— WHO, from page B3

Then, they were expected to deliver an awe-inspiring swan song. Instead, their final albums, Face Dances and It’s Hard, were disappointing, and guitarist Pete Townshend himself felt the stage act was lackluster.

This time around, the surviving trio — Townshend, singer Roger Daltrey and bassist John Entwistle — have expressed so many doubts and qualifications about the reunion that negative reviews sound merely like plagiarism.

They haven’t even bothered to replace their last drummer, Kenney Jones. Instead, Simon Phillips bashes the skins as part of the supplemental touring lineup, alongside guitarist Michael Bolton, the group’s longtime touring keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick and the horn and vocal sections.

Much like Moon

Watching Phillips drum, incidentally, brought to mind Moon. His pudding-basin haircut, flamboyant style and habit of inflating his cheeks as he thrashed made Phillips, from a distance at least, look uncannily like the late maestro.

I’d put Friday’s show on a par with the ’82 stop at Sun Devil Stadium. The group seemed more relaxed than on that occasion and there were definite musical highlights. But overall, the show was more of a testimonial than a catalyst. It was plain the group could no longer maintain the exhilarating pace it exhibited even at the start of the ’80s, when Daltrey and Townshend did not quit moving from start to finish of a show.

Even Tommy, which came early in the first half of this three-hour show, didn’t have the slick intensity of earlier days. In fact, it took quite a while for the group to find its groove on Friday. And when it did, enthusiasm, not showmanship, was largely responsible.

Signs of wear

Even so, the still-athletic Daltrey in particular looked genuinely pleased to be

Rolling Stone Records

A previous incarnation of The Who — Roger Daltrey (left), Kenney Jones (the drummer whom the group has not bothered to replace), Pete Townshend and John Entwistle — shortly before the band’s 1982 U.S. “Farewell Tour.”

on stage. Townshend, despite his much-lamented hearing problems, was prominent, playing electric guitar at times, doing the occasional windmill arm swing and taking a turn at singing. But both Daltrey and Townshend showed signs of wear. Daltrey had trouble with his vocal range, and Townshend rarely dared to play at full capacity.

By contrast Entwistle was genuinely impressive. Watching his fingers scamper over the bass strings was a reminder of how valuable to The Who’s style this low-key, rather overlooked player has been. When he stepped up to a mike for a short solo spot, including his signature tune Boris the Spider, one couldn’t help wondering why such a strong voice had not been given more room in earlier years. Bearing in mind the other three assertive egos in the band at the time, it isn’t hard to speculate about that, though.

Best moments

Some of the best moments came from solo spots and relatively recent material, with Townshend showing flashes of fire on guitar. Daltrey used his solo spot for Love Hurts, a song he said he learned from Roy Orbison’s repertoire before members of The Who began writing their own material.

It was the old anthems, of course, that had the most appeal for the crowd. Of the top groups of the ’60s, none captured the essence of rock and roll more unambiguously. My Generation and Baba O’Riley, with its “teen-age wasteland” line, express the pride and rebelliousness of youth as succinctly as rock music has ever done it.

At least this tour has stayed true to that simplicity of purpose. The Who, warts and all, is what the fans got. Lighting effects were minimal, and stage design consisted of banners on each side

WHERE TO SEE THE WHO PERFORM

The Who won’t be visiting Phoenix, but the group will be playing several shows in the western United States.

Here are the five concerts most convenient to Valley fans: Aug. 13 — 7 p.m. at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo. The stadium is on the campus of the University of Colorado. Tickets cost $22.50 plus a $1 facility charge and a $3 Ticketmaster charge. For details, call 230-9112.

Aug. 22 — 7 p.m. Jack Murphy Stadium, 9449 Friars Road, San Diego (near the intersection of Interstates 15 and 8). Tickets cost $22.50 plus a $5 Ticketmaster fee. For details, call 230-9112.

Aug. 26 — 8 p.m., Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 3911 S. Figueroa St. Tickets cost $25 plus a $5.50 Ticketmaster service charge. For details, call 230-9112.

Aug. 29 and 30 — 8 p.m. both days, Oakland Coliseum, Hegenberger Road exit of the Nimitz Freeway. The first show is sold out, and only seats on the third deck, with an obscured view, are available for the second. Tickets cost $25. Ticketron is adding a $3.50 a ticket charge plus a $1 handling fee for each order. BASS Ticketmaster is adding a $5 fee. For details, call Ticketron at 1-415-392-7469 or BASS at 1-415-762-2277.

of the stage with small Union Jacks and an overall geometric design.

Nothing fancy

The wardrobe department wasn’t stretched, either. Daltrey favored a denim vest and then a brown leather jacket, and Townshend went for a dark suit that probably would fit in very well at the publishing house where he’s been working of late. Surprisingly perhaps, in view of Townshend’s hearing loss, volume was not noticeably restrained. If his ears weren’t shot before this tour, they surely will be at the end.

While Townshend’s famous line about hoping he dies before he gets old sounds ironic now, The Who’s output is far from redundant. Artists do get old. But art, if it achieves a certain universality, doesn’t. It’s up to each new generation to rediscover its meaning and vitality. Teen-age wastelands, one anticipates, will always be with us, even if The Who isn’t.