Why did Kenney Jones leave the Who?

This is simply not true, and makes me wonder how much you really know about rock drumming. Brzezecki is an amazing, unique, technically accomplished drummer, yes, but as far as rock drummers go, I'd take Kenney in a second. I've gone on record as saying I prefer Moon as the Who's drummer and that Kenney was a poor choice as a replacement, but one listen to Four Guys Walk Into a Bar is enough evidence to prove Kenney was the driving force in the Faces; he held that band together. His drumming was inventive and crisp, and should never be dismissed with the nonsensical, reckless use of a phrase like "entry level drummer."

The claim about "20 amateur drummers" is just an unverifiable, high school boast for purposes of shock value.

 

You are aware, aren't you, that the drummer on the rockingest track on Empty Glass by far, "Rough Boys," is none other than Kenney Jones? I guess you're right, though, Kenney would have a hard time "bettering" his performance on the track if it had appeared on a "Who" album instead of a "Pete Townshend" album, because … he still would have been Kenney Jones.

 

Yup! KJ did stellar work on that album, which did make him uniquely qualified to level that critique of Pete's Face Dances toons - but what I am saying is that in telling PT that, it meant that not only Roger was in the "anti-Kenney" camp, so two out of the three core members were not pulling for Ken to be hired on as a full member.

I imagine, if anyone in the Who liked KJ, it would have been John Entwistle - more straight-ahead drumming probably freed the Ox from having to keep watch over song tempos so much.

Adding to your comments about Kenney Jones driving the Faces - I recommend giving The Small Faces' Ogden's Nut Gone Flake a listen - KJ actually sounds like Moon on several of the songs!

 

Kenney Jones did not work out in the Who because he has the misfortune of not being Keith Moon.
Great drummer, though- listen to the two Small faces Immediate albums.
Just not Keith Moon.

 

Yeah, they didn't want him BACK.


That said, I love Kenny's playing with on the Small Faces recordings.

 

Side discussion, but I don't view Face Dances as weaker than Empty Glass and All the Best Cowboys - you could certainly reshuffle songs among the albums in order to hear Roger sing "Rough Boys" or whatever, but "You Better You Bet," "How Can You Do It Alone," and "Another Tricky Day" are major PT songs that were give to what was left of the Who, and "Cache Cache" wasn't far beneath that standard. In the end, I think that Kenney was just made a scapegoat for other problems that existed in the band between both Pete and Roger as well as between John and Roger.

 

he could not eclipse the (keith) moon so he was followed by the son(zak) starkey

 

John Entwistle went on record as saying Kenney was easier to play with then Keith Moon.

Evan

 

Kenney has a band, the Jones Gang. Heard a song by them called Where Are You on the XM several months ago that musically I recall as a pastiche of Who riffs and lyrically somewhat of a telling of his time with the Who. It was clever, and I hope I hear it again someday. I loved his drumming with the Faces, didn't care for what the Who was doing musically while he was a member.

 

Yes, but it was Phil asking Townshend if he could join The Who. The story can be found here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=ZK...ts=GbMzDXPUlR&sig=nK1o71uW6TrM_05XKYKXIU2qPv0

 

The other members of the Who would occasionally make the same complaint.

 

Golden Earring were (and still are) an incredible Rock band.
George Kooymans is an amazing guitar player.
Rinus and Cesar are fantastic as well and Barry Hay is a great lead vocalist.
They have had the same line up now since 1968 or 69 and they're still a top draw in Holland.
Luckily I saw them in Toronto in 1983 supporting "Cut", the album that contained the hit "Twilight Zone" (they never returned to Canada again)

Golden Earring have been one of my favourite Rock bands since 1974 when I first heard Moontan.

I urge other forum members to seek out their work (although much of it is hard to find now)

By the way, our host mastered Moontan for CD and it sounds excellent; it's a great listen!

 

Great, I'll check this out. And thanks for your kind words. It's good to know that the band still has fans abroad. Yup, this lineup has been together since 1970, while the original band formed in 1961! They still do shows every month and they usually pack the place. Check this clip of Radar Love, recorded last year in Ahoy' (cap. 10.000) in Rotterdam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWLfUvTfTHo

Cheers,

Robert

 

p.s. It was my honest intention NOT to highjack this thread, but here we go...

 

Yeah, I used to think poorly of Kenney Jones until I aquainted myself with some of the Faces stuff, and found him to be a solid, musical player, able to play in a variety of different styles with ease. "Four Guys Walk Into A Bar" showcases his abilities on the drums well.

 

Do you all hate Rod Stewart so much? My copy is called Five Guys...!

 

You have the Wall Mart ltd. ed. with bonus band member?

 

Oops. I was staring right at the box when I wrote "Four" too!

 

And I was staring right at your post.

 

Ron Wood had had so much to drink already that he had to crawl into the bar.

 

Now that was a low blow!

 

It was a joke, okay?

 

That'll teach ya not to listen to me.

 

Thanks, I must have read about this in the Armando Gallo books... one thing news to me in the linked book, Collins was doing session work for Townshend in 1978... on what?

 

Somehow, I find this to be the best answer of the bunch. Kenney Jones is an awesome drummer, but he's got the misfortune of trying to fill the shoes of one of the greatest drummers of all of rock & roll.

More to the point, you can't overlook the fact that The Who were a band for almost fifteen years before Moon's death. I mean, given how tight the unit was, it would have been understandable if they chose to break up like Zeppelin did. But they didn't, and any replacement would have to overcome insurmountable odds to be Keith's replacement. Yeah, the members of The Who fought like hell sometimes, and they had their issues. But they were a band, and there were friendships, and more importantly, there was the music that brought them together.

I'm not saying The Who ceased to exist after Keith died, but it wouldn't be too far off the mark to say that they were more "three original members and the new guy" than the band they were during their prime.

So, the remark about Kenney Jones complaining about Townshend saving his best efforts for his solo records reveals a subtle truth: Entwistle and Daltrey could have complained and it would have been cool. But not Kenney. He didn't quite have that privilege. Same for why Daltrey may not have wanted him back. He just didn't view him as a full fledged member as much as a hired pair of hands (and sticks).

Kenney's a cool player, but sometimes talent alone can't keep you in the band. Sometimes, you gotta have a history, and he was unfortunate not to have that. Actually, I find it amazing that The Who have soldiered on over the years as well as they have. Many would say that money has a lot to do with it, and there's some truth to it. But it's still amazing, nonetheless.