted in extreme haste.  I agree that half the shit on Wikipedia is fantasy.  If you are into biographies, Before I Get Old, The Story of The Who is a great one.

Edit:  Found the video, good shit begins around 5:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8qm1i2f_FA

(wasn't that hard, type in Kieth Moon and the first response is passing out, go figure)

[KevShmev]

I hadn't seen this video (link below) in probably 30 years until the other day on Classic 80s, and when I did I wasn't a fan of The Who yet, but I love it.  I love how bouncy Townshend is in the background for much of the song. While just a video, that is a stage presence and energy that many lead guitar players do not have.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTC7z_wsjr4

[Kotowboy]

I like the Who's music but hated Keith Moon.

He was the guy that gave all drummers the reputation of being idiotic stupid thick non-musicians.

Plus his drum set was fucking stupid. Nobody needs THAT MANY toms :



Even Terry Bozzio would find that excessive.

[The Letter M]

I like the Who's music but hated Keith Moon.

He was the guy that gave all drummers the reputation of being idiotic stupid thick non-musicians.

Plus his drum set was fucking stupid. Nobody needs THAT MANY toms :



Even Terry Bozzio would find that excessive.

Aside from the tympani, that's only 1 more drum than Neil Peart ever had, yet people seem to praise his drum sets.

I agree, the set-up is a bit odd, but the reach of the concert toms is pretty interesting, and easier for some than Neil's positioning of them (up on the left).

I think Keith was a great drummer, and his sheer intensity and ferocity made up for his other short-comings as a musician. Not everyone could have been Bill Bruford, Carl Palmer, or John Bonham.

-Marc.

[Kotowboy]

Well I'm a drummer of 17 odd years and I still find a 4 piece more fun to play on than a 9 piece.

With a 4 piece you have to get more creative and with 7 toms all you seem to want to do is just roll around on them til the cows go home.

[SystematicThought]

Portnoy and Mangini must irritate you than 

Threadwise, I really enjoyed Eminence front from It's Hard

[The Letter M]

Well I'm a drummer of 17 odd years and I still find a 4 piece more fun to play on than a 9 piece.

With a 4 piece you have to get more creative and with 7 toms all you seem to want to do is just roll around on them til the cows go home.

  True, if you're Keith Moon.

Then again, I grew up learning from Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, Phil Collins...and it seemed a lot of those kinds of drummers started with huge kits just wanting to roll all over the toms, but some ended up using them more for groove and more clever fills, so as a drummer of 15 years, I've gone from "OMG rollzzzzz down the toms" kind of drumming to using them in more thoughtful fills and grooves. It's just for different sounds and how one can creatively employ them.

I have also drummed of kits that were just a bass drum, snare, hi-hat, one crash-ride and 2 splashes. THAT was a lot of fun. Having no toms made it especially interesting, using the cymbals for more fills and effects, and employing different techniques on the snare.

I don't think the size of the kit should have ANY bearing on a drummers abilities or creativity. The drummer themselves has to prove that, and if they can play on ANY kind of kit, then they have reached a certain high level of talent and ability in my eyes. If you can cover "Tom Sawyer" on a 4-piece and make it sound good, that's AWESOME...and if you can cover a simple jazz standard on a 15-piece double-bass kit and make it sound tasteful, more power to you!

To me, the best drummers have always been those who can adapt and blend to what's in front of them, both drums and the sound/style they're playing in - not ones who are super-fast, or can do multi-limb poly-rhythmic grooves...it's the ones who can do a bit of everything. One-trick-ponies only have one trick, after all.

And going back to Keith - he was a Celebrity as much as he was a Drummer, and so I think his spotlight grew because of who he was, not just because of his drumming. Then again, back in the day, musicians loved and lived the spotlight, so many took it and held on as long as they could....even if that time ended up tragically short.

-Marc.

[Kotowboy]

Portnoy and Mangini must irritate you than 

Threadwise, I really enjoyed Eminence front from It's Hard

Portnoy irritates me for entirely different reasons 

And Mangini really does use his massive kit creatively. I just think having 4 basses is totally un-necessary despite what he might claim about "needing" 4 bass drums on certain songs. I still maintain that he's being really anal and a 22" kick drum and a 24" kick drum will sound virtually identical thru the PA in an echoey arena. Apart from that - he doesnt have loads and loads of crashes and not even THAT many toms.



Here's a nice pic of Mangini's Kit

[The Letter M]

Still only 1 tom shy of Keith Moon's kit up above 

Either way, Keith was a showman, and he knew how to show off, big kit or otherwise. All of The Who were great at their craft and performed greatly on stage. They were one of the ultimate stage shows of their time, and they weren't afraid of letting everyone know it.

And Mangini really does use his massive kit creatively. I just think having 4 basses is totally un-necessary despite what he might claim about "needing" 4 bass drums on certain songs. I still maintain that he's being really anal and a 22" kick drum and a 24" kick drum will sound virtually identical thru the PA in an echoey arena. Apart from that - he doesnt have loads and loads of crashes and not even THAT many toms.

As for Mangini, I kind of agree with the whole multi-tonal bass drum thing...what is this, Marching Band or DCI? Tonal basses aren't that effective for drum set UNLESS you're Terry Bozzio in a studio. BTW, it's a 26" bass drum he uses, in addition to his two 22" center bass drums and an 18" bass drum.

Oddly enough, Mike Portnoy has used a 26" bass drum on his kit before, so maybe Mangini's inclusion of it was to replicate that sound on the songs MP recorded using his John Bonham kit?

-Marc.

[SystematicThought]

That's true. TROE especially because its on this tour

[KevShmev]

I like the Who's music but hated Keith Moon.

 

Your reasons aside, isn't that like saying, "I love Dream Theater, but hate when they solo"? 

[Cool Chris]

I am thinking Keith only used a kit like that later in his career. When I think of him behind the drums, this is what I think of.



I've heard the whole spectrum of him being the greatest drummer ever to the crappiest, most overrated drummer ever (ok, I've never actually heard that one). The important thing, mayve the most important thing, is that he was the right drummer for that band. He could have been a detriment to a band like Zeppelin or the Beatles. In The Who, he helped make them legendary.

[lonestar]

Good post man. Only Moon could have backed a band that powerful and forceful with that insane drumming, it was just right.

[KevShmev]

I caught The Who's  Kilburn concert from 1977 on VH1 Classic the other day....pretty damn awesome.  I know this is pointing out the obvious, but the energy of both Moon and Townshend was absolutely off the charts.  There were stretches where I barely even noticed Daltrey and Entwistle because of how locked in I was on watching the other two.  And I totally got a kick out of them doing a small bit of Tommy's Holiday Camp so Moon could do his Uncle Ernie bit.

 

[ytserush]

I caught The Who's  Kilburn concert from 1977 on VH1 Classic the other day....pretty damn awesome.  I know this is pointing out the obvious, but the energy of both Moon and Townshend was absolutely off the charts.  There were stretches where I barely even noticed Daltrey and Entwistle because of how locked in I was on watching the other two.  And I totally got a kick out of them doing a small bit of Tommy's Holiday Camp so Moon could do his Uncle Ernie bit.

 

I saw this too recently. I didn't know they found it (The whole thing). 

I imagine this is part of some release that's out there that I missed.

The funny part is that this wasn't even a good gig by Who standards and it still seems pretty amazing.  They had been off of the road for quite a while by this point. I was kind of annoyed that Entwhistle wasn't very high in the mix though.

[Cool Chris]

Bump for upcoming tour news

https://thewho.com/blog/story/the-who-hits-50-north-american-tour-2015/

The show, described by PETE TOWNSHEND as “All the Hits, Picks, Mixes and Misses” will see the band play all their classic anthems as well as tackling deeper cuts from their catalog.
 
“This is the beginning of the long goodbye,” says ROGER DALTREY of the upcoming tour.
 
PETE TOWNSHEND commented, “Trying to stay young. Not wearing socks. Growing a great big woodcutter’s beard. Might even wear a check shirt on stage and get a tattoo of a Union Jack. Always a fashion victim. But under no illusions. We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we’re lucky to be alive and still touring.”

[KevShmev]

“This is the beginning of the long goodbye,” says ROGER DALTREY of the upcoming tour...in 2014.

A friend of mine saw The Who on their farewell tour...in 1982.

[Kotowboy]

“This is the beginning of the long goodbye,” says ROGER DALTREY of the upcoming tour...in 2014.

A friend of mine saw The Who on their farewell tour...in 1982.

I was 4 when they started their goodbye tour.

Now i'm 36 and it's still happening

[DerekTheater]

I had to go with the big 3 - Quadrophenia, Who's Next, and Tommy, in that order.

The Who were one of the first groups I ever liked, thanks to my dad. I saw them in 2012 for the first time - maybe it's because I was drunk, but it was powerful.

[Orbert]

"Hope I die before I get old"

-- Pete Townshend

[Cool Chris]

Well, crap.

https://thewho.com/postponed-2015-north-american-tour/

THE WHO today confirmed that they are postponing all remaining dates on their “THE WHO HITS 50!” North American tour.... when doctors diagnosed Roger as having viral Meningitis and prescribed a period of rest.