Why did The Who break up?

IIRC it was going to be 50% Moon-era, and I think SF 1971 and Swansea tracks were supposed to be included as well.

 

Yeah, that sounds right. I haven't seen that proposed track listing in years. Didn't Cy Langston put it together? Kind of amazing that the label went with the alternative.

 

Early 80's wasn't it? they would have been in their late 30's. That's a bad age for rock bands.

 

If you want pity for missing the Who in 1968, you're not gonna get it from those of us too young to see them until 1982!

 

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/whos-last-what-do-we-think.29823/page-2#post-8789848

 

I saw a year old Facebook post with a picture of The Grinch and a can of Who Hash. I laughed at my comment from that time:

It's made of Daltrey and Townshend and others gone too soon/The roar and thump of Entwistle and Moon!

 

Thanks, Reb. My memory isn't what it once was (regarding side one). When I read this (way, back then, same source) I was quite excited about the 1979 tracks, especially "Music Must Change", "Drowned", "Dancing in the Street"). I guess the 12"/CD version of "Dancing in the Street" (with the snippet of "Dance it Away") from the late 80's is from the original WL compiling?

I am puzzled by the inclusion of "Athena". I can't remember a single inspired version from the tapes I had of the '82 tour.

 

On the assumption that the track listing in the link is the album presented to Warner Brothers (thanks for the info @WhoTapes1 )
It makes sense why Warners would have rejected this record. The Swansea tracks were never well regarded by Who fans. Additionally, with Keith Moon gone it's not representative of the band that signed onto Warner's. The 1979 tracks have a horn section and Rabbit on Keyboards. While the 1982 side (4) has no horn section and Tim Gorman on keyboards. The Who's Last album released by MCA does likely represent the lineup up musicians that would have recorded the aborted studio album that Townshend was working on in 1983 (as per @keifspoon ) Hopefully the combined efforts of the forum has solved this "mystery".

 

I love Moonie, but he did seem to be losing his mojo by the time of Who Are You. In that sense, I think the Face Dances era breathed new life into the band...albeit temporarily. They were still a very powerful live act when I saw them in early 1980.

 

Didn't they make "Endless Wire" YEARS after 1983? I think they were pretty much spent after "It's Hard", Pete made some fine solo-albums (I liked White City!) and seemed to be re-visiting old albums and sing with the many concerts, reunions, big events, reworkings of his own demos and his autobiography. I think they're still quite active, but as a band they lost their focus.

 

You lost me with that quote.
The Who were an institution and still are for the real fans, like me but you are dealing with dates and events, what's your point.

 

I wasn't very clear, was I? What I meant to say is: The Who never broke up. Maybe they should have, but didn't.

 

In that case you should quote the OP. BTW they broke up but that's a long story.

 

since when has a record label ever cared what fans thought of a particular concert!

 

As a result of this thread, I just pulled out my albums of Who Are You, Face Dances and It's Hard (each bought on the day of release) and played each through to see if my dismissal of them thirty years ago as sub-par Who was unduly harsh.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
YMMV.

 

My view of the Who Are You album is much higher than that. To me, as a fan starting around 1982, it sounded much more inspired and energetic than Face Dances or It's Hard. I enjoy both of the Kenney Jones era albums a lot, but Who Are You had more powerful tracks, and some of Roger Daltrey's most aggressive singing. I always thought Who Are You was second only to Who's Next as the most rocking Who album.

 

An aside; I remember reading Townshend saying he'd stop making solo albums when he sold below 20,000. I think that's how much Psychoderelict sold. Also, I love the album Who Are You because some of my favorite songs are on it; New Song, Sister Disco, Music Must Change & Love Is Coming Down.

 

I rate Who Are You, the album- much higher than the typical sentiment I read here. It was a monster in the NYC market summer of 1978.

 

In my view, it was Pete Townshend desiring to save his hearing.

 

I liked who are you also. Not up there with who's next, Leeds, quadrophenia, or tommy but up there. I like the live versions of tommy more than the original but that is probably due to overplaying "in the day". Somehow quadrophenia still satisfies me.

 

When Townshend bought himself out of the Who's contract with Warner's he saw fit to pay for Kenney to be bought out as well.

I can't remember: when they 'reunited' for Live Aid, was Kenney Jones still behind the skins, or did they have somebody else?

 

Kenney played at Live Aid, he also played when they reunited for a short set at The Brits in 1988 after receiving a "Lifetime Achievement Award"

 

Thanx, Piggies. I did not know about the '88 gig...almost sounds like when the big 1989 tour rolled around Mr Jones was unceremoniously dumped! Was that one of Daltrey's conditions to participate or what?

 

You're welcome, not all together sure about Daltrey's conditions, Kenney's not my favorite Who drummer by a long shot (wonder who that can be?, Lol), but it's a shame he was ousted for the tour that followed.
They sound pretty good here, no need for the extra percussion, vocals, guitarists etc, but that was Pete's choice I guess.

 

From memory Pete wanted the band to be quieter because of his hearing problems. Because it was quiter I think he wanted a more 'dense' sound (dense is my word and I'm probably not describing it right) hence why the number of musicians. At the time I can't remember there being much comment on Kenney not being on the tour.
This was the first tour the Who went on since I had got into them and I didn't go... to me it didn't seem like the real Who with all the extra musicians.
Fortunately I saw them on the 2000 tour in Sheffield and they were excellent.