Townshend Resolves To Finish New Who Album
Pete Townshend’s 2003 New Year’s resolution will be to finish the Who’s first new studio album since 1982, the guitarist writes on his official Web site. “I have never written quickly,” he says. “I don’t know how long it will take. Expect some new music to arrive in about a year, maybe later. But if I write 15 good pieces, and 10 of them make it to a new CD, we will probably find that only two or three of them will stand comparison on stage with our old hits.”
Despite that caveat, Townshend insists he is looking forward to working in tandem with vocalist Roger Daltrey, whose songwriting credits with the Who were nearly non-existent during the band’s heyday.
“I think it will be worth the time spent,” Townshend opines. “I am very keen too to see Roger find some creative outlet on this future Who recording. He is full of ideas, passion and energy — he bears quite a disturbed and serious view of the world at the moment.”
Townshend adds that the Who is “being courted by charity show organizers, and we are driven towards supporting our own familiar charity events. We are also receiving tempting offers to play festivals, and enjoying the more honest lure of having such a great band to call on whenever we feel like playing.” The group’s latest round of touring ended in October in North America, on the heels of founding bassist John Entwistle’s sudden death in late June in Las Vegas.
In other Who news, the SPV label will in March release a double-disc CD chronicling the band’s star-studded 2000 Teenage Cancer Trust benefit show at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The event, which featured guest spots from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, and Jam/Style Council frontman Paul Weller, is already available on DVD. The upcoming CD will be augmented by four tracks taken from the Who’s 2002 concert at Albert Hall, including the band’s own “I Don’t Even Know Myself” and “I’m Free” plus covers of “Summertime Blues” and “Young Man Blues.”
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