Posted on 11/15/2021 3:28:28 PM PST by nickcarraway
Who frontman Roger Daltrey described the Rolling Stones as a "mediocre pub band" in a recent interview.
His comments follow those of Paul McCartney, who reignited the Beatles-vs.-Stones argument when he called Mick Jagger's group a "covers band" — leading to a lighthearted response from Jagger during a concert.
In conversation with the Coda Collection, Daltrey offered his own views, saying: "Mick Jagger, you've got to take your hat off to him. He's the number one rock 'n' roll performer." He continued with a laugh: "But as a band, if you were outside a pub and you heard that music coming out of a pub some night, you'd think, 'Well, that's a mediocre pub band!'"
Elsewhere in the interview, Daltrey revealed his envy toward Robert Plant, whose experience fronting Led Zeppelin was very different from Daltrey's own experience fronting the Who. “I managed to get the short straw of all the singers in all the bands," he reflected. "No solos! Who songs are all lyrics. Robert Plant — Percy, as we call him — he's a very good friend of mine, and we do joke about it. He said you could go off and read a book when [Jimmy] Page started up on a guitar solo or [John] Bonham stated on a drum solo. And I suddenly thought, 'I wonder what it would have been like being in a band like that!'"
Daltrey also said he was a "hater of the internet," explaining: "I never thought any good would come of it, and I still don't think anything good's come of it. I think if we're not careful it's probably the end of our civilization."
FWIW ... When I checked my iTunes playlist I see I have more Rolling Stones tunes among my Top 100 most frequently played (2) than from The Who (1).
It doesn't get much better than this, folks:
There ain't too many rock bands that can go from a jazz sound to blues to bluegrass like this.
"I'm a Mocker." - Ringo Starr
But the Stones never did a rock opera.
My wife, who knows about such things, says the Who and the Stones have a long history of animosity and put downs. This is but the latest phase.
The Who Sell Out is still my favorite. Brilliant concept with the faux Pirate Radio commercials in between the songs.
Pete loves the Stones, he would go after The Beatles more. But I’m sure it was just all a put on. (To borrow the line from Eminence Front)
“Pete though has said repeatedly that he’s a huge Stones fan.”
Really....I didn’t know Townsend evrr said anything nice about anybody.
The Who is great. But they essentially stopped being active in 1982 so you got give it to the Stones.
<< My wife >>
One of The Who’s best.
What have the Stones done since 82, all of their albums since then have been mostly forgetable, they just put them out to have an excuse to tour.
Moonlight Mile in particular is a gem. But the Stones have a great many from that period.
“She’s Coming!”
Best quip ever.
1. He’s right about the Stones as a band. They have a great songbook and Jagger/Richards deserve a lot of credit for writing all of those classic songs, but as a live performing band they haven’t been anything special for a long, long time if ever.
2. He’s absolutely right about the internet. It has made most things worse and this effect is becoming increasingly disastrous.
How can anyone not love Ringo?
Well I guess he’s got a point. Most nights I prefer a good pub band.
As happens with all of these bands, they essentially become “Tribute Bands” surrounded by twenty other musicians on stage.
When it was Pete, Roger, Ox and Moonie, you didn’t need anybody else on stage.
People forget about the Kinks.
They may be a mediocre pub band, but they’re a very rich mediocre pub band.
No, he's not. I love the Stones but I've never thought they were a particularly great live band. Keith Richards barely remembers how to play the songs he wrote. Live, the timing always seems to be off. Jagger runs around the stage but he seems to miss the keys. They always sound like they're phoning it in. Except for maybe a half dozen live tracks at most (the greatest being "Midnight Rambler" off "Get Your Ya Ya's Out" I've never really been blown away by any live Stones recordings.
The Who, on the other hand, prior to Moonie's death, was just powerful live. Crushing and thunderous. They should've called it quits when he died though. They haven't really done anything of any significance since then. However, "Live at Leeds" stands track to track as perhaps the best live rock album ever recorded. And the newly remastered video for "Live at Houston '75" is The Who as one of the greatest live acts ever.
Townshend really needs to pull some more stuff from the vault.
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