Pete Townshend - Lifehouse Chronicles. A lost prog masterpiece?

[Wah3]

Er what's Teenage a Wasteland vs. Baba O'Riley, aren't those the same song?
Is Mary aka Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand?
And is Greyhound Girl aka Glittering Girl or Golf Girl?

[JJ88]

^I thought the same...those and 'Baby Don't You Do It' simply don't belong. Granted, the latter was at least recorded in the same period, but it's a throwback cover.

[SRS]

^I thought the same...those and 'Baby Don't You Do It' simply don't belong. Granted, the latter was at least recorded in the same period, but it's a throwback cover.

I haven't heard this yet but in the write up he explains it this way "
Side A opens with “Baba M1” representing The One Note as an introduction, crossfaded into “Teenage Wasteland”, both Townshend’s demos taken from Lifehouse Chronicles. Since there is an overlap between this and “Baba O’Riley”, the song is faded out before the redundant passages. Here Ray introduces the listener to his world: living on the land in a caravan outside of The Grid. Next, we introduce Bobby who is performing music in his own caravan with “Time Is Passing”. Here a unique stereo mix of the song is created by syncing the left channel from Odds and Sods with the right channel from the bootleg Exciting The Who. “Love Ain’t For Keeping” follows (using the Olympic take from Who’s Next with the extended Record Plant jam from Odds and Sods tagged onto the end), character development for Ray who sings this love song for his wife Sally. The couple and their teenage daughter Mary travel the countryside in “Going Mobile” from Who’s Next, until Mary hears Bobby’s pirate broadcast of “Baby Don’t You Do It” from the Who’s Next 2010 remaster and decides to leave her parents in search of whomever is sending these magical signals. Ray chases after her, which his perceived betrayal is also reflected in the song’s lyrics. "

[Sunlight Caller]

Well, just yesterday albumsthatneverwere has got you covered.

Thanks for the link, that was an interesting read and a site I have never seen before. Looking back from our interconnected times, it seems difficult to comprehend that nobody could buy into Pete's vision. This was a golden age of out there SF, so it is surprising that it had to be shelved. It was probably the right call though, Who's Next is a stone cold classic of rock, but that doesn't diminish the fun of looking back and positing a what if?

[Mister Triscuits]

Is Mary aka Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand?
And is Greyhound Girl aka Glittering Girl or Golf Girl?

No and no, they are both different songs.

[Jerjo]

Underrated? Not by me, anyway -- Townshend's solo albums are some of the best rock music (prog or not) out there.

Agreed. And like the Who catalog, not handled properly at all. I can think of no other major rock group whose affairs are in such a mess as The Who.

I've got the now OOP Lifehouse Elements and it's just this glorious mess. I don't think I need to dig into Lifehouse any further.

[Rufus]

lifehousefrontcover002.jpglifehousebackcover.jpg

[GuitarGeek]

I don't think there's a more chaotic catalogue in the whole of rock than The Who. A total mess of remixes, wrong versions, hard-to-find B-sides etc. I'd love to see someone delete it at all and start again!
.

That's what happens when you put the guitarist's freeloading brother-in-law (well, now ex-brother-in-law) in charge of the project. Or at least, when MCA put out the remasters in the mid 90's, that whole thing was overseen by Pete's then brother-in-law, Jon Astley. I only ever bought a few of them, I remember he tampered with the music so much, I was incensed. That's why to this day I don't own a copy of Quadrophenia, simply because I knew he was likely to have messed with that one too, and at the time, I couldn't track down a copy of the old mix on CD.

Mind you that was 20 years ago. Are they still using the mixes/masters as that particular campaign?

ANother thing that drove me nuts was when they put out the expanded version of Live At Leeds. Then, a few yeas late,r they put out the super deluxe expanded version, or whatever it was called, which was now a double CD and included the entire Tommy performance. And I remember hearing, it still wasn't the full concert, because they still left a couple songs off.

[JJ88]

The Quadrophenia remix is one of the better ones. I don't believe the original mix of that has been on CD for 20 odd years...even the 'deluxe' version used the remix, but I don't have that.

I don't think Jon Astley was responsible for the My Generation stereo mix but because of missing tapes, I find that a very poor one. For instance, the guitar solo in the instrumental break (with John Entwistle's bass soloing) is completely gone. The 2nd disc should really have featured the original mono album as well, there are just so many problems with that stereo remix. The mono mix is at least available.

I didn't know about much being missing on Live At Leeds...there was some 30-years-after-the-fact overdubbing from Daltrey on it, but I forget specifics, and it wasn't very much. What bugged me with that was the way they separated Tommy onto another disc...it's not how the set actually happened.

Some of the original mixes are now on the 'deluxe' editions...The Who Sell Out, Tommy and Who's Next. But otherwise, the 'standard' editions are still those Astley remixes.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Agreed. And like the Who catalog, not handled properly at all. I can think of no other major rock group whose affairs are in such a mess as The Who.

I've got the now OOP Lifehouse Elements and it's just this glorious mess. I don't think I need to dig into Lifehouse any further.

I went for the full package. It was definitely worth it.

[GuitarGeek]

The Quadrophenia remix is one of the better ones. I don't believe the original mix of that has been on CD for 20 odd years...even the 'deluxe' version used the remix, but I don't have that.

I don't think Jon Astley was responsible for the My Generation stereo mix but because of missing tapes, I find that a very poor one. For instance, the guitar solo in the instrumental break (with John Entwistle's bass soloing) is completely gone. The 2nd disc should really have featured the original mono album as well, there are just so many problems with that stereo remix. The mono mix is at least available.

Didn't know about the irregularities on My Generation. I know on The Who By Numbers, They Are All In Love and Blue Red & Grey are segued together, when they never had been on any previous edition. On Who Are You, Astley used a different guitar track on one song (I think it was Guitar And Pen) and he dropped out one of the trumpet overdubs on Had Enough. I can't remember if I spotted anything off about The Who Sell Out or the single disc expanded version of Live At Leeds.

Oh yeah, and Astley also "corrected" the bit in Eminence Front on It's Hard, where Townshend originally sang "Hiding on an eminence front" instead of just the two word song title. Apparently, he shaved off the first three words, then digitally moved the last two over so they synced up with the backup vocals. I remember someone telling me he also de-emphasized the synths on some of the songs on It's Hard, but it's really been so long since I've listened to my old cassette copy (something like a decade by the time the remasters came out), I honestly don't remember the synths being in lower or higher in the mix.

I didn't know about much being missing on Live At Leeds...there was some 30-years-after-the-fact overdubbing from Daltrey on it, but I forget specifics, and it wasn't very much. What bugged me with that was the way they separated Tommy onto another disc...it's not how the set actually happened.

Well, my understanding is it's just one or two songs that were left off. I just remember when that double CD version came out, in 2001, I believe it was, when I first saw it in a record store, the clerk said "And it's still not even the full concert!". So Daltrey did a few overdubs on that one too, huh?

Some of the original mixes are now on the 'deluxe' editions...The Who Sell Out, Tommy and Who's Next. But otherwise, the 'standard' editions are still those Astley remixes.

I didn't even realize there was a deluxe edition series. I guess I'll have to go look for at least some of those.

[JJ88]

I gather Who Are You, Face Dances and It's Hard were all radically changed for those Astley remixes...as much as I disapprove of that, I don't like the albums enough to care to track the originals down.

I think Daltrey arbitrarily re-did a few lines on Leeds...we are not talking Peter Gabriel on the Genesis Archive box here.

[GuitarGeek]

I gather Who Are You, Face Dances and It's Hard were all radically changed for those Astley remixes...as much as I disapprove of that, I don't like the albums enough to care to track the originals down.

Who Are You was one of the first albums I had by them, and Had Enough one of my favorite songs on that one, so in my opinion, Astley's fingers should have been broken for what he did to that track alone. You've now got me curious as to what else was done to It's Hard or Face Dances. I've heard the old CD's are relatively easy to come by, you just have to keep your eyes open on E-bay or whatever.

[JJ88]

If anyone wants their mind melted to see how much was changed on the 90s/00s remixes, look at this:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...#post-12322016

As far as this period goes, a Young Vic live show was part of the deluxe 2-cd Who's Next. This includes live versions of several songs mentioned here as being part of the planned Lifehouse double album.

[Trane]

I'm with all of you about the shitty 70's Who remasters (don't care much about their 60's stuff, as Leeds is enough for me)
µ

I always thought 'Who Are You ?' was written for Lifehouse? Am sure i've read that somewhere?

I always thought Who Are You was too good for the 78 band, but then again, this is my fave (from far) album post Quad

Dang, I think the version of "Naked Eye" on the original cd of Odds and Sods is better than at least half the songs on Who's Next.

That's what happens when you put the guitarist's freeloading brother-in-law (well, now ex-brother-in-law) in charge of the project. Or at least, when MCA put out the remasters in the mid 90's, that whole thing was overseen by Pete's then brother-in-law, Jon Astley. I only ever bought a few of them, I remember he tampered with the music so much, I was incensed. That's why to this day I don't own a copy of Quadrophenia, simply because I knew he was likely to have messed with that one too, and at the time, I couldn't track down a copy of the old mix on CD.

TBH, I have only bought Leeds, WH , Tommy and WAY in CD, and they're all remasters... and since I'm relatively disappointed by those remùasters, I'm still looking to buy a worthy version of Quad.... I almost think it might be worth to buy the good state 70's used vinyls, and record them onto CD-r

Who Are You was one of the first albums I had by them, and Had Enough one of my favorite songs on that one, so in my opinion, Astley's fingers should have been broken for what he did to that track alone.

Indeed, the remastered/tremixed WAY is not a happy one.

[Jerjo]

I have two versions of Quadrophenia on vinyl, the original and the film soundtrack. Then there's my MFSL copy (that's the best one). And then the ghastly Astley from the 90s, with the mix all over the place. Weird shit happens, piano fades in and out on 5:15, vocals are screwed up. The original vinyl isn't great, like a lot of Who records, but god it's still better than what that Astley mix.

The only Who recording improved was the 1995 Live at Leeds. It's not the whole show but it's just this relentless blast of RAWK.

[mkeneally]

I think I sold my '95 Leeds after the deluxe came out. Kind of regret it now. Trying to keep up with all the mix variations and reissues for The Who is completely exhausting for me, but I was really happy with both of the last Who Sell Out reissues. I love that album.

Lifehouse Chronicles is a really fantastic set! So much good material and such a fascinating project. The radio play is not something you'd play that often, but it's good to have, and the music is really high quality throughout. Never had issues with the sonics but I've only listened in the car. Townshend is very impressive throughout this set, writing, arranging, performing, the works. Love this period of his career.

[ytserush]

I regret not buying buying this box set on release. Have a friend who did & am duly envious after he loaned it to me and thought it was great. I don't think it would be too difficult to create your own 'Lifehouse' album as it was intended as many of the songs have been released over the years on various Who box sets & the expanded editions of Who's next. I have also seen various 'bootleg' box sets over the years at record fairs that have done something similar.

Had the intended original concept album 'Lifehouse' come to fruition it would indeed have been a 'prog' masterpiece, even better than Tommy & Quadraphenia!!!

Still kicking myself for not getting this. I love Elements well enough, but it's not nearly enough for me.

[ytserush]

If anyone wants their mind melted to see how much was changed on the 90s/00s remixes, look at this:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...#post-12322016

As far as this period goes, a Young Vic live show was part of the deluxe 2-cd Who's Next. This includes live versions of several songs mentioned here as being part of the planned Lifehouse double album.

Thanks. Looks like I have some reading ahead of me.

[Yodelgoat]

Wow, that English boy song was terrific.

I want to explore more of Townsends solo stuff if its like that. Where do I start?

[Svetonio]

If anyone wants their mind melted to see how much was changed on the 90s/00s remixes, look at this:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/thread...#post-12322016

(...)

Surprisingly no one mentioned that Jon Astley was criminally shortened the original outros at Love Reign O' Er Me and Guitar And Pen.

[Svetonio]

Wow, that English boy song was terrific.

I want to explore more of Townsends solo stuff if its like that. Where do I start?

I suggest Empty Glass (1980)

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Empty Glass is damn good, but All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is his best solo album IMIO.

[Wah3]

Empty Glass is damn good, but All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is his best solo album IMIO.

Think that's my favorite too. The Sea Refuses No River is my favorite of Townshend's solo songs at least. I'd say White City is just as good an album.

[Mister Triscuits]

Empty Glass is damn good, but All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is his best solo album IMIO.

I'll second that.