Say it Ain’t so, Pete!
Are the Who Done? What About Neil?
Damn, two of my favorites.
Was the Who’s 12-minute performance during the Super Bowl halftime show in Miami its last?
If the ringing in Pete Townshend’s ears gets any worse, it just might have been.
Townshend told Rolling Stone that he suffers from tinnitus – a painful ringing of the ears – from years of touring with the legendary rock group.
“If my hearing is going to be a problem, we’re not delaying shows, Townshend told the magazine. We’re finished.
The 64-year-old guitarist added: “I can’t really see any way around the issue.”
The Who was forced to cancel its spring tour and a pair of festival appearances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Coachella due to Townshend’s ear issues. One date – a charity performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall – is still scheduled.
“It’s a good test of Pete’s hearing,” Roger Daltrey said. “We won’t know until we try.”
Townshend is being treated by an audiologist used by fellow aging rocker Neil Young.
February 24th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
I hope Pete doesn’t call it quits on live concerts, but, I do know how he feels, somewhat, I’ve suffered from ringing ears for about the past 40 years due to high-powered weapons and high-powered Rock ‘n’ Roll…. I have some hearing loss in my left ear due to always facing the left when we performed….. My Dual-Showman cabinet did a nice job of blasting in my left ear….. When you play them small Oklahoma clubs, you stand right in front of your amp….. It seems there’s always a price to pay for having a good time and being a R’n’R Star (at least in your own mind – Ha!)….. It was fun though and I would do it all over again with maybe one small change – actually make some money – at least maybe break even…. Oh, well, we have lots of Stars from Oklahoma, but, you won’t see someone become a Star by performing in Oklahoma…. Facts are a “Bitch” (listening to it on my iPod right now)……
February 24th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Hope Pete doesn’t call it quits either, but, I know what it’s like – too loud equipment and lots of fun with guns. I’d do it again with one small change – wear ear plugs. No hope for big bucks.
February 26th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Not an audiologist, but… 1. stay away from the drummer and the Marshall stacks; 2. ear protection in the (chilled) machine rooms [those Liebert units are LOUD]; 3. double hearing protection when shooting. I do this at matches, mainly because it helps tune everything out, but it’s bound to help protection-wise, too; 4. ear protection while riding at highway speeds.
I would not call myself a Neil Young fan, but Jek got me hooked on Trans ages ago [which the critics hated, I believe]. I was surprised to see that it’s not in the iTunes library.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
I believe “Trans” & “Time Fades Away” are the only one in the vast Neil Young archive that are not included. BTW, I’ve always been a hard core fan. Would love to find these two on CD. I’m sure they can probably be had for a price (like everything else these days). I don’t know why I keep adding to my collection of CDs & Videos. I have more than I can possibly listen to for the remainder of my life.
February 27th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Amazon has Trans on CD; it’s just not on iTunes. I think Jek has (had?) it on LP.
February 27th, 2010 at 1:06 am
I do indeed have Trans on CD and LP. BUT… the CD version only has an alternate take of “Sample and Hold”, which doesn’t have the cool bass part during the chorus. I do not understand why they didn’t just include it as a bonus track rather than replace the original. Lucky 13 has the alternate take as well. AFAIK the originally released version of “Sample and Hold” is unavailable.
February 27th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
I own the vinyl of both. If I weren’t so lazy, I could probably convert them to a reasonably sounding CD, since both are in near mint.
Yeah, jek I’ve wondered the same things about CD releases of several older albums. Sort of like when some software titles are “updated” (for the worse).
March 6th, 2010 at 3:22 am
And according to Neil Young in his biography “Shakey” You will never hear Time fades away on CD. Neil says that it is his most hated album that he ever has done and as of the writing of the book refuses to even listen to the master tapes much less digitize them. A shame because I feel that it is a great body of work and since some of it was recorded here in OKC at the Myriad, would love to hear it on CD.
On the Tinnitus subject, I never thought too much about it until I heard a interview with William Shatner he says he has suffered from it for years and has even considered suicide once over it, I have a new respect from those who suffer from this terrible affliction.
March 6th, 2010 at 4:26 pm
I am a huge Neil Young fan. I own around 25 cds he has released. I actually enjoyed several cuts from Time Fades Away. It is like the missing piece of a puzzle that explains a lot about his career development & eccentricity. It also documents why his only concert appearance in OKC was terrible.