The Who – Live At Eden Project
Many lost Moons (and past Entwistle’s) ago Pete Townshend, very honestly, summed up and viewed The Who as a brand, not a band, and a now more sporadically performing friendship between himself and frontman Roger Daltrey.
He also acknowledged nostalgia is a driving force, as is the case for just about every Legacy Act still playing or touring.
In The Who’s case however there is usually some event significance – their 2017 performance of Tommy at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust and 2019’s show at Wembley with full orchestra (both later released as live albums) are musical testaments to that.
Adding to the recent landmark performances is Live At Eden Project where, in July 2023, Messrs Daltrey & Townshend, in the company of Simon Townshend (guitar, backing vocals), Zak Starkey (drums), Jon Button (bass), Loren Gold (keys, backing vocals), Billy Nicholls (backing vocals) and the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra performed a two-hour show at one of the UK’s most visually striking, and sustainable, locations.
The Eden set opens with fully orchestrated excerpts from Tommy.
'Overture,' '1921,' 'Amazing Journey' and 'Sparks' set the early Tommy scene (the orchestrated vibrancy of 'Overture' and 'Amazing Journey' are particularly noteworthy), but the following trio of 'Acid Queen' (one of a handful of numbers featuring Pete Townshend on lead vocals), 'Pinball Wizard' and 'We’re Not Gonna Take It' all mark themselves as highlights.
It's worth vocally noting that while Roger Daltrey isn’t the singer he once was (age take its toll on all singers, but especially those who were powerful, leave-it-all-on-the-stage rock tenors), he's on strong vocal point for the famous "see me, feel me" bridge of 'We’re Not Gonna Take It' and the similarly resonating "listening to you" outro lines. He's also in fine rock voice on am impressive 'Who Are You,' which follows.
While Tommy tells a major part of The Who story (and a quarter of the Eden set), there’s room for a few deeper cuts or lesser hits, including the funky vibed, Pete Townshend sung 'Eminence Front' and the angsty 'Cry If You Want' (both lifted from 1982 album It’s Hard).
A quintet of non-orchestrated Who-hits from the sixties (including 'Substitute,' the rarely played 'Anyhow, Anyway, Anywhere' and the iconic 'My Generation'), plus the infectious hard pop-rock of 1981’s 'You Better You Bet' reinforce The Who’s legacy and song longevity.
That run of hits is followed by two of the best songs Pete Townshend ever wrote – timeless hard rock classic 'Won’t Get Fooled Again' and a strings backed arrangement of ballad 'Behind Blue Eyes' (Roger Daltrey’s famous scream on the former may not be the roar of his 27 year-old-self, but it’s from the boots up; and he makes a pretty good fist of both numbers).
The set culminates in, first, a fully orchestrated five-song selection from Quadrophenia including a rockin’ '5:15' and 'The Rock' (the orchestration, along with Pete Townshend’s tastefully melodic solo, make this rarely played instrumenatal another highlight).
The show then closes out on a full-on, orchestra swinging rendition of 'Baba O’Riley.'
Well performed by a fine group of musicians and an excellent orchestra, Live At Eden Project, bolstered by a great sound through the location’s natural acoustics, is another landmark moment from a band – or, yes, brand – that has gone on to have more years of life than Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey would have ever thought possible.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
He also acknowledged nostalgia is a driving force, as is the case for just about every Legacy Act still playing or touring.
In The Who’s case however there is usually some event significance – their 2017 performance of Tommy at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust and 2019’s show at Wembley with full orchestra (both later released as live albums) are musical testaments to that.
Adding to the recent landmark performances is Live At Eden Project where, in July 2023, Messrs Daltrey & Townshend, in the company of Simon Townshend (guitar, backing vocals), Zak Starkey (drums), Jon Button (bass), Loren Gold (keys, backing vocals), Billy Nicholls (backing vocals) and the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra performed a two-hour show at one of the UK’s most visually striking, and sustainable, locations.
The Eden set opens with fully orchestrated excerpts from Tommy.
'Overture,' '1921,' 'Amazing Journey' and 'Sparks' set the early Tommy scene (the orchestrated vibrancy of 'Overture' and 'Amazing Journey' are particularly noteworthy), but the following trio of 'Acid Queen' (one of a handful of numbers featuring Pete Townshend on lead vocals), 'Pinball Wizard' and 'We’re Not Gonna Take It' all mark themselves as highlights.
It's worth vocally noting that while Roger Daltrey isn’t the singer he once was (age take its toll on all singers, but especially those who were powerful, leave-it-all-on-the-stage rock tenors), he's on strong vocal point for the famous "see me, feel me" bridge of 'We’re Not Gonna Take It' and the similarly resonating "listening to you" outro lines. He's also in fine rock voice on am impressive 'Who Are You,' which follows.
While Tommy tells a major part of The Who story (and a quarter of the Eden set), there’s room for a few deeper cuts or lesser hits, including the funky vibed, Pete Townshend sung 'Eminence Front' and the angsty 'Cry If You Want' (both lifted from 1982 album It’s Hard).
A quintet of non-orchestrated Who-hits from the sixties (including 'Substitute,' the rarely played 'Anyhow, Anyway, Anywhere' and the iconic 'My Generation'), plus the infectious hard pop-rock of 1981’s 'You Better You Bet' reinforce The Who’s legacy and song longevity.
That run of hits is followed by two of the best songs Pete Townshend ever wrote – timeless hard rock classic 'Won’t Get Fooled Again' and a strings backed arrangement of ballad 'Behind Blue Eyes' (Roger Daltrey’s famous scream on the former may not be the roar of his 27 year-old-self, but it’s from the boots up; and he makes a pretty good fist of both numbers).
The set culminates in, first, a fully orchestrated five-song selection from Quadrophenia including a rockin’ '5:15' and 'The Rock' (the orchestration, along with Pete Townshend’s tastefully melodic solo, make this rarely played instrumenatal another highlight).
The show then closes out on a full-on, orchestra swinging rendition of 'Baba O’Riley.'
Well performed by a fine group of musicians and an excellent orchestra, Live At Eden Project, bolstered by a great sound through the location’s natural acoustics, is another landmark moment from a band – or, yes, brand – that has gone on to have more years of life than Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey would have ever thought possible.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ