November 8, 2006
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The Daily News
The polls are in, and we have projected
a winner:
Alfred E. Neuman
Wins Decisively!1 Nice to know we’re going to be in good hands.2 So last night Dennis-the-Menace’s father gives the speech of his life.
3 Next time around, he has my vote.
4 Actually, I gave him my vote mainly because I felt sorry for the guy.
5 Fun election for once. I actually had a few victories. Nothing like watching an entire evening of returns, and good, honest politicians.
6 Glad-handers and baby kissers. Those guys are all teeth.
7 Well, that’s about enough about elections. I still think that next timeI’m just going to vote for Oat Willy.
8 Looks like something is haunting my puter tonight. It’s going wonky.
9 Let’s hope it holds up until we fight through all this, because the DN is a fun goof.
10 Moving on: yesterday’s Merc News had a great interview with Pete Townshend, songwriter and chief guru of the Who. The article, written by writer Shay Quillen, was originally going to be a phone interview, but when Towshend wouldn’t sit down with Quillen, Quillen asked if he would answer a few e-mail questions.
11 Townshend agreed, and when Quillen sent off his questions, he happened to catch Townshend in the same room he was in when he heard of the death of bass guitarist John Entwistle on June 27, 2002.
12 Townshend responded with a lengthy e-mail, and it was a pretty interesting insight into the time immediately following the death of Entwistle.
Rock legend Pete Townshend.
13 The article wound up practically being written by Townshend and was a rare modern glimpse into the mind of rock’s great innovator.
14 He tells of those terrible hours right after “the Ox” had passed. Years earlier the band had to endure the death of their drummer Keith Moon, arguably the most colorful drummer in rock history.
15 It was a fun read, and you can access the entire article at www.mercurynews.com/music. Hopefully it’s still there.
16 At one point Qullin pointedly took Townshend on the carpet for his selling out to CSI. Here is the question, and Townshend’s quick reply. I hope you enjoy it; it is the man himself in very few words:
Quillen: Some have criticized you for giving the CSI
shows the right to use Who songs. How do you respond?Townshend: I am conscious that every song I license to TV or
movie–especially the good ones–even to certain commercials,
keeps Who music in the public mind.Remember, Who music has always been used to sell
products through the advertising on radio, which we
did not control. We are always paid a small amount
when our songs are played on radio, wo we have al-
ways been a part of that often unethical but
commercial advertising business, just
as a journalist is who writes for a journal
that sells advertising space.17 Okay, so Pete could have used a bit of a goosing in the grammar department, but then
the DN tears into grammar rules on a daily basis. I just right it off as exhaustion and whatever else I could pin it on. On which I could pin it.18 Who cares?
19 Here is a classic album cover from a who album entitled The Who Sell Out, which came out right between Tommy and Quadrophenia. Towhshend always was ahead of his time.
…and the back…
20 Anyway, Anywhere, Anyhow, that’s the Who in a nutshell, or in baked beans. Brilliant band, and they’ll be over at the Tank tonight. At least the two fellows in the picture above will be, and they are both amazingly intelligent, funny, and incredible artists.
Tonight live at the Arena.
21 I said my peace on the Stones. I’ll leave you with Townshend’s words on their mates from across the way,
and the Merc News opinions on which band is greater:Townshend: The Stones are “greater.” But the Who
are probably best musically right now. We carry less
baggage, but as a result we may also convey less
magic. Simply seeing Mick and Keith standing on the
stage together rocks my world.Both bands are far too old and successful to even worry
about all this, but I think perhaps we do. Mick is competitive,
know. But he is also incredibly supportive…I will always be
a fan of the Stones until the day I die. They helped shape me.22 They helped shape a lot of us. So did The Who. Ya gotta love it.
23 That’s it for today.
24 Peace.
~H~
