POWER CHORD KING: PETE TOWNSHEND

It’s hard to write objectively about Pete Townshend these days without grappling with all sorts of ambivalent feelings. On the one hand there are the memories of how good the Who could be at their best—from the churning excitement of their early singles, through a series of albums that helped define a whole new style and sound in rock music, even up through their overblown yet monumentally impressive concept works Tommy and Quadrophenia. On the other hand, would-be fans like myself have to contend with the fact that the Who’s last really great work was recorded over eight years ago (and I’m being generous here), and that since then they’ve done precious little except institutionalize their legend and trot out the greatest hits show every time another tour came around.

My initial reaction, of course, is to give Townshend every benefit of the doubt. After all, early Who music was such a powerful package of energy, wit, insight, style, anarchy, and imaginative ambition that one couldn’t help being profoundly affected. I can remember listening to “I Can See For Miles”—one of the all time classic rock singles—and thinking THIS IS THE WAY ROCK MUSIC SHOULD SOUND. While other bands had various