pete townshend – baba o’riley

Losing my ears amongst the cheers in the valley of London
I’ll hang my fears and lend my ears to the father of compassion – Ryan Cox

“Pete Townshend” A Circus Mind

The first line refers to Pete Townshend’s hearing loss. Townshend suffers from partial deafness and tinnitus believed to be the result of noise-induced hearing loss; in other words, his extensive exposure to loud music. Some such incidents include a Who concert at the Charlton Athletic Football Club, London, on 31 May 1976 that was listed as the “Loudest Concert Ever” by the Guinness Book of Records, where the volume level was measured at 126 decibels 32 metres from the stage. Charlton Athletic Football Club’s football stadium is known as The Valley. Townshend has also attributed the start of his hearing loss to Keith Moon’s famous exploding drum set during The Who’s 1967 appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

The the final line of the poem refers to the writings of the Indian “perfect master” Meher Baba, who blended elements of Vedantic, Sufi, and Mystic schools. The name Meher Baba means “Compassionate Father” and was given to him by his first followers. Townshend swiftly absorbed all of Baba’s writings that he could find; by April 1968, he announced himself Baba’s disciple. At about this time, Townshend, who had been searching the past two years for a basis for a rock opera, created a story inspired by the teachings of Baba and other Indian spiritualists that would ultimately become Tommy. The Who song “Baba O’Riley“, written for Lifehouse and eventually appearing on the album Who’s Next, was named for Meher Baba and minimalist composer Terry Riley.

pete townshend – my generation

Driving through central London the Queen Mum I offended
Old and gray you can’t understand what I say, you just don’t get it – Ryan Cox

“Pete Townshend” A Circus Mind

These next lines make reference to The Who’s song “My Generation.” Townshend reportedly wrote the song on a train and is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother who is alleged to have had Townshend’s 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belgravia because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighbourhood. Townshend has also credited Mose Allison’s “Young Man Blues” as the inspiration for the song, saying “Without Mose I wouldn’t have written ‘My Generation’.” Townshend told the Rolling Stone magazine in 1985 that “‘My Generation’ was very much about trying to find a place in society”.

pete townshend – tommy/quadrophenia

Without vision, sound, or tongue, through a mirror murder I came undone
I’m seeking redemption, I’m basking in the Brighton Beach sun – Ryan Cox

“Pete Townshend” A Cirucs Mind

The first line is in reference to The Who’s rock opera Tommy. Tommy is a double album telling a loose story about a “deaf, dumb, and blind boy” who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was the first musical work to be billed overtly as a rock opera.

Tommy’s father, Captain Walker, returns home and discovers that his wife has found a new lover. Captain Walker confronts the two, and the lover is subsequently killed in the struggle. To cover up the incident, Tommy’s parents tell him that he didn’t see or hear it, and that he will never tell anyone about the incident. Traumatised, Tommy subsequently becomes blind, deaf and mute. Tommy is discovered to have a talent for pinball, and quickly defeats the local champion of the game. His mother continues to try to reach him, and becomes frustrated that he ignores her while staring directly at a mirror, despite his apparent inability to see. Out of this frustration she smashes the mirror and brings Tommy back into reality. This “miracle cure” becomes a public sensation and Tommy attains a guru-like status. Thereafter he assumes a messianic mantle and attempts to enlighten those willing to follow him. Tommy instructs his followers to blind, deafen and mute themselves in order to truly reach enlightenment. They eventually reject his methods and ideology after finding that his enlightenment is not reached by being cured, but by discovering a state of awareness while blind, deaf, and mute

The second line is in reference to The Who’s second rock opera Quadrophenia. The story is about a boy named Jimmy, who struggles for self-esteem, with his family and others, and is mentally ill. His story is set against clashes between Mods and Rockers in the early 1960s in the UK, particularly at Brighton.

pete townshend – the windmill

From my shoulder I will deliver from my center, images iconic forever
As I hold my hand with complete command, in the air the images linger – Ryan Cox

“Pter Townshend” A Circus Mind

I’ll just let Pete tell the story on how the trademark windmill came to be.

pete townshend – smashing guitars

Around your neck I’ll wrap my hands
Smashing to pieces your musical demands
Electronics can’t escape my destructive taste
While shattered sounds scattered, lay dying center stage – Ryan Cox

“Pete Townshend”  – A Circus Mind

By early 1964, Pete Townshend’s group, The Detours, had changed its name to the Who, and not long after, the excitement inspired by Townshend’s bashing of his guitar out of frustration during a show ensured it would become a part of the act. By the mid 1960’s, The Who and Pete Townshend became known for their energetic shows and instrument destruction. Guitars were destroyed, amps gouged, and drums exploded amidst a flurry of noise, distortion, and howling! Although already a big act in the UK, and gaining some attention in the US, Monterey was the concert that propelled The Who into the American mainstream. The band’s famed performance was decided by a coin toss, since guitarists Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix each refused to go on after the other.

Guitar legends Jimi Hendrix and Pete Townshend of the Who had a rivalry that predated California’s Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. So when the festival scheduled their sets back to back to end the festival, it set the stage for an epic battle of one-upmanship. Townshend went first, ending his performance by smashing his guitar, his signature move. Hendrix’s performance followed; after a 45-min. set, he bent over his guitar, doused it with lighter fluid and set it alight — all before pummeling it to pieces. The performance entered the annals of rock history, although the LSD Hendrix allegedly took before the show may have provided more than a little creative inspiration.

pete townshend

 

The first entry into the book, A Circus Mind, is titled “Pete Townshend.” Pete Townshend is the primary songwriter and lead guitarist for The Who, having written well over one hundred songs for the band’s eleven studio albums, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus popular rock and roll radio staples like Who’s Next. Below is the writing. I will explain the meaning of it in the posts to come.

Pete Townshend

Around your neck I’ll wrap my hands
Smashing to pieces your musical demands
Electronics can’t escape my destructive taste
While shattered sounds scattered, lay dying center stage
From my shoulder I will deliver from my center, images iconic forever
As I hold my hand with complete command, in the air the images linger
Without vision, sound, or tongue, through a mirror murder I came undone
I’m seeking redemption; I’m basking in the Brighton Beach sun
Driving through central London the Queen Mum I offended
Old and gray you can’t understand what I say, you just don’t get it
Losing my ears amongst the cheers in the valley of London
I’ll hang my fears and lend my ears to the father of compassion