The Who guitarist has already criticized Liverpool boys on British television and questioned the quality of the songs – but then surrendered to them
Pete Townshend did not spare the Beatles during an interview on a British television channel in 1966. And there is no indication that the guitarist’s opinion of the guitarist The Who has changed a lot over the years.
59 years ago, he detonated the songs from Liverpool boys live. “They are terrible”even said.
That year, The Who harvested the fruits of his debut album, My Generation (1965). The musicians were full of trust, especially for the positive repercussion of the band’s live performances.
During the old interview (via Guitarplayer), Townshend questioned the quality of pop music of the time. He was then asked if the Beatles It would not be an example of pop stars with musical excellence. And answered:
“In fact, this afternoon, John (Entwistlebassist) and I were listening to a stereo LP from Beatles where the voices leave on one side and the support range comes out of the other. When you really hear the support ranges from Beatles Without the voices, they are terrible. ”
Pete Townshend’s argument may sound absurd, but it has to do a little with the period. The albums recorded in only two channels in the 1960s were damaged when reproduced in stereo apparatus.
Subsequently, the guitarist realized the exaggeration he was committing. He was enchanted by the work of the FAB Four, extolling the quality of his songs:
“I just loved them. They were happy, they were funny. They were more than a pop group.”
According to him, in transcription of guitarplayer, “Day tripper” and “Paperback Writer” It was the two songs that made him surrender to Beatles:
“They weren’t about falling in love. They weren’t about girls; they were about jobs, creativity. They were interesting songs, these two, and suddenly realized they would do great things.”
The Who on Equality with the Beatles
Between compliments and pinpricks over the decades, Pete Townshend has already said, in 1982, that Paul McCartney It had nothing to do with rock. Already in 2019, Rolling StoneHe stated that although he fell in love with the Beatles when he first heard them, he did not see so much quality in the proportion that people saw.
Townshend still puts The Who on an equal footing with Beatles In some respects, among them creating conceptual works. The guitarist told Rolling Stone American in 2021 than the album Quick One (1966) had an influence on Paul McCartney.
He defended his point of view saying:
“Paul came to talk to me at Bag O’Nails – That club that we even mention in the art of the album. He was always very, very kind to me, I need to say that. But he said he loved our mini-Opera. And he said they were thinking of doing similar things. ”
+++ Read more: Why ‘Let It Be’ of the Beatles is ‘garbage’, according to Glyn Johns
+++ Read more: the first classic rock band to play in the history of MTV
+++ Read more: The WHO element that generates greater disagreement between Daltrey and Townshend
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Beatles
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Pete Townshend
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The Who
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
