August 2002
H.E.A.R. Honors Pete Townshend of
the Who
Pete Townshend is one of rocks most celebrated and studied
guitarist and primary songwriter for the Who from 1964 to
1982, also participating in the group's occasional reunions
after its formal breakup. Best-known for his conceptual works,
he wrote Tommy and Quadrophenia for the band, as well as the
bulk of its other material.
He made his first, tentative solo album, Who Came First,
in 1972. Dedicated to his guru, Meher Baba, it continued themes
pursued in Who's Next and like that album, contained material
originally intended for an conceptual work, Lifehouse. In
1976, he made a duo album, Rough Mix, with Ronnie Lane, formerly
the bassist in the Small Faces. Townshend's first full-fledged
solo effort was Empty Glass (1980), which sold a million copies,
reached the Top Five, and featured the Top Ten hit "Let My
Love Open the Door," as well as the minor hits "A Little Is
Enough" and "Rough Boys." He followed it in 1982 with All
the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes.
Nevertheless, he felt he could no longer write for the Who,
and at the end of the year, the group disbanded following
a North American tour. Townshend released Scoop, a two-disc
compilation of demos, in 1983 (a second volume appeared in
1987). In 1985, he returned to thematic efforts with the album
White City - A Novel, which included the Top 30 single "Face
the Face." The same year, he published a book of short stories,
-Horse's Neck. As part of the White City project, he appeared
in an accompanying film, for which he organized a band called
Pete Townshend's Deep End. The unit played only a few gigs,
but one was videotaped and recorded, resulting in the 1986
album Pete Townshend's Deep End Live! In 1989, he released
an album based on poet Ted Hughes' children's story, The Iron
Man. The record featured guest vocals by John Lee Hooker and
Nina Simone, as well as two tracks featuring the then three
surviving members of the Who. Simultaneous with the album's
release, Townshend embarked on a reunion tour with the Who,
an event that overshadowed The Iron Man.
In 1993, Townshend delivered Psychoderelict, another conceptual
work. By that time, however, he had successfully reinvented
himself as a Broadway tunesmith -- the theatrical production
entitled ,The Who's Tommy, had become a runaway hit, earning
him a Tony Award and prompting him to pursue more stage musicals.
None of these came to fruition during the rest of the 1990s,though,
and by the end of the decade, he was releasing live and archival
recordings (notably the long-delayed Lifehouse) through his
website. The bass player of the Who, John Entwistle's sudden
death shortly before the much anticipated Who Reunion Tour
of 2002 sadden the world. The surviving members of the Who
with great personal effort decided to move ahead as planned
with the tour as a memorial to their beloved band member John.
The Who Reunion Tour was a mammoth success and tribute to
the Who's music and to their loyal fans old and new.
Pete Townshend gave the founding donation in 1989 to enable
H.E.A.R. to become a nonprofit organization created by musicians
and physcians dedicated to the prevention of hearing loss
and tinnitus among musicians and music fans (especially young
people). We at H.E.A.R. have a debt of gratitude and admoration
for Pete's forsight and humanity in helping younger generations
avoid hearing damage that can be devastating to their music
career. Pete came forward about his own loss in 1989 and the
news rocked the music community around the world.
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