The concert calendar this fall features Paul Simon, the Rolling Stones, and the Who; is it 1968 again? I’ve seen ’em all and don’t feel much of an urge to go back. But then I thought of our seven-year old son, and about Roger Angell, who writes beautifully for The New Yorker, often about baseball; he was born in 1920 and has told about being taken, as a boy, by his dad to see Babe Ruth play. This feels like a direct living bridge to another epoch. So I’m wondering if maybe I should scalp a couple of tickets so that when my little guy is an old man he can wow ’em with stories of having seen the Who or whoever. On which subject, I was driving around the other day and they played a couple of songs from Who’s Next. Anyone of my age has that music permanently imprinted of course, but it’d been quite a while, and all these decades later, what stands out for me on those cuts is the astounding, volcanic drumming. Nobody has ever sounded like Keith Moon before or since; he played like two men with three heads and six arms. In reviews of the latest Who tour, they say that Zak Starkey (Ringo’s son) is channeling Keith remarkably, and that Townsend seems to be interested in his guitar again. Many years ago, last time I saw the Who, when they were singing Listening to you, I get the music the stage went dark and the lights all turned on the audience. Impossible not to be moved.
Contributions
Comment feed for ongoing:
From: John Minnihan (Oct 02 2006, at 07:51)
Hey Tim,
You struck a chord with this posting... <groan>
Of the relatively few full albums I have on my iPod, the Who's Next Remastered is one of my favorites. I too, have a special affinity for Keith's drumming, and find myself zoning out during most of the album.
The only other band that has managed to move me in the same way is U2. Not surprisingly, I have Joshua Tree on my iPod as well. You mentioned your seven year old son, and using your favorite music as a bridge between generations. My two sons, aged nine and ten, are both very much into U2 now. My oldest boy knows song names and lyrics almost better than me.
As flattered as I am that they are forming their opinions of music based upon my likes, I am more hopeful that they will also see how Bono's activism is improving the world around us, and got me involved. I am a member of One.org and DATA, and recently had the chance to speak with Bill Ritter (gubernatorial candidate in Colorado) about the power and importance of early education.
The power of music.... perhaps instead of bombs we should be blasting Bono and Roger Daltry from our planes, tanks and humvees.
[link]