By Curtis Ross

The first "Quadrophenia" tour was a disaster for the Who.

Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend had fought, verbally and physically, during rehearsals for the fall 1973 outing.

The taped sound effects rarely worked on cue.

And Keith Moon collapsed on stage on the opening night of the tour’s U.S. leg, giving audience member Scott Halpin his two hours of fame when he was drafted to drum for the remainder of the show.

Besides, American audiences hadn’t a clue about the peculiarly British youth subcultures that formed the rock opera’s backdrop.

The surviving members of the Who reunite to present "Quadrophenia," Pete Townshend's tale of a personality split four ways.

Mods? Rockers? Who knew? Townshend retired his troubled tale after a French tour in February 1974. It was revived for a well-received 1979 film version. One "Quadrophenia" track, "5:15," became a mainstay of the latter-day Who’s live set.

Last year, with "Quadrophenia" finally properly remastered and repackaged for compact disc, Townshend revived it for live stage.

The first performance was in June, at the Prince’s Trust concert at London’s Hyde Park. A large cast, including Billy Idol and Gary Glitter, was added, along with the updated technology that made the tale more coherent. A handful of American dates followed.

This year, Townshend, Daltrey and John Entwistle, along with Zak Starkey on drums and Pete’s younger brother Simon on guitar, embarked on a 20-date American tour, on which Tampa is its next-to-last stop.

Ticket-holders will hear "Quadrophenia," 17 songs in 85 minutes, plus video to help the story along and, presumably, sound effects that work on cue. A half-hour encore of Who hits follows.

Jimmy is the protagonist of "Quadrophenia." Jimmy is a mod, part of a group of mid-'60s British youths devoted to sharp-looking suits, scooters and Motown.

The mods are the arch-enemies of the rockers, a group of mid-'60s British youths devoted to leather jackets, motorcycles and ’50s rock ’n’ roll.

The distinctions seem trivial out of context. In context, or more specifically in the English seaside resort of Brighton, riots broke out between the rival groups in which several people died.

"Quadrophenia" tracks Jimmy through menial jobs, fights with his parents and his never-ending but futile attempts to keep up with the faces, the mod leaders who set the fashions.

"Quadrophenia" also explores Jimmy's four personalities — tough guy, romantic, lunatic and innocent.

It’s a sprawling, muddled work. The album succeeds not on Townshend’s concept or even the often fine writing, but on the Who’s musical muscle.

Daltrey conveys Jimmy’s rage and confusion, while Townshend augments his signature power chords with synthesizer and piano. Entwistle’s bass is, as always, fluid and powerful. And Moon gives his final great performance. The increasingly introspective Townshend gave the drummer little to work with on 1975’s "The Who by Numbers" and 1978’s "Who Are You." And Moon’s manic lifestyle was taking its toll.

Moon died Sept. 8, 1978, overdosing on medication he was taking to combat the delirium tremens brought on by alcohol withdrawal.

Some would argue that the Who, in reality, ceased to exist then, even if more tours and albums came out under that name.

Reviewing the Holmdel, N.J., "Quadrophenia" date, Neil Strauss of the New York Times News Service wrote that "the performance ranged from completely lackluster to stunning."

Unlike the album, which ended with Jimmy’s apparent suicide, the new "Quadrophenia" performances have a more upbeat, if vague, conclusion.

That helps put a less cynical spin on the notion of Townshend taking the Who’s name out of mothballs for yet another money-making spin. "Quadrophenia" deserves a second chance.

Today's Who is, from left, John Entwistle, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Original drummer Keith Moon died in 1978.

Tribune file photo

The Who lineup in 1967, from left: John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and Keith Moon

who is he? That's Pete Townshend’s younger brother Simon on lead guitar

By Curtis Ross

Simon Townshend first worked with big brother Pete on the set of the 1975 film version of "Tommy."

"I did the ‘extra,’ ‘extra’ newsboy part," the younger Townshend says of his brief role in the movie.

Simon’s contributed vocals to other projects of Pete’s over the years, but his current gig, playing lead guitar on the "Quadrophenia" tour, surely has the highest profile.

"All the younger Townshend lacks is his brother’s windmill guitar licks," Russ DeVault of Cox News Service wrote, describing a recent show at Great Woods amphitheater near Boston.

Simon’s enthusiastic about the tour. But, calling from a tour stop in Washington, D.C., he’s even more excited about his own music.

He’s looking forward to the release in September of "Among Us," by the Simon Townshend Band, and featuring his son, Ben, on drums.

The album’s theme is "very much about relationships," Simon explains. That theme is exemplified by a photo on the CD insert featuring "family and friends, about 150 people."

The photo was taken outside Simon’s home studio in west London. "The album has a real homey feel to it," Simon says, "nice and earthy."

Adding to the family vibe, the painting on the cover is by Ben.

Simon and Ben are also doing acoustic shows on nights off from "Quadrophenia."

Simon admits that living in the shadow of a superstar sibling can be difficult, but says he has "never thought too hard about it."

"Music is all I’ve ever done," Simon says. "If I wasn’t recording, I was writing, always producing new material."

He had a band, On the Air, in the late ’70s, with bassist Tony Butler and drummer Mark Brzezicki, who both went on to play with Pete and then Big Country.

He released a pair of solo albums, "Moving Target" (1983) and "Sweet Sound" (1985), before settling into production work at his home studio.

"Perhaps there was a time earlier when some of my music wasn’t quite there," he says. "Now it’s in a shape that people want to hear."

KEN SETTLE/for the Tribune

While Simon Townshend is enthusiastic about the "Quadrophenia" tour, he’s even more excited about the September release of his own band’s CD, "Among Us."

on tour the who

WITH: Drivin n Cryin

WHERE: Tonight at 8

WHERE: Ice Palace, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa,

TICKETS: $35.75 and $47.75; box office, (813) 223-1000; Ticketmaster, (813) 287-8844