Review 1 of 16

TheGreatestWho22 writes:

5of 5 Stars

Townshend proves, once and for all time to come, that "if there really is a God" of rock n' roll, he is closest to becoming Him. Here is real poetry; words that bite deep, that sink to the soul and explode into thousands of "Fragments," and tell us of deep, yet not unimportant, truths of humanity. It is true that The Who have changed; but we cannot simply say that this change is either purely good or bad. Daltrey's vocals are dark and ominous, chilling and adult; such a difference from the raucous and in-your-face attitude of the younger Roger from older Who albums, particularly "Quadrophenia." The subject matter of the opera fits though. Just because the voice is unfamiliar, that does not mean it is out of place. Townshend's guitar is completely masterful. At times fitting, the electric sound of "Who's Next" explodes out again, filling the listener with energy and excitement. And then the acoustic sets in; we see night skies, the Genesis from "God Speaks of Marty Robbins", and deep ocean waters. Again, we hear change, but the fragments fit.

To put it bluntly, this is the unlooked-for masterpiece I never expected, but was always hoping for. We can't let it pass us by as "Quadrophenia" did in its time, to be thought too 'strange' or 'unfamiliar.' It is pure poetic rock.

Aug 25, 2007 19:09:20

Review 2 of 16

wholedfloyd08 writes:

5of 5 Stars

I love the Who. I have recently seen them in concert and they can still put on a show. I wish I could have seen what they were like in their prime. They speak well for their generation and the music they still create takes hold of you and you feel changed from listening to that song. That Who have always been able to give us what we wanted before we knew we wanted it. Some people aren't ready for it and some are. Just enjoy while we still can.

May 3, 2007 07:42:50

Review 3 of 16

ClashWho writes:

5of 5 Stars

The Who rises and falls on Pete Townshend's ambition. The Who By Numbers, Who Are You, Face Dances and It's Hard are competent records with some stirring songs, but the ambition is lacking. We expect more from The Who. On Endless Wire, the ambition is back, and the result is the nearest thing to a Who masterpiece since the magnificent Quadrophenia.

The album is split in two with the first half a traditional rock album and the second half landing somewhere between a mini-opera and a full blown rock opera. Fantastic songs are sprinkled liberally throughout.

This is a throroughly modern Who record, but echoes of their past are everywhere. You'll find the synth loops of Who's Next, the punchy chords of the sixties singles, the layered guitars of By Numbers, and the grandeur of their rock operas.

More than anything, it's simply wonderful to hear Roger Daltrey's voice and Pete Townshend's guitar bringing new Who songs to life. They both sound fantastic. "Tea and Theatre" is a powerful, poignant, elegiac close to the record and "Mike Post Theme" stands alongside "You Better, You Bet" and "Eminence Front" for the best of the band's post-Moon work. Other highlights include "A Man in a Purple Dress", "Black Widow's Eyes", "It's Not Enough", "Unholy Trinity", "Endless Wire", "We Got a Hit", "Mirror Door" and on and on. This is a triumph.

Feb 14, 2007 18:59:56

Review 4 of 16

ottoluck writes:

1of 5 Stars

First off, a caveat: I abhor change, especially when it comes to music, perfectly content with a band finding a niche or particular sound which tickles all the right synapses and then riding it for all it’s worth for 20 or 30 odd years. Routine brings me a warm and fuzzy feeling deep down inside, the next best thing I reckon to still being in the womb. Surprises make my stomach churn. My reaction to surprises makes the stomachs of others churn.

It’s never a good sign when a singer proclaims himself an alchemist in the liner notes, an interpreter of lyrics, drawing wild comparisons to the Sirs Gielgud and Guinness, especially when said singer once stalked stages as the fringed-buckskin, alpha-male, front-man prototype, topping an unofficial “Creem” magazine poll of his peers back in the day as the toughest little son of a bitch in the biz, showing no qualms about settling inter-band squabbles with a quick poke to the prodigious nozzle of the guitarist or whoever else happened to get in the way. Oops, thought this was a Who album, not the latest from Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf.

If seeing a 10-part mini-opera in the track listing of a Who album sets your toes a-curling, you’re in for a rough ride with “Endless Wire,” their first new studio album since 1982. “Wire & Glass,” the latest instance of Townshend caught in flagrante delicto with his concept muse is, as expected, complicated but not completely without merit except when taken as a whole, when it rubs elbows with Yes, Pink Floyd, and Genesis at their head-scratching worst. Two of the short snippets, “Endless Wire” and “We Got a Hit,” also presented here in extended versions, certainly rival anything the band released during the Jones era, but the whole thing limps home with closing segment “Tea & Theatre,” the guy responsible for the hackle-raisingest scream ever in “Won’t Get Fooled Again” reduced to politely requesting company for a cuppa, the aural equivalent of Secretariat being put out to stud.

Lyrically, the once tightly-guarded borders of drink, drug gobbling, and sex have given way to spirituality, truth, and a whole lot of love, resulting in the dourest album in the Who catalog outside of “By Numbers,” a few folk songs (“A Man In a Purple Dress,” “Two Thousand Years,” “God Speaks of Marty Robbins”) right at home on Townshend and Ronnie Lane’s 1977 “Rough Mix” album, the remainder completely unmemorable now that Entwistle and Moon have been replaced by drummer Peter Huntington, bassist Pino Palladino, and a string quartet, Townshend tinkering in the studio and filling in the rest of the holes in the sonic fabric himself.

About the only thing that keeps these two pensioners from from flat lining completely is a bit of the old bluster in “Mirror Door” and “Mike Post Theme,” Daltrey summoning the leather lungs to snarl about prayer and sex over a whirlwind of power chords. The primitive synthesizer from “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” makes a very brief and teasing return at the beginning of album-opener “Fragments,” but is quickly shuffled aside and never heard from again.

There’s a live DVD bundled here of Daltrey and Townshend performing with Zak Starkey (drums), Palladino, John Bundrick (keyboards), and Simon Townshend (guitar), but about a minute into “I Can’t Explain,” any hopes I had these guys might strike a blow for those of us old enough to remember 8-track tapes crash and burn on a stage in France, the singer sounding like he’s either ready for or just come from an oxygen tent, the camera not even on him as he wheezes out that once-defiant scream as “Won’t Get Fooled Again” comes to a climax, Townshend politely demurring to execute the dramatic deep knee slide from “The Kids Are Alright.”

Rock is dead they say, long live rock…

Dec 20, 2006 05:02:50

Review 5 of 16

MEZ44 writes:

5of 5 Stars

I found the album exciting and different. It needed a few listens too absorb for me, and now I love it. Power when necessary, touching and soulful as usual. I loved 2000 years and Black widow eyes. Its not enough- real WHO baby!!!! In the Ether -solo Townshend on YOU TUBE was perhaps his finest work. Roger...still the man!!! Pete...thank you, for so many things. And congrats!!!! You've got a Hit.

Nov 23, 2006 08:11:34

Review 6 of 16

ufatbasted writes:

4of 5 Stars

This album needs a few listens to appreciate
On my first listen I was disappointed but being a long time Who and Pete Townsend fan I gave it more time. This is a worthy effort by the two remaining Who. Roger sings Pete's lyrics with great depth and power and sensitivity when the song requires.
Pete has come up with some very sweet riffs and rhythms.
While this record does not have the power of some of the better Who albums it is forceful in its own way.
With 19 new songs I can say I like 15 of them.
Mike Post Theme, God Speaks of Marty Robbins, 2000 years, Man in a Purple dress, It’s not enough, Tea and Theatre, We got a hit and Endless Wire are GREAT!

I hope they don’t take 20 years to come out with their next effort!

Nov 15, 2006 11:40:40

Review 7 of 16

walley1078 writes:

2of 5 Stars

I agree with pieces of a lot of reviews of this album from RS readers. First of all I don't feel like they rock at all on this album. The couple times they start to, it just doesn't seem fleshed out. This album seems very self-indulgent to me which doesn't surprise me coming from Pete. I would have just liked to have a solid group of 12-14 songs not a bunch of 1 minute long songs (if you can even really call them that). To me this would have been a good followup to a comeback album as opposed to a comeback album. I also felt like the bass and drums were almost an afterthought on the mix. This is probably due to the circumstances of John's passing a few years ago. I just felt like they could have come up with some more memorable songs in the last 24 years.

Nov 9, 2006 10:19:00

Review 8 of 16

Scree writes:

5of 5 Stars

OK, there are two ways to look at this album. The first way, which is the casual fan way, is that it is just not the Who we are familiar with and want more of; the second was, which is the true fan way, is that it is more artistic expression of the great Pete with vocal help from Roger and under the Who name for posterity. This album does kind of remind me of several Pete solo work songs, especially the type of sound on Psychoderelict. But it is still a refreshing, even haunting, undertaking. And when Pete does something, he always has to try something new, so we get weird-at-first stuff like In The Ether, etc. Sure, a mini-opera may be like an excuse for not doing full songs, but it's what makes Pete unique. Overall, this album become more accessible with repeated listens.

Nov 5, 2006 21:50:23