NEW YORK (UPI) — When Keith Moon died, the The Who’s future was a question mark. Not any more. A year after the death of the clowning, rather manic drummer, the British rock group, which broke onto the U.S. scene in 1964 with “My Generation,” is coming back strong.

It has found a new drummer in Kenny Jones, formerly of the Faces, and recently performed five sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden. Later appearances around the country are said to be a possibility. An album is planned. Besides the documentary of the group that premiered this summer, “The Kids Are Alright,” a film based on the 1973 album "Quadrophenia” is opening in New York. Of course there is a soundtrack album. The members of the group also are doing the music for a film about British thief John McVicar, which has lead singer Roger Daltrey playing the title role.

But it almost wasn’t this way.

“It’s amazing, in a way, the way events have turned out,” says Peter Townshend, the guiding light and lead guitarist of The Who, which was once known for smashing its equipment on stage. “Keith died at a time when The Who really, really were finished. In one shape or form we were finished.

“We were at the end of an era,” he says sitting in a hotel room overlooking Central Park, sipping cognac.

“We were finished because we learned to enjoy ourselves,” Townshend says with a laugh. “Up to that point we were about something else. We were about struggle, and we stopped struggl- ling.

“I thought we would slow down and depart,” he says. “My bad taste crack at the moment is that Keith always had fantastic timing.”