In a new interview with The New York Times, The Who’s Pete Townshend discussed the Broadway revival of the musical based on his band’s 1969 rock opera Tommy. In addition, Townshend, the group’s co-founding guitarist and principal songwriter, shared his feelings about The Who touring again and revealed whether he’s planning to release any new music.
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Asked whether he wanted to keep making new original music, the 78-year-old rock legend answered, “I do and I think I will.”
[Buy Tickets to The Who’s Tommy Musical]
As for his feelings about his band hitting the road again, Townshend said, “It feels to me like there’s one thing the Who can do, and that’s a final tour where we play every territory in the world and then crawl off to die.”
Townshend then admitted that he has a main motivation for continuing to tour, and it’s not because he enjoys playing shows.
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“I don’t get much of a buzz from performing with the Who,” he said. “If I’m really honest, I’ve been touring for the money. My idea of an ordinary lifestyle is pretty elevated.”
Reflections on Being in an Aging Rock Band
Townshend also reflected on how young music fans must feel about watching The Who in its current, aging incarnation, suggesting that they might enjoy a virtual recreation of the band when it was in its heyday.
“The Who isn’t [frontman Roger] Daltrey and Townshend onstage at 80, pretending to be young,” he maintained. “It’s the four of us in 1964, when we were 18 or 19. If you want to see the Who myth, wait for the avatar show. It would be good!”
Meanwhile, Townshend expressed some mixed feelings of his own about aging rock stars continuing to perform.
“[I]t’s turned out, surprise, surprise, that rock ‘n’ roll is really good at dealing with the difficulties of aging,” he noted. “Watching Keith Richards onstage, trying to do what he used to do—it’s disturbing, heart-rending, but also delightful.”
More About Releasing New Music
With regard to releasing new music, Townshend was reminded by the interviewer that The Who has only put out two studio albums since 1983, and he hasn’t released a solo album since 1993.
“I’ve been immensely creative and productive throughout that period, but I haven’t felt the need to put it out,” he explained. “And if I can make it personal, I don’t care whether you like it or not.”
That being said, Townshend noted, “I’ve got about 500 titles I might release online, mostly unfinished stuff.”
About The Who’s Tommy Musical
The revival of The Who’s Tommy musical, which is in previews now, is scheduled to officially open on Thursday, March 28.
Tommy began life as a hugely successful album, and was followed by director Ken Russell’s surreal film adaptation in 1975. Townshend then teamed up with musical-theater director Des McAnuff to create the stage musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1993 and won several Tony Awards.
Townshend says the story of Tommy, about a boy who becomes deaf, dumb, and blind after witnessing a traumatic event, was partly inspired by his own experience as an abused child growing up in postwar England.
In the New York Times interview, he reflected on why Tommy has had such an enduring legacy.
“It has the idea that whether you’re an abused child or a healthy child, we prevail ultimately, by turning toward the light,” Townshend offered. “That’s simplistic but it’s also powerful, particularly when set to music.”
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