Page 4 - THE ARTIST COLLECTION
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PeteTownshend
PeteTownshendwastheguitaristandprimarysongwriterfortheWhofrom 1964to1982,alsoparticipatinginthegroup's ocasionalreunionsafteritsformalbreakup.Best-knownforhisconceptualworks,hewroteTommyandQuadropheniaforthe band,aswelasthebulkofitsothermaterial.Hemadehisfirsttentativesoloalbum,WhoCameFirst,in1972.Dedicatedtohis guru,MeherBaba,itcontinuedthemespursuedinWho'sNext,andlikethatalbum,containedmaterialoriginalyintendedforan abortiveconceptualwork,Lifehouse;itsoldmodestly.In1976,hemadeaduoalbum,RoughMix,withRonnieLane,formerly thebasistintheSmalFaces.
s Townshend'sfirstful-fledgedsoloefortwasEmptyGlas(1980),whichsoldamilioncopies,reachedtheTopFive,andfeatured theTopTenhit"LetMyLoveOpentheDoor,"aswelastheminorhits"ALitleIsEnough"and"RoughBoys."Hefoloweditin 1982withAltheBestCowboysHaveChineseEyes,whichwaslessucesful.Nevertheles,hefelthecouldnolongerwrite fortheWho,andattheendoftheyear,thegroupdisbandedfolowingaNorthAmericantour.TownshendreleasedScoop,a two-disccompilationofdemos,in1983(asecondvolumeappearedin1987).
WhiteCity:ANovel
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1985,hereturnedtothematicefortswiththealbum WhiteCity:ANovel,whichincludedtheTop30single"FacetheFace." Thesameyear,hepublishedabookofshortstories,Horse'sNeck.AspartoftheWhiteCityproject,heappearedinan acompanyingfilm,forwhichheorganizedabandcaledPeteTownshend'sDeepEnd.Theunitplayedonlyafewgigs,butone wasvideotapedandrecorded,resultinginthe1986album PeteTownshend'sDeepEndLive!In1989,hereleasedanalbum basedonpoetTedHughes'children'sstory,TheIronMan.TherecordfeaturedguestvocalsbyJohnLeeHookerandNina
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aswelastwotracksfeaturingthethreesurvivingmembersoftheWho.Simultaneouswiththealbum'srelease, TownshendembarkedonareuniontourwiththeWho,aneventthatovershadowedTheIronMan,whichenjoyedonlymodest sales.
Psychoderelict
In1993,TownshenddeliveredPsychoderelict,anotherconceptualwork,tomixedreviewsandpoorsales.Bythatime,however, hehadsucesfulyreinventedhimselfasaBroadwaytunesmith-thetheatricalproductionentitledTheWho'sTommyhad becomearunawayhit,earninghim aTonyAwardandpromptinghim topursuemorestagemusicals.Noneofthesecameto fruitionduringtherestofthe'90s,though,andbytheendofthedecade,hewasreleasingliveandarchivalrecordings(notably thelong-delayedLifehouse)throughhiswebsiteandplanninganotherreunionwiththeWho.
EndlesWire
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Whobecamearegularconcernfolowingthegroup's1996reuniontoplayQuadropheniaatHydePark.Afterthat,theband nexthittheroadin1999andperformedoftenuntilJohnEntwistle'ssuddendeathontheeveofatourinsummer2002. TownshendandRogerDaltreycariedonastheWhoandin2006,theyreleasedEndlesWire,whichwastheband'sfirstalbum in24yearsandTownshend'sfirstcolectionofnewsongsin13.
PeteTownshend'sClasicQuadrophenia
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thenextfewyears,thegroupperformedregularly,culminatingina50thanniversarytourin2015.Thatsamesummer, TownshendreleasedClasicQuadrophenia,theflagshipalbum inasymphonicreworkingofhis1973rockopera.Featuring Townshend,BilyIdol,AlfieBoe,andPhilDaniels,ClasicQuadropheniaalsohadorchestrationsbyTownshend'spartner, RachelFuler.
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