About The Who's half time performance...

[Lucy]

The Who is upstaged by stage at Super Bowl halftime show

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-who_0208gd.ART.State.Edition2.4bcc6f8.html

The Who was the band, the What was the halftime show of Super Bowl XLIV, and you already know the Where and When. But the Why is a little trickier to answer.

The easy answer is that since 2005 and Paul McCartney's performance, Super Bowl organizers have adhered to the lesson they should have learned after U2's triumphant 2002 appearance. The big game's big halftime show works best with one big group giving a mini-concert.

After all the N'Sync/Aerosmith/Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson-and-her-breast fiascos, the Who was the latest super group to be the singular star. Of course, super groups aren't what they used to be and just as Paul McCartney was a Beatles reunion of one, the Who really means singer Roger Daltrey, 65, and guitarist Pete Townshend, 64, the only two original members still alive and rocking.

This year's speed-reading of greatest hits kicked off with "Pinball Wizard." Almost immediately, it was clear this would not be a time-machine trip back to the band's – and the band's fans – glory days. Daltrey sounded strained – and judging from his singing, straining to hear himself – and Townshend looked and sounded desperate. He can still windmill his guitar, but he wasn't so much singing as shouting.

The stage was the most exciting part of the show. It featured a circle of radiating lights that achieved all kinds of cool effects. By the time the group got around to singing "Who Are You?" the title's question had taken on a pointed irony it didn't use to have: Who are the Who now? Tom Maurstad

[Rellevart]

Zak was terrific - I loved his cymbals. :)

[joenamherst]

Anybody know who was the bassist and who played keyboard?

[Jerry]

I think that dude Pino Palladino was on bass, hasn't he been touring with The Who for awhile now?

No idea who was on the keys.

[834]

I thought it was cool. So what if the vocals are a bit rough? Given the age and type of music, I thought they were fine. Plus it beats the hell out of watching the mall rat of the week paired with some old hipster. Didn't Britney Spears do something with Steven Tyler some years back? It stunk. I felt bad for Townshend because apparantly there were protesters who think he surfs child porn. Meanwhile, they hear "Rock & Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter 100 times/game and no one says anything.

[Esmirelda]

I think that dude Pino Palladino was on bass, hasn't he been touring with The Who for awhile now?

No idea who was on the keys.

John "Rabbit" Bundrick

[ChrisG134]

Pete Townshed brother was in the group.There's a 30 yr. difference between them.They looked alike.Both have that long nose.

[Reverend Rock]

They weren't bad at all. Pete seemed to be enjoying himself, and he's never been one to "match the record" playing live, so what should people expect? I thought Daltry sounded a lot better than I would have expected based on recent recordings he's done. I enjoyed it.

[lennonluvr9]

I was on the fence about it. It was good, but I cant say I was blown away by the performance or anything. I was hoping that they would have done the entire Pinball Wizard song, but obviously they decided to do a medley. But, I dont think it was bad. Who Are You was my fav part of it.

[62hofner]

I thought that Roger's voice sounded pretty good for someone his age. I'd have to say that Zak is as good - if not better than his dad - on drums. :bigeyes3: ... and, yeah, I liked his cymbals, too.

I just have a slight problem with The Who being "The Who" without Keith Moon AND John Entwistle. But that's a general comment.

[62hofner]

Zak was terrific - I loved his cymbals. :)

Those cymbals looked the like the emblem that adorned the wings of RAF planes during WWII.

[Elephantshampoo]

Roger sounded pretty good compared to the tribute show where they had a bunch of other singers come in sing with him. Pete played ragged, but he looked cool & as if he were having fun. Judging by audience reaction/participation, I'd say the audience had a good time also. Live performances of bands with volume are better experiences when one is there vs hearing & seeing it via tv.

Live albums are often chosen from loads of performances a band does to find the perfect one where the band makes almost no mistakes, audience is loud & accoustics near perfect. Getting all that to happen simultaneously is no easy feat. Most bands will tell you the beginning of a tour is the hardest part, timimg the lights, running through the set til you've got it down & working out whatever kinks appear takes some time.

2 of the "best" live albums of alltime were heavily overdubbed & fixed,( if one can hang with that term), in the studio. Frampton Comes Alive, & Kiss Alive. Same goes for Priests Unleashed in the East, Rob had a cold on the tour & redid his vox.

Rambled a bit there. Dunno how much prep Rog had, but vocalists some times need to excercise the voice to get it into top form before a tour. Jagger does extensive physical workouts before tours. Dunno if he does voice excercises though.