Peter Townsend is still a genius in the studio and his song writing soars through his spiritual imagery and his lyrics are as relevant today as they were when he first began his career.His singing on the record is amazing especially on In The Ether he sings his heart out on that song. On the tite track Endless Wire it has a great chord progression. On the added live DVD from France Townsend still can play his guitar with energy and passion. Oh yes Roger Daltry sings wonderfully as he takes Townsends songs and adds his vocal lines throughout. On the DVD Zak Starkey is awesome on drums and his fills against Townsend's power chords is signature who sound.
Its a great record and I want to keep on listening to every track where ABB I force myself to listen to each track.Sorry Peter Townsend for me was always the best all around guitar player with his studio genius and his song writing and I always loved his vocals. The who still can make great music that sounds relevant and vital.I would of liked ABB alot more if Jagger would write lyrics that for me were important as I grow older as an adult that spoke about the world and family. The stones arrangements on ABB were okay as they are limited musically and thats why good lyrics are essential if jagger/richards ever make their next great record which is unlikely.

OpenG Wrote:
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> Oh yes Roger Daltry sings wonderfully as
> he takes Townsends songs and adds his vocal lines
> throughout.

Can't agree, Daltry's vocals ruins it. His voice is shot now.

Bloody hell! I'm gonna agree with Openg??????

Endless Wire is a fantastic CD and one I just don't tire off. The lyrics are superb, the playing creative and Daltries still very good. I especially love Tea and Theatre and We got a hit!
Imagine what it wold have been like with the original band??
ABB is good, I love the spirtit but its over long and a few dreadfull lyrics (Neocon!!). But still very relevant.

I'd admit I play Enless Wire continually but ABB occasionally......

Ablett - I have been playing the CD non-stop and I agree Roger on Tea and theatre are wonderful and heartfelt.

Peter even plays mandolin on the CD and banjo and violin.

They lose 2 members and townsend sill goes on to make great music .

Read the sleeve notes and you'll find Townshend played many of the instruments inc. the drums. He always was a great fan of the Banjo.
There's also some good live stuff on youtube of Townshen/Daltry playing live stuff from EW on american TV (tea and theatre on letterman if I recall).
If its the last CD they do then its a great way to go out....

I agree will check out youtube.

Have you been to any of the shows lately OpenG? Townshends on fire!

No if i get a chance I will go . I thought Townsend could not play electric anymore with his earing problems

Must be improving cause he's fully in charge I can tell you. There's a clip on youtube of Townshend smashing his guitar in Japan about 2004. Just watch the build up before hand!
Petetownshend.com is a superb site as well.
The Who are playing in the UK again soon so I'll try and catch them again.....

AWESOME

TOWNSEND"S VOICE is amazing on ENDLESS WIRE ABOVE.

@#$%& GREAT

I'm at work at the mo but I'll catch it laters pal......

Townshend has mentioned recently the possibility of a follow up to EW......

Endless Wire wipes the floor with ABB. And then it cleans the rest of the house, the garage and the pavement too. It's the most consistent Who album since Who By Numbers and - arguably - their finest since that highpoint.

ABB was - for the most part - tired, predictable, lame, lazy and cliched. The usual piece of ever-diminishing tour product The Stones have been churning out since Wyman left. ABB, like BTB and half of VL, was the equivalent of a t-shirt or a tour programme.

Got this for Christmas and was pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

Makes one forgive and forget about "It's Hard" (excepting "Eminence Front" and "Cry If You Want").

I miss John Entwistle...without him everything else sounds like a PT solo project. At least he is still interested in making music.

In a way it is a PT solo record. But no-one interprets his songs like Daltry.

I've tried to 'get into' Endless Wire, but I can't...although I think its a good album..it just doesn't capture my interest.....now A Bigger Bang on the other hand...yeah it has some questionable lyrics, but it also has captures the band's sense of urgency..which comes across in the music.

I know the band has matured, but since Voodoo Lounge...for the most part I like the 'mature' version of The Stones.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

Huge fan of both The Stones and The Who, and typically The Stones edge out The Who for me....
However, with Endless Wire The Two have recaptured some of that spark they had back with Who By Numbers....and sadly Endless Wire is far superior to A Bigger Bang. I like A Bigger Bang, but I rarely go back to it, and after awhile it seems like cookie cutter Stones...just add some raunchy riffs and some lyrics about being lonely, sex, wanting sex, missing sex, looking for more sex, and it is a bit predictable. Oh, did I mention driving for sex?

whitem8, you are 100% correct. The depth and complexity of Endless Wire makes a much more satisfying listen after the initial giddiness of new product from a group of dinosaur heroes wears off.

Endless Wire is a dud. Nice try but it just doesn't have any single strong tune on it. And Roger's vocals have become fried. AS for relevancy, how could there be any, after over two decades of studio silence? Good attempt though - and the live DVD insert is good. ABB is so much more powerful.

Richard from Canada Wrote:
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> Endless Wire is a dud. Nice try but it just
> doesn't have any single strong tune on it. And
> Roger's vocals have become fried. AS for
> relevancy, how could there be any, after over two
> decades of studio silence? Good attempt though -
> and the live DVD insert is good. ABB is so much
> more powerful.

Hi R from C, just wondering if you have caught The Who in concert on the current tour? If not, you should and you may find Endless Wire isn't such a dud....

I was very much looking forward to this record before it came out. It became one of the most dissapointing music things in 06. I think its a shame after how many years? 25?
A P.T. solo project with him on almost every instrument and some Daltrey vocals only to have a single issue to call it a who cd, produced to death and just boring.

It aint only Townshend with the hearing probem......

OpenG Wrote:
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> On the added live DVD from France
> Townsend still can play his guitar with energy and
> passion. Oh yes Roger Daltry sings wonderfully as
> he takes Townsends songs and adds his vocal lines
> throughout.

I'll have to give some more thought as to EW vs ABB, but one comment I have is that Roger's voice was totally shot on 'Live at Lyon'. I went to Hyde Park and the Roundhouse, and saw these gigs again on DVD/TV respectively. Both were much better as far as I'm concerned. Beats me why they chose Lyon to put out as a bonus, I'm sure they had much better in the can by that time...

Lee

Yeah the hearing-problem...probably the reason for almost no sales for a former dinosaur band

I will catching the Who next friday in Atlantic City. 3700 seat venue.

Based on what I can tell from the setlists on the internet, Endless Wire is featured almost in its entirety. I will report back ,if anyone is interested ,whether or not this beast still roars.

BTW my 7 year old got a hold of Endless Wire on my Ipod and plays it non-stop, especially Mike Post Theme and the title track..........

Hi manofwealthandtaste. You said; "Hi R from C, just wondering if you have caught The Who in concert on the current tour? If not, you should and you may find Endless Wire isn't such a dud...."

Good point and no I haven't seen them. I saw them only once, back in 1976.

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon. Often-times, a song sounds better "live" than it does off an album. In other words, if the Stones played Back to Zero (it's gotta be their worst ever) live, and you were there at the show, it would likely sound pretty good to you. It's just all of that extra good-vibes of a show being thrown into the mix. But making Endless Wire stand on its own would, I believe, make it the dud it is.

Or I could be totally wrong.

I saw the Who here in Calgary a few months back and they were excellent! I was especially impressed with young Zak who really flailed Moonie style on the drums.

I saw em back in 75 up in Edmonton and they were at their peak then but this show didn't pale in comparison by any means.

I prefer Endless Wire but the new songs kinda got a lukewarm reception here as expected with classic rock groups. I ordered the DVD of the show I saw and have watched it many times ... Pete is in rare form indeed!

Jim

...

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I am just now getting to hear this. I smiled when I heard the synth pattern from "Baba O'Riley" reinterpreted at the beginning. Yes, Daltrey's voice sometimes shows the strain, but when he's not being pushed, he still shows that he can deliver Pete's lines like no one else.

At this point, Pete can do whatever he wants to do, and stretch the envelope in unexpected directions. Then again, the Who always stretched the envelope.

Wait a second -- Pete doing a Louie Armstrong? Damn, now THAT's really odd sounding, but charming in its own way.

This should've been a separate thread -- comparing EW to ABB is completely inappropriate.

Nevertheless, I'm bumping it back to the top with my own initial impressions, for whatever they are worth.

PS without the input of the "missing half", this is really a Pete solo album with Roger being a guest vocalist. The Who, as I came to love them, died with Keith's passing.

Same would happen if Mick and Keith made a record without Charlie -- would they dare to call it a Rolling Stones album? I think not.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-03-10 00:24 by bassplayer617.

I thought it sucked! I couldn't even play it all the way through, then I forced myself to listen to it and to keep an open mind because I used to REALLY love THE WHO, but even after several listens, I still think it's awful! And I am not gloating because I love ole Pete...it is simply not memorable at all, IMO.