The Who (?) The Stones (?) What was that other band (?)

[Purple-Days]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hflF6YCsqbs&feature=player_embedded#!

early Who...

I think Kieth Richards (The Rolling Stones) is very under-rated. A major influence in Rock evolution. Brilliant. Creative genius !

I think Pete Townsend (The Who) plays things I could never imagine.

Don't care what you think about other guitarists, just comparison between the two.

Shotgun showdown:

Kieth: 1*

Pete: 1*

*split vote

Post your thoughts on the two musicians and why you choose your 1st (or second) choice.

 

[Progress]

Pete Townsend wins for musical ability and creativity in my book (but only by a nose).

Keith Richards wins for ability to ingest substances and survive unharmed (but only by a nose as well...his!).

 

[AGBeer]

Pete for mere stage presence alone.

The mere fact that he smashed the everlovingshit out of his gitfiddle after every show...

I think Richards highlight was punching the shit out of someone in the middle of a show, cant remember the song, but I saw the video when I was overseas. Classicness

 

[Plotinus]

Townsend

 

[aesthyrian]

Townsend for me, plain as day.

 

[charliedontsurf]

Pete, duh.
Although Zappa annihilates them both, and I honestly think Hendrix is the most noteworthy guitarist I've ever heard.

The Rolling Stones got about 20 (TWENTY) times more credit than they deserved. Yes, they're talented. But good god, how many other bands from that era were WAY, WAY more talented than they and got virtually no attention? They were the 60s band that stayed together and were willing to change their styles to the given popular music of the time - that sure as shit doesn't account for their popularity.

There are SO many groups from that time that were better, and if given proper credit, would of likely remained together and continued to be productive as the Stones were while actually making vastly better music. The Velvet Underground? Quicksilver Messenger Service? Spirit? Frank Zappa? I would of rather any of these artists had gotten the acclaim heaped on the Stones, because they sure as shit would of done more with it than "brown sugar."

As for the Who, once Keith Moon died, what's the point? Not that the others, especially Entwhistle, aren't greatly talented, it's just than Keith was a fucking savant, a god, a human cruise missile on his drum kit. Without him...

 

[fidget]

Did Townsend ever write that book he was caught "researching" ?
Richards wins on that alone.

 

[lepstadder]

lol fidget, def a weirdo, townsend

 

[Purple-Days]

So, while Townsend is considered a talent, his history says he may not be a historical figure. In the long run. ? ? ?

Where, heroin user / addict ??? Multi drug user... Kieth who has survived, with that as the 'Bad Mark' against him, may end up influencing music more than Peter...

Somewhat why I asked?

 

[Stu]

Townsend is clearly the better musician, but the Who just never could achieve the worldwide acclaim that the Stones continue to enjoy to this day. I was in Brazil a few years ago and was lucky enough to catch a free Rolling Stones concert on Copacabana beach in Rio with a couple million of my closest friends. I happened to ask a few locals about music and I asked a few about the Who. To my shock none of them had ever heard of the Who. 2 or 3 people doesn't make a good sample for a survey, but nonetheless I would've thought that the Who would be at least known down there. Go figure.

 

[SSS]

keith.

and no way is townsend a better musician. windmill power chords are theatrics not technical moves.

 

[lwien]

I can't pick between those two. They are both great. Besides playing, they are both great song writers. Richards with his Chuck Barryesque classic rock riffs and Townsend who's a bit more experimental.

If you're just talking about their technical expertise, I think they're pretty close to the same. Same if you're talking about their creative talents. Showmanship has to go to Townsend.

I've seen the Stones and the Who multiple times in concert and I can tell you one thing that is true when comparing those two bands. The Who is FUCKING LOUD !!!!!!

 

[Progress]

Although I gave my vote to Pete for creativity, I do feel that Keith (and his band) may have possibly had a larger impact on the evolution of rock and roll.

I still stand by my "shotgun" vote being for Pete Townsend of The Who.

 

[Purple-Days]

So it looks like -
Pete 7 vs. Kieth 3

I didn't really vote.

I think the madness, imagination and fucking madness of Moon . . . and the (nearly) mechanical Cocaine induced stacatto science of Entwhislte, left a lot of room for Townsend to explore and perform his own higher magic on strings and keys and other instruments and on paper composing and in the end conceiving the bulk of the work. All respect to Quadraphenia, I hear strains of it anytime. IMO the most brilliant Rock Opera. Several other Who albums on my hard drive...

But, I think the opening of Tumbling Dice... or Satisfaction, Paint It Black, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Mother's Little Helper, Brown Sugar, Honky Tonk Women, Angie and Ruby Tuesday, quite a few other ditties really set Kieth apart in a historical perspective.

Townsend was a genius, Kieth will live forever. IMO

Something from the modern rock stage.

 

[lwien]

Several other Who albums on my hard drive...

I can't begin to tell ya how many times I listened to Live at Leeds on acid, which is actually kinda funny being that the band felt that it was one of their worst performances. I was just amazed how 3 musicians could make that much.....................SOUND !!!

 

[Purple-Days]

Ah, The Who and acid... since I had passed up a ticket (for some good reasons) to The Who - Cincinnati show (yes I had friends in the thick of it) and remember the night and the news. I decided that I had to see 'the last Who show' from Toronto on Pay Per View... I had privacy, a small color TV right between my legs, killer headphones, and two Purple Gel Tabs... WOW !

Also passed on tickets to The Stones in Cleavland. Yes, I'm and idiot. I have never liked crowds and a couple bad push and shove incidents (ZZ Top in particular, just before The Who concert) freaked me out and have forever kept me away from large uncontrolled crowds.

Now on the lighter side: This from one of my favorite Rockers, Ozzy... on Justin Bieber...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTrBY3jgroo&feature=player_embedded

 

[jeffp]

What's interesting to me regarding both Keith and Pete is that they're both essentially riff oriented RHYTHM guitarists rather than lead.
I would say that if there's a third missing riff oriented rhythm guitar savant I would say on one end of the spectrum Steve Cropper, and the other end the guy from ACDC.

 

[aesthyrian]

Haha that's great, Ozzy is great