This had a big impact on my life. I could tell that it uplifted a lot of people who were hurting. It was such a glorious show and it includes the great John Entwistle. I’ve thought about it from time to time, and this past Sept 11 I decided to remember Sept 11 and this was the first memory, even though it happened in late October. I’ll never forget it. A few notes:
1. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger followed this Who set, which is similar to how they had to handle following James Brown at the ’64 T.A.M.I. show.
2. When you witness something odd, you have to ask ‘how did this come to be?’ Consider some firemen who have long rocked out to The Who, in high school, and probably at the fire house, too.
They are in V.I.P. seating at a prestigious rock arena and The Who is playing for them. Pete Townshend says that he is honored to play for them..and his last words are “We could never follow what you did.”
Why? What happened? Who did what? A future generation or someone who does not know about 9/11 would ask that question..
Usually when something very odd is happening, there is an amazing explanation. One would have to ask ‘What amazing event would bring about such a concert?’
Unfortunately, it was the attack on the WTC.
3. This is also a fine example of practice leading to expertise. The Who had been performing these songs more than 30 years. It also reminds us of hard work paying off: by writing so many songs, they had something for all occasions. The 4 songs here were ‘just right.’
4. It’s interesting that the song “Won’t Get Fooled Again” has the line “I tip my hat to the new constitution.” Is it possible that W. Bush used that as an excuse to impose restrictions on civil liberties and to make law-signing statements that served as a defacto new constitution?
Time to ROCK!!
