The Who
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Topic: The Who
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Subject: The Who
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:20
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Does ANyone think that the Who qualify as at least semi-prog. Ok - they werent great musicians, but they had several prog aspects... |
Replies:
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:40
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<====!!! They get plenty of respect from me! The Who really did push the proverbial envelope in the music world. They came out with a 9 and 1/2 minute song when it was considered blasphemous in A Quick One, While He's Away. The Who Sell Out isn't really a concept, though, it's just one album with a consistent theme. Tommy has many progressive tendencies, but they didn't hit progressive gold till Quadrophenia in 73 (My favorite album if you haven't realized that). Who's Next was a step in the right direction, too, with heavy progressive influences as well.
I beg to differ. John Entwistle is considered the Jimi Hendrix of bass, always giving one hell of a performance. Keith Moon was a very talented drummer, but he wasn't the most skillful. Pete Townshend is a very underrated guitarist IMO. He plays one of the best rhythym guitars I've ever heard, and he can solo really well, too. Roger Daltry is also a very good vocalist and harmonica player. ------------- 
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Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:42
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Many here like them, naturally, but they were NOT a "Progressive Rock" band. Great, intelligent, classic rock and roll -- but they don't belong on a prog compilation, IMO. You can find "progressive" elements in countless rock/pop acts & songs, but synths, long songs, rhythms from other cultures, etc, doth not a prog band make. This issue is endless. I'm starting to hate the vague, dated term "progressive rock!" ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
One of my all-time fave bands.
Posted By: Progger
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:43
I think the one album that did have 'some' prog leanings isn't on your list 'Quadraphenia'. The comment that they weren't great musicians is controversial to say the least |
Posted By: Yanns
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:53
| Well, of course I respect them, they're The Who, for crying out loud. But the moment you call them prog, you can call any classic rock band prog. |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:53
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Im not sayign they were progressive rock, but they were much more groundbreakign than most of prog bands we discuss here (...dream theater), and yea, how could i forget the brillliant QUADROPHENIA im not saying they belogn here....they dont, but i love the who, one of the few non prog bands i listen to 
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Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 22:54
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i think they are just as much prog as supertramp, or some of those borderline art-rock bands (pop) bands |
Posted By: Progger
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 23:15
The Who where 'The Greatest Rock 'n' Roll' band in the world.The Stones didn't deserve that title!
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Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 23:20
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The Who were by far the superior band, since all their songs dont sound exactly the same. |
Posted By: Progger
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 23:25
The reason why The Stones shelved the Rock 'n' Roll Circus film for many years was because The Who blew them off stage. Jagger's own admission! |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 03 2005 at 23:33
So did Jethro Tull! |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 00:02
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Thereason why I wouldn't include The Who in a Prog' list despite Tommy, Quadrophenia and parts of Who's Next is because I really love that band. They are Classic Rock icons, and would never reach that status in the Progressive Rock context because that was not their main style, so I prefer looking at The Who as the best Classic Rock band than as another group in the Art Rock sub genre with Styx or Asia. Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 00:41
i never looked at it like that ivan, great point, as always, you make a great argument |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 01:04
------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Man Erg
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 03:25
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If you were to to pin a genre on The Who,the one that I would choose would be Art-Rock.
Otherwise,The Who is The Who is The Who... ------------- 
Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb. |
Posted By: Certif1ed
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 03:45
I can't make the distinction between "Classic Rock" and "Progressive Rock", simply because much Progressive Rock IS Classic Rock. These categories are too divisive, IMO - including so-called "Art-Rock" which I do not recognise as a category, as Prog Rock is also Art Rock, Symphonic Rock and the rest. The Who, despite being a fantastic rock band, did not get many of what I would call "Prog Moments" - those wonderful half-composed half-improvised moments of brilliance that make up most of a prog album. "Tommy" is not the first rock opera - Andrew Lloyd Webber beat the Who to it - and some might argue that the Pretty Things' S. F. Sorrow qualifies. The Overture is no more progressive than "Days of Future Passed", which IMO is not so much a prog rock album as a progressive approach to making a pop/rock album. The Beatles were also very progressive... While The Who were incredibly inventive, no particular album of theirs fully qualifies itself as prog rock - they are more full of the zeitgeist that identifies a popular rock band. However, some of their live performances are enough to convinvce me that they went through a phase of wanting to be a Prog Rock band - and didn't make a bad job of it! Well, that's what I think... |
Posted By: headboy
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 04:15
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eh??!!! not great musicians? don't make I larf definitely top five in their respective categories (or maybe higher) bass...brilliant...prob the best rock bassist, much missed drums...what can you say?...nobody like him then or since, unique,eccentric,much missed guitar...def top five rock geetarist, brilliant writer vocals... good... put it all together and you get the best live rock band ever but definitely not prog yes you're right, the first was the Pretty Things...sadly underrated ----------------------------------------------- this is a local shop for local people |
Posted By: PROGMAN
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 04:23
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They do have elements of Prog. But a good band and I agree John Entwhistle is the Jimi Hendrix of Bass. ------------- CYMRU AM BYTH 
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Posted By: Gloryscene
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 04:26
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I just can't understand or like the Who t all. I think the main issue for me is that the guitars are way too jangly and the vocals far too cockney sounding for liking. I picked up a copy of Tommy and span it a few times beginning to end and it just does nothing except annoy me intensely. Maybe I am just a Who hater?!!
------------- "The Beautiful Ally Of Your Own Gravediggers" www.gloryscene.co.uk |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 13:32
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The Who deserve a lot of respect for albums like Tommy and Quadrophenia. Borderliners maybe, no progrock maybe, but I guess many progfans will like them. I do. A lot of great compositions, and Moonie was a great drummer. |
Posted By: headboy
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 13:58
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jangly? Tommy,Tommy,Tommy..... Is that all you lot know? Listen to some other stuff! |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 15:01
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When I were a lad at school, the great music debate was always The Who vs Led Zeppelin. I was always a Who fan first and foremost, though I think both were amazing. Although they both did some proggy stuff, neither was a prog band and wouldn't thank you for putting them in that category. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 15:24
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The Who are better than than the Stones and Beatles combined. They are not rated period. Underrated would be an overstatement. So many of their tunes don't get the airplay they deserve: Squeeze Box |
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 16:04
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I Never said they were prog! |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: May 04 2005 at 22:10
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Certified wrote:
Maybe you don't make the distintion between classoic rock and Prog' but the rest ofv the music listening world do. Prog is really an isolated genre, very pretentious, pompous and not popular at all. Classic Rock is another excellent genre but it's far more popular, not pompous or pretentious and reached some good radio stations. We are talking about two different things. Certified wrote:
Again, maybe you don't recognize Art Rock as a sub genre of prog', but the rest of the world does, and it's used to describe the simplest bands that played at the border that divides progressive rock mainly from POP or AOR. Check any important Progressive Web page including Prog Archives, they all agree at this point. The truth is that The Who would loose very much if consider part of Progressive Rock because they are IMO the best Classic Rock band ever. Iván BTW, Not so few prog moments, at least Overture, Underture, Amazing Journey, I'm Free and a couple more songs fropm Tommy are very close to Prog' plus all Quadrophenia and great part of Who's Next. -------------
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Posted By: Jools
Date Posted: May 06 2005 at 07:49
Tommy is a terribly produced album and a bad place to start for a newcomer. The guitars on Who's Next are way heavier and Roger Daltrey sings on some songs with a more mid atlantic drawl if thats your bag. The instrumentals pieces on Quadrophenia are interchangeable with prog if nothing else! ------------- Ridicule is the burden of genius. |
Posted By: Sound_Chaser
Date Posted: May 06 2005 at 08:09
Must be one of the bigest jokes I have ever heard on this Forum you gota be joking, ehh? Well the WHO is not prog that for sure they are the best Classic Rock band ever, and I love em very much, they are on of my favorit bands. And they culd blow the rolling stones or any other rock band from that time, off the stage any time. And I think they are on of the funiest rock bands ever, and they made great rock operas but not prog. |
Posted By: Yurkspb
Date Posted: May 06 2005 at 08:54
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One of my favourite bands, but it's not prog at all. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: May 06 2005 at 13:06
Usual reminder. Pete Townshend has never hidden his opinion that the Pretty Things with S.F.Sorrow released the first rock opera which filled a complete album, giving Townshend the confidence to do Tommy. Although earlier to complete the A Quick One albumTownshend was encouraged by the Who's manager to cobble together parts of unfinished tunes to produce a 10 minute mini-opera A Quick One While He's Away. And Keith West of Tomorrow (which had Steve Howe and Twink in the line-up) released two singles for the British market even earlier, Excerpts From A Teenage Opera (which was number 1) and Grocer Jack; the complete album had to wait almost 25 years before being released by UK label RPM. As I suggested elsewhere if Ray Davis hadn't been tied up for a year with contractual/legal wrangles preventing them from recording, then the Kinks might have even got in before. And of course there is the missing second Townshend "opera" or perhaps more accurately musical project The Lifehouse, which in one form was a theatrical play with musical interludes performed in the early 80's at the Old Vic Theatre and resurrected in late 1999 as a radio play for BBC Radio Three (with Townshend's own musical accompaniment) . Some of tunes became Who's Next, other pieces are found on subsequent Who albums right through to the sad death of Keith Moon. A large and reasonably expensive multi-CD box set The Lifehouse Project, demos, (live and studio) remixes, the Radio 3 version of the musical play and other materials , info can be obtained from: http://www.petetownshend.co.uk/projects/lifehouse/ - http://www.petetownshend.co.uk/projects/lifehouse/ |
Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 09:47
| The Who are way better than the Rolling Stones. They also have had some very proggy moments. One you guys never mention is Who Are You, which shows them dabble with prog the most they ever had. Its a great record full of energy. The critics hated it because of that though. Great Band! |
Posted By: omar progriguez
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 09:52
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f*** the Who the What and the Why. They are a dreaful band with a horrible singer. No wonder their drummer died - it was to get away from their horrible songs. their 2 redeeming features: 1. pete townshend swinging both ways, baby!! 2. john entwistles dying while high and on the job with some hookers.
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Posted By: The Wizard
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 10:07
You wouldn't know good music if it hit you in the head with Pete Townsends guitar. |
Posted By: omar progriguez
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 10:22
The Who are whorrible. Really bad. They are as close to prog as the scissor sisters or concord dawn. As for music...I know music as intimately as I know my men! Believe me, I know a lot about music bro. |
Posted By: Gloryscene
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 10:37
------------- "The Beautiful Ally Of Your Own Gravediggers" www.gloryscene.co.uk |
Posted By: Gloryscene
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 10:38
The who suck big time (like my boyfriend). I know good music and it is obvious you don't boyo ------------- "The Beautiful Ally Of Your Own Gravediggers" www.gloryscene.co.uk |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 19:05
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Excellent Classic Rock band with very talented musicians. Not prog. but damn good.
------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: spectral
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 19:07
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they still influence bands, even now. eddie vedder from Pearl Jam is a massive fan. not prog though. ------------- "...misty halos made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine." |
Posted By: limeyrob
Date Posted: July 21 2005 at 16:34
| Omar prog whatisname wrote a load of tosh. Funny how the producers of the fine CSI series chose The Who music for ALL their series. Obviously they recognise talent when they see it |
Posted By: Retroventuremod
Date Posted: July 22 2005 at 01:46
Yeah but Who are You? isn't exactly a fantastic song as much as I love the Who, I cringe when I hear that song lol  But I love the who - i started off with the Who sell out ------ tommy ------- who's next ------- meaty beaty big and bouncy Sounds like my next album should be quadrophenia, which I'd get if I could find it anywhere.....  BORIS THE SPIDER!!!!!! Great song ------------- I asked Bobby Dylan I asked the Beatles I asked Timothy Leary But he couldn't help me either They call me the seeker THE WHO! |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: July 22 2005 at 18:27
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I brought my fender bassman 10 at home, and added it as a 3rd amplifier to my stereo. I tried it with Creams material along with the following work by The Who: BBC sessions, Live at Leeds 1970, Isle of Wight 1970 Also the recent Live8 concert's set was IMO nice. |