Half-speed mastered versions of Who guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend’s last two solo studio albums to date—The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend and Psychoderelict—will be released on vinyl LPs on October 18.
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The two albums can be pre-ordered now. Their release will mark the end of Townshend’s solo vinyl reissue campaign.
The limited-edition discs, which will be pressed on black vinyl, were mastered by longtime Who engineer Jon Astley. The vinyl was cut by half-speed-mastering expert Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios. Both LPs are packaged with certificates of authenticity.
About The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend
The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend, which was released in 1989, is a concept album inspired by British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes’ 1968 sci-fi novel, The Iron Man. Townshend enlisted various artists to sing parts of different characters, including The Who’s Roger Daltrey, blues great John Lee Hooker, jazz legend Nina Simone, Australian singer/songwriter Deborah Conway, and Pete’s younger brother, Simon.
Two tracks featured The Who—the original song “Dig” and a cover of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown’s 1968 hit “Fire.” Townshend wrote all of the tunes on the album with the exception of “Fire.”
The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend peaked at No. 59 on the Billboard 200. It didn’t chart in the U.K. A stage version of the album was presented at the Young Vic theatre in London in 1993.
The Iron Man was later adapted into the popular animated film The Iron Giant, which released in 1999 and co-executive produced by Townshend.
About Psychoderelict
Psychoderelict, Townshend’s last solo studio effort to date, was released in 1993. The reissue, which will be released as a two-LP set, will mark the first time that the album will be available on vinyl.
Psychoderelict is another concept album that focuses on a fictional reclusive 1960s rock star named Ray High. The album, which is structured like a radio play, tells the story of how High’s manager conspires with a music reporter to try to get Ray to record new music again.
Ray High later appeared in Townshend’s novella The Boy Who Heard Music, as well as in The Who’s mini rock opera Wire & Glass, which was included on the band’s 2006 album Endless Wire.
The original Psychoderelict album featured dialogue segments, but the vinyl LP only includes the music. Among the many musicians who contribute to the project were former Who touring keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick, Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki, percussionist Jody Linscott, and Simon Townshend.
Psychoderelict was Townshend’s lowest-charting solo album, reaching only No. 118 on the Billboard 200.
Other Recent Townshend News
Townshend has contributed music and vocals to The Seeker, an upcoming book-and-album project by his wife, Rachel Fuller. The Seeker, which will be released on November 7, is a reimagined telling of Hermann Hesse’s 1922 novel Siddhartha.
Townshend also will take part in a special concert presentation of the album on November 6 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London.
The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend Vinyl LP Track List:
Side 1
- “I Won’t Run Anymore” – Pete Townshend with Deborah Conway
- “Over the Top” – John Lee Hooker
- “Man Machines” – Simon Townshend
- “Dig” – The Who
- “A Friend Is a Friend” – Pete Townshend
- “I Eat Heavy Metal” – John Lee Hooker
Side 2
- “All Shall Be Well” – Pete Townshend With Deborah Conway and Chyna
- “Was There Life” – Pete Townshend
- “Fast Food” – Nina Simone
- “A Fool Says…” – Pete Townshend
- “Fire” – The Who
- “New Life/Reprise” – Chyna with Pete Townshend and Nicola Emmanuel
Psychoderelict Vinyl LP Track List:
Side 1
- “English Boy”
- “Meher Baba M3”
- “Let’s Get Pretentious”
- “Meher Baba M4”
- “Early Morning Dreams”
Side 2
- “I Want That Thing”
- “Outlive the Dinosaur”
- “Now and Then”
Side 3
- “I Am Afraid”
- “Don’t Try to Make Me Real”
- “Predictable”
- “Flame”
Side 4
- “Vivaldi – Meher Baba M5”
- “Fake It”
- “English Boy (Reprise)”
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