Pete Townsend gears up for the Who's American tour
Pete Townsend posted his final diary entry on his official (petetownshend.co.uk) website before gearing up to launch the Who's first full-scale U.S. tour in nearly four years.
Townshend spoke to U.S. fans on Sunday (September 3rd), saying that, "This is the last day I spend with my son, my family, our five dogs, in my garden, enjoying the end of the English summer... Tomorrow I begin my journey to come and play to you... I'm not going to pretend I'm looking forward to being away from home, but neither am I going to pretend I'm not looking forward to the tour."
Townshend took time out to praise both Bob Dylan's new Modern Times album and Bruce Springsteen's recent We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions saying that, "I heard some tracks from Bob Dylan's new CD on BBC radio last night. They are great. Mature just as Bruce Springsteen's last album was. The critics were favorable about the way Bob Dylan is facing his ageing process and is remaining connected with his ageing audience."
He went on to talk about why he and other artists feel the need to recognize and comment on growing older: "I wonder why we, the song-writers of today, feel the need to even think about this? Did Cole Porter worry about the creatures of his craft growing old gracefully, bitterly or resolutely? Did Frank (Sinatra) and Ella (Fitzgerald) concern themselves about how strange it might be to sing songs about young love, when both of them were in old age?"
Earlier this summer, during the Who's press conference in Berlin to announce their upcoming U.S. tour, Townshend explained that the Who's current tour was the impetus for writing a new Who album: "I've always wanted to write Roger (Daltrey) material that he felt that he could sing, and I've always wanted it to have 'The Who' banner over its head. And of course, there was the question of, why make a record under the Who brand, if you like, unless we're really gonna get out there and get behind it, properly -- do a world tour."
Last month, the band released an 11-minute "mini-opera," titled Wire And Glass. An expanded version of the piece will be featured on their upcoming full length album Endless Wire, which will be released on October 31st.
The Who's U.S. tour kicks off on September 12th in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.
Townshend spoke to U.S. fans on Sunday (September 3rd), saying that, "This is the last day I spend with my son, my family, our five dogs, in my garden, enjoying the end of the English summer... Tomorrow I begin my journey to come and play to you... I'm not going to pretend I'm looking forward to being away from home, but neither am I going to pretend I'm not looking forward to the tour."
Townshend took time out to praise both Bob Dylan's new Modern Times album and Bruce Springsteen's recent We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions saying that, "I heard some tracks from Bob Dylan's new CD on BBC radio last night. They are great. Mature just as Bruce Springsteen's last album was. The critics were favorable about the way Bob Dylan is facing his ageing process and is remaining connected with his ageing audience."
He went on to talk about why he and other artists feel the need to recognize and comment on growing older: "I wonder why we, the song-writers of today, feel the need to even think about this? Did Cole Porter worry about the creatures of his craft growing old gracefully, bitterly or resolutely? Did Frank (Sinatra) and Ella (Fitzgerald) concern themselves about how strange it might be to sing songs about young love, when both of them were in old age?"
Earlier this summer, during the Who's press conference in Berlin to announce their upcoming U.S. tour, Townshend explained that the Who's current tour was the impetus for writing a new Who album: "I've always wanted to write Roger (Daltrey) material that he felt that he could sing, and I've always wanted it to have 'The Who' banner over its head. And of course, there was the question of, why make a record under the Who brand, if you like, unless we're really gonna get out there and get behind it, properly -- do a world tour."
Last month, the band released an 11-minute "mini-opera," titled Wire And Glass. An expanded version of the piece will be featured on their upcoming full length album Endless Wire, which will be released on October 31st.
The Who's U.S. tour kicks off on September 12th in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center.
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