Monday, June 22, 2009

Pete Townshend 8: Another Scoop

Atco Records must have been happy with Pete’s sales, because soon enough fans’ cups ran over with Another Scoop, an equally satisfying sequel to his first collection of demos. While it still reached back to his earliest experiments, this one leaned more on the mid-‘80s synth experiments and orchestral sessions from the ‘70s, along with the familiar Who sketches. None of the instrumental tracks really stand out; we’re here for Pete’s vulnerable voice, which rings like a bell on every track where he sings.

Many of the “new” songs stand out. “Girl In A Suitcase” is a sarcastic turn from 1975. Two orchestral experiments provide quite the juxtaposition: “Brooklyn Kids” is heartbreaking and “Football Fugue” is pompous but fun. Many of the themes from the aborted Siege project show that the Who as well as the fans were better off without that final album. There are some nice acoustic numbers, as well as the gorgeous “Never Ask Me”, a big ballad that would have made listeners retch had it appeared on Who Are You as intended. The transition from “Begin The Beguine”—recorded for a Meher Baba tribute album—into “Vicious Interlude”—wherein the artist at work has to scold a naughty child—makes the whole album. The set ends with “The Shout”, one of Pete’s most personal numbers and one that, despite its importance to its author, would never find a home.

While not as consistent as the first, Another Scoop is still essential listening. Considering that Pete must have hundreds of hours of similar tapes in his vault, it gave us diehards hope that more would follow. Moreover, at this point in his career, it seemed as if we were getting spoiled with all the riches. But as time would tell, we weren’t even close.

Pete Townshend Another Scoop (1987)—

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