Music Review: 'The Music of the Who' - So Who’s Next? Patti Smith and Others

NY Times ^ | March 3, 2010 | JON PARELES

[a fool in paradise]

Two mature women paid the best tributes to Pete Townshend’s songs in “The Music of the Who”: 21 acts performing a selection each on Tuesday night at Carnegie Hall.

One was Patti Smith, seizing “My Generation” like a born rocker. “Oh, Carnegie Hall,” she announced on arrival, “forgive me for what I am about to do.” She strapped on a guitar and took on a cocky swagger as the band charged into the song. She snarled and howled the lyrics. She spit, twice. She added her own generational message, urging people to “Rise up!”...

The other was the soul singer Bettye LaVette, singing “Love Reign O’er Me” backed only by piano. She took the song to church, with her voice opening up from a tight little rasp to bluesy curves to sweeping gospel flourishes. Ms. LaVette made the song — which is due to appear on her coming album — a desperate prayer. She captured the other essence of the Who: the wounds behind the bravado, the longing that runs through so many Who songs about characters who are misunderstood or forsaken.

The Who tribute was the annual benefit concert for music education...

...The Smithereens came closest to the Who’s tension and release in the instrumental “Sparks,” from “Tommy.” Other emulators (the Postelles, the Gaslight Anthem, the Fab Faux) made a listener miss what the Who did better: Roger Daltrey’s melody and enunciation, Keith Moon’s crash-and-burn drumming, Mr. Townshend’s combination of architectural precision and bluesy aggression.

...One song predated the Who: Mose Allison’s “Young Man Blues,” a complaint about disrespect that the Who often performed live. Mr. Allison, 82, was there to sing it, and he had a second half, “Old Man Blues”: still misunderstood, still forsaken.

[FoxPro]

Gosh, that post is over a month old.

What does “INMH” stand for?

[GSWarrior]

It was supposed to be IMHO.