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Who's next?

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Forum Name: Proto-Prog and Prog-Related Lounge
Forum Description: Discuss bands and albums classified as Proto-Prog and Prog-Related
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=101618
Printed Date: December 18 2024 at 10:58
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Topic: Who's next?
Posted By: Atavachron
Subject: Who's next?
Date Posted: March 09 2015 at 23:51
I was sitting in my little local coffee place sipping a double espresso when a kid of maybe seventeen holding a skateboard walked in.   The Who's 'Pinball Wizard' was on the satellite radio and this kid began mouthing the lyrics to this classic piece of vintage rock.   Needless to say I was both surprised and pleased.  

What do we take from this?   Do today's teens have better and wider tastes than we assume?   Will there simply always be a preference for truly timeless music over that which is merely good?   Or does this band just have some inexplicably enduring appeal that outlasts even other deities of rock such as Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, and Hendrix?



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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy



Replies:
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 00:26
I think seeing it was The Who, it's just a kid who like Classic Rock. 

I won't go too far on a limb and say that all teens like that timeless music, or more than we think, seeing it already is pretty damn popular. 


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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.


Posted By: Polymorphia
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 00:31
Everybody knows Pinball Wizard.


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https://dreamwindow.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - My Music


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 02:41
My nephew likes classic rock like The Who although he is also a fan of The Foo Fighters who I suppose would be considered 'contemporary'. The Who wrote great songs and that fact will always keep them in the public view one way or the other. Similarly Pink Floyd, Led Zep , Deep Purple etc.


Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 03:08
Originally posted by Polymorphia Polymorphia wrote:

Everybody knows Pinball Wizard.
Clap


Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 04:14
Originally posted by Svetonio Svetonio wrote:

Originally posted by Polymorphia Polymorphia wrote:

Everybody knows Pinball Wizard.

Clap
That's about it, I hear/see young-uns singing/humming along to random old classics often. This, to me, is just run-of-the-mill behaviour - ask them who sings the song, 9 times out of 10 they don't know.......


Posted By: Michael678
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 05:36
some do, alot don't; i fall under the former category. so yes i guess (hehe, a rhyme).

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Progrockdude


Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 05:51
The Who has had a major comeback recently - something the different CSI series are very much responsible for. Similarly, if old school Pretty Things tunes suddenly were used to kickstart a new successful crime series, we would be seeing a lot of teens singing along to bits and pieces from Parachute.

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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams


Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 06:05
I think they just hear their parents listening to classics and they absorb it.  FM rock radio is still pretty prevalent around here, as well.


Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 07:33
Pinball Wizard is one of the most popular songs of 'Classic Rock' in general.
If a boy whistling an obscure song from the third side of Her Majesty the Quad, it would have been cause for alarm LOL


Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 08:50
I think the more apt question would be, does the youngster even know what "pinball" is? Wink

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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 10:17
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

I think the more apt question would be, does the youngster even know what "pinball" is? Wink
LOL
 


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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 10:41
Free music can hit a wider audience. Or it's his father's favorite album, as was previously alluded to be FinnForest.


Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 13:27
Originally posted by Polymorphia Polymorphia wrote:

Everybody knows Pinball Wizard.

Yep.

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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 14:27
Everybody knows Video Killed The Radio Star, yet no-one has heard of The Buggles


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 16:28
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Everybody knows Video Killed The Radio Star, yet no-one has heard of The Buggles
 
or YesLOL


Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 10 2015 at 23:22
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Everybody knows Video Killed The Radio Star, yet no-one has heard of The Buggles
Yet there is a little difference between The Who and The Buggles, I'd say. The Buggles is de facto one-hit wonder ("They are best known for their 1979 debut single...")
The Who is one of the greatest and the most celebrated 'Classic Rock' bands ever, in the same league with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.


Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 01:47
^ This is true. I just thought I'd mention this because I hear Radio Star played here, there and everywhere more than songs by The Who.


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 02:03
Originally posted by Svetonio Svetonio wrote:

Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Everybody knows Video Killed The Radio Star, yet no-one has heard of The Buggles
Yet there is a little difference between The Who and The Buggles, I'd say. The Buggles is de facto one-hit wonder ("They are best known for their 1979 debut single...")
The Who is one of the greatest and the most celebrated 'Classic Rock' bands ever, in the same league with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Yeah but I doubt this kid would've been mouthing 'Hey Jude' or 'Brown Sugar'.   There appears to be something truly eternal in the Who's music that even the Beatles and Stones can't seem to match.   I always assumed it would be Floyd or Zep that would continue to capture teens, but instead it's AC/DC, Sabbath, and The Who.



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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy


Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 02:51
Probably an Elton John fan.

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What?


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 02:54
LOL 


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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy


Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 03:08
Anyone seen Rodrigo y Gabriella in concert? 500 teens singing (not mouthing) the words to Wish You Were Here... That wasn't a single and doesn't get air-play... Not even the dire Wycliffe Jean version.

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What?


Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 04:29
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Originally posted by Svetonio Svetonio wrote:

Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Everybody knows Video Killed The Radio Star, yet no-one has heard of The Buggles
Yet there is a little difference between The Who and The Buggles, I'd say. The Buggles is de facto one-hit wonder ("They are best known for their 1979 debut single...")
The Who is one of the greatest and the most celebrated 'Classic Rock' bands ever, in the same league with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Yeah but I doubt this kid would've been mouthing 'Hey Jude' or 'Brown Sugar'.   There appears to be something truly eternal in the Who's music that even the Beatles and Stones can't seem to match.   I always assumed it would be Floyd or Zep that would continue to capture teens, but instead it's AC/DC, Sabbath, and The Who.

Floyd, as a band in the genre of progressive psychedelia, has a great, worldwide popularity. If nothing else, everybody knows Floyd due to The Wall.
Led Zep were a heavy blues-rock band that is world-wide knowing due to their songs Stairway To Heaven, Kashmir and Who Lotta Love.
AC/DC and Black Sabbath were great 70s heavy rock bands. Black Sabbath is still to be influential to young heavy bands.

However, it's something bigger with The Who. You have the mods-60s The Who with My Generation the song as a hymn of one (any?) generation. Then comes "pop art" The Who as a part of the British Invasion and you have a power pop / psych-pop 60s The Who and the songs like I Can See For Miles (that one is especially timeless and could be a hit right now!). Then comes Tommy and Woodstock festival 1969 that launched them into the orbit.
1970, the greatest live recorded Rock album ever, Live at Leeds  was released.
1971, Who's Next was released with a ground-breaking songs as Baba, BBE and WGFA that decades later featured in the great 'punk-movie'Summer of Sam.
1972, The first-class single Join Together / Baby Don't You Do It  released.
1973, Quadrophenia
1975, Tommy  the film by Ken Rusell & double LP soundtrack (Mr Townshend was completely rewriting the opera, this time in a 70s proggy style with so much of crazy synths played by him). No doubt that Rusell's Tommy  is one of the most memorable films of 20th century cinematography. The Who By Numbers the album released.
1978, Who Are You  the album and the first-class hit single released and the title song, decades later, was used so beautifully in very popular CSI tv serie.
1979, The Kids Are Alright was the best big-screen rockumentary at the moment when it comes in the cinemas; a soundtrack double LP album released and went Platinium.
1979, Quadrophenia the film.
1979 / 1980, the great "come-back" tour, the first tour without Moon. 
1981, Face Dances  the album released, with first-class single You Better You Bet / The Quiet One released.
1982, the "firewall tour" with the full stadiums in USA & UK and the full arenas in Europe and with The Clash as an opening act. A double live album Who's Last released.
1985, The Who participated at Live Aid what the whole world was watching live on tv.
1986, the band was perfoming Quad in its entirety at one-day event in Hyde Park, London.
 
It's not all, but I think it's quite enough to whip e.g. Led Zep to death.
 
Oh and there are many The Who songs that were / are radio friendly, there are countless The Who covers by so many young bands from variety of genres and, of course, these countless, amazing and memorable The Who concerts from 60s to 00s ( John Entwistle died ) as for example their stunning performance at Concert for New York (available at Youtube as many other The Who live footages from different eras).
 


Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 05:02
Ermm LOL

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What?


Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 21:24
Originally posted by Svetonio Svetonio wrote:

It's not all, but I think it's quite enough to whip e.g. Led Zep to death.
 
Svetty, you are aware that several of the Zeppelin remasters have charted? For instance, their 1969 self-titled debut hit #7 on the Billboard charts in 2014. That is not including previous releases (which were already multi-platinum), just the one's Jimmy Page has released starting in the last two years.
 
As much as I love them, I don't think The Who have anywhere close to the same firepower.


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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...


Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 21:37
^ But in this case it's not about firepower but simply power--  few can compare with the pyrotechnics of Zep in their prime, but ain't no one under 30 singing 'The Rain Song' and just a handful who know the words to Stairway.   Zep will always be a monster of rock, one of the undisputed Kings, but their music was largely dressed-up white man's blues.   They didn't really start writing songs until the fifth album; whereas The Who's discipline for very deliberate and universal songcraft seems to be paying off in the long run.



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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy


Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: March 11 2015 at 22:40
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Originally posted by Svetonio Svetonio wrote:

It's not all, but I think it's quite enough to whip e.g. Led Zep to death.
 
Svetty, you are aware that several of the Zeppelin remasters have charted? For instance, their 1969 self-titled debut hit #7 on the Billboard charts in 2014. That is not including previous releases (which were already multi-platinum), just the one's Jimmy Page has released starting in the last two years.
 
As much as I love them, I don't think The Who have anywhere close to the same firepower.
That Page and Plant's ability to make an excellent 70s heavy blues-rock album can not be even compared to Pete Townshend's ingenuity that was created these hymn-like, timeless The Who songs  that always will stay beyond a current fashion.


Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: March 12 2015 at 12:46
My daughter likes Pinball Wizard when I play Tommy around the house. My sons are too young and impressionable to be subjected to songs like Cousin Kevin and Uncle Ernie, but my daughter is interested in plays and theater , understanding Tommy for it's art form more so than developing some prudish reaction to the bizarre lyrics or feelings of the emotionally disturbed. She understands Sgt. Pepper and The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society with the same logic. She is 13 years old, began listening to the British Invasion period and American Rock n' Roll at age 3, Prog and Classical later blah, blah,...but she knows all about the bands who started out in the British Invasion period and a few years later turned into Psychedelic Rock. Her awareness developed naturally by hearing the music around the house. Both of my sons are currently hooked on Contemporary Insanity by Happy The Man. They act as if they feel the power of that track and have questions for me regarding the music. This interest developed out of their exposure to hearing music and not through their personal interest in playing an instrument.


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: March 13 2015 at 14:59
And here I thought this thread was going to be about 'Who's Next'...which is my favorite Who album.
Embarrassed
 
 
 
btw....I'm bettting Dean is about right when he said Elton John...more people prolly know it from his version.
 
 
 
 


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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin



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