Roger Daltrey's storied voice is reduced to a frustrating rasp by end of sold-out concert at House of BluesBy John Soeder, The Plain Dealer
November 04, 2009, 1:45AM
John Soeder, The Plain Dealer
Roger Daltrey performs Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at House of Blues in Cleveland.
Roger Daltrey brought his Use It or Lose It Tour to Cleveland for a sold-out concert Tuesday night at House of Blues.
He used it all right. Unfortunately, he lost it, too.
The Who’s frontman -- a shoo-in on any list of the greatest rock ’n’ roll singers -- had to cut short his set after 90 minutes when his voice gave out.
At least the evening got off to a robust start, with Daltrey up to the challenge of three classic Who songs: “Who Are You,” “Pictures of Lily” and “Behind Blue Eyes.”
It was a rare pleasure catching this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in a relatively intimate setting. Usually Daltrey, 65, can be found belting out classic-rock anthems on the arena circuit.
Early on, he told fans that his solo tour was an excuse to have some fun.
Mission accomplished, to the tune of a handful of worthy selections from his oft-overlooked solo career (including “Who’s Gonna Walk on Water”) and an intriguing cross-section of personal favorites by other artists. In the latter category, Daltrey salvaged a couple of songs -- “Freedom Ride” and “Gimme a Stone” -- from “Largo,” an obscure song cycle by members of the Hooters, based on Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony.
John Soeder, The Plain Dealer
Roger Daltrey performs Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at House of Blues in Cleveland.
Daltrey didn’t downplay the Who, either. Alongside crowd-stoking renditions of “Squeeze Box” and “I Can See for Miles,” he even revisited “Tattoo,” an obscurity off 1967’s “The Who Sell Out” album.
He also fired off a few bars of “My Generation,” recast with a swinging blues arrangement. It segued into a partial take on the Muddy Waters standard “Mannish Boy.”
Daltrey had to draw the line somewhere, though. When someone called out a request for “Magic Bus,” Daltrey shot back: “What is it about ‘Magic Bus?’ One of the worst songs we ever did!”
He often strummed a guitar while he sang. His proficient five-piece backing band included Simon Townshend on guitar and occasional vocals. He sounded enough like his older brother, the Who’s Pete Townshend, to pull off a fun “Goin’ Mobile.”
Daltrey embellished the latter song with colorful bursts of harmonica. Ditto a rough-around-the-edges “Baba O’Riley.”
By then, his storied voice had been reduced to a frustrating rasp.
Signs posted around the venue stated that at Daltrey’s request, the air conditioning had been turned off. Despite such measures, as well as a steady stream of warm beverages in mugs for our hoarse hero, Daltrey slowly morphed into Tom Waits before our ears.
The frayed edges actually worked to Daltrey’s advantage during a ferocious “Young Man Blues,” the Mose Allison chestnut popularized via the Who’s seminal 1970 album, “Live at Leeds.”
Other numbers weren’t as lucky. A Johnny Cash medley and the Who’s “Blue, Red and Grey” were abandoned because Daltrey’s pipes just weren’t up to snuff, although he managed to get through a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou” before calling it quits.
Daltrey was his own harshest critic, if not entirely apologetic.
“I sound terrible,” he said toward the end of the show.
“I had a very bad night’s sleep last night,” he added. “This is what I woke up with. So tough [expletive] [expletive].”
John Soeder, The Plain Dealer
Roger Daltrey performs Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at House of Blues in Cleveland.
SET LIST:
Who Are You
Pictures Of Lily
Behind Blue Eyes
Days Of Light
Freedom Ride
Gimme A Stone
Goin’ Mobile
Tattoo
My Generation (partial)
Mannish Boy (partial)
Who’s Gonna Walk On Water
Squeeze Box
I Can See for Miles
Young Man Blues
Shakin’ All Over
Baba O’Riley
Johnny Cash Medley (aborted)
Blue, Red And Grey (aborted)
Born On The Bayou
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