Why did The Who break up?

Because they got old before they died.

 

Anyone know how old Jimmy is meant to be in the film quadrophenia?

 

And they were a full three inches shorter than they had promised.

 

Funny - I thought "Who's Last" came out pretty soon after the tour ended, but it didn't come out until almost tour years later! End of 1984 seems kind of "late in the game" for that album!

 

I was a huge fan and I can give my opinion any time I want. What a juvenile response, "If you don't like it, don't listen." Out of third grade yet are we? Surprised you could spell listen.

 

He had stopped drinking and taking drugs before they recorded It's Hard and subsequently toured North America behind it, so no.

The Who broke up because Townshend didn't want The Who to exist anymore.

 

Because they had run out of steam, Roger didn't like Kenney's playing, Pete wanted to do bigger stuff non-Who stuff.

 

I really like White City, even if I only have some handle on what Pete's going on about. For me, concept albums rise or fall based on the music alone. In my opinion, White City has the music, and Psychoderelict not so much.

 

I see White City as primarily the third part of a trilogy. I think I've mentioned this particular entirely unfounded theory on here before.

Empty Glass is his acceptance that he is lost, Cowboys is him finding himself and White City is him finding his place in the world and rediscovering his roots. As such I see Come To Mama as the culmination of that journey and the quote from Tommy is entirely deliberate in that context. In that context it is also a piece of music that has brought me to tears. He really can be an astoundingly honest vocalist, The Sea Refuses No River is another example of a naked and wonderful vocal performance.

Hell I love those three albums.

 

That's a sound theory! I like it. No pun intended with "sound".

 

That didn't stop the Rolling Stones.

 

Indeed, I didn't know there was an overall narrative, but I really like the music. I think it's the last good music Townshend wrote.

 

Daltrey is a better singer...

 

they are truly living the dream...

 

One of them didn't.

 

Yeah me too. It saddens me more than any other band because these guys were huge to me in my teens. I used to hang on every word Pete said. Now I can't stand to see his arrogant attitude. The guy has changed so much.

 

Only By Numbers....the way he abused his body, he was old when he passed.

 

I always thought Clem Burke of Blondie would have been perfect.

I saw the premier of Lifehouse in London at Sadler's Wells, and at one point Pete had to kneel down and put his head in the monitor speaker to tune his guitar.

 

Yeah, that was the other reason, recognizing that an indispensable member passed on, much like Led Zep.

 

Earliest memories of the Who: a vague memory of Keith Moon dying. I remember seeing the humorous TV ad for the film The Kids Are Alright with Ringo Starr sitting down talking about the mayhem of The Who, with Long Live Rock playing in parts. There was the tragedy in Cincinnati and occasional talk about The Who being in The Guinness Book of Word Records as the loudest band.
But in 1980 and '81 it seemed like they had faded, along with Led Zeppelin, as the new decade came in and new wave music and younger rock bands like Van Halen were getting more attention. I didn't come to know the Who until MTV and when I started listening to 101.1 WRIF, the big album rock station in Detroit. It was a big surprise to me that 60s bands like The Rolling Stones and The Who were still together. I thought they had gone the way of the Beatles, Doors, Monkees, etc. (groups of my uncles' generation that I liked a lot).

 

Completely agree,but the question is when? I would say sometime in the late 80s.White City probably being the last great thing he did.The Iron Man was a real dud,and Psychoderilict was just plain weird.

And it was those very hardships that made Empty Glass the powerful masterpiece,and stunning record it was.Every bit as much of an artistic high point as Quadrophenia or Who's Next.

"Keep away old man,you won't fool me
You and your history won't rule me."

 

Good point, that body sure had a lot of hard driven mileage on it.

 

That would've been interesting to hear. I never thought of Clem in that seat but now that you mention it, it makes sense. I always liked his drumming.

 

Well, lots of interesting reading.

Short answer is the Pete Townshend QUIT The Who in December, 1983. He even made a public statement, almost one year to the day after the final "Farewell Tour" show in Toronto. He gave back the advance that Warners had given them for the third studio album saying that he couldn't produce another studio album. WHO'S LAST, the crappy live album from the '82 tour, came out on MCA in 1984.

Yes, 1982 was the farewell tour, but I don't ever remember reading about The Who "breaking up". They were just a sleeping dinosaur that used to wake up every now and then to play "live", mostly to help out the rapidly depleting bank account of Mr. Entwistle. Now it's just to give fans what they want (celebrate the past) and to pad the retirement accounts of Misters Daltrey and Townshend.

As Townshend said recently, he doesn't like "The Who", but he does what he does, and (PT talking) "I'm good at it".

 

They havent been the Who since Moon died. Stating the obvious. But if they wanted to call themselves the Who then who has a better right to do so? Were they suppose to call the tour/band "Pete, Roger and John (those guys who are the remaining members of The Who)"? But, yeah to me, when Moon passed it was over as far as the band that was originally called the Who.

Doesnt mean I dont enjoy later stuff and songs off other albums the remaining members have done. Endless Wire is a good album imo and if they have another as good in them, I say go for it.