Tanglewood books The Who
mainRoger Daltrey, founder and lead singer of The Who, will perform theirrock opera TOMMY, with the Boston Pops on Friday, June 15 in the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
Daltrey last appeared at Tanglewood with The Who in 1970.
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The man is also voiceless in old age. So why this?
Because it’s a paying gig.
(and anyone who pays to go see that gig deserves what they will hear)
I’ve seen this show, its good. They actually put in footage of Keith Moon for the big drumming bits. Its a novelty item, really.
Keep in mind that the audiences who loved The Who back in the 60’s and 70’s have also aged. They won’t mind seeing themselves reflected onstage just as they did 40-50 years ago. And then there will be plenty of young(er) folks eager for a chance to see the legend live onstage before he retires or dies.
Bruce, I am a HUGE fan of The Who. They are still to this day my favorite rock band. I’ve seen them live many times (including when they really were the Who, and not in this current non-Who incarnation).
To the extent that the audience “…won’t mind seeing themselves reflected onstage just as they did 40-50 years ago,” then they will enjoy the concert. But that enjoyment stops the moment they switch from their eyes to their ears. During the Who’s prime years, Daltrey did not have a voice that could last an entire concert. Those prime years ended 40 years ago. What passes as his voice today is difficult to properly describe, but I think Caravaggio (above) nailed it.
I should have said “seeing and hearing themselves reflected onstage” to make it clear that I expect the forgiveness to extend to the audio as well as the visual.
If his fans forgave his vocal shortcomings then, they will probably forgive them now.
P.S. We had a pops concert many years ago with Shirley Jones. It wasn’t billed as a farewell or anything, but onstage she sure talked like she had already decided to stop performing and then agreed to do this one last show (in Spokane, WA of all places). Anyway, her voice was by that time what you would call “a glorious old wreck.” But she sang the old standards with absolute authority (often able to preface a song with a story that began “Mr. Hammerstein used to tell me…”) and a peerless command of the style. Even if her vibrato was a little ragged and her high notes weren’t as secure, it was a master class in how to do the thing right. If she wanted to come back and give another concert at the age of 105, I would happily buy a ticket.
Clearly some do not know that Roger had throat surgery and is singing really well these days. Incorrect on the folks that think otherwise. This is why Vegas is aggressively trying to book The Who residency next year. Rog sounds great!