UPDATE TO BELOW STORY....
The Who performed 1971’s “The Song Is Over” for the first time ever Sunday at London’s Royal Albert Hall. But, as a lyric in the last verse says, it didn't come "pure and easy."
Just under two minutes in, Roger Daltrey stopped singing, complaining that he couldn't hear what key it was in and that the drums were overpowering. He decided not to wear his in-ear monitors for the Albert Hall shows in order to feel closer to the audience. Brian Kehew, the band's keyboard tech, says, "Without his in-ear monitors, Roger has us bring forward his rear wedge speakers, the ones that feed him drum sounds. This makes the drums feel closer to him, which is helpful.”
Pete Townshend made a suggestion to the sound crew and Daltrey was able to get through it.
It would have been ironic if Daltrey couldn't pull it off because he's been pushing Townshend for years to try different songs in concert.
Although Sunday was the first time that The Who performed "The Song Is Over," both Daltrey and Townshend have done it in their solo shows -- Daltrey twice in 1994 and Townshend three times in 2000.
At last Thursday's show they did "Love Ain't For Keepin'," also off 1971's Who's Next, for the first time since 2004. The only song they never performed off Who's Next is "Going Mobile," although Daltrey has done it 130 times, and Townshend twice.
WARNING: Below video does contain expletives!!! Complete version of the song starts at 4:24.
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Last year, when Roger Daltrey turned 80, he said he has to "be realistic. I’m on my way out. The average life expectancy is 83 and with a bit of luck I’ll make that..."
Having turned 81 on March 1st, he shared an update on his health last Thursday during the first of The Who's two shows in support of Teenage Cancer Trust at London's Royal Albert Hall.
“The problem with this job is that you go deaf, and now I’ve been told I am going blind,” said Daltrey. “Thank God I’ve still got my voice. If I lose that I’ll go full Tommy,” a reference to "Tommy Walker," the main character in The Who’s rock opera Tommy.
We reached out to Daltrey's spokeswoman to find out exactly what is causing him to go blind but have yet to hear back.
And of course he is no stranger to health ailments, having undergone throat surgery 15 years ago.
The Who did their second Teenage Cancer Trust show last night.
Daltrey will embark on a tour April 20th in Brighton, England, and The Who will do two shows in Italy in July.
In other Who news...
Pete Townshend released a new box set Friday
Pete Townshend - The Studio Albums is an eight-CD set comprised that collects all seven studio albums, all remixed by his former brother-in-law Jon Astley.
But Townshend doesn't consider himself a solo artist, telling Rolling Stone that at the time of his first proper album, 1980's Empty Pages, that "a lot of people close to The Who, and on the boundaries of The Who, were worried about my mental health. They blamed the lack of emotional, creative support I was getting from not just the members of The Who, but also from Kit Lambert, the manager of The Who, who had been a great ally of mine up until that time. And they figured that it was really important for me to express myself as a solo artist. I don’t know that they were right, to be honest.
"I think the reverse happened. By setting me up with a record deal for a set of solo albums over a period of time, at the same time that The Who did a huge record deal, just added to my mental illness issues. It was just overwork, and too much pressure."
In addition to his seven albums, this collection contains new artwork, sleeve notes, rare photos and memorabilia in a 28-page book with a new foreword by Townshend.
The seven albums are:
- Who Came First - 1972
- Rough Mix (with Ronnie Lane) -1977
- Empty Glass - 1980
- All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes - 1982
- White City (A Novel) - 1985
- The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend - 1989
- Psychoderelict - 1993
- And the eighth disc is the music only version of Psychoderelict