See My Way

I'm a huge fan of The Who, and have read Dave Marsh's story of the band as well as Pete Townshend's memoir.  Roger Daltrey's Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite, may be the best book yet.  It certainly moves the fastest, telling the story of an eventful life in under 250 pages. (It's also well-written, which suggests a ghost writer, though none is credited.) The title refers to his headmaster, who told him he'd never amount to anything.

Of all the major rock bands, probably none was made up of such distinct individuals as The Who.  It's surprising they stuck together as long as they did.  They certainly fought a lot, sometimes physically.  Daltrey was probably the toughest member of the band.  Raised in post-war poverty, kicked out of school and working in a factory at 15, he had to be.

Daltrey loved music and saw it as a way to get off the path that life seemed to have in store.  In fact, though as a young man he had a shotgun marriage (not uncommon in his circle), he made the decision to keep on playing with The Who (a financially dubious decision at the time) rather than stay home and take care of his family.  He was a guy who didn't believe in looking back. He did financially take care of his wife and kid, but eventually found the love of his life, Heather, and started a new family. (Part of the new deal, and he claims Heather understood it, was that he would and could seek out companionship while on the road. In fact, Daltrey has fathered children in a number of countries.)

The Who's regular line-up was in place by 1964, before Daltrey was 20.  They had a great sound, but here's where their story is a bit different from other major groups.  Several months after The Beatles recorded their first tune, they were the top band in Britain, and by early 1964 had conquered America.  The Rolling Stones followed in their wake and within a year had hit it big as well.

The Who, on the other hand, though they released great singles throughout the 60s, didn't really make it big until they put out their rock opera Tommy in 1969.  And it was a bumpy ride along the way.  At one point, in fact, Daltrey was kicked out of the band. He was tired of the other three getting high and playing lousy, so after one gig he flushed Keith Moon's stash.  A fight followed and Daltrey knocked Moon out.  The band decided he had to go.  However, they soon discovered without the face and voice of The Who, they weren't doing as well, so they brought him back.  There was a tentative truce, but it took a long time for the psychic wounds to heal.

After Tommy, they were flying high, but well into the 70s weren't making much money (claims Daltrey).  Apparently, high expenses (including destruction of instruments, hotel rooms and cars parked in swimming pools) were part of it, but perhaps a bigger part was questionable management.  It took a while to convince Pete Townshend to make a change--he was the only one who didn't have to worry about money since he wrote the songs and got the royalties.

Throughout the 70s, the band went from strength to strength, selling out stadiums and releasing albums such as Who's Next and Quadrophenia.  But drummer Moon, who'd always overindulged, was having personal problems, which led him to drink so much and take so many drugs that he couldn't play like he once did.  Then, in 1978, he died.  Daltrey says it was a shock since the band had been expecting him to die for so long, by that point they figured he'd keep on going.

The Who were never the same, but decided to carry on.  And during their next tour, 11 fans were crushed to death in Cincinnati. (Not long after, they played Detroit.  I saw them, and Pete was paranoid about the fans rushing the stage.) The group took a break and, after a little more touring, split up.  Daltrey says he had to leave since he felt their new drummer, Kenney Jones, didn't fit their style.  Daltrey spent much of the 80s concentrating on his acting and solo music career.

In a way, The Who died with Moon.  In another way--fiscally--they never died.  Daltrey and bassist Entwistle needed money, so the band eventually had a reunion tour in 1989, and have been performing one way or another since.  They were about to begin a new tour starting in Las Vegas in 2002 when Entwistle succumbed to the rock and roll lifestyle. (He went to bed with a stripper at the Hard Rock Hotel and never awoke, dying of a heart attack induced by cocaine overdose.)

It was a tough blow, but The Who, even at half strength, still sold tickets.  Daltrey and Townshend have been doing shows, on and off, since then.  As long as they stay healthy, it looks like the two will continue rocking.  Townshend had his say in his book, so it's nice that Daltrey let's us see things his way.