Tuesday, September 11, 2007


EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

I recently received the collection of press cuttings that belonged to the Moon Family via Christie's Auction House.

At no small expense, I'm glad to know that these now sit in the hands of a true fan as opposed to "someone" that is likely to stick them up on Ebay in order to make a fast buck or two. What saddened me about the previous acution of the John Entwistle estate, was the number of items that subsequently appeared on the Ebay site - I was desperate to get hold of something that I could immediately remember John by (other than, of course, the stunning musical legacy he left us with!). I wasn't successful on the day, but sure enough, items that I had bidded on during the auction, then showed as being "for sale" again. Should Ebay police this kind of thing? I guess not in a free market economy.......

The cuttings provide a wonderful insight into not only Keith's life and death, but also, the great sense of pride that his family felt a having such an immense talent and SUPERSTAR under their wing. To begin with, there are three scrapbooks:

1) 1960's scrapbook containing 22 pages and three additional cuttings.

2) 1960's scrapbook containing 37 pages.

3) 1960's scrapbook containing 16 pages and 38 additional cuttings.

One contains a large colour picture of Keith, under which, his sister Linda has inscribed in bold biro's capital letters "THIS IS MY BROTHER!" How excited she must have been to have seen him appearing on "Ready! Steady! Go!" or "Top Of The Pops"; how great it must have felt to know that her brother was responsible for helping to shape the face of British music and subsequently revolutionise rock drumming. You can just see her now, sitting in front of the TV with a huge smile on her face; mum Kitty in the background wondering just whether this is Keith's true vocation in life.

To go along with the scrapbooks are a further 6 cuttings packs:

4) A collection of 20 cuttings for various UK newspapers from 1978.

5) A collection of 126 cuttings from various UK newspapers from 1965 to 1978.

6) A collection of 26 cuttings from Record Mirror and Sounds from the 1960's and 1970's.

7) A collection of 29 cuttings from Melody Maker from the 1960's and 1970's.

8) A collection of 43 cuttings from Disc And Music Echo from the 1960's and 1970's.

9) A collection of 99 cuttings from NME from the 1960's and 1970's.

The set from 1978 covers Keith's death - interesting to note is that he is remembered fondly by the journalists, although with a nod towards that fact that he was considered to be something of a joke character in line with his innate abilities as a musician. Number 5) contains a great deal on the accident which caused the death of Keith's driver, Neil Boland in 1970. As well as this, there is a large amount of coverage on the split between Keith and his wife, Kim.

What a contrast to those heady days of the early 1960's.

All in all, my collection of Who press cuttings / magazine articles now totals something in the region of 2000 items. How best to manage this, I have no idea at the moment. Had I had this earlier It would potentially have been of great use to the makers of the forthcoming film "Amazing Journey: The Story Of The Who".

I'd dearly love to have the time to scan everything properly and publish it on the web - after all, what use is a collection like this just sitting in my cupboards? Surely it's of more use being viewed by people with a similar interest?

However, it may be opportune to get some of the items scanned and sent across to Trinifold for reference for the biopic of Keith's life. If they choose to use it, great - if not, no one's any the worse off, are they?

Maybe I could transcribe them and present the detail here? Hmmm - again the time issue.

Given all of this, it seems I have plenty to occupy myself with during the winter weekends and the run up to summer 2008.

Shit - I'm going to see the Vicar tonight with Jeannie to discuss the wedding!

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Well, to quote another band "It's been a long time, been a long time!".

Things have changed on planet Kempster recently - I've become engaged to a wonderful girl and we are planning on marrying on 27/09/2008 - so many things to do until then and it's all so serious!

Planet Who has gone pretty quiet recently. I can't blame Pete for wanting to head off to France for an extended break, but I DO miss his diary entries and especially the snippets and excerpts from his biography. It's been far too long now, but hey - good on him; nothing like heightening the levels of anticipation, is there?

This Summer's shows are the first I have missed since the reformation in 1989 - to be honest, I'm not overly disappointed that I wasn't there, but there's still the "Is this the last one" feeling that comes as each UK show passes. It won't be the end of the world if I'm not there, but as and when the do choose to call it a day on the touring front, I'd really love to be there if for nothing other than to say thank you. "Endless Wire" proved though that there is still life in the old beast yet and with "Man In A Purple Dress", "Fragments" and "Black Widow's Eyes", the old muse is still alive.

Meanwhile I feel that I need product. You know how it is when you go to the record shop and scan the same old sections for your favourite artists, only to find that you have everything that's already there? Well, it's happening again - the novelty of seeing "Endless Wire" on the shelves has worn off and it's time for something else. Not that I feel I can bring anything to the party, but if there's ever a person able to trawl through the audio archives for preparing material for release, it's me! Seeing "The Who By Numbers" touted as being the next one to undergo the 'Deluxe' treatment gave many reason for optimism, but that seems to have hit the buffers. The "Who's Still Who" film seems to have stalled and there appear to be no plans for any all-encompassing live audio release. What to do?

Pull out the old boot collection I guess and send off yet another compilation to Pete with a self-gratifying letter pointing out the merits of the history of the band?

Thursday, June 08, 2006

There’s a kind of excitement brewing. The press and news stations are starting to talk about The Who. Radio stations are beginning to give Substitute and My Generation air-time. Radio 2 is apparently going to play the new Who single today.

Fuck! Double-take on “The new Who single”. Who’d ever have thought that we would REALLY be waiting with baited breath for this? Since the re-union in Las Vegas in 1999, Pete has been throwing the burley trail out and teasing us with diary posts detailing the flowing of his creative juices and the fact that Roger and he have found a way to forge ahead, creatively, together. “Yeah, yeah” we all say. “Let’s just see if it happens and then I’ll believe it”.

Well, open your ears people. Shows are planned and booked. Tickets are being received across the country and it’s almost time for old friendships to be rekindled. Chewing the fat over what our hopes and fears are for The Who in this time of discovery. Discussing the merits of this latest material against RGLB & ORW from two years ago and ultimately trying to persuade people that there truly is merit for all the new activity alongside the Moon/Entwistle years. The exciting thing for me is going to be hearing what new sounds Pete has come up with; I remember seeing a diary video file he posted at the beginning of the year which showed him working in his studio – there were some truly amazing sounds being explored and then, at the end, Pete jamming on acoustic to a drum loop – I have a feeling that it was a little taster of what was to come. I “hope” that there is a good amount of electric guitar on there and that we’re not too heavily drowned in keyboards and synthesisers. I hope Roger is mixed well – I know his performances will be of the very highest quality and will lend his unique interpretation of Pete’s writing as only he can.

I would love for there to be a bass track that John laid down somewhere on there – perhaps that’s far too much to expect, but in these days of computer wizardry, I’m sure something could be worked around. It would have been great for Pete to perhaps have gotten hold of a track that John had planned for the John Entwistle Band and worked it into a number for the album; something of a nod to the fact that John had his place. A fitting tribute. Still, if you did that, you’d have to then try to find something from Keith, wouldn’t you……..?

Either way, I’m fucking excited about it. I can’t wait to take my friend and his finacee to Harewood House for their first taste of The Who. I hope to take my girlfriend to either Beaulieu or Hyde Park, but she’s a Robbie Willams fan, so there’s little hope of that!

“Got a feeling inside………..”

Thursday, September 15, 2005

I wish........

That plans were afoot to compile a definitive live audio collection for The Who. A project was mooted as the culmination of the re-isueing of the band's recorded catalogue. However, as with so many great ideas, it was shelved.

As will be borne out by Murray Lerner's film of the band in 2006/7, The Who are the greatest live band. Testament to this can easily be found from the "The Kids Are Alright" film and the stunning "Live At Leeds" album, but in terms of a career retrospective, we are still falling well short of the mark.

I created my own little 3 x CD set at the beginning of the year (sad bastard that I am) which takes in material from 1966 - 1976. I tried to use as much soundboard material as I could, however I have always loved the quirkiness of the audience bootleg tape and included a fair share of that too. It goes along the lines of Fairport Convention's "Fairport UN-conventional" box set in terms of interspersing top notch sound with material of a less-listenable nature.

Releasing every show from both the 2002 and 2004 tours was a praiseworthy project, however, I would have thought it more beneficial and *IMPORTANT* to start getting material out there that both celebrates and enhances the band's reputation.

Why am I saying all this? Not because *I* want product out there, but because I want the bands name writ large in the minds of people that love live recorded material.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Driving the hour it takes me to get to work every morning in essentially my ONLY chance to really listen to music these days.

Music enthralls me.

Music consumes me.

.....although I can't play a note.

I made the purchase earlier this year of a 6-disc changer for the car and what a revelation it has been. Last week I comforted myself on my various tedious journeys with the following:

Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
Rockin' The Fillmore - Humble Pie
After Bathing At Baxters - Jefferson Airplane
Who's Next - The Who (OF COURSE!!!!)
What We Did On Our Holidays - Fairport Convention
5 Live Yardbirds - The Yardbirds

Today, I loaded the 4 Woodstock soundtrack discs along with Led Zeppelin 4 and Queen's debut album.

Hearing the beautiful tones of Melanie this morning just chilled me completely to the point that I nearly stopped and drove down to Brighton for a chill-out. John B Sebastin singing "Beautiful Dream" said it exactly what Pete Townshend asked at the end of his Psychderalict album:

"What happened to the truth? What happened to the dream? What happened to all that lovely hippie shit?"

I fear for the human race - what drives people, in the midst of one of the biggest natural disasters of our time, to loot and pillage other people's property? What makes someone attack and rape a woman in her 70's?

I look at my dog Jack and wish to god sometimes that I could have a life so full of joy as his......

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Watching the erstwhile Mr. Daltrey last night in 'Trafalgar Battle Surgeon' was a revelation. I've obviously always admired his vocal ability, but his acting career has been something of a stop-start affair. His role in 'McVicar' was stunning; his role in 'Tommy' was OK; his role in 'Buddy's Song' was awful.

I've been longing for him to be given the opportunity to play a part that gives him the opportunity to develop the character - guest roles in the odd TV series ('Highlander', 'Midnight Caller', '.com For Murder' etc) are all very well and good, but he has no chance there to get into the scenario for an extended period of time and, therefore, display his true talent.

Billy Murray in 'The Bill' and 'Eastenders' had the opportunity; Roger would be equally well-suited to a role that forms part of an extended, character driven piece that he can really call his own. just as 'Tommy' did for him with The Who on stage, a part in a soap-opera might be just the thing for him. Clearly he has other commitments to fulfill, but I'm sure, given the opportunity, he'd jump at the chance to be involved in an acting project that kept him interested and developing over a longer timeframe.

Come on casting directors out there - open your eyes.

Friday, August 26, 2005

"Playing so free like a breath rippling by"

The definitive Who lyric? Perhaps?

Maybe there was method in the madness of Pete's decision to play primarily acoustic on the '89 tour and then rely heavily on it for the '96 session of Quadrophenia shows. I firmly believe that this was a plan by Pete to allow him to learn to play electric guitar on stage again. His reliance on chord play during the band's classic perion attracted no little mirth amongst fans oif other players because he seemed unable to play the fiddly solos of a Page or Clapton. Because of the techniques he learnt on those two tours, he then gave us some truly amazing moments in '97 and then from '99 - 2004. He dsplayed a freedom of expression, a willingness to explore and a new level of creativity on stage.

At Portsmouth in 2002, I nearly collapsed at the front from the man's intensity. A look came into his eyes just towards the end of "My Generation" which was genuine rage - rage within himself that said to everyone present that this is The Who.

The Strat was dismantled in seconds.

He has more to give and I hope we can be witness to it.