The Who - Endless Wire

Ronald Reagan was serving his first term as president. Thriller was released. The Commodore 64 was introduced. All of the above took place in 1982, the last time The Who released an album of new material. For a band that has been creatively dormant for the last 24 years and seen two of its four members die, high expectations for Endless Wire were unquestionably kept in check by most. While the record certainly isn’t among The Who's best work, it is a noble effort and certainly proves that unlike many of their hit-or-miss shows of the last decade, they haven’t mailed it in. Pete Townshend’s fine guitar work and solid songwriting are the centerpieces of the album, exploring themes of love, faith, music, and technology. Although his roar doesn’t quite reach the heights it did during The Who’s golden days, Roger Daltrey sings Townshend’s songs with great spirit, proving that emotion can help make up for what age and years of screaming “Who Are You” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” have eroded. Many of the album’s best moments are its most subtle. “Wake up and hear the music play,” Townshend sings on “God Speaks of Marty Robbins” accompanied only by his intricately played acoustic guitar. “You Stand By Me” is another gentle Townshend folk number, possibly an ode to those who were supportive following his 2003 arrest for child pornography (he was found not guilty). It’s not just a quiet record, though. Those looking for The Who’s trademark windmill-slinging guitar tracks will find a few nostalgic tunes. “We Got A Hit,” featuring a driving rhythm in the style of “You Better You Bet” is probably the standout, while the thunder of “Mike Post Theme” (named after the American-born theme song composer), the rolling chorus of “Pick Up the Peace,” and Townshend’s razor-sharp leads on “It’s Not Enough” are also highlights. While Endless Wire is a surprisingly steady effort that features few definitive standouts, there’s nothing terribly awful either. The record can get a little too theatrical in points, such as in the album opener “Fragments.” Launching with a dead-on “Baba O’Riley”-like intro, “Fragments” comes apart with a very cheesy spoken-word part by Daltrey. Another low point comes during “In the Ether,” finding Daltrey offering his worst Tom Waits impression. For a band that has been seemingly touring solely for financial and egotistical purposes, Endless Wire is a pretty imaginative work. With a large roster of session players it’s a little too polished (Keith Moon and John Entwistle would be more-than-welcome additions), but then again The Who don’t have to prove anything to anyone. While no one really knows if there will be another Who record, if this is their swan song, they didn’t go out with a whimper. [www.thewhotour.com]