Review: The Who's 'Quadrophenia' at the Wells Fargo Center
'Quadrophenia,' four decades later
Review: The Who's 'Quadrophenia' at the Wells Fargo Center
Dan DeLuca, Inquirer Music Critic
Pete Townshend was 28 in 1973, when The Who released Quadrophenia, the rock opera about a 1960s teenaged Mod named Jimmy whose fractured self reflected the personalities of all four members of the explosive British band.
The windmilling Who guitarist, the most self-consciously analytical of the great baby boom-era songwriters, had hardly reached an old age that, eight years earlier in “My Generation” he would have hoped he’d die before attaining.
But when Townshend wrote Quadrophenia - which, along with front man Roger Daltrey and eight other musicians, he performed in its entirety at a sold-out Wells Fargo Center on Saturday - he was nearly a decade removed from the tortuous teenaged subject matter he chronicled in the most highly ambitious song cycle of his career.
He wasn’t a teenager searching for “The Real Me” and wondering aloud “Why should I care?” and “Is it in my head?“ in muscular, soul searching songs. He was an adult remembering and recreating adolescent angst from an artful remove, a rock hero at the height of his powers who had lived through the counterculture upheaval, looking back on the tumult of own youth.
As they bring the very much worthy of revival Quadrophenia back to life in 2012, Townshend is 67, Daltrey a year older. The two other original members, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle, are long dead, ably replaced by Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey and Pino Palladino. (Moon and Entwistle were still heard from in South Philadelphia: The careening “5:15” included a video clip of a dazzling Entwistle bass solo, and “Bellboy” was similarly sung by the mischievous Moon up on the big screen.
As senior-citizen classic-rockers, the spirits of Townshend and the particularly fit-and-trim Daltrey are more than willing. But as they threw themselves into the double-album greeted by fans as a sacred text, the effects of age were apparent. Before “The Real Me” had begun, Daltrey had flawlessly executed a trademark microphone twirl, and Townshend, arguably the greatest rock rhythm guitar player of all time, crunched out power chords (and teased out the leads not handled by his brother Simon) with vim and vigor. But vocally, neither can reach the high notes they used to.
The band brought the grand, sophistication of stunners like “The Punk and the Godfather” and “Sea and Sand” fully to life. Townshend, though, growled were he once would have keened, and on an improvised add-on to “Drowned” that turned into a call to aid Hurricane Sandy victims, he ad libbed “I’ve lost my voice, but I still have my heart.”
Daltrey relied on a low rumble to fight through the horn blowing Wall of Sound attack. He fared better during the six song non-Quadrophenia encore, particularly on the acoustic opening to the time-tested “Behind Blue Eyes” and the Sinatraesque “Tea & Theatre.”
With the like-it-or-not musical life partners - who rarely looked at each other all night - alone together on stage, the latter 2006 tune was a fitting closer to an evening in which the passions of youth were ruggedly reconsidered. “A thousand songs still smolder now,” Daltrey sang. “We play them as one.” Decades down the road, the fire still burns, though not as brightly as it once did.
Previously: Playlist: Songs of 2012 Follow In the Mix on Twitter
I was at the concert and I thought it was awesome and Roger Daltrey's voice sounded great. I don't know what you were listening to or seeing, but the genius of Pete Townshend in this new version was clearly evident.
I saw them perform Quadrophenia when they first produced it, when they brought it over to America about 20 years ago when they began to use muliti-media, and again last night. That was by far their best production and it showed how they have mastered the art of sound and modern technology to create a total music theater experience which was amazing in its depth and complexity.
Perhaps you missed that almost every song had new touches, and some had very meaningful digressions which were very innovative. And perhaps you missed the story and meaning of the symbolism and images that they superimposed on the screens above and behind them. They told several stories on several different levels.
Quadrophenia is filled with wisdom and poignancy about the human dilemma which is alive in us all is every bit as relevant today as it was back then.
They even brought John Entwistle and Keith Moon back to life in parts of the concert. Maybe you didn't quite "get" that part and why they ended with Tea And Theatre. At the end they walked off the stage - "just the two of us." That is the meaning of that song.— readingspecialist 1- I saw it too. It was an amazing show!! I highly recommend it all rock and roll fans; especially those that grew up with The Who like I did.— rjw817
- Dan, thank you for your review. It was a different Who show then the ones I had seen at the Astrodome in 1981 as well as in 1998 at the then "Tweeter Center." I hope I am that good at their age when my time comes around. The sound and music from last nights show far surpassed their previous shows that we all experienced in days gone by. True, they are not as good at throwing microphones around and doing windmills to the guitar, but rather than being caricatures of themselves The Who gave us their music in a grand style that was memorable and celebrated what they have brought to us over the years. I absolutly agree with readingspecialist 1. May The Who live forever.— alang2300
- When will the Who perform Gangnam style?— neddyflanders
- No mention of how this was different (parts added, jams added...), going through the whole album w/ effects added? Arranged well, live horns, video well done. Not even an actual photo of the band IN Philadelphia, the review has a photo from a performance in Florida? (You guys are kidding me with that right?) Any idea how long Zak Starkey and Pino have been touring with them (as well as Simon?). We get it they are old, and vocally they dont hit the same notes, but the musicianship was amazing. Lazy, lazy, lazy sloppy review. No wonder no one buys the paper anymore and reads online interviews. I questioning whether you were actually at the show.— commentary
- Absolutely Amazing! I missed one local concert in this area in over 30 years and have even traveled to a few. This show blew me away. Their voices, the mike swinging, the 'Scream' that I love so much. The excitement building up to it and then the cheering of the crowd for a job well done! Amazing! And I did feel the differences in this show compared to the others. I don't know if it my old age or just the times, but I felt very sentimental throughout the whole concert. I felt it matched what our young people are feeling now as well as then. Keith Moon, awesome! I wanted to like almost every review above, but it won't allow it. So glad I didn't miss it. I bought tickets for Atlantic City as soon as I got home. I wish I could buy a DVD set for this one particular show from Wells Fargo. I am sure it couldn't get better.— WhoRU
- How often in your lifetime do you get to see your favorite band of all time perform your favorite album of all time start to finish? I had high expectations going into the show and they were fully exceeded. Can Pete & Rog hit the high notes anymore...no. Does it matter...no. Watching the 12.12.12 concert last night just reinforced that they can still blow musicians half their age off the stage. The most amazing part of the Philly show for me personally was when they went into Pinball Wizard and it hit me that I was 2 when Tommy came out & tomorrow I turn 45. You're forgiven for not hitting the high notes anymore! Thanks Pete & Rog for a night I'll never forget.— Mookpsu
- Zak Starkey and Simon Townshend since 1996. Pino Pallidino joined in 2002 immediately after Entwistle died.— goffball
