Pete Townshend updated his page on the Who’s official Website yesterday to alert fans that he’s currently working on a new musical titled Floss, “an ambitious new project for me, in the style of Tommy and Quadrophenia.” Townshend wrote, “In this case the songs are interspersed with surround-sound ’soundscapes’ featuring complex sound-effects and musical montages. Several of the more conventional songs from Floss will be featured on a forthcoming Who recording for release in 2010.”

According to Townshend, Floss tells the story of Walter, an aging rocker who retires after one of his songs becomes the anthem of a TV commercial. Walter becomes a house-husband to his wife, the title character Floss, who is devoted to riding stables. After a 15-year break from music, Walter decides to become a rocker again, and finds that the songs he writes “evoke the ecologically rooted, apocalyptic mindset of his generation.” That and personal difficulties lead to an estrangement from Floss, but the two are reunited after an event at an emergency hospital ward. The subject matter is light years away from being the deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard of Tommy or the schizophrenia and Mods vs. Rockers conflict of Quadrophenia, but Floss reflects where Townshend is now as he approaches age 64.

Floss “touches on the current issues faced by the Boomer generation. It also addresses their uneasy relationship with their parents, children and grandchildren,” Townshend writes. “As a 19 year old — with “My Generation” — I wrote the most explicitly ageist song in rock. At 64, I now want to take on aging and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock & roll.”

Townshend adds that Floss will make its debut in concert in 2011. While the date and venue have not yet been determined, Townshend says he’s already talking with producers in New York. Townshend adds that his sole focus is on Floss while Roger Daltrey is on the road for his own solo tour.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-08-26 17:45 by sweetcharmedlife.

I can't think of anything worse than another Townshend musical.

Booooring

What happened to the last one? What a load of shit. He needs to stay retired. Miserable old git.

I cant wait to see the next album Mick and Keith put out. If its as daring and groundbreaking as ABB, then watch out music industry!

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sweetcharmedlife
Floss tells the story of Walter, an aging rocker who retires after one of his songs becomes the anthem of a TV commercial. Walter becomes a house-husband to his wife, the title character Floss, who is devoted to riding stables. After a 15-year break from music, Walter decides to become a rocker again, and finds that the songs he writes “evoke the ecologically rooted, apocalyptic mindset of his generation.” That and personal difficulties lead to an estrangement from Floss, but the two are reunited after an event at an emergency hospital ward.

Tommy, Jimmy, and .... Walter? This is a joke, right?

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sweetcharmedlife
I now want to take on aging and mortality, using the powerfully angry context of rock & roll.”

Come to think of it, this is exactly what I would like the STONES to do, but Pete? He's been writing about the travails of being an ageing rock star since The Who By Numbers.

kudos to Pete. Every lost selfish smug self satisfied armchair critic sounds funny, elitist, and wildly out of touch to me...but it's interesting...idiotic but interesting....I've had the immense pleasure of seeing The Who (all four originals)
more than a handful of times before Tommy (starting circa '67)...

...
The majesty, integrity, originality...(as an ORIGINAL power guitar player...the leader of one of the most intense rhythm sections that will EVER walk the planet...
the generosity land fearlessness he showed when touring zep as an opening act promoting the first album...(i saw that show too)...was enormous.

his footprints are everywher and for always in the culture...only a small handful of all the invasion bands made an impact like this...a continuing impact over a large body of meaningful work...and original work...

...
a writer of intensity, incredible melodies, arrangements, thoughtful stories and extended 'operas' etc...Both TOMMY and Quadrophenia total masterpieces...a live act that could take everyone on easily...

...a generous spirited honest intense original rock artist should be (and widely and wildly IS) loved by us who need and love good rockin' rollin' music that is written with tremendous genius, intelligence ferocity etc...a true original.

i have respect and love for him...he is working, not resting on laurels...kinda sad how the culture eats it's own best artists...critics here, and elsewhere, mean nothing to me. Pete's stamp on history is bigger more substantial and more giving than almost any of our other beloved rock warriors...Go for it Pete...millions will listen...
...and if it sucks so what...he's going for it. he's pete and you're not. he is substantial and still standing...rock is dead they say. long live rock

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Beelyboy
Go for it Pete...millions will listen...

Millions? How many people bought Endless Wire? How many of them will buy The Who's "Floss"? And with a title like that, how could it NOT suck?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-08-27 02:57 by tatters.

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tatters

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Beelyboy
Go for it Pete...millions will listen...

Millions? How many people bought Endless Wire? How many of them will buy The Who's "Floss"? And with a title like that, how could it NOT suck?

I thought it was going to be a rock opera about a dentist.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

well i'll gives a listen...

Me too Beely, Townshend remains a very potent and interesting talent. He is playing great guitar and his writing is still very intruging. Don't know why so many on this thread are so venemous towards him.

The character "Walter" would seem to be just an even older version of "Ray High" from 1993's Psychoderelict, an album on which Townshend, with dreadful results, covered this very same ground. If Pete were to now somehow miraculously come up with his first batch of decent new material since 1985's White City, I would be overjoyed, but it's far more likely the story of Walter and Floss will have us all cringing and squirming with embarrassment.

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whitem8
Me too Beely, Townshend remains a very potent and interesting talent. He is playing great guitar and his writing is still very intruging. Don't know why so many on this thread are so venemous towards him.

It's not Pete I'm venemous toward. It's more the fact that Roger can't sing any more. That's not an opinion. It's a fact.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Roger's voice has deteriorated, but also he can pull it out, just not as consistently.
tatters...I liked White City, but I thought Endless Wire was fantastic. Some great material on it. Pete still is able to put out some very compelling stuff, and his guitar playing is still top notch, especially acoustic! FANTASTIC!

I think people (myself included) wish Pete would abandon these
theme/story-oriented projects. The last few he's done have just gone nowhere.
The Who By Numbers and Empty Glass prove he's a writer who doesn't need
a story to get certain feelings across.
BTW, I played Empty Glass the other day and it doesn't sound dated at all,
almost 30 years on.

Empty Glass is fantastic! I also was listening to it the other day, playing my band a few songs hoping they would like it. Rough Boys is such a fantastic song! And I Moved is stunningly beautiful.
Funny, Who By Numbers actually was originally going to be a concept album about The Who! but he abandoned that and just cobbled together what he already had finished, and it is a beautiful album. I love it.

Empty Glass is very good. In fact I would be much more interested in a Towmsend solo tour than a Daltry solo tour.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Empty Glass is almost like a forgotten masterpiece.
Got a lot of airplay, good press and reviews and then was kinda...forgotten.

I remember reading an interview with Kenny Jones and he complained that Townshend kept all his best songs for Empty Glass and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, and the left overs were given to The Who for Face Dances. He was right!

"We don't do opera." -- Mick Jagger, 1989

it does not say the who album will be called floss

I'll give him another chance. The last Who album wasn't too bad. I like the surround sound aspect of the musical that he talks about. At least he's still writing and hasn't given up.

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whitem8
I remember reading an interview with Kenny Jones and he complained that Townshend kept all his best songs for Empty Glass and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, and the left overs were given to The Who for Face Dances. He was right!

I've heard that, too, but I sort of disagree. I thought Face Dances had
terrific songs (Don't Let Go The Coat is one of Townshend's most sublime songs)
but terrible production. Bill Szymczyk was a horrible choice. After using Chris Thomas on Empty Glass and the Mod revival in full swing, I expected a really great-sounding record. Instead, it was really flat. However, there were good songs there that wanted to break loose. True, Townshend did jettison some good tunes. It was also in his brandy-cocaine days, too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-08-28 00:51 by tomk.

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keefriffhard4life
it does not say the who album will be called floss

It says the MUSICAL will be called Floss. Maybe the album will be called Walter.

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tomk

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whitem8
I remember reading an interview with Kenny Jones and he complained that Townshend kept all his best songs for Empty Glass and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, and the left overs were given to The Who for Face Dances. He was right!

I've heard that, too, but I sort of disagree. I thought Face Dances had
terrific songs (Don't Let Go The Coat is one of Townshend's most sublime songs)
but terrible production. Bill Szymczyk was a horrible choice. After using Chris Thomas on Empthy Glass and the Mod revival in full swing, I expected a really great-sounding record. Instead, it was really flat. However, there were good songs there that wanted to break loose. True, Townshend did jettison some good tunes. It was also in his brandy-cocaine days, too.

I had high hopes for Face Dances. The Who were ON FIRE when I saw them in '79, and Townshend DID manage to capture some of that fire on Empty Glass. Also, being familiar with the work Bill Szymczyk had done on recordings by Joe Walsh and the James Gang, I was excited that he had been chosen to produce the Who. I thought that maybe, finally, the Who's live power would be captured in the studio. In particular, I thought Entwistle would finally be properly recorded. I was also excited when I heard Bob Seger say that he had heard some of the unfinished tracks and that they were "unbelievable". I can't begin to describe how disappointed I was the first time I heard that album. More disappointing even than the first time I heard Emotional Rescue.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-08-27 16:55 by tatters.

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Silver Dagger
I'll give him another chance. The last Who album wasn't too bad. I like the surround sound aspect of the musical that he talks about. At least he's still writing and hasn't given up.

I'm guessing they'll be joined by a female singer who will sing Floss's parts (unless Pete is going to play Floss), which means Roger, presumably playing Walter, will only have to use his blown-out voice sparingly.

Yes, I saw The Who at the Pontiac Silverdome for the 79 tour. My first rock concert, and was blown away. I didn't know them well, but that changed after that night! I was stunned by the sheer power they unleashed in such a large arena. I never will forget hearing Punk Meets the Godfather for the first time at that show, and it blew me away. I was so excited to get Face Dances when it came out. By that time I had Quadrophenia, Kids Are Alright, and Live at Leeds, and was completely let down by Face Dances. Yes, some great writing but so insipid and lackluster. The only real jams on it were Entwhistle's tunes... it just felt so flat and no umpf!

Well Endless Wire walked all over ABB. Even the tour meant they played many new songs.

Nothing will beat Tommy!!