T.S.
In the main this Rock at the Oval concert had been a well organized event, but having to wait an hour after schedule for the Who to come on was a bit of a damper. Don't misunderstand me though, because the little old rock and roll band from Shepherds Bush were at their finest. Their numbers came from way back, right up to their album, "The Who's Next."
Starting with what must surely be a Who standard (sorry all fans of Mr. Cochrain) in the way of "Summertime Blues," It was this kind of unabashed music they presented for well on 90 minutes. I'm glad the Who don't want to forget their early days and so gave us pretty powerful versions of "My Generation," and "Can't Explain.", which were in a lot of ways nostalgic, well, I mean they've not been seen in London for sometime now.
Moon was brewing quite a storm at the back of the stage, with Daltry hollering his little head off, and Townsend just about rupturing himself with those splits and high kicks, as well as some pretty energetic running on the spot.
For me they made the day. Visually the band is just as exciting and mind tearing as the music, put over cleanly without the hum the PA had during the Faces set.
Entwistles bass was clear and precise, with some nice runs wandering around the melody lines, being an anchor to Townshends wild, windmilling guitar effects. Some of Pete's patterns were a lot more controlled than would be expected, with a sharp edge that made them stand out from the vocals and percussion work.
"Bargain" and "Behind Blue Eyes", were just two tracks of the album and made it obvious that this forceful outfit were not going to change their style, anyhow. "Won't Get Fooled again," was also included and it seemed an apt finish with "Magic Bus," stretched out a great deal, but always one of the best live numbers they do.
By the way. I don't think anybody was so unmoved as to sit through the Who set, which just goes to show that they have the makings of an all time rock band - what they are already?
Note
Sorry, I don't know the date and the name of the magazines. Any help is recommended! Mail to: ConcertGuide@thewho.de; date unkown!
