While the story of The Who was chronicled quite well by Jeff Stein in his classic film The Kids Are Alright, the movie ended in 1978. Although the film was released in 1979, Stein decided not to touch on the death of Keith Moon and instead ended with a blistering live take of the band performing “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, which was shot just for the film in 1978 and was the last time Moon sat at the drums for a Who performance. We are left with the powerful image of The Who as a live band and, at that time, they were the most enduring band from the British Invasion to still have the original line-up intact.
This image was a strong one but, in reality, the story of The Who was not even half over. Moon had died in 1978 (many months before The Kids Are Alright debuted in June of 1979) and, when the film opened, the band was struggling with his loss and where to take the band next weighed heavily on the band members, especially Pete Townshend.
So, 28 years after The Kids Are Alright premiered, another film, Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who (which comes out on DVD November 6), delves into the entire career of the band and is more in-depth than The Kids Are Alright. (This is not a knock of the latter, as it is one of the best rock films ever. The story just continued.)
Amazing Journey paints an honest picture of The Who and how the band evolved from the earliest days - when Roger Daltrey led the band - of doing raw and powerful covers of R&B and Motown tracks to becoming - through the emergence of Townshend from guitarist to becoming one of the most introspective and complex songwriters and composers ever - the best live band in rock.
The complex relationship between band members is looked back on as Daltrey remembers that his role as leader in the early days of the band was taken away due to an after show punch-fest with Moon, which saw Daltrey temporarily sacked from the band, only to be let back in on a probational basis. Daltrey felt this demotion for a few years, until the band recorded Tommy and he found himself again a main focus (something that he and Townshend were always competing for on stage) and indispensable to the band.The success of Tommy turned The Who into superstars and Townshend recalls how he would then try to push himself to be more innovative and ambitious in his songwriting and in the studio. The products of his labors would produce such stellar work as Who’s Next and Quadrophenia.
The not always happy band relations are not hidden in Amazing Journey (as they were not really touched upon in The Kids Are Alright), but it seems the tension and strife were two of the ingredients that the band used (subconsciously?) to push themselves to be the best live act.
While the story of The Who is looked at more lightheartedly in The Kids Are Alright, Amazing Journey hits on the group's entire and rocky history. Moon's death (where Daltrey talks about his guilt and how he feels he could have done more for Moon); the tragedy at Cincinnati in 1979; the first final tour in 1982; and Townshend's personal problems, which let to his decision to end the band in 1983 (the first time), are touchy subjects for The Who but are all tackled in the film.The years of band inactivity from 1983-1989 (save for sets at Live Aid in 1985 and when they were given the British Phonographic Industry's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988) were a dark time if you were a Who fan. The group's 25th Anniversary Tour in 1989 (a huge success) and the Quadrophenia tour in 1996-97 (not as successful) were brief moments of relief to their followers but seeing The Who with tons of on-stage musicians as accompaniment was distracting on these tours and not necessary and led to a temporary dent in their legacy as an amazing live band.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
I just watched this on VH1 tonight and it is really well done. So much so, that I followed it up by dusting off my Live At The Isle of Wight DVD and watching it for the first time in about a year.
Damn the Who were a great band weren't they? I'm just happy to see that Pete and Roger have survived the experience with their senses for the most part intact, and have renewed their creative partnership. Zak Starkey is also about as good a replacement for Moon as they could find.
Good piece. R.I.P. Moonie and Ox.
-Glen
2 - David Boyko
Great to see this movie completed and watched it last night on VH1. Will be buying it on the 6th to add to The Who collection. There is absolutely no doubt that there is no greater band on the planet (past or present) that puts as much energy out when they perform live than The Who.
Allot of great bands, Beatles, Stones, Floyd, Zeppelin and on and on but The Who are a live band with no equals. Pete Townshend has written some of the best music ever recorded (Rock). As was stated in the movie "Almost Famous" "nobody can explain rock and roll.......well maybe Pete Townshend"......how true.
- David
3 - Carl Borden
It's "Daltrey" not "Daltry." Please correct the misspelling.
4 - Christopher Rose
Thanks for catching that, Carl.