Pop Corner

Who But The Who Can Follow This Act?

By Peter J. Barsoecchini

A couple of Sundays ago, on December 12, I went to see a rock concert, which is not particularly perverse behavior for any given Sunday. But since the concert, a question has been floating about in my mind which is rather disturbing to me, especially since I'm a pop music critic, so to speak.

The question, simply put, amounts to this: Can I ever attend another rock concert? And if I do, won't it only be a letdown?

What, you might ask, kind of rock concert was it that I saw on December 12 which would cause such curious speculation?

Well, I went to see The Who.

For some, those who know The Who inside and out, just mentioning attendance at a Who concert would end curiosity about my questions. For others, those unfortun-ing on your stance) who have yet to see The Who perform, the question might require explanation. I am still trying to explain it to myself.

First of all, The Who is no ordinary rock band; saying so would be akin to saying a paper airplane is the same as an Apollo rocket just because they both fly. That much I know for sure.

But The Who, I now am beginning to believe, are not only an extraordinary rock band, they are the rock band. Not so much because they are cosmically talented, or any other Age of Aquarius reason, but rather because they seem to knowingly reach into the nebulous depths of the pulsating, primally moving, profoundly pervasive POWER which is the core of the rock experience, and say to the audience: "We know w:hat you want so here it is in a larger dose than you can swallow; you wanted it so now HERE IT IS!" Or something like that.

They seem to exhaust all possibilities for rock music.

The Who rampaged for two hours at Civic Auditorium in San Francisco before eight thousand almost masochistic fans. People stood on their chairs, yelled at the top of lungs, did everything they could to absorb as much as possible of The Who experience. (I held my ears a lot).

And those fans paid for their pleasure, not only in currency. You see The Who play rock music at a sound level which reaches the absurd, aural passages suffer at the hands of Pete Townshend's Hi-Watt amps. Ears ring for days after a Who concert. But people love it, for better or worse.

Sound is only one of the rock music extremes which The Who convey. Energy is another. Whereas Duke Ellington may sit funkily plunking away at his keyboards, Pete Townshend bolts, leaps, and thrashes about the stage in a frenzy of frolicing madness, swinging his feet to kick mikes off the stage, leaping in the air to land on his knees.

He knows how a rock star should act, and he does it to the extreme. (Of course, Townshend realizes the certain degree of silliness which such goings on entail, and he makes jokes about it on stage. But that doesn't stop him from doing it. YOU WANT IT, YOU GET IT

Townshend's acrobatics are challenged by those of the drummer, Keith Moon, who looks like a drunk pirate on a mad binge as he pounds the skins which surround him, smiling, sinisterly all the while.

Lead singer Roger Daltrey was rather tired on the 12th and didn't perform to his usual capacity. Which leaves us only with the expressionless, unmoving bassman, John Entwhistle, who is like an anchor for the rest of the band.

The Who blasted, literally, through old rockers, new rockers and through a Tommy medley that ended with four huge floodlights being turned on towards the audience, blinding them 6 one more sense of being overwhelmed.

In short, the concert was dreamlike in its staggering totalities 6 the loudest music, the brightest lights, the acrobatics, the finest rock. .

And after the show the rock experience seemed somehow completely consummated to me. Done. And that leaves me with the question: Who can top it?

Indeed, WHO?

Merry Christmas Give away From Pop Corner to Who Fans; Yes, Who fans, I have something for you. The first three people to write me care of The Times will receive in order 1 receive your requests 1.) a Who shoulder patch worn by (gasp!) Who stage crew members. 2) a Who button; 3) a Who sticker. All gifts are compliments of Micheal Sherman of MCA Records. If unclaimed I will immediately send them to the White House, so write quickly.

The Who in action: levitation by Townshend with Daltry and Moon.