Absolutely! As an attendee to Woodstock (the original) it is almost unbelievable to see the lack of recognition to one of the most original, unique, talented and entertaining band of all time!
I'm 56 and I've been playing guitar for 40 years or so, but, even if I've always thought The Who were an amazing, amazing band, with so much talent, the four of them (a bit like Led Zeppelin, all the members of the band are incredibly gifted and talented), every time I see P. Townsend smashing one of his guitars, or simply throwing it on the ground, it p...s me off. I know it's art, and art is all about expressing emotions, in whatever way you see fit, but I can't forget the kid I was back in the 80s who had to work two summers in a row to buy himself a decent guitar... So, yeah, I'm sorry, I don't wanna sound uptight or anything, but I've always thought that smashing your guitar (or your drum kit), or setting it on fire, was NOT a cool thing to do. Personal opinion, of course.
John Entwistle was one of the greatest bassists of all time. He may not dance like Pete, but his fingers dance on the fretboard like nobody’s business.
Not called Mr Thunderfingers for nothing. An absolute god and legend. he was to Moon, Daltry and Townsend what Deacon was to Taylor, Mercury and May - just stood there and thundered out the intricate patterns but kept the solid bottom needed. Staggering way to play bass. RIP Sir ....
@@1chishHa you are so right. But you left out that he had to get Moon back on the beat sometimes, as Moonie might have been the first drummer to play off of the vocals instead of the bass.
“Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.” That encapsulates the whole song, and is about as good a lyric as you’ll find in any song, rock or otherwise.
Indeed. It rapidly became (and remains) a kind of catchphrase - a pre-internet era version of a meme or trope. Any change of president, prime minister, police chief, CEO or whatever was always in danger of being greeted with the announcement: 'Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.' In fact, the whole song is a kind of extrapolation of the saying 'It doesn't matter who you vote for. The government always gets in.'
Right on point. I really need to delve into the rest of the lyrics because I hadn't even realized they talked of a change in beard length. But if I never do, I feel I still got 99% of their significance.
As someone who has seen The Who live over 30 times going back to 1969 watching Elizabeth's reaction to this performance is very entertaining and brings back many of my initial emotions when I first saw them at the age of 18. Thank you!
SO jealous! Probably the single most talented rock band ever. I just found out the other day that my wonderful next door neighbors once spent an afternoon hanging out with Pete Townshend in Chicago in the early 1970s. Crazy!
Yes, Pete Townshend invented the "windmill". He was also highly involved in the development of the Marshall guitar amplifier and it's eventual sound. Townshend is a titan in the progression of hard rock and roll and thematic/operatic song writing. Also, Entwhistle pushed rock bass playing to a new level, as did Moon's drumming. The importance of The Who cannot be overstated.
Pete Townshend developed the "windmill" from his days as a "bowler" back in the day 😉 Keith Moon is simply the best Drummer of all time, past, present and future. John Entwhistle was known as the Base Guitarist's Base Guitarist. What more can be said about Roger's vocals as he is one of the very best in the business. Elizabeth, the destruction of their instruments were standard fare in The Who in the 60's. I have recently found out that Deep Purple also smashed up the stage a few times. Check out the two videos below. The song is about politicians who have always been corrupt and dishonest no matter who is elected. At the 25:00 Minute mark you are looking at the laser light show that they used in their concerts. Only a handful of bands used light shows like this namely Pink Floyd and I believe Boston were two. Some other videos you may like are Deep Purple - Mandrake Root (Live London 1970) th-cam.com/video/3c1v7WhKJoA/w-d-xo.html and The Who The Who My Generation Smothers Brothers, 1967: th-cam.com/video/OiSKu7SbGNQ/w-d-xo.html Which also contains a great interview.
I live in Milton Keynes, the town that Marshall - The Father of Loud - made his home. Marshall was the first team sponsor of our city football team and to this day we have a special event at the match nearest to the anniversary of Marshall's death to celebrate his incredible achievements.
John Entwistle was the glue that held this band together in a live setting. Pete and Keith were playing like absolute madmen, so to have a bassist like John who could so effortlessly be the rhythm, melody, root motion and harmony, was essential to their sound.
@@daddyboy3546 Absolutely. John played the Bass like a lead guitar and could weave what he was playing perfectly in line with Pete. They almost telepathically knew where each other were going. IMO John was the best bass player in any rock band, ever.
I know a lot of rock bassists claim that they need to stand CLOSE to the drummer and not goof around onstage too much in order hear and hold the rhythm section together through the shenanigans. But as you say, John is doing that mostly on his own. Pete is thrashing about, Moon is an all around agent of musical and physical chaos, and I know Roger is not usually considered one of the “crazy” ones, but you have to wonder if anyone ever got seriously injured by a flying microphone. All in all it is easy to see in the special case of The Who why John seems typically to gravitate to the point on stage as FAR from the other three as he can manage. 😂
@@dont_follow5777 wow i bet that hurt! Not as much as Tacoma Washington....aka the bar on the guitar through his hand near the end of the concert:( 1989
John Entwistle, "The Ox", is one of the most amazing bassists of all time. His stoic, almost statue-like stage presence was an incredible contrast to Daltrey and Townshend's unbridled energy. Yet his fingers are constantly flying.
This song was written in 1971. This performance was a private concert for reporters and the press prior to their 1978/1979 tour of the Album Who Are You, which I saw in September of 1979 at MSG. This was the last live performance of Keith Moon, the drummer. He died shortly after this. Their 1971 Album Who's Next, which this song was the final track of was the first time synthesizers were ever used in Rock. Also, they were the first band to use a laser light show in concert. They were pioneers and led the way for many bands that followed. One of the greatest rock bands of all time. This song is but an example of the timelessness of their music. Relevant then, relevant now.
Synthesizers were definitely used in rock before 1971. I"m genuinely curious why you think otherwise. Your claim is so odd and unbelievable I was distracted and had to restart the video.
And for the cast and crew of Alien who were in the studio next door and took a break from filming to sneak over and watch. Ridley Scott was so impressed with the lasers that he incorporated them into the movie.
Watched a documentary on The Who once where Noel Gallagher referred to The Who as a being four people playing lead at the same time - lead singer, lead guitar, lead bass, and lead drums. Best description I think i've ever heard of their style. It's mass chaos that somehow sounds absolutely wonderful.
I would actually disagree that Townshend was able to be a lead guitarist. With Entwhistle and Moon doing what they did, Townsend took a very strong rhythm role and underpinned the timing far more than Moon did.
@@ukpeacheater Townshend has often referred to his role in the band as a rhythm guitarist. Entwhistle's bass lines had more of a lead role than just about any bassist at the time.
@@geoffpoole483yep, Pete predominently played rhythm guitar, but he inserted lead solos within that, amidst the rest of the chaos. I think he is overlooked as a lead guitarist, and certainly post Moon, and more so, post Entwistle, he has no doubt proved his chops as a lead guitarist.
John Entwistle the bass player, actually played lead on the bass. Watch him. They all did their part, but his was unique. He may have been static, but his fingers weren't. His bass riffs were magical
Roger used SM58s heavily duct taped to his microphone cable. Les Paul guitars, like Pete's, are pretty tought to break. Keith was an animal but knew exactly what he was doing, The sibling off to the side, well, he was the quiet type...until he had a bass in his hands. Then, thunder. I've been watching the Who's antics for longer than I care to mention. But your first time reactions brought more joy back into the viewing :-)
Important to mention that this is the last performance ever of Keith Moon with The Who prior to his death ,in September 1978.These performances were shot and recorded at Shepperton Studios ,as part of the live footage for The Kids Are Alright (a documentary about the band directed by Jeff Stein).The fact that they left this one as the closing number of the film ,is a testament of the original line-up of the group.If Moonie was going to leave ,he could not do it in a better way .
It's not Moonies greatest performance tbh. He looks knackered and his playing is nowhere near his peak ten years earlier. This footage always leaves me with mixed feelings, Keith's in his very early 30s here but he just looks old and tired.
Interesting fact about this Won't Get Fooled again video is that it's the second time the band preformed it. The first time the producer didn't think the band was lively enough and asked them to do it again with more energy. That's why Pete's antics are a little more exaggerated than usual.
Smashing instruments on stage became a thing in 1964. According to Sweetwater Music's website: "The crowned king of smashing guitars is none other than the Who’s Pete Townshend. He also gets the earliest credit for the act. The year was 1964. The Who were playing a small pub in London known as the Railway Tavern in Harrow and Wealdstone. At some point, Townshend’s Rickenbacker headstock hit the venue’s low ceiling, cracking it with a thud. When Townshend saw that none of the other band members seemed to notice or care, he decided to make it noticeable and smashed the guitar to the floor and against his amp, shattering it to pieces. And thus began a decades-long destructive affair between Pete and his many guitars. "Townshend would go on to smash more guitars on more stages in more countries the world over than any guitarist in rock ‘n’ roll history. He set the bar high on the act, performing it with an intensity and poetic presentation that bordered on dance. He would often raise his Gibson or Fender high over his head, holding it to the sky - a kind of sacrifice to the muse, to the crowd, to the moment. From there, the smashing took many directions. From bouncing the bottom of the body at the strap-button end off the stage over and over, to wielding it like an axe and chopping down a mic stand, to ramming it over and over into the drum stand or into a tower of speakers, Townshend made each guitar smashing an unforgettable moment for the audience." In 1993, Pete appeared on David Letterman's show with a guitar that was to be auctioned off for charity the next day - a children's hospital I believe. After the performance, he smashed it to bits, knowing it would fetch a higher price that way. It sold for $168,000. Can't wait to see your reaction!!!
Townshend was inspired by an artist called Gustav Metzger, who pioneered 'auto-destructive art'. Interesting rabbit-hole to go down, if anyone's interested.
In an interview, I saw, Pete Townshend said after a few years and smashing instruments they realize it were losing money And not making as much as they hoped and they stop smashing and breaking instruments
That scream in this song is one of the most iconic screams of all time. Check out the studio version. Rogers signature was the mic twirling. Pete had the windmill guitar strum. Keith Moon was literally crazy. Entwistle was a master bass player.
The studio version is great because Daltrey does a scream earlier in the song. It’s a good scream, a solid A-. But it’s just a way to set us up. Then the second scream hits and blows it out of the water.
The Who were a progressive, revolutionary band. They made two rock operas: "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia". Pete Townsend used some of the first sequencers in this very song. Their dynamic and often violent performances, along with the moniker of being the loudest band on earth made them one of the most influential ever. If you really want to hear what Roger can sing like, listen to "Love Rain O'er Me". Their lyrics were as powerful as their songs and performances too. Wonderful reaction Elizabeth! I loved it when you picked up on John Entwhistle's bass virtuosity. Keith Moon on drums was the inspiration for "Animal" of the Muppets. I loved playing his parts because of the reckless abandon. This band had the same effect on you as they did to everyone 50 years ago or more. Shock and awe. True rock legends.
I was under the impression the "Loudest Band" moniker belonged to Deep Purple, who took their entire stadium setup into 1600-seat clubs on their first US tour (and so no reason to stop). My other favorite title is Jethro Tull's "Heavy Metal Flute". Oh, Elizabeth, you did forget another Who in your list, the Guess Who (which I highly recommend, "Time" being my fave there).
That is EXACTLY how John Entwistle (bass) was. While the other members were jumping around the stage and smashing their instruments, John always maintained composure and stoicism, all the while absolutely shredding on bass. One of the best bassists of all time. I've never seen a person's fingers move that fast.
I was playing bass in an amateur band at the time and could never manage most of what he played. He caused me to changed from using a pick to learning to play finger style. It was much harder but more interesting! The OX was probably the finest bass player of his generation, and I was and still am a huge fan of John-Paul Jones.
It's weird to us Genx'rs that there are people that don't know this song and are only experiencing it now as we have enjoyed this for 40 years...We welcome you to the world of real rock n roll. :) ....and the greatest scream in rock.......
The bassist is one of my first musical heroes. He made me want to play the bass. Entwistle helped define how bass is played in rock music, and is one of the greatest players in any genre. And it is nothing short of hysterical how he just sits there and does this incredible work while the rest of the band is running around nearly out of control. Sometimes it seems like he is the only one actually playing the song. His phrasing taught me how to change a song's mood without stepping all over the rest of the band, as well as when to open up the pocket for the drummer in the same song I am being busy. He also plays horns in many songs. Just an outstanding musician.
Being a wanna-be guitarist, I never really paid much attention to the bass lines in The Who until I heard Entwistle's playing on Glenn Tipton's first solo album. After that, I went through their entire catalog specifically listening to what he was doing.
Thanks for mentioning the bass player John Entwistle. Terribly complicated lines much more that just keeping the rhythm. His playing is very close to a counter or second melody.
I couldn't have said it better @christophersessions. He influenced so many great bass players. One of my top 5 favorites. Also is she only knew how many guitars and drum kits this band has destroyed 😉
Roger Daltrey's best vocal performance, with great feeling and intensity, is on the studio version of Love Reign O'er Me, which also happens to be a masterpiece of a composition. It's got piano, great dynamics, and is progressive in nature. I hope you try it for the next Who reaction!
This. The first half of Entwistle's bass on Eminence Front is just two alternating notes. From the moment they reach the first chorus, it's an all-out solo with (essentially) no two measures the same through the end of the song. Isolated: th-cam.com/video/Uxy9wa1Fg3s/w-d-xo.html Edit: even better, this might have been from the same performance: th-cam.com/video/80dsyo2Ox-0/w-d-xo.html
Haha, I made that comment about Keith Moon somewhere on TH-cam several years ago - he plays a whole song as one long drum solo! I can't remember which song I was commenting about, but I don't think it was this one.
In their stage shows, Townshend developed a guitar stunt in which he would swing his right arm against the guitar strings in a style reminiscent of the vanes of a windmill. He developed this style after watching Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards warm up before a show.
Yes… the Windmill, pick slide, mic toss, mad genius song writing and live performance all brought to you by the Who. One of the greatest rock bands ever. Your assessment Elizabeth is wonderful and so spot on. Thank you for this. One of my favorite episodes. 🙏👏👍
Famously, Townshend nicked his iconic 'windmill' move from Keith Richards, who did it once in a performance at London's Marquee Club (?) and he then used it forever !
It's #2 for me. The first being Ian Gillan in Deep Purple's Strange Kind Of Woman on Made In Japan; that beats this for sheer lung capacity...but not aggression. The bollocks on Daltrey's scream are enormous.
Always remember: Muppet "Animal" the drummer, was created after Kieth Moon. And Phil Taylor, drummer of Motörhead was called "The Animal" after the muppet.
This is one of Elizabeth's best reactions - she nailed it early when she caught that a revolution is void when the new boss - is the same as the old boss. Nothing really changes - and since this song came out 50 years ago - the bosses are still self serving.
What she, and apparently others, have missed is that the "revolution" isn't literal, it refers to gov'ts shifting from political faction to political faction, all to thunderous applause. And yet, they say, nothing of significance changes, especially not for the better. I no longer have any loyalty to any faction, especially not the primary two, and this song, over the course of decades, taught me to see the futility. Now, I get the distinct displeasure of watching history repeat itself, but I study history, and therefore am doomed to that anyway, like the scant few others (on the scale of billions) share in with me. Better check my cap, then practice my bow, smile and grin. Damn it.
The Who are undeniable one of the greatest bands ever. Four incredibly talented musicians who somehow ended up in the same place at the same time. For me, one of the top 5 bands of all time.
The bass player was John Entwistle who's not usually very animated, but who was an absolute beast on bass. He always looked a bit disgusted at having to be there... Just his way. But if you ever get a chance to hear some of his bass work isolated, you'll quickly hear the genius in his playing.
Another vote here for "Love Reign O'er Me" as your next song by The Who. Roger Daltrey's singing on that song is one of the great vocal performances in the history of rock.
The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" is right up your ally with a killer vocal performance.The band also did great live 4-part harmonies. Check out "A Quick One While He's Away" from their Rock And Roll Circus performance. It is a story told through a flowing suite of songs that pre-dates, Tommy their first rock opera.
It is so cute to see her comment on things she is first seeing that the rock world takes for granted about this band. From the windmill posturing that Townshend introduced which has long been the basis for rock guitar antics, to Moon's wild nature over is technique, to Daltrey swinging the mic and the lyrics being epic, it's like she intuits what the rest of us valued all along about this remarkable band.
Yes! The windmill move originated with Pete. I was lucky enough to have seen them 5 times before 1977. Roger really perfected the mic swinging moves which looked particularly cool when he wore the long fringed jacket. Seeing them do the entire Tommy show right after it was released is one of the real concert memories of my life
At one point Pete credited Keith Richards with the windmill. The Who was touring with the Stones, Pete saw Keith doing it during soundcheck to warm up and asked if he (Pete) could do it onstage. Obviously it went on to be a signature move for Townshend.
They ARE such characters, and each one is a beast of a musician. Keith Moon is Neil Peart’s (Rush) favorite drummer. Townsend is a monster songwriter, Entwistle is a virtuoso bassist, and Daltry has the most rock and roll power voice ever. Love these guys. “Who Are You” and “5:15” my favorites.
The two best jazz drummers that started in the 60s, Tony Willimas and Elvin Jones loved Keith Moon. How could you not? I listened to an interview with sting on the greatness of John Entwistle. He said he is listening as a young guy to Entwistle play the bass and how damn good he is and then he says something like, "so, I'm listening and all of a sudden, he does something on the bass, and I say, 'what the hell was that. I've never heard anything like it.'"
Keith was originally a pianist and approached the drums completely differently. For example, he hardly ever used hi hats - hated them because they weren't loud enough.
Keith Moon was one of a kind. He rarely just played the beat. If you really pay attention, he's playing along with the melody and accentuating Daltrey's vocal lines. At first listen, it may sound like uncontrolled mayhem, and then all of a sudden he pulls it all in to match a point in the melody or vocal line. He was absolutely brilliant. And crazy.
And this is his last live performance with The Who. This was filmed in 1979 at Shepperton Studios in Surrey for the film, "The Kids Are Alright." The audience consisted of just a few studio employees that could be scraped up.
He didn't just play a few fills with the beat - He was the fills !! Like you say he filled the melody , the lyrics and the guitar - Bass was doing the same !! Thay all just jammed well together . Free expression at its best !!
You've got to listen to Love Reign O'er Me by the Who now. You'll be blown away by Daltry's voice in that song. Still gets me every time I listen to it.
@@crescentfreshbret Yeah, we have to agree that Pete wasn't the best virtuoso on his Les Paul, but he was rite up there w/ Jimi when it came to stage presence and destroying perfectly usable 🎸 guitars and Tommy and Dick Smothers TV 📺 shows set!---
The Who were the ultimate ROCK band. This was not long before Keith Moon passed away. They are toward the end of their ultimate powers, but still an iconic band. Roger and his swinging mic! He was a master of that. Pete made the windmill his signature move.
Yeah it was not too long before Moon passed. Can't believe it'll be 45 ? years in sept. The Who has always been in my top 3 bands but they were so hard to not be the best when they were at their creative best
The mic swinging is Roger Daltrey’s trademark. Over the years more and more tape was applied to the mics cable connector, it wasn’t going anywhere! And as for Pete Townsend and his guitar windmill action was his trademark, the bass players stoic calm bass guitar solos were famous. As for Kieth Moon’s manic drumming was why he was the inspiration for the Muppets drummer Animal.
@@kevinflynn4519 He did hit a member of the audience with it once. I've seen the footage. The band stopped, Roger climbed down from the stage and there were profuse apologies to the person concerned, who was OK.
I think Elizabeth needs to listen to the studio version of this song to really appreciate Daltry's mad vocals. That scream, impressive as it is live, is twice as impressive on that version.
I LOVE Under A Raging Moon, that Roger DaItry ? tribute song for him featuring a bunch of other drummers in the song paying respects. Cool song and great tribute.
Its nice to hear Elizabeth say the bass player was awesome. The most unrecognized great players. He's totally in the groove and his basslines were incredible. I wish he was louder in their mixes. John Entwistle was a legend!
"Love, Reign o'er Me" was certainly one of "The Who's" most powerful and beautiful songs. Quite possibly the most beautiful song "The Who" ever released. You should give it a listen. I have seen "The Who" three times in concert including "Who's Last" which was supposed to have been their last live performance and of course was not. I went on after that to see them again two more times. They are legends.
"Love Reign O'er Me" is probably the BEST song for her to react to - especially the studio version. But I also think she would LOVE to see some of their truly live stuff when they totally destroy their instruments. :)
Hearing John Entwistle's bass track isolated is a revelation - he was a multi-instrumentalist, including banjo. He played the bass using bluegrass fingerstyles, which made his bass into a melodic instrument as well as rhythm. (He also played French Horn and trumpet which you can hear on some early Who songs and all over Quadrophenia.)
There was an interview with Pete Townshend, where he was asked what is was like being one of the best guitarists in Rock,and he said what are you talking about, I'm not even the best guitarist in this band!
Its not for nothing he was voted the greatest bassist ever in a 2011 Rolling Stone readers' poll and, in 2020, RS ranked him number three in its own list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time. Not bad for the guy to the far side almost hiding, just standing there playing his bass.
It is so gratifying to relive this with you. I was a concert rat and saw pretty much everyone. NO ONE came close to a performance by The Who. It was the small Miami Stadium and open field. I was sitting on shoulders center stage front line. I had Roger Daultry sweat flying on me. It was wild with a roady running up and down the stage lip hammering any hands trying to jump the stage. Jesus! The energy! On that memory alone I could die a happy woman.
Keith Moon is one of the greatest drummers of all time. He's in pretty much every drum aficionados top 5, and was called the wild man. Roger and Pete were the energetic front men, putting on the show, as you saw. Roger swinging his mike around is a "signature move" and the cord was heavily taped to avoid damage. John, the reserved bassist, is one of the most under rated bass players ever, but in real life was just as off the wall as the rest of them. The big windmill strum on the guitar originated with Pete, a reporter once asked him how he thought it up and his answer was "it came from bowling". A good song to hear Roger in a more melodic voice would be Behind Blue Eyes. Who Are You is another of their huge hits and there is a video of them messing around in the studio (it shows the camaraderie of the group, and how comical all of them can be). Baba O'Riley is another great one, as is Love Reign O'er Me and also Eminence Front.
Pete actually got the move from Keith Richards. Keith ended a set with it and Pete asked him if he could use it and Keith didn't know what he was talking about really but said sure.
There’s a lot of Who in certain sections of Marty McFly’s performance. And an awful lot of Keith Moon in Animal (the drummer it Electric Mayhem, the band in the Muppets).
Entwistle was a beast and highly underrated. He had a wild lead guitarist, a wild lead vocalist, and an explosively wild drummer, and he was the mortar holding it together.
I heard some drummers when talking about Keith Moon and how unique he was say that because Keith played the drums like they were a lead instrument and to accentuate the vocals and the guitar, that Entwistle on bass performed a lot of the time and rhythm keeping that a drummer would normally do -- so yeah, he did literally keep them all together! Someone had to!! 😁
I was blessed with getting to seeing them recently in Denver Colorado 2023 I love them much more now that I have seen them live! They STILL have great voices
The windmill guitar technique is Pete Townshend’s signature move. Breaking instruments on stage is a trademark of The Who and other bands of the time and more recent. The drummer blew up toilets in hotels. There was a bunch of drinking. It was the seventies! And it was awesome! Glad you enjoyed it.
You forgot about the Cadillac in the swimming pool. and the Smothers Brothers where they packed a megacrapton of boom-boom into the drum set, I think Pete had a punctured eardrum from that one.
Marc Bolan toured in support of The Who before he was Tyrannosaurus Rex and later T.Rex - and they booted him for inciting the crowd to violence and joining in. Marc Bolan was too hardcore for The Who. You won't believe me and you'll google it and it'll be your favourite factoid for a long while.
@@TiberiusWallace Sorry my favorite fact about the music industry is that Malcom and Angus' brother is featured in the song "The Sultans of Swing" About The Who it's gotta be Moonies car-POOL 🤣🤣🤣
@@das564 Pete Related he first saw Keith Richards do it back in the 60's. So he started doing it. He later asked Richards if he did not mind that he "nicked" that move from him. Richards did not even remember doing it.....
Still amazes me that they were invited to 3 days of peace, love and music only to be the loudest band ever by Guinness at the time and smack Abbey Hoffman in the head with a cherry red Gibson SG. The first punk band IMHO. As an old CBGB (my church) punk and actually got started with this album at age 6, I’ll die on that hill. They held it together from the Mod movement to the arena. No one will ever compare. Pete is my fav song writer by far. Get his audio AUTO, he narrates.
May 23rd, 1971 The Who played Won’t Get Fooled Again as an encore to their set at the Caird Hall in Dundee, prior to heading off on a USA tour. Pete Townsend said this was the first time they’d played it to an audience. I was blown away by it, and it’s still my favourite Who song (among many great songs - My Generation, Pictures of Lily, Pinball Wizard and many others). I feel very privileged to have been at the first ever live performance of Won’t Get Fooled Again, 52 years ago.
You may be right, because I can't remember the date(!) but they also played it in Bath at one of their impromptu, pre-tour, warm-up shows. No adverts, just word of mouth, and hundreds packed into the Pavilion like sardines in a tin. I recall it was extremely hot, and fire regs were definitely broken. Moonie threw buckets of water over the front rows to cool people down. A very relaxed show, I loved every minute.
I LOVE Elizabeth's expression at 18:21 when she fully begins to understand the meaning of the song. You can almost HEAR when everything clicks for her. I'm a psychologist, so actions and behaviors (including things such as facial expression and body language) are areas I'm trained to pay attention to. And one of my favorite things about this channel (besides learning vastly more about the voice, singing, and music in general) is how expressive she is when diving into a song. It's as tthough I am personally rediscovering music I have been listening to for years vicariously through these videos. So, thank you Elizabeth for creating this channel and being such a positive individual. I am very happy I came across your channel a couple of months ago. Keep up the amazing work and thank you for helping me fall in love with these songs all over again :)
Ck the body language of each and every female whilst watching Led Zeppelin live 1973 Since I've Been Loving You. Don't need to be an expert to decipher the non-verbal communications exhibited. Retired infectious disease PharmD with 2° specialty in psych. People, on the average, are nutz lol
Bass player, John Entwistle, was the bassist for the The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Quiet One" and "Thunderfingers". He is regarded as one of the best Bass players of all time.
Just found your channel. I have never had so much fun watching someone review a song!!! In an interview with Peter Noonan of Herman's Hermits, The Who toured with them in the early days. Breaking their instruments was a signature move of The Who, but they couldn't afford them. So Herman's Hermits let them bust up their instruments, because their label just replaced them the next night! I'm sure others mentioned this, but that arm swing was definitely a Pete Townsend creation. These guys significantly shaped Rock & Roll! Oh, and if you've never heard the Quadrophenia album, and specifically the last song, "Love Reign O'er me" you are missing out.
Keith Moon was an amazing drummer. I'm not the first to say he played the drums as if he was a vocalist, he would be doing call and response as well as counterpoint in his drum lines all while somehow keeping a driving beat. He was truly one of a kind. Also Entwhistle stoically standing off to one side while only his hands and fingers furiously run amazing bass lines was such a signature counterpoint during their live performances.
I'm a 90s kid and I owned a Walkman. It was a cheap Sony, cheap only because Japan is next door to my country. I was listening to Elizabeth breaking it down and catching all the pieces given how, somehow, this is the forst time she's heard the song. But towards the end I stopped cooking dinner to watch the screen, because I knew what was coming and wanted to see her face when it happened. Roger Daltrey (and Jim Morrison) were absolute enigmas when on stage. I only ever watched them on TV, years after the said performances, but 11-year-old me was just as fascinated as anyone in the audience.
So much to say about this band... Rogers best vocal performance is on "Love reign o'er me" I recommend the studio recording as I am not sure there is a live performance with good sound quality. It is an incredible song, you won't be disappointed!!!
Elizabeth, I've only just found this and if you've not done it yet, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch the Rock Opera Tommy. You are in for a treat. I also love how much of a surprise The Who's on stage antics are to you when us old farts have seen it all before and loved every minute of it. p.s. the only member of the band who wasn't doped up to the eyeballs was Roger Daltrey.
I'm so glad you finally noticed John Entwhistle's bass playing. He was one of the best in the business. In their early days they used to destroy their gear on stage lead by the rabid but brilliant Keith Moon. Cost them nothing as the makers of the instruments replaced them at no charge . The Who received more commercial radio play than any other band in history including the Beatles and the Stones. Your enthusiasm and delight is so infectious,
Roger does a great scream, but it doesn't compare with Ian Gillan at the end of 'Strange Kind Of Woman' on 'Made In Japan' by Deep Purple. Now THAT has got to be the ultimate scream in the history of rock music.
This band is epitome of inspiration in every way as possible!!! Every band member is GOD on his instruments and MASTER of their craft!!! THE WHO is TIMELESS as the universe!!!
@@cheffrey82 the who is just AMAZING! I saw them in 2017 at rock in Rio (first and only time they played in Brazil), I was there front row and Peter mocked me after my generation because I was screaming "MAGIC BUS!!!" on the top of my lungs after each and every song - eventually he noticed me. They didn't play it, though... But that was awesome! 😂 You can find it on TH-cam! Plus on "join together" Roger was singing it in front of me and pointing the mic at me during the chorus - that's how wired I was for seeing them!
I finally saw them a couple of years ago and even at their age, they sounded great. I wish I had seen them in their heyday, but I am making up for lost time.
Strongly recommend you watch the performance of Baba O’riley from the same concert. Very tight. Solid vocals. Lotta fun. Also, I love that they felt the need to strap Keith Moon’s headphones to his skull with gaffer’s tape.
The bass player, John Entwhistle, was known as “the Ox” and “the Quiet One” because of his above it all demeanor compared to the rest of the band. He was pretty much the adult in the band during those days holding the rhythm for Keith so that Keith could be Keith on drums. It was part of the magic of the band. Keith could be nuts because he knew if he got distracted John had the groove.
Rather than older sibling, John Entwhistle looks more like the youngest Uncle who gets forced to sit at the kids table at Thanksgiving because he hasn't graduated from school yet.
If you want to hear more of Roger's range, Love Reign O'er Me is a classic--last song on their album Quadrophenia. . A Quick One (while he's away) is another amazing performance and shows more of their singing and vocalizing abilities. The Who is a huge rabbit hole. They've done so much for rock and roll and music in general. Absolute pioneers at so many things. Like the synth, one of the first bands ever to use synth as a backing track. Pete invented the "windmill", and they definitely made the whole smashing up the set a thing... lol.
I saw them live in 85 or so and Love Reign O'er Me was the song that still stands out the most in my memory. I'm sure my jaw dropped open as I realized how impressive Roger Daltrey's vocals really were.
@@scottNNJ Agreed! For me, Won't Get Fooled Again is my personal favorite. There's so many close seconds too! Who Are You, The Real Me, 515, and that's not even touching Tommy yet lol.
There are moments when her surprise and joy are like that of someone from Nebraska seeing the ocean for the first time and playing in the waves "WOW!!! That's SO FUN!!!"
I have been entertained by the performance of this song practically my whole life (born in '57), but watching Elizabeth's reaction and realization of what the song is saying is a whole new and delightful experience. In my opinion, Daltrey's scream at the end of the keyboard/drum section remains the best scream in Rock n Roll!
i saw them a few years back in the Garden in Boston; Daltrey has to pace himself now but a big part of the point to that is so he can still do the scream when they're near the end of the concert.
There never has been, is, or will be another band like The Who. (Edit): Okay, now that I've watched your whole reaction: First, out of all the reaction videos I have watched, this one is, by far, the most honest I have ever seen. I especially liked the fact that once you suddenly realized what the song was about, that became your focus. Not an easy thing when faced with the sonic and visual onslaught that is The Who. Also: Yes, John "The Ox" Entwistle is, imho, the greatest rock bass player ever. The cymbal coming off, then being bounced off the guitar was, I'm sure, not planned. Keith Moon was the absolute greatest "Keith Moon-style" drummer that ever lived. Roger Daltrey was once referred to as the "Titanium throated mega-stud" and usually the microphone cable was taped to the the mic itself so it wouldn't get destroyed. And Pete Townshend did often cut his hand while playing those windmill power chords. The slide down the neck of his guitar was accomplished by running his pick down the low strings which are wound, which gives them a rough surface.
One thing you can't replicate on TH-cam is just how LOUD the Who were live, especially John Entwhistle on the bass. I heard them live sometime in the 70's and my ears are still ringing!
The "windmill" arm motion has been a signature move for guitarist Townsend since the early days of the band. What's so remarkable about Keith Moon is that he played in a very polyrhythmic style that was admired by the great jazz drummers. These guys were raw, but brilliant.
I know this is not her native milieu, but can I say it is just adorable that she hasn’t heard of The Who or this song before. Also adorable that she says “that was the most destructive performance…” Hell, Pete didn’t even splinter his guitar, and Keith - the guy who more or less made trashing your hotel room a rock and roll cliche - didn’t even smash his drum set here! “I hope that his guitar is ok”. 😂 So adorable. Also, unlike some George W. Bush campaign event organizers, she appears to have gotten the message of the song on the first uptake in spite of her lack of prior knowledge about the band. It is perhaps a bit of a low bar but Elizabeth is now a goddess in my book! 😊
The Smothers Brothers show, where Moon's bass drum was packed with explosives, was the most destructive performance....and damn dangerous. But, it was also funny in a warped kind of way.
@@mightyV444 I dropped my sg and cracked the neck. The headstock didn't break off completely and i actually finished playing the song. I'm guessing that had to have happened here. If you drop a gibson, the neck will crack at least 9 out of 10 times.
This was a great reaction! This performance was shot at Shepperton Film Studios. Ridley Scott was shooting “Alien” next door and The Who borrowed the lasers from him.
The Who were a force of nature that just coincidentally made fantastic music. Thanks for the reaction. I've never had the pleasure of seeing someone discover them the first time.
I saw them over 10 times in early 70's and 80's. Their shows were always phenomenal and left you wanting for so much more. One of the Greatest Bands ever and they live today
@CharlieMcowan don't feel bad. I only saw them twice. 1974-75 for Quadrophinia, and again in the early 90s. The 1st one was mind blowing. My friend and I spent two days in line to get tickets. At first they were handing out tickets for places in line. This was at the Forum in LA. I got number 3485. Not bad considering there 2 nights. Plus the size of the Forum. So, we're carousing this giant party, and I see a friend from school. He tells me someone I knew got busted for something, and was selling his ticket in line. For 10 dollars. It was number 202. I bought it. Took my 3485 back around the 8000s and sold it for 10 dollars. I ended up with 7th row seats. Opening night for Quadrophinia. During the encore, I was standing on the back rests of chairs on the second row. There was bits and pieces of his guitar bouncing off of me. Biggest night of my life. To this day.
An absolute rock anthem. The words couldn't ring more true today. As I was born in 1978, I didn't get the chance to experience them in the day, but man what a hell of a blast it must have been.
You have no idea. Live At Leeds was recorded three months after I saw them toward the end of their Tommy tour in the US, so my first live rock concert ever was basically the LAL performance. Absolutely staggering experience. Townsend, airborne in white and red. They didn't play that way because they wanted to, they played because they had to. Whatever possessed them clawed its way out and threatened all of us with not just volume, but p.o.w.e.r. And, BTW, drunk, stoned, and possessed, those boys could PLAY.
Elizabeth, whoever suggested this particular performance of this particular song LIVE gets a giant cookie with gold flake stars on it. Bravo to you for going in cold on this. Honest and admirably adorable, The band is legendary and rightfully so. If good art is supposed to make one think, The Who makes sure that all do. Best Wishes Always.
YEAH!!!! It certainly is. I loved it back when released and it fits and tells the same story now. Question everything, everyone, and most importantly DON"T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYONE SEZ,look at everything and WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN! Be well and safe, peace to you and yours.
I always appreciated Pete Townsend's description of how the band played a song which was, roughly: John and I would start the song and Keith would start a drum solo, Roger joined in and laid down the vocals. If everything went right, John, Roger and I would finish the song at the same time as Keith finished the solo. Moonie was, and had, more fun behind a drum kit than anyone I can think of from that era.
Hard to differentiate with Keith Moon if he was insane or genius or more likely both. Often it would seem his approach to drumming was backwards. Most drummers lay down a steady beat, a groove or a shuffle, depending on the song, and then the different sections will be transitioned with a flourishing fill. Not Keith. The whole song was fill and the transitions were steady groove. 🤯 Amazing.
@@michellemiles9966 given that it was keith, he was probably hallucinating, and the sword fight was real to him. it's interesting seeing the earlier who. they were so raw. amazing stuff
I saw in an interview with Neil Peart, that he said Keith rarely if ever played drum solos, as he got everything he wanted to say out in his playing during the song. Another way of saying what you stated, the entire song was a solo for him.
IMO the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the History of the Universe! And this song, and its performance here, is ample testimony to support my opinion. Loved joining in for Elizabeth's first hearing, which was innocent, unsuspecting, incredulous and honest in the extreme. I hope we just witnessed the birth of a new Who fan!
I grew up during this time and just accepted their performance antics lol i never thought how someone would react seeing for the first time in a different era. The shock on your face was priceless 😂
I was therefrom the beginning but watching new Generations seeing this for 1st time is nothing short of priceless I am in full tears of laughter at her reaction
I loved your commentary. As someone that grew up being a huge fan of The Who, I appreciated how you went from kind of 'not getting it', to fully grasping the whole point of this song. And you are right, Keith Moon never played the drums, he attacked them.
Great reaction and interpretation/understanding of the song! Nice to see that you´ve come to the same conclusion I did in the mid 80´s when I was a twen and heard the song for the third time. 👍🏼
Elizabeth's reaction is fabulous. Her breakdown of why it's successful musically gives it another dimension to me. I loved her reactions to the stage craft. She reminded me about how charismatic their live performances are, and continue to be (Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are aged 79 & 78). This is one of my favourite songs of all time which I first saw live in 1971 and saw last week live at Edinburgh Castle (a ticket my late wife bought me for Christmas before she passed away)
Elizabeth's shock at seeing the band's instrument smashing antics will doubtless elicit knowing chuckles from those of us of a certain age.
Absolutely! As an attendee to Woodstock (the original) it is almost unbelievable to see the lack of recognition to one of the most original, unique, talented and entertaining band of all time!
but some of it was just for show
Wait until she gets to Jimi at Monterey!
I'm 56 and I've been playing guitar for 40 years or so, but, even if I've always thought The Who were an amazing, amazing band, with so much talent, the four of them (a bit like Led Zeppelin, all the members of the band are incredibly gifted and talented), every time I see P. Townsend smashing one of his guitars, or simply throwing it on the ground, it p...s me off. I know it's art, and art is all about expressing emotions, in whatever way you see fit, but I can't forget the kid I was back in the 80s who had to work two summers in a row to buy himself a decent guitar... So, yeah, I'm sorry, I don't wanna sound uptight or anything, but I've always thought that smashing your guitar (or your drum kit), or setting it on fire, was NOT a cool thing to do. Personal opinion, of course.
It brought a chuckle to me, but I think Pete used guitars for that stunt that weren't much cop!
John Entwistle was one of the greatest bassists of all time. He may not dance like Pete, but his fingers dance on the fretboard like nobody’s business.
Not called Mr Thunderfingers for nothing. An absolute god and legend. he was to Moon, Daltry and Townsend what Deacon was to Taylor, Mercury and May - just stood there and thundered out the intricate patterns but kept the solid bottom needed.
Staggering way to play bass. RIP Sir ....
Brass player and fine horn arranger in his spare time.
Read a quote from him that put him in perspective. He said he wasn’t a bass player…he was a bass guitar player.
Elizabeth, ya gotta listen to Tommy. It’s the first kinda “rock opera” so to speak
@@1chishHa you are so right. But you left out that he had to get Moon back on the beat sometimes, as Moonie might have been the first drummer to play off of the vocals instead of the bass.
“Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.” That encapsulates the whole song, and is about as good a lyric as you’ll find in any song, rock or otherwise.
She kinda skipped right over that one...but it was her first time to hear it. That entire album is awesome.
Indeed. It rapidly became (and remains) a kind of catchphrase - a pre-internet era version of a meme or trope. Any change of president, prime minister, police chief, CEO or whatever was always in danger of being greeted with the announcement: 'Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.'
In fact, the whole song is a kind of extrapolation of the saying 'It doesn't matter who you vote for. The government always gets in.'
I've come back to that line so many times during my life. I don't think it'll ever stop being applicable.
Yep
Right on point. I really need to delve into the rest of the lyrics because I hadn't even realized they talked of a change in beard length. But if I never do, I feel I still got 99% of their significance.
As someone who has seen The Who live over 30 times going back to 1969 watching Elizabeth's reaction to this performance is very entertaining and brings back many of my initial emotions when I first saw them at the age of 18. Thank you!
SO jealous! Probably the single most talented rock band ever. I just found out the other day that my wonderful next door neighbors once spent an afternoon hanging out with Pete Townshend in Chicago in the early 1970s. Crazy!
Saw the many times myself. Usually as close to the front row as possible.
Yes, Pete Townshend invented the "windmill". He was also highly involved in the development of the Marshall guitar amplifier and it's eventual sound. Townshend is a titan in the progression of hard rock and roll and thematic/operatic song writing. Also, Entwhistle pushed rock bass playing to a new level, as did Moon's drumming. The importance of The Who cannot be overstated.
Pete Townshend developed the "windmill" from his days as a "bowler" back in the day 😉 Keith Moon is simply the best Drummer of all time, past, present and future. John Entwhistle was known as the Base Guitarist's Base Guitarist. What more can be said about Roger's vocals as he is one of the very best in the business. Elizabeth, the destruction of their instruments were standard fare in The Who in the 60's. I have recently found out that Deep Purple also smashed up the stage a few times. Check out the two videos below.
The song is about politicians who have always been corrupt and dishonest no matter who is elected. At the 25:00 Minute mark you are looking at the laser light show that they used in their concerts. Only a handful of bands used light shows like this namely Pink Floyd and I believe Boston were two.
Some other videos you may like are Deep Purple - Mandrake Root (Live London 1970) th-cam.com/video/3c1v7WhKJoA/w-d-xo.html
and The Who The Who My Generation Smothers Brothers, 1967: th-cam.com/video/OiSKu7SbGNQ/w-d-xo.html Which also contains a great interview.
I live in Milton Keynes, the town that Marshall - The Father of Loud - made his home. Marshall was the first team sponsor of our city football team and to this day we have a special event at the match nearest to the anniversary of Marshall's death to celebrate his incredible achievements.
Actually he did not invent the "windmill " style. He picked it up from another guitar player hes aw use it.
@@jamesdalton4770 Yep...Townshend in his autobiography states that he picked it up from Keith Richards.
I'll just say Moon was right there with Niel Peart, and John Bonham.
John Entwistle was the glue that held this band together in a live setting. Pete and Keith were playing like absolute madmen, so to have a bassist like John who could so effortlessly be the rhythm, melody, root motion and harmony, was essential to their sound.
It was a band of 4 soloists
@@daddyboy3546 Absolutely. John played the Bass like a lead guitar and could weave what he was playing perfectly in line with Pete. They almost telepathically knew where each other were going. IMO John was the best bass player in any rock band, ever.
I know a lot of rock bassists claim that they need to stand CLOSE to the drummer and not goof around onstage too much in order hear and hold the rhythm section together through the shenanigans. But as you say, John is doing that mostly on his own. Pete is thrashing about, Moon is an all around agent of musical and physical chaos, and I know Roger is not usually considered one of the “crazy” ones, but you have to wonder if anyone ever got seriously injured by a flying microphone. All in all it is easy to see in the special case of The Who why John seems typically to gravitate to the point on stage as FAR from the other three as he can manage. 😂
@@MarkoBotsarisI read that Pete had been hit with it before.
@@dont_follow5777 wow i bet that hurt! Not as much as Tacoma Washington....aka the bar on the guitar through his hand near the end of the concert:( 1989
John Entwistle, "The Ox", is one of the most amazing bassists of all time. His stoic, almost statue-like stage presence was an incredible contrast to Daltrey and Townshend's unbridled energy. Yet his fingers are constantly flying.
No one better! As Townshend said “I was a lead guitarist competing against a lead singer, a lead drummer and a lead bassist”
True words well spoken
Definitely. The Ox is one the most influental rock bassists! I highly recommend watching isolated bass track from this very same footage.
A true legend.
Old Thunder fingers.. He was very good.
This song was written in 1971. This performance was a private concert for reporters and the press prior to their 1978/1979 tour of the Album Who Are You, which I saw in September of 1979 at MSG. This was the last live performance of Keith Moon, the drummer. He died shortly after this. Their 1971 Album Who's Next, which this song was the final track of was the first time synthesizers were ever used in Rock. Also, they were the first band to use a laser light show in concert. They were pioneers and led the way for many bands that followed. One of the greatest rock bands of all time. This song is but an example of the timelessness of their music. Relevant then, relevant now.
When Rock ROLLED
Synthesizers were definitely used in rock before 1971. I"m genuinely curious why you think otherwise.
Your claim is so odd and unbelievable I was distracted and had to restart the video.
I didn't know that this was The Loon's last live performance! What a genius fuckin drumming animal that guy was! RIP.
And for the cast and crew of Alien who were in the studio next door and took a break from filming to sneak over and watch. Ridley Scott was so impressed with the lasers that he incorporated them into the movie.
The Beatles used Synthesizers on Abbey Road. You can hear it on I want you, Because and Here come the sun.
Watched a documentary on The Who once where Noel Gallagher referred to The Who as a being four people playing lead at the same time - lead singer, lead guitar, lead bass, and lead drums. Best description I think i've ever heard of their style. It's mass chaos that somehow sounds absolutely wonderful.
I would actually disagree that Townshend was able to be a lead guitarist. With Entwhistle and Moon doing what they did, Townsend took a very strong rhythm role and underpinned the timing far more than Moon did.
@@ukpeacheater Townshend has often referred to his role in the band as a rhythm guitarist. Entwhistle's bass lines had more of a lead role than just about any bassist at the time.
@@geoffpoole483yep, Pete predominently played rhythm guitar, but he inserted lead solos within that, amidst the rest of the chaos. I think he is overlooked as a lead guitarist, and certainly post Moon, and more so, post Entwistle, he has no doubt proved his chops as a lead guitarist.
I'm a Boy from 1967. The vocal harmonies are Gilbert and Sullivanish. Just my opinion.
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John Entwistle the bass player, actually played lead on the bass. Watch him. They all did their part, but his was unique. He may have been static, but his fingers weren't. His bass riffs were magical
The greatest rock bass player ever !
He was also a properly trained classical musician, and had a huge collection of brass instruments
The ox made all of the who songs its his bass townshend admits it
Trumpet and french horn you can hear the french horn on tommy
@@zaphodbeeblebrox5973je played the French horn on the overture for Tommy.
The anticipation of having to wait until 27:29 to see Elizabeth’s reaction to the greatest scream in rock and roll history was worth every second!! 😱
Absolutely! Just waiting for that particular moment!
speaking of; is it Van Halen with Atomic Punk that must be, I guess, second best?
Right on😎
NODDERS KEKW
I. know! I kept yelling at her "just wait for it ! just wait for it! " Yeah !!!!!
Roger used SM58s heavily duct taped to his microphone cable.
Les Paul guitars, like Pete's, are pretty tought to break.
Keith was an animal but knew exactly what he was doing,
The sibling off to the side, well, he was the quiet type...until he had a bass in his hands. Then, thunder.
I've been watching the Who's antics for longer than I care to mention. But your first time reactions brought more joy back into the viewing :-)
The Who were for a time, the best live band on Earth. Three complete maniacs and a bass player.
Yet, the Bass Player's licks were like a Maniac, barreling down a slanted cliff, heading for destruction!
Respect but not and a bass player, but rather
and THE bass player!
And they were also known as "the loudest live band" (in decibels) per the Guiness Book of World Records following a 1976 concert.
@@andyo3689yap.
@@andyo3689 Bass Guitarist even according to himself :)
Important to mention that this is the last performance ever of Keith Moon with The Who prior to his death ,in September 1978.These performances were shot and recorded at Shepperton Studios ,as part of the live footage for The Kids Are Alright (a documentary about the band directed by Jeff Stein).The fact that they left this one as the closing number of the film ,is a testament of the original line-up of the group.If Moonie was going to leave ,he could not do it in a better way .
This performance was on May 25, 1978. Keith Moon died 3 months 14 days later (106 Days later on 7 September 1978
It's not Moonies greatest performance tbh. He looks knackered and his playing is nowhere near his peak ten years earlier. This footage always leaves me with mixed feelings, Keith's in his very early 30s here but he just looks old and tired.
@@richstewart8774 Yeah, this makes me sad. I cried when Keith died, he and John were my favorites.
Elizabeth if you think this is the best The Who song then listen to Love Reign O’re Me! Prepare to have your mind blown sexy!
Interesting fact about this Won't Get Fooled again video is that it's the second time the band preformed it. The first time the producer didn't think the band was lively enough and asked them to do it again with more energy. That's why Pete's antics are a little more exaggerated than usual.
Smashing instruments on stage became a thing in 1964. According to Sweetwater Music's website: "The crowned king of smashing guitars is none other than the Who’s Pete Townshend. He also gets the earliest credit for the act. The year was 1964. The Who were playing a small pub in London known as the Railway Tavern in Harrow and Wealdstone. At some point, Townshend’s Rickenbacker headstock hit the venue’s low ceiling, cracking it with a thud. When Townshend saw that none of the other band members seemed to notice or care, he decided to make it noticeable and smashed the guitar to the floor and against his amp, shattering it to pieces. And thus began a decades-long destructive affair between Pete and his many guitars.
"Townshend would go on to smash more guitars on more stages in more countries the world over than any guitarist in rock ‘n’ roll history. He set the bar high on the act, performing it with an intensity and poetic presentation that bordered on dance. He would often raise his Gibson or Fender high over his head, holding it to the sky - a kind of sacrifice to the muse, to the crowd, to the moment. From there, the smashing took many directions. From bouncing the bottom of the body at the strap-button end off the stage over and over, to wielding it like an axe and chopping down a mic stand, to ramming it over and over into the drum stand or into a tower of speakers, Townshend made each guitar smashing an unforgettable moment for the audience."
In 1993, Pete appeared on David Letterman's show with a guitar that was to be auctioned off for charity the next day - a children's hospital I believe. After the performance, he smashed it to bits, knowing it would fetch a higher price that way. It sold for $168,000.
Can't wait to see your reaction!!!
There was also the time Keith Moon loaded up his drum kit with gunpowder and let it off on a live TV show, much to everyone's surprise and shock. 🤣
Townshend was inspired by an artist called Gustav Metzger, who pioneered 'auto-destructive art'. Interesting rabbit-hole to go down, if anyone's interested.
Exactly what I came here to share, well said!
In an interview, I saw, Pete Townshend said after a few years and smashing instruments they realize it were losing money And not making as much as they hoped and they stop smashing and breaking instruments
I was gonna say, if you are concerned for the mic, let's see how the guitars fare...
I experienced The Who in concert. Daltrey singing Behind Blue Eyes - I still get goosebumps remembering it and this was in the late 70s!
That scream in this song is one of the most iconic screams of all time. Check out the studio version. Rogers signature was the mic twirling. Pete had the windmill guitar strum. Keith Moon was literally crazy. Entwistle was a master bass player.
The studio version is great because Daltrey does a scream earlier in the song. It’s a good scream, a solid A-. But it’s just a way to set us up.
Then the second scream hits and blows it out of the water.
Amen one of my first heros.
Pete's other signature move is of course the high jumps :D
The Who were a progressive, revolutionary band. They made two rock operas: "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia". Pete Townsend used some of the first sequencers in this very song. Their dynamic and often violent performances, along with the moniker of being the loudest band on earth made them one of the most influential ever. If you really want to hear what Roger can sing like, listen to "Love Rain O'er Me". Their lyrics were as powerful as their songs and performances too. Wonderful reaction Elizabeth! I loved it when you picked up on John Entwhistle's bass virtuosity. Keith Moon on drums was the inspiration for "Animal" of the Muppets. I loved playing his parts because of the reckless abandon. This band had the same effect on you as they did to everyone 50 years ago or more. Shock and awe. True rock legends.
I was under the impression the "Loudest Band" moniker belonged to Deep Purple, who took their entire stadium setup into 1600-seat clubs on their first US tour (and so no reason to stop). My other favorite title is Jethro Tull's "Heavy Metal Flute". Oh, Elizabeth, you did forget another Who in your list, the Guess Who (which I highly recommend, "Time" being my fave there).
One of my all time favorite bands , Elizabeth you are amazing picking up the Maniac drummer and the artful bassist. Truely legendary band
@@linjicakonikon7666 it’s not a girl thing. Plenty of dudes blithering nonstop
Gotta give a BIT of credit for the inspiration for Animal to John Bonham as well, but yeah... Keith Moon was so damned great.
No sequencers on Won't Get Fooled Again. Played on a Lowrey Berkshire Deluxe TBO-1 organ and fed through an EMS VCS3.
That is EXACTLY how John Entwistle (bass) was. While the other members were jumping around the stage and smashing their instruments, John always maintained composure and stoicism, all the while absolutely shredding on bass. One of the best bassists of all time. I've never seen a person's fingers move that fast.
John was always a very underrated bassist, in my humble opinion.
The Ox moves for no man! :)
Ox really ripped the thunder!
I was playing bass in an amateur band at the time and could never manage most of what he played. He caused me to changed from using a pick to learning to play finger style. It was much harder but more interesting! The OX was probably the finest bass player of his generation, and I was and still am a huge fan of John-Paul Jones.
Yet offstage him and Keith were the party animals and Roger was the sensible one. Go figure.
It's weird to us Genx'rs that there are people that don't know this song and are only experiencing it now as we have enjoyed this for 40 years...We welcome you to the world of real rock n roll. :) ....and the greatest scream in rock.......
GenX? This is a Boomer song!
@@cjprince1Some Millennials have adopted it as well.
No, sir, this is a hippie rebellion song. 😁
@@TheCrisses That’s a nice gate I see you are keeping from my rear view mirror.
@@excrono A very very nice gate indeed. It's one where we can all play in the playground together, and scream "We're not gonna take it anymore!"
The bassist is one of my first musical heroes. He made me want to play the bass. Entwistle helped define how bass is played in rock music, and is one of the greatest players in any genre. And it is nothing short of hysterical how he just sits there and does this incredible work while the rest of the band is running around nearly out of control. Sometimes it seems like he is the only one actually playing the song. His phrasing taught me how to change a song's mood without stepping all over the rest of the band, as well as when to open up the pocket for the drummer in the same song I am being busy. He also plays horns in many songs. Just an outstanding musician.
Being a wanna-be guitarist, I never really paid much attention to the bass lines in The Who until I heard Entwistle's playing on Glenn Tipton's first solo album. After that, I went through their entire catalog specifically listening to what he was doing.
He’s the best
I like how centered he remains among all of this. Exactly what they needed.
Thanks for mentioning the bass player John Entwistle. Terribly complicated lines much more that just keeping the rhythm. His playing is very close to a counter or second melody.
I couldn't have said it better @christophersessions. He influenced so many great bass players. One of my top 5 favorites.
Also is she only knew how many guitars and drum kits this band has destroyed 😉
Roger Daltrey's best vocal performance, with great feeling and intensity, is on the studio version of Love Reign O'er Me, which also happens to be a masterpiece of a composition. It's got piano, great dynamics, and is progressive in nature. I hope you try it for the next Who reaction!
I just posted the same suggestion. 👍
Good idea
Masterpiece!
The cover version of pearl jam is also great.
Saw them live in 1989 & hearing this song was the highlight of an amazing 3 hr concert
I describe The Who as four people playing individual solos that just so happen to all line up perfectly with one another.
That’s a perfect description. I don’t think that would work with any other band but it worked perfectly for them.
This. The first half of Entwistle's bass on Eminence Front is just two alternating notes. From the moment they reach the first chorus, it's an all-out solo with (essentially) no two measures the same through the end of the song. Isolated: th-cam.com/video/Uxy9wa1Fg3s/w-d-xo.html Edit: even better, this might have been from the same performance: th-cam.com/video/80dsyo2Ox-0/w-d-xo.html
Haha, I made that comment about Keith Moon somewhere on TH-cam several years ago - he plays a whole song as one long drum solo! I can't remember which song I was commenting about, but I don't think it was this one.
Their all playing lead
as opposed to the Doors...who were all playing different songs, yet somehow....it worked? :)
In their stage shows, Townshend developed a guitar stunt in which he would swing his right arm against the guitar strings in a style reminiscent of the vanes of a windmill. He developed this style after watching Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards warm up before a show.
And stopped it after impaling his hand on the whammy bar, as I heard it.
Yes… the Windmill, pick slide, mic toss, mad genius song writing and live performance all brought to you by the Who. One of the greatest rock bands ever. Your assessment Elizabeth is wonderful and so spot on. Thank you for this. One of my favorite episodes. 🙏👏👍
Famously, Townshend nicked his iconic 'windmill' move from Keith Richards, who did it once in a performance at London's Marquee Club (?) and he then used it forever !
@@pmsphoto
Yes apparently Keith never even knew, as he used to do it to warm and loosen up before a gig.
@@pmsphotoall of them got it from Chuck Berry
In the movie The Kids Are Alright Townsend said that the arm motion came from bowling.
I have always considered this the best scream in rock history.
So many awesome Rock SCREAMS
Not debatable
It's #2 for me. The first being Ian Gillan in Deep Purple's Strange Kind Of Woman on Made In Japan; that beats this for sheer lung capacity...but not aggression. The bollocks on Daltrey's scream are enormous.
@@jezclark4882 great choice
@@jezclark4882 Two-way tie! :)
“Love Reign O’er Me” is completely different and absolutely incredible, please cover that song next.
Always remember: Muppet "Animal" the drummer, was created after Kieth Moon. And Phil Taylor, drummer of Motörhead was called "The Animal" after the muppet.
This is one of Elizabeth's best reactions - she nailed it early when she caught that a revolution is void when the new boss - is the same as the old boss. Nothing really changes - and since this song came out 50 years ago - the bosses are still self serving.
Nope, normal Who behavior
And was ever and shall ever be thus.
What she, and apparently others, have missed is that the "revolution" isn't literal, it refers to gov'ts shifting from political faction to political faction, all to thunderous applause. And yet, they say, nothing of significance changes, especially not for the better. I no longer have any loyalty to any faction, especially not the primary two, and this song, over the course of decades, taught me to see the futility.
Now, I get the distinct displeasure of watching history repeat itself, but I study history, and therefore am doomed to that anyway, like the scant few others (on the scale of billions) share in with me. Better check my cap, then practice my bow, smile and grin. Damn it.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Yeah... she was doing ok until her constant stopping and re-starting the video ultimately caused her to completely miss the iconic final line.
The Who are undeniable one of the greatest bands ever. Four incredibly talented musicians who somehow ended up in the same place at the same time. For me, one of the top 5 bands of all time.
The Who have written more rock anthems than any band.
"Tommy" can never be surpassed. Word.
Daltrey also was a decent actor as well. Had a recurring role (Hugh Fitzcairn) on The Highlander TV series in the mid-90s.
I'd say one of the top 3 bands of all time. With the Stones and those Liverpool kids. Roger is one of the creators of the whole "front man" persona.
@@lilsuzq32 Wrong, one word, 'Quadropheinia'
The bass player was John Entwistle who's not usually very animated, but who was an absolute beast on bass. He always looked a bit disgusted at having to be there... Just his way. But if you ever get a chance to hear some of his bass work isolated, you'll quickly hear the genius in his playing.
I figure he looked at the other three and thought, "Right, that lot's got the movement sorted. I'll just stand over here."
The real me features his bass work and to think it was all improvised
Kind of like the Stones lol. Bass player n drummer always looking at the other 3 like...wth🙄
Four virtuosos who are at the top of their game. It was refreshing to watch along with you and relive vicariously, that first time viewing experience.
Another vote here for "Love Reign O'er Me" as your next song by The Who. Roger Daltrey's singing on that song is one of the great vocal performances in the history of rock.
I concur
I agree! Studio version is a must (although I don’t know if a live version even exists)
The studio version especially
As a contrast to this, Love Reign O’er Me is perfect.
YES
Live Reign O’er Me is a great example of Rogers vocal talent and is a beautiful musical composition.
Boost comment! She must do it!
The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" is right up your ally with a killer vocal performance.The band also did great live 4-part harmonies. Check out "A Quick One While He's Away" from their Rock And Roll Circus performance. It is a story told through a flowing suite of songs that pre-dates, Tommy their first rock opera.
I had not thought about Love but you are right she would go bonkers over the vocals in that song and the piano.
Great suggestions
That would be my pick as well. Although a vocal analysis of the stuttering "My Generation" could be fun.
studio version of Love reign over me
Love, or Behind Blue Eyes would be the top choices for vocal analysis.
It is so cute to see her comment on things she is first seeing that the rock world takes for granted about this band. From the windmill posturing that Townshend introduced which has long been the basis for rock guitar antics, to Moon's wild nature over is technique, to Daltrey swinging the mic and the lyrics being epic, it's like she intuits what the rest of us valued all along about this remarkable band.
Yes! The windmill move originated with Pete. I was lucky enough to have seen them 5 times before 1977. Roger really perfected the mic swinging moves which looked particularly cool when he wore the long fringed jacket. Seeing them do the entire Tommy show right after it was released is one of the real concert memories of my life
True. But like many other things in music, it was also modified from (read: pushed to another level) what Elvis and Chuck Berry were doing in the 50s
Actually he took the basic windmill from Rosetta Tharpe. She was a guitarist whose career started in the 1920's.
At one point Pete credited Keith Richards with the windmill. The Who was touring with the Stones, Pete saw Keith doing it during soundcheck to warm up and asked if he (Pete) could do it onstage. Obviously it went on to be a signature move for Townshend.
didn't get to see the Tommy concert but I saw one in which Pete destroyed two guitars, cuz you know, one is just not enough.
And it wasn't for show. His fingers bled because his hands actually hit the strings and the impact actually created a distinctive sound.
They ARE such characters, and each one is a beast of a musician. Keith Moon is Neil Peart’s (Rush) favorite drummer. Townsend is a monster songwriter, Entwistle is a virtuoso bassist, and Daltry has the most rock and roll power voice ever. Love these guys. “Who Are You” and “5:15” my favorites.
The two best jazz drummers that started in the 60s, Tony Willimas and Elvin Jones loved Keith Moon. How could you not? I listened to an interview with sting on the greatness of John Entwistle. He said he is listening as a young guy to Entwistle play the bass and how damn good he is and then he says something like, "so, I'm listening and all of a sudden, he does something on the bass, and I say, 'what the hell was that. I've never heard anything like it.'"
Entwistle has the most fitting name ever, great bassist!
Keith on the drums: Roger "Just wait until Keith comes back to the song"
Keith was originally a pianist and approached the drums completely differently. For example, he hardly ever used hi hats - hated them because they weren't loud enough.
❤ 5:15
Keith Moon was one of a kind. He rarely just played the beat. If you really pay attention, he's playing along with the melody and accentuating Daltrey's vocal lines. At first listen, it may sound like uncontrolled mayhem, and then all of a sudden he pulls it all in to match a point in the melody or vocal line. He was absolutely brilliant. And crazy.
Excellent capsule description of our beloved Moonie! Thank you. :D
He was completely insane, musically and otherwise but I think he was the only drummer who could fill that seat, especially in the early years.
He was called "Moon the Loon" for a reason. 🎸🎸🎸
And this is his last live performance with The Who. This was filmed in 1979 at Shepperton Studios in Surrey for the film, "The Kids Are Alright." The audience consisted of just a few studio employees that could be scraped up.
He didn't just play a few fills with the beat - He was the fills !! Like you say he filled the melody , the lyrics and the guitar - Bass was doing the same !! Thay all just jammed well together . Free expression at its best !!
"How're his pants still white?"
Awesome question. Laughed wine through my nose.
You've got to listen to Love Reign O'er Me by the Who now. You'll be blown away by Daltry's voice in that song. Still gets me every time I listen to it.
Truth !!!! Almost a religious feeling
This band was always at a genius level
This is one of the greatest rock performances of all time. It’s absolute perfection
"It's absolute perfection"....you gotta admit Pete fucked it up during the windmills ;-) I mean, awesome still, but...he totally missed it.
8:39 he also comes in late, look at his reaction lol.@@southerninterloper4107
@@southerninterloper4107For this performance, it’s kinda more about the energy and reckless abandon than the instrumental virtuosity.
Best live performance of any song that I ever saw in person! With this same lineup. RIP Keith Moon, RIP John Entwhistle.
@@crescentfreshbret Yeah, we have to agree that Pete wasn't the best virtuoso on his Les Paul, but he was rite up there w/ Jimi when it came to stage presence and destroying perfectly usable 🎸 guitars and Tommy and Dick Smothers TV 📺 shows set!---
The Who were the ultimate ROCK band. This was not long before Keith Moon passed away. They are toward the end of their ultimate powers, but still an iconic band. Roger and his swinging mic! He was a master of that. Pete made the windmill his signature move.
Yeah it was not too long before Moon passed. Can't believe it'll be 45 ? years in sept.
The Who has always been in my top 3 bands but they were so hard to not be the best when they were at their creative best
The greatest period of time for rock music, so glad I grew up then
The mic swinging is Roger Daltrey’s trademark. Over the years more and more tape was applied to the mics cable connector, it wasn’t going anywhere! And as for Pete Townsend and his guitar windmill action was his trademark, the bass players stoic calm bass guitar solos were famous. As for Kieth Moon’s manic drumming was why he was the inspiration for the Muppets drummer Animal.
There was a Simpsons episode with the Who... and Roger swung his mic and cracked Marge in the face.. classic.
@@kevinflynn4519 He did hit a member of the audience with it once. I've seen the footage. The band stopped, Roger climbed down from the stage and there were profuse apologies to the person concerned, who was OK.
I think Elizabeth needs to listen to the studio version of this song to really appreciate Daltry's mad vocals. That scream, impressive as it is live, is twice as impressive on that version.
Agreed... though to be fair, in the studio version, he layered it at least three times.
The studio version of this song contains the greatest scream in rock history.
Always, always, ALWAYS start with the studio version. Sometimes the live version is superior---but the studio version sets the baseline.
@mikehagerty7902 exactly! Always upsetting when many will recommend live versions although this version kicksass. Always studio version first
YES!
"Who" hasn't heard that version ten thousand times over the last 50 years?
RIP Kieth Moon, one of the greatest rock drummers. He was clearly here for a good time, not necessarily a long time.
Keith Moon taught Joe Walsh how to bloW up bathrooms!
I LOVE Under A Raging Moon, that Roger DaItry ? tribute song for him featuring a bunch of other drummers in the song paying respects. Cool song and great tribute.
@@torquewrench1969 I laughed hard when Joe said that the scariest thing that ever happened to him was that keith Moon decided he liked him. LOLOLOL
Not so much technically great as performance great.
And the model for Animal!
I really enjoyed sharing this song with you being a 45 year fan. THANK YOU
Its nice to hear Elizabeth say the bass player was awesome. The most unrecognized great players. He's totally in the groove and his basslines were incredible. I wish he was louder in their mixes. John Entwistle was a legend!
@marcboltres7651 There is actually a video on this platform of John's isolated bass for this performance... check it out... it's shockingly brilliant.
For some reason the CD of the kids are alright (won't get fooled again) the bass is louder and stands out more in the mix.
Totally agree. Bass players never get enough credit or camera time.
"Love, Reign o'er Me" was certainly one of "The Who's" most powerful and beautiful songs. Quite possibly the most beautiful song "The Who" ever released. You should give it a listen. I have seen "The Who" three times in concert including "Who's Last" which was supposed to have been their last live performance and of course was not. I went on after that to see them again two more times. They are legends.
+1 to this. It is far more beautiful and cathartic.
"Love Reign O'er Me" is probably the BEST song for her to react to - especially the studio version. But I also think she would LOVE to see some of their truly live stuff when they totally destroy their instruments. :)
Behind Blue Eyes is a VERY close second!
@@bethgoldman2560 I would agree.
I agree about Love Riegn oer me. I love the entire album. Dr Jimmy. 5:15.
The Punk Meets the Godfather was one of my faves.
Hearing John Entwistle's bass track isolated is a revelation - he was a multi-instrumentalist, including banjo. He played the bass using bluegrass fingerstyles, which made his bass into a melodic instrument as well as rhythm. (He also played French Horn and trumpet which you can hear on some early Who songs and all over Quadrophenia.)
I came here to say this.....☺
There was an interview with Pete Townshend, where he was asked what is was like being one of the best guitarists in Rock,and he said what are you talking about, I'm not even the best guitarist in this band!
Its not for nothing he was voted the greatest bassist ever in a 2011 Rolling Stone readers' poll and, in 2020, RS ranked him number three in its own list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time. Not bad for the guy to the far side almost hiding, just standing there playing his bass.
Absolutely! He was one of my greatest inspirations to start playing bass about 10 years after this song came out.
I always considered him the first "lead bassist".
It is so gratifying to relive this with you. I was a concert rat and saw pretty much everyone. NO ONE came close to a performance by The Who. It was the small Miami Stadium and open field. I was sitting on shoulders center stage front line. I had Roger Daultry sweat flying on me. It was wild with a roady running up and down the stage lip hammering any hands trying to jump the stage. Jesus! The energy! On that memory alone I could die a happy woman.
Keith Moon is one of the greatest drummers of all time. He's in pretty much every drum aficionados top 5, and was called the wild man. Roger and Pete were the energetic front men, putting on the show, as you saw. Roger swinging his mike around is a "signature move" and the cord was heavily taped to avoid damage. John, the reserved bassist, is one of the most under rated bass players ever, but in real life was just as off the wall as the rest of them. The big windmill strum on the guitar originated with Pete, a reporter once asked him how he thought it up and his answer was "it came from bowling". A good song to hear Roger in a more melodic voice would be Behind Blue Eyes. Who Are You is another of their huge hits and there is a video of them messing around in the studio (it shows the camaraderie of the group, and how comical all of them can be). Baba O'Riley is another great one, as is Love Reign O'er Me and also Eminence Front.
Pete actually got the move from Keith Richards. Keith ended a set with it and Pete asked him if he could use it and Keith didn't know what he was talking about really but said sure.
There’s a lot of Who in certain sections of Marty McFly’s performance. And an awful lot of Keith Moon in Animal (the drummer it Electric Mayhem, the band in the Muppets).
Keith was the best. Him and Bonzo changed the way drummers played rock.
Let’s not mention that Keith Moon taped his headphones to his head with gaffer’s tape to keep them during his more animated moments😂
@@shegocrazy My holy trinity of drummers; Ginger Baker, Bonzo, & Moon.
Entwistle was a beast and highly underrated. He had a wild lead guitarist, a wild lead vocalist, and an explosively wild drummer, and he was the mortar holding it together.
I heard some drummers when talking about Keith Moon and how unique he was say that because Keith played the drums like they were a lead instrument and to accentuate the vocals and the guitar, that Entwistle on bass performed a lot of the time and rhythm keeping that a drummer would normally do -- so yeah, he did literally keep them all together! Someone had to!! 😁
Entwistle was a beast. Underrated? Nah, I think everyone knew it. 😊😊
Not underrated at all. The Ox is nearly universally revered above all other bass players by bass players, and for good reason!
Lemmy from Motorhead has said John Entwistle was a hero of his.
Man earned the name The Ox for a reason…legends…ALL of them
This song is literally one of the best anthems of all time...yes, and so relevant to our times now. Timeless
Pity nobody has taken notice. Fooled every time.
And I know that the Hypnotized never lie! Do you?
Very relevant to our times now..........The party on the left is now the party on the right. The shot gun sings the song.
Meet the New Boss, it's the same as the Old Boss...
I was blessed with getting to seeing them recently in Denver Colorado 2023
I love them much more now that I have seen them live! They STILL have great voices
The windmill guitar technique is Pete Townshend’s signature move. Breaking instruments on stage is a trademark of The Who and other bands of the time and more recent. The drummer blew up toilets in hotels. There was a bunch of drinking. It was the seventies! And it was awesome! Glad you enjoyed it.
I recall an interview where Pete was asked where the windmill move came from, and he answered, "bowling".
You forgot about the Cadillac in the swimming pool.
and the Smothers Brothers where they packed a megacrapton of boom-boom into the drum set, I think Pete had a punctured eardrum from that one.
Marc Bolan toured in support of The Who before he was Tyrannosaurus Rex and later T.Rex - and they booted him for inciting the crowd to violence and joining in.
Marc Bolan was too hardcore for The Who.
You won't believe me and you'll google it and it'll be your favourite factoid for a long while.
@@TiberiusWallace Sorry my favorite fact about the music industry is that Malcom and Angus' brother is featured in the song "The Sultans of Swing"
About The Who it's gotta be Moonies car-POOL 🤣🤣🤣
@@das564 Pete Related he first saw Keith Richards do it back in the 60's. So he started doing it. He later asked Richards if he did not mind that he "nicked" that move from him. Richards did not even remember doing it.....
Keith Moon is one of 3 drummers talked about as being the best ever in rock, along with Neil Peart and John Bonham
Absolutely....🥰
That's 3 great time keepers
My dream legendary rhythm section is Moon & Entwisle, just ahead of Bonham & Jones.
Danny Carey
@@NathanCline12-21 He's not in that conversation though...everyone knows he's THE best so there's nothing to argue about lol
The Who resonated with me. They were punk before punk. They completely disrupted the Monterey Pop Fest. Madmen with a message that never changes
Still amazes me that they were invited to 3 days of peace, love and music only to be the loudest band ever by Guinness at the time and smack Abbey Hoffman in the head with a cherry red Gibson SG. The first punk band IMHO. As an old CBGB (my church) punk and actually got started with this album at age 6, I’ll die on that hill. They held it together from the Mod movement to the arena. No one will ever compare. Pete is my fav song writer by far. Get his audio AUTO, he narrates.
The Abbie Hoffman incident was at Woodstock
Came back to watch this again, I think they'd be especially delighted by your responses throughout the performance.
May 23rd, 1971 The Who played Won’t Get Fooled Again as an encore to their set at the Caird Hall in Dundee, prior to heading off on a USA tour. Pete Townsend said this was the first time they’d played it to an audience. I was blown away by it, and it’s still my favourite Who song (among many great songs - My Generation, Pictures of Lily, Pinball Wizard and many others). I feel very privileged to have been at the first ever live performance of Won’t Get Fooled Again, 52 years ago.
"Magic Bus"
That's incredible! By the time I first saw them in Boulder Colorado in 1982, they had probably played it 1000 times! Cheers!!!
You may be right, because I can't remember the date(!) but they also played it in Bath at one of their impromptu, pre-tour, warm-up shows. No adverts, just word of mouth, and hundreds packed into the Pavilion like sardines in a tin. I recall it was extremely hot, and fire regs were definitely broken. Moonie threw buckets of water over the front rows to cool people down. A very relaxed show, I loved every minute.
I LOVE Elizabeth's expression at 18:21 when she fully begins to understand the meaning of the song. You can almost HEAR when everything clicks for her. I'm a psychologist, so actions and behaviors (including things such as facial expression and body language) are areas I'm trained to pay attention to. And one of my favorite things about this channel (besides learning vastly more about the voice, singing, and music in general) is how expressive she is when diving into a song. It's as tthough I am personally rediscovering music I have been listening to for years vicariously through these videos.
So, thank you Elizabeth for creating this channel and being such a positive individual. I am very happy I came across your channel a couple of months ago. Keep up the amazing work and thank you for helping me fall in love with these songs all over again :)
Yes, ALL of this. Elizabeth is the only reactor I've seen who delves so deep into the craft, the message, the music itself.
And she got it
I never fell out of love but TH-cam has rekindled those tiny crevices in my heart memories.
"Here come the new boss, same as the old boss..."
Ck the body language of each and every female whilst watching Led Zeppelin live 1973 Since I've Been Loving You.
Don't need to be an expert to decipher the non-verbal communications exhibited.
Retired infectious disease PharmD with 2° specialty in psych.
People, on the average, are nutz lol
Bass player, John Entwistle, was the bassist for the The Who. Entwistle's music career spanned over four decades. Nicknamed "The Quiet One" and "Thunderfingers". He is regarded as one of the best Bass players of all time.
AKA The OX
Just found your channel. I have never had so much fun watching someone review a song!!!
In an interview with Peter Noonan of Herman's Hermits, The Who toured with them in the early days. Breaking their instruments was a signature move of The Who, but they couldn't afford them. So Herman's Hermits let them bust up their instruments, because their label just replaced them the next night!
I'm sure others mentioned this, but that arm swing was definitely a Pete Townsend creation. These guys significantly shaped Rock & Roll!
Oh, and if you've never heard the Quadrophenia album, and specifically the last song, "Love Reign O'er me" you are missing out.
Keith Moon was an amazing drummer. I'm not the first to say he played the drums as if he was a vocalist, he would be doing call and response as well as counterpoint in his drum lines all while somehow keeping a driving beat. He was truly one of a kind. Also Entwhistle stoically standing off to one side while only his hands and fingers furiously run amazing bass lines was such a signature counterpoint during their live performances.
The funniest part of this reaction is that no one prepared Elizabeth for the end of the show. I'm rolling and almost in tears at her reaction. haha
The cymbal flying off the drum kit should've been a clue! 😅
I was thinking the same thing when she started reacting at the first occasion... wait 'til the end of the song!!!! That will be funny!
I'm a 90s kid and I owned a Walkman. It was a cheap Sony, cheap only because Japan is next door to my country.
I was listening to Elizabeth breaking it down and catching all the pieces given how, somehow, this is the forst time she's heard the song. But towards the end I stopped cooking dinner to watch the screen, because I knew what was coming and wanted to see her face when it happened.
Roger Daltrey (and Jim Morrison) were absolute enigmas when on stage. I only ever watched them on TV, years after the said performances, but 11-year-old me was just as fascinated as anyone in the audience.
So much to say about this band...
Rogers best vocal performance is on "Love reign o'er me"
I recommend the studio recording as I am not sure there is a live performance with good sound quality.
It is an incredible song, you won't be disappointed!!!
I totally agree. And I have been a lead singer in rock for over 40 years.
Elizabeth, I've only just found this and if you've not done it yet, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch the Rock Opera Tommy. You are in for a treat. I also love how much of a surprise The Who's on stage antics are to you when us old farts have seen it all before and loved every minute of it. p.s. the only member of the band who wasn't doped up to the eyeballs was Roger Daltrey.
I'm so glad you finally noticed John Entwhistle's bass playing. He was one of the best in the business. In their early days they used to destroy their gear on stage lead by the rabid but brilliant Keith Moon. Cost them nothing as the makers of the instruments replaced them at no charge . The Who received more commercial radio play than any other band in history including the Beatles and the Stones. Your enthusiasm and delight is so infectious,
This was the final performance for Keith Moon before he tragically died. One of the best drummers ever… RIP
Keith Moon was a force all on his own!
As he said himself "I am the best... Keith Moon type drummer there is." Not wrong, they never properly replaced him.
amen
A reviewer once said that Moon beat his drums like they owed him two months back rent.
And she never noticed his headphones duct-taped to his head!
The studio version has, hands down, the best scream in the history of rock and roll. This live version isn't very far off.
To be fair, the studio version is at least triple-tracked. The live version has just ONE Roger!
not just the scream the whole build up with the scream is absolutely amazing
Saw them at Edinburgh Castle 3 weeks ago, Daltrys scream is still there, not bad for a 79 year old.
Plus the scream in the studio version overloaded the microphone.
Roger does a great scream, but it doesn't compare with Ian Gillan at the end of 'Strange Kind Of Woman' on 'Made In Japan' by Deep Purple. Now THAT has got to be the ultimate scream in the history of rock music.
I really enjoyed how you responded to this.
I saw The Who perform at San Francisco Civic Auditorium in December 1971. Unforgettable.
This band is epitome of inspiration in every way as possible!!! Every band member is GOD on his instruments and MASTER of their craft!!! THE WHO is TIMELESS as the universe!!!
The Who is, for me, the epitome of Rock n' Roll! Their energy was just INSANE!
If anyone ever asks me what rock music is, I point them to this performance. Just outstanding in every way.
@@cheffrey82 the who is just AMAZING! I saw them in 2017 at rock in Rio (first and only time they played in Brazil), I was there front row and Peter mocked me after my generation because I was screaming "MAGIC BUS!!!" on the top of my lungs after each and every song - eventually he noticed me. They didn't play it, though... But that was awesome! 😂
You can find it on TH-cam!
Plus on "join together" Roger was singing it in front of me and pointing the mic at me during the chorus - that's how wired I was for seeing them!
Maximum R&B
I finally saw them a couple of years ago and even at their age, they sounded great. I wish I had seen them in their heyday, but I am making up for lost time.
Completamente de acuerdo contigo! The who es la BANDA de rock por excelencia!!
What a joy it is watching you hear this for the first time, knowing that you're going to absolutely love it!
Strongly recommend you watch the performance of Baba O’riley from the same concert. Very tight. Solid vocals. Lotta fun.
Also, I love that they felt the need to strap Keith Moon’s headphones to his skull with gaffer’s tape.
I think the need was real.
Love your attention to detail and sharing.
They did it in the studio, too. Otherwise he'd probably have them flying every song lol.
The theme for CSI:NY.
The bass player, John Entwhistle, was known as “the Ox” and “the Quiet One” because of his above it all demeanor compared to the rest of the band. He was pretty much the adult in the band during those days holding the rhythm for Keith so that Keith could be Keith on drums. It was part of the magic of the band. Keith could be nuts because he knew if he got distracted John had the groove.
He was also known as Thunderfingers. 😂
and few people ever were as great at the bass guitar
Rather than older sibling, John Entwhistle looks more like the youngest Uncle who gets forced to sit at the kids table at Thanksgiving because he hasn't graduated from school yet.
He is one of the reasons I started playing bass. "The Real Me"
@@Ramza042 Best The Who song ever and a showcase for his talent.
If you want to hear more of Roger's range, Love Reign O'er Me is a classic--last song on their album Quadrophenia. . A Quick One (while he's away) is another amazing performance and shows more of their singing and vocalizing abilities. The Who is a huge rabbit hole. They've done so much for rock and roll and music in general. Absolute pioneers at so many things. Like the synth, one of the first bands ever to use synth as a backing track. Pete invented the "windmill", and they definitely made the whole smashing up the set a thing... lol.
I saw them live in 85 or so and Love Reign O'er Me was the song that still stands out the most in my memory. I'm sure my jaw dropped open as I realized how impressive Roger Daltrey's vocals really were.
I have trouble deciding whether Love Reign O’er Me or Won’t Get Fooled Again is The Who’s best song. 1A and 1B, perhaps.
@@scottNNJ Love Reign is the better vocal performance, but Won't Get Fooled is ihe better overall song IMO.
@@scottNNJ Agreed! For me, Won't Get Fooled Again is my personal favorite. There's so many close seconds too! Who Are You, The Real Me, 515, and that's not even touching Tommy yet lol.
Love the Quadrophenia album….. I would also add behind blue eyes as well.
There are moments when her surprise and joy are like that of someone from Nebraska seeing the ocean for the first time and playing in the waves "WOW!!! That's SO FUN!!!"
I have been entertained by the performance of this song practically my whole life (born in '57), but watching Elizabeth's reaction and realization of what the song is saying is a whole new and delightful experience. In my opinion, Daltrey's scream at the end of the keyboard/drum section remains the best scream in Rock n Roll!
i saw them a few years back in the Garden in Boston; Daltrey has to pace himself now but a big part of the point to that is so he can still do the scream when they're near the end of the concert.
There never has been, is, or will be another band like The Who. (Edit): Okay, now that I've watched your whole reaction: First, out of all the reaction videos I have watched, this one is, by far, the most honest I have ever seen. I especially liked the fact that once you suddenly realized what the song was about, that became your focus. Not an easy thing when faced with the sonic and visual onslaught that is The Who. Also: Yes, John "The Ox" Entwistle is, imho, the greatest rock bass player ever. The cymbal coming off, then being bounced off the guitar was, I'm sure, not planned. Keith Moon was the absolute greatest "Keith Moon-style" drummer that ever lived. Roger Daltrey was once referred to as the "Titanium throated mega-stud" and usually the microphone cable was taped to the the mic itself so it wouldn't get destroyed. And Pete Townshend did often cut his hand while playing those windmill power chords. The slide down the neck of his guitar was accomplished by running his pick down the low strings which are wound, which gives them a rough surface.
One thing you can't replicate on TH-cam is just how LOUD the Who were live, especially John Entwhistle on the bass. I heard them live sometime in the 70's and my ears are still ringing!
Me too.Sundown , Edmonton in 73.Hearing impaired for 2 days
It's called "Bass Face" and yes we are the Band's babysitters
OMG I came out of concerts def. The sound ripped through your body. The loudest band ever.
Same mate…got really bad tinnitus from a Who gig (Swansea I think) and had it now for 45 years! Awesome live group though! 🎸
I heard that Pete Townshend is almost deaf now.
The "windmill" arm motion has been a signature move for guitarist Townsend since the early days of the band. What's so remarkable about Keith Moon is that he played in a very polyrhythmic style that was admired by the great jazz drummers. These guys were raw, but brilliant.
I know this is not her native milieu, but can I say it is just adorable that she hasn’t heard of The Who or this song before. Also adorable that she says “that was the most destructive performance…” Hell, Pete didn’t even splinter his guitar, and Keith - the guy who more or less made trashing your hotel room a rock and roll cliche - didn’t even smash his drum set here! “I hope that his guitar is ok”. 😂 So adorable.
Also, unlike some George W. Bush campaign event organizers, she appears to have gotten the message of the song on the first uptake in spite of her lack of prior knowledge about the band. It is perhaps a bit of a low bar but Elizabeth is now a goddess in my book! 😊
The Smothers Brothers show, where Moon's bass drum was packed with explosives, was the most destructive performance....and damn dangerous. But, it was also funny in a warped kind of way.
It's a Gibson Les Paul, and everybody always complains about how prone to headstock breaks those are; I'm surprised it didn't happen here! 😅
@@mightyV444I'm guessing the headstock probably broke when he threw it at the cymbal
@@mattshaheen5333 - The guitar looks okay at the end of the multi-angle video of this performance 😅
@@mightyV444 I dropped my sg and cracked the neck. The headstock didn't break off completely and i actually finished playing the song. I'm guessing that had to have happened here. If you drop a gibson, the neck will crack at least 9 out of 10 times.
This was a great reaction! This performance was shot at Shepperton Film Studios. Ridley Scott was shooting “Alien” next door and The Who borrowed the lasers from him.
The Who were a force of nature that just coincidentally made fantastic music. Thanks for the reaction. I've never had the pleasure of seeing someone discover them the first time.
That was a beautiful thing seeing you catch the meaning first listen. It's bleak yet positive.
I saw them over 10 times in early 70's and 80's. Their shows were always phenomenal and left you wanting for so much more. One of the Greatest Bands ever and they live today
Ok, now I'm officially pissed off. 10 times?
Never got to see them - saw virtually everyone else - but never them
@CharlieMcowan don't feel bad. I only saw them twice. 1974-75 for Quadrophinia, and again in the early 90s.
The 1st one was mind blowing. My friend and I spent two days in line to get tickets. At first they were handing out tickets for places in line. This was at the Forum in LA. I got number 3485. Not bad considering there 2 nights. Plus the size of the Forum.
So, we're carousing this giant party, and I see a friend from school. He tells me someone I knew got busted for something, and was selling his ticket in line. For 10 dollars. It was number 202. I bought it. Took my 3485 back around the 8000s and sold it for 10 dollars.
I ended up with 7th row seats. Opening night for Quadrophinia.
During the encore, I was standing on the back rests of chairs on the second row. There was bits and pieces of his guitar bouncing off of me. Biggest night of my life. To this day.
I have seen them on five of their seven farewell tours, love them
An absolute rock anthem. The words couldn't ring more true today. As I was born in 1978, I didn't get the chance to experience them in the day, but man what a hell of a blast it must have been.
You have no idea. Live At Leeds was recorded three months after I saw them toward the end of their Tommy tour in the US, so my first live rock concert ever was basically the LAL performance. Absolutely staggering experience. Townsend, airborne in white and red. They didn't play that way because they wanted to, they played because they had to. Whatever possessed them clawed its way out and threatened all of us with not just volume, but p.o.w.e.r. And, BTW, drunk, stoned, and possessed, those boys could PLAY.
Elizabeth, whoever suggested this particular performance of this particular song LIVE gets a giant cookie with gold flake stars on it. Bravo to you for going in cold on this. Honest and admirably adorable, The band is legendary and rightfully so. If good art is supposed to make one think, The Who makes sure that all do. Best Wishes Always.
This could possibly be the pinnacle of the band's live performance....big cookie
It was so sweet watching you try to take in this quartet of crazies, but singing a Rock Anthem and one of the best rock songs ever.
The message in this song is just as relevant in today's troubled world as it was back in the 70's when it was sung by The Who.
Yes it is, very much so! Glad someone else sees that.
YEAH!!!! It certainly is. I loved it back when released and it fits and tells the same story now. Question everything, everyone, and most importantly DON"T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYONE SEZ,look at everything and WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN! Be well and safe, peace to you and yours.
They exactly described our exact political situation now in the USA and most other Western European Countries.
They performed this song at the Concert For New York on October 20th 2001.
moreso now than then.
I always appreciated Pete Townsend's description of how the band played a song which was, roughly: John and I would start the song and Keith would start a drum solo, Roger joined in and laid down the vocals. If everything went right, John, Roger and I would finish the song at the same time as Keith finished the solo. Moonie was, and had, more fun behind a drum kit than anyone I can think of from that era.
Hard to differentiate with Keith Moon if he was insane or genius or more likely both. Often it would seem his approach to drumming was backwards. Most drummers lay down a steady beat, a groove or a shuffle, depending on the song, and then the different sections will be transitioned with a flourishing fill. Not Keith. The whole song was fill and the transitions were steady groove. 🤯 Amazing.
Pete was coked out of his ever loving mind here , but hey it worked. Iconic performance.
@@michellemiles9966 given that it was keith, he was probably hallucinating, and the sword fight was real to him. it's interesting seeing the earlier who. they were so raw. amazing stuff
I saw in an interview with Neil Peart, that he said Keith rarely if ever played drum solos, as he got everything he wanted to say out in his playing during the song. Another way of saying what you stated, the entire song was a solo for him.
IMO the Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the History of the Universe!
And this song, and its performance here, is ample testimony to support my opinion.
Loved joining in for Elizabeth's first hearing, which was innocent, unsuspecting, incredulous and honest in the extreme. I hope we just witnessed the birth of a new Who fan!
That is doubtless!!! She was hooked at the first note. I approve!!!
I love the way you, as an opera singer (and a beautiful one at that) have genuine fun with this chaos!!
I grew up during this time and just accepted their performance antics lol i never thought how someone would react seeing for the first time in a different era. The shock on your face was priceless 😂
I was therefrom the beginning but watching new Generations seeing this for 1st time is nothing short of priceless I am in full tears of laughter at her reaction
I loved your commentary. As someone that grew up being a huge fan of The Who, I appreciated how you went from kind of 'not getting it', to fully grasping the whole point of this song. And you are right, Keith Moon never played the drums, he attacked them.
He attacked them so well!
Yes, but he could be very creatively quiet and subtle when the music called for that too!
Great reaction and interpretation/understanding of the song! Nice to see that you´ve come to the same conclusion I did in the mid 80´s when I was a twen and heard the song for the third time.
👍🏼
Elizabeth's reaction is fabulous. Her breakdown of why it's successful musically gives it another dimension to me. I loved her reactions to the stage craft. She reminded me about how charismatic their live performances are, and continue to be (Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are aged 79 & 78). This is one of my favourite songs of all time which I first saw live in 1971 and saw last week live at Edinburgh Castle (a ticket my late wife bought me for Christmas before she passed away)
Condolences on your loss. Nice parting gift, though, wow!
my sympathies on your loss.