“What I find striking about this song is that it wasn’t written as a performance piece. Towser was famously challenged by his producer/manager Kit Lambert to fill up a blank 10 minutes of vinyl on their in-progress LP. He responded with this mini opera. I have vexed and divided feelings about the operas — mini, maxi, and otherwise — that subsequently flowed for Pete’s pen, but this one may be the apotheosis of the wit, tunefulness, proportion, and balls that mark the best Who songs. That after this magpie beginning the ‘Oo managed to turn it into a virtuoso live number gives just a hint of their power, inventiveness, and stamina at their pre-Tommy peak.”
– BernardStreetCred
Is this the Best Single Recorded Rock and Roll Performance in History?
The old time story says that the Rolling Stones didn’t release their own film “Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus” primarily because one of their guests, The Who, basically kicked their butts. This was the story for years, and then the clip was released on The Who’s own film “The Kids are Alright” and after that, I guess the Stones figured it didn’t matter any more.
Well, no real interest in what may or may not have motivated The Rolling Stones way back when, but I’m here to champion The Who’s performance from the Stones’ Circus as the best single rock and roll recording I have ever heard.
The Who were never known as a three singer, harmony style type o’ band (never mind Moonie on Bell Boy here) but they absolutely do the best with the singing talents of Daltrey, Townsend, and Entwistle on this one. It’s a great song built for a live performance, with changes of tempo and style throghout. The song is kind of like an Olympic dive – where the top mark is a 5.0 and a difficult dive is judged to be a 3.8. This song is more like a 4.9. Let’s go to the judges:
Witness Daltrey setting the scence and making everything else go from there.
Witness the fact that while this video is in real time, there are points where you cannot follow Keith Moon’s drumsticks. They do not blur, they simply disappear. At one point he’s playing 128th notes, like it’s freakin’ easy.
Witness the effortless shifting between song segments, roles and structures. This is a band that is in total sync.
Wintess the showmanship that’s just built in – Townshend is electric, Moon and Daltrey are scene stealers.
Witness the flat out cleverness in this song – The singing of the cello parts, the way Townshend made the word “forgiven” sound so much like “fuck you” that it is actually bleeped on youtube…
Witness the talent – John Entwistle singing notes that have never before or since been part of Rock and Roll. Moon. Pete. Roger.
Damn.
– Ron Swanson
