#music, Great British Bands, Chapter 18: The Who

Ok… so what can I say about the Who? Well I always liked them and was a fan, although not a huge fan. I thought their music was kick-arse and powerful and at times rather boring, but that’s just me… A bit of history: They got together in 1962 as The Detours and then when Keith Moon joined the group they changed their name to The Who… This great British band, that served as inspiration to Led Zeppelin, were: Roger Daltrey (vocalist), Pete Townshend (guitars, keyborards and vocals), John Entwistle (bass and vocals) and Keith Moon (drums). They will forever be remembered as one of the top English bands… Some stats: The Who has sold over 100 million records worldwide; placed 27 singles on the UK and US Top 40; 17 albums on the Top 10; having won 18 gold records; 12 platinum records and 5 multi-platinum records in the US alone… «I Can’t Explain» was their first hit in 1965… The Who gained greater fame and recognition in the rock world by performing in such festivals as Monterey, Woodstock and the Isle of Wight. And, of course, there was Tommy, released in 1969. They lost Keith Moon in 1978 and John Entwhistle in 2002. In 1990 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…

The only other thing I can say about The Who is that they are phenomenal, so take a listen. I chose one of my faves from the early days, «Pictures of Lily» written, like most Who songs, by Pete Townshend and released as a single in 1967. It is quite possible that the song refers to Lillie Langtry, a music-hall star who died in 1929, as the song states. There is an interesting cover by David Bowie…