10 Nov 2011
Quadrophenia – 40 Years Young
Photo: Ant d’Angio
It was quite an evening for a 40 year old rock opera; an affirmation that the word ‘classic’, often devalued through over- or mis-use, really does somotime ring true.
The Who’s Quadrophenia: The Director’s Cut received its official launch last night at a stunning event at Bush Hall in Shepherd’s Bush, West London and then, immediately after, Quadrophenia was given a Classic Rock award for Classic Album.
The press and a few special guests – including Roger Daltrey – were treated to a playback of two tracks of Quadrophenia, ‘The Rock’ and ‘Love Reign O’er Me’, remixed by Bob Pridden and Pete Townshend in glorious quadrophonic sound. Phil Alexander, Editor-in-Chief of MOJO, then interviewed Pete Townshend for a full hour. Pete gave the audience a roller-coaster ride through the history of the work and sared his thoughts and feeling about it, sating that it was, in his mind and heart, the last great Who album, after ‘Tommy’ and ‘Who’s Next’.
Pete then played four songs on acoustic guitar – ‘I’m One’ and ‘Drowned’ from Quadrophenia, ‘Acid Queen’ from Tommy and the Bob Dylan classic ‘Corinna, Corinna’, which he’s recently recorded in aid of Amesty International.
Pete and Roger then drove (probably not on Vespas) to the Roundhouse in North West London to collect a CLASSIC ROCK award (for classic album) for ‘Quadrophenia’.
REVIEWS:
MOJO MAGAZINE (+ 5 minute video)
ITV.COM
BILLBOARD
MUSIC RADAR
GIGWISE
THE INDEPENDENT (BLOG)
NME.COM
CLASSIC ROCK
