First night of Eric Clapton's tour w/ Roger Daltrey opening.


Music review: Clapton plays to sold out crowd
Friday, February 26, 2010
By Scott Mervis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed/Post-GazetteGuitarist Eric Clapton performs in front of a sellout crowd Thursday in Mellon Arena.At this point Eric Clapton doesn't have a thing to prove to anyone.

His reputation as a guitar god was sealed 40 years ago. He has all the money and respect in the world. He has a full head of rock star hair for his Rolling Stone cover photo. On top of that, now he even has his own custom T-Mobile Fender cellphone.

So did he phone it in last night at the sold-out Mellon Arena?

It seemed like it at first when he hit the stage crawling through "Goin' Down Slow," a sluggish opener that offered nothing more exciting than what you'd get at the corner bar. It was followed by one of his most epic blues burners, "Key to the Highway," toned down to more of a flicker, with a brief, disinterested solo.

Then came signs of life, with the female backup singers spiking the great melody on "Tell the Truth," the second straight cut from "Layla." It wasn't until the grinding "Old Love," a little known song, that we got the first burst of passion from Mr. Clapton, one of those trademark solos with the long stabbing note and then a fast flurry at the bottom of the neck.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Set lists
Eric Clapton

Goin' Down Slow

Key to the Highway

Tell the Truth

Old Love

I Shot the Sheriff

Driftin' Blues

Nobody Knows You When You're Down Out

Running on Faith

Badge

Little Queen of Spades

Before You Accuse Me

Wonderful Tonight

Cocaine

Encore: Crossroads

Roger Daltrey

I Can See for Miles

The Real Me

Days of Light

Freedom Ride

Give Me a Stone

Mannish Boy/My Generation/Young Man's Blues

Baba O'Riley


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



He carried that into a punched-up "I Shot the Sheriff," with its jarring scrapes and then a long closing jam, performed effortlessly, cleanly and precisely. The tone was gorgeous as usual -- no argument there -- and the only pedal he seemed to need was a little distortion. If you like your guitar heroes messy, or want to high-five your friend after a shredding solo, he's not the guy.

As for the vocals, there was no struggle there, as he hasn't exactly worn them thin with over-use (it was his first show here in more than 10 years). His gruff voice was a bold accompaniment to his acoustic playing on a middle section of "Driftin' Blues," "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" and "Running on Faith."

What Mr. Clapton doesn't do there that some might is sit down and tell a story. He said almost nothing to the fans and projected less personality than Bob Dylan. In the trade, I guess that's called "letting the music do the talking."

It talked on "Badge," with that stunning late riff, and on "Little Queen of Spades," a round-robin jam that showed off his keyboard players before coming back around to one of his meaner solos.

"Wonderful Tonight" was what it was -- a slow dance that either put you to sleep or made you sentimental about some wedding. He picked up the pace again with power-chord classic "Cocaine," and signed off with a "Crossroads" a few shades lighter than Cream.

So while we got the "Assorted Love Songs," what we didn't get, oddly, was "Layla," his most beloved song. It may have added that certain "blow-you-away" factor that was missing, may even have made this Clapton concert one to phone home about.

Opening the show, Roger Daltrey noted brightly that this was "one-up from a toilet break at a football match."

And it was for us, too.

Rumors of Mr. Daltrey's vocal demise, based on the Super Bowl halftime, were greatly exaggerated. On the first night of the new tour with his solo band, The Who singer sounded 20 years younger than he did in Miami.

He kicked it off forcefully with "I Can See for Miles" and "The Real Me," which turned out to be kind of a tease. This wasn't a Who tribute set with Pete Townshend's little brother Simon subbing in.

The meat of his set was drawn from other parts of his career ---with the rough and tumble "Days of Light," the bluesy "Freedom Ride" and Elvis tribute "Real Good Lookin' Man." It built up to a hard blues medley of "Mannish Boy," a slow-chugging "My Generation" and then a walloping "Young Man's Blues" that allowed lead guitarist Frank Simes to get his licks in.

Mr. Daltrey didn't have the benefit of flashy lighting, a rowdy crowd or even room to swing his mike. He also complained about new in-ear monitors. But he made the best of all that, with lots of muscle left in his pipes. It's a lucky concert crowd that gets "Baba O'Riley" from the opening act -- with the original guy who sang it!

Scott Mervis: [email protected]; 412-263-2576.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10057/1038819-388.stm#ixzz0guTv9Ufb

" happy birthday Roger   "


That is RIGHT !!!!! : Happy Sixty - Sixth Birthday Roger !!!

Patti Smith, Living Colour Pay Tribute to The Who at Carnegie Hall

3/3/10, 12:16 pm EST




“Carnegie Hall, I apologize for what I’m about to do,” said surprise guest Patti Smith last night at a Who tribute concert at the famed New York venue before launching into a snarling punk version of “My Generation,” during which she spit on the hallowed stage at least three separate times. (Iggy Pop did some damage to the very same stage at the Tibet House benefit last week.) Earlier in the night, Bobby McFerrin did the same song, though he used no instrument other than his mouth and the sound of his hand banging against his chest. Patti’s was stronger (mainly because it didn’t bear resemblance to the Cosby Show theme), but it proved that The Who’s vast catalog is strong enough to survive nearly any re-interpretation.

The night — which was a benefit concert for numerous organizations including Music Unites — began with a children’s choir and the house band performing “Overture” and “Tommy Can You Hear Me.” They were followed by Living Colour, who did an absolutely killer funk-metal “Eminence Front.” It was a hard act to top, but Robyn Hitchcock’s acoustic “Substitute” and The Smithereens’ fierce one-two punch of “The Seeker” and “Sparks” came pretty close with an incredibly frantic energy. Bettye LaVette slowed things down with a beautiful torch ballad rendition of “Love Reign O’er Me” that was definitely the vocal highlight of the night.

Mose Allison, looking pretty spry for 82, was the only performer who did an original. He played “Young Man Blues” (which was a staple of The Who’s set list in the 1960s and ’70s) and its recent sequel “Old Man Blues.” Beatles cover band Fab Faux stepped one inch outside of their comfort zone by playing “Tommy’s Holiday Camp” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Every note and harmony from the Tommy finale was hit with stunning precision. The Gaslight Anthem tore into “Baba O’Riley” Pearl Jam style, while Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould dipped deep into The Who’s catalog for a frenzied cover of “Can’t Reach You” from The Who Sell Out. The night ended with all the performers jamming on a sloppy but fun “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” featuring an unprecedented two primal screams — one by Willie Nile and another by Nicole Atkins, who nailed it better than Daltrey has in quite some time.

rollingstone.com

Patti Smith - 'My Generation'

Bettye LaVette - 'Love Reign O'er Me'

The Gaslight Anthem - 'Baba O'Riley'

There's a Pete interview with Bob Cianci in the new issue of Premier Guitar.
Obviously a lotta gear talk, but here's a few other bits of interest:

This brings us to the subject of hearing loss. You and I are both longtime working musicians who suffer from this problem. Mine is pretty severe, not only as a result of gigging for over 40 years, but as a result of genetic factors. What is the state of your hearing right now? Do you wear hearing aids, and assuming you use in-ears onstage, how are you protecting your hearing?

I don’t use in-ears on stage. Not yet. I have just been introduced to a new microprocessor- controlled system with three transducers in each ear. They sound amazing. But the Chinese might hack into my gig…

I have started wearing hearing aids in the past months. The new ones are incredible. Tiny. The only way to protect my hearing would be to stop playing music. I get the most problems from long periods of studio work, which is how I compose. So I am nervous about the future right now.

You’ve always been a proponent of the internet, and have used it to your benefit for many years. When you conceptualized Psychoderelict, were you at all aware that you might have been predicting the rise of the internet with the album’s theme of a “grid?”

I predicted the internet back in 1971 with Lifehouse. I can’t take all the credit—I was taught at art school in 1961 that computers would change the way artists worked and communicated, and the way society functioned.

I have read you are writing material for a new Who album tentatively titled Floss. Can you give us some information about it? Will it be a return to a guitar-based sound again? What is the theme and when will it be released?

Floss is not a new Who album. It is a musical play. Some of the music might work for Roger and me; I am still working on it. I reckon I have another year to go writing.

What was it like to tour right after John Entwistle’s death? That must have been extremely hard on you and Roger.

It was hard, but we had no option.

Do you plan on touring with The Who again at any time in the future, and if so, when?

There are no plans to tour at the moment.

After almost 47 years with The Who, are there any regrets? Would you change anything if you could? Do you still get a rush, a thrill, performing live with the band?

I’ve never gotten a rush or thrill from performing. I’m good at it, and I find it easy and natural. No regrets. I fell into this business, the family business, out of art school. It’s given me the chance to combine popular music (which is so natural for me) with ambitious creativity, so I’ve been really lucky. I’ve had great support, too, from The Who band and managers over the years. Lots of crazy ideas.

Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, think The Who would last as long as it has, and are you satisfied with your musical legacy and the body of work you have created?

The gap from 1982 to 2006 in recording is a great shame. I made some good solo records, but the break was necessary, I think. I’m satisfied so far. I hope there is more to come.

premierguitar.com

" You’ve always been a proponent of the internet, and have used it to your benefit for many years. When you conceptualized Psychoderelict, were you at all aware that you might have been predicting the rise of the internet with the album’s theme of a “grid?”[/b]

I predicted the internet back in 1971 with Lifehouse. I can’t take all the credit—I was taught at art school in 1961 that computers would change the way artists worked and communicated, and the way society functioned.  "

The Who at the Albert Hall

From The Times
March 31, 2010
David Sinclair



Rumbling on like a soap opera that can’t be stopped, The Who returned to the Albert Hall last night to stage the first performance of their “rock opera” Quadrophenia since 1997, when they took a production of it on a tour of America.

As usual, the build-up to the show was marked by a certain tension between Roger Daltrey, 66, whose enthusiasm for reviving the name and repertoire of the group knows no bounds, and Pete Townshend, 64, who always seems to have a compelling excuse not to carry on with it. Currently it is the threat of his worsening tinnitus. But the opportunity to perform their masterwork on behalf of the Teenage Cancer Trust (of which Daltrey is the patron) was evidently an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Townshend has stated that Quadrophenia is the “best album that I will ever write”. He may be correct — history has certainly judged it to be one of the key pop texts. Despite the seething sense of youthful alienation and angst that permeates the music and lyrics, the album was already an essay in nostalgia when it was released in 1973.

This production turned it into a full-blown social history of pop culture, with film footage that went all the way back to the Blitz in London and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima playing on a screen at the back while the band performed the album’s title track. The increasingly Darby and Joan-like Daltrey and Townshend were reunited with the usual supporting cast: Pino Palladino (bass), Zak Starkey (drums), John “Rabbit” Bundrick (keyboard), and Simon Townshend (guitar), together with an assortment of brass and string players.

There were guest cameos from Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, who sang 'The Punk And The Godfather', and Tom Meighan of Kasabian, who made a splendid job of Keith Moon’s part in 'Bell Boy', which he began mounted on a scooter at the back of the stage.

The narrative thread of the story was bolstered by film footage in which the regally disaffected mod character Jimmy declaimed his lines to camera about working-class life in 1960s Britain. Newspaper headlines of the day flashed up as Townshend sang a rather meandering 'Cut My Hair'. And there were scenes of mods and rockers fighting on Brighton beach as the band piled into 'Sea And Sand'.

Daltrey sang with his emphatic touch, while Townshend played acoustic and electric guitar with a combination of finesse and aggression. There was a bit of microphone twirling and windmilling of arms but, for the most part, it was more about getting the music right rather than making an exhibition of themselves.

Up-tempo numbers such as 'The Real Me' and a rollicking version of '5.15' got the crowd rocking along, and the dramatic thread of the story was put across with a coherence that has proved elusive in the past. Then, however, it all ended rather abruptly. Having performed a selection of hits at the Miami Superbowl in February, it seemed likely that there might be some extra songs played here.

But there were no encores, prompting scratching of heads and even a few boos as the lights came up.

Times Online

The Who performed Quadrophenia last night at the Royal Albert Hall, concluding the 10th year of concerts initiated by the band's singer, Roger Daltrey, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.

Joined by a brass and string section, plus special guests Eddie Vedder (PearlJam) and Tom Meighan (Kasabian), The Who, supported by a superb multimedia sequence directed by Aubrey Powell, gave a brilliant interpretation of Pete Townshend's edgy masterpiece.

SET LIST:

I Am the Sea
The Real Me
Quadrophenia
Cut My Hair
The Punk and the Godfather (with Eddie Vedder)
I’m One
The Dirty Jobs
Helpless Dancer
Is It in My Head?
I’ve Had Enough (with Eddie Vedder and Tom Meighan)
5:15
Sea and Sand (with Eddie Vedder and Tom Meighan)
Drowned
Bell Boy (with Tom Meighan)
Doctor Jimmy
The Rock
Love, Reign O’er Me

www.thewho.com

What was the windmill over/under?

Great pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" Buncha videos from the RAH show are posted @ www.youtube.com/user/alistairburns "


You are muched Loved !!!!!!

Stones and Beatles were on the "Great Pop Prom" bill at RAH in 1963.

And dig this clip from a 1966 show - www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKJCDmXjsQw

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=297144

THE WHO
Royal Albert Hall, London, UK 30. Mar. 2010

Disc 1:
01. Intro
02. I Am The Sea
03. The Real Me
04. 'Jimmy'
05. Quadrophenia
06. 'Jimmy'
07. Cut My Hair
08. 'Jimmy'
09. The Punk And The Godfather
10. 'Jimmy'
11. I'm One
12. 'Jimmy'
13. The Dirty Jobs
14. Helpless Dancer
15. Is It In My Head >
16. I've Had Enough >
17. 5:15

Disc 2:
01. 'Jimmy'
02. Sea And Sand
03. 'Jimmy'
04. Drowned
05. 'Jimmy'
06. Bell Boy
07. 'Jimmy'
08. Doctor Jimmy >
09. The Rock
10. Love Reign O'er Me

approx. 100 mins
seamless recording, disc change is a suggestion

Recording Info:
recorded by Vortex242
OKM IIr > A3 > EDIROL R-09HR (44.1/16) >
USB > WAV > Adobe Audition (EQing) > CDwave (tracking)
> FLAC frontend (level 6, verify, with align on sector boundaries)
> Tracker