VH1 Rock Honors: The Who

I caught the VH1 Rock Honors: The Who concert the other night. I think it was from last year.

I didn't care much for Incubus' set (although I like the band) nor do I 'get' Flaming Lips, but Pearl Jam did a really nice job, and Adam Sandler did a decently amusing intro for the guests of honor and his HIWATT half stack sounded great - really growly.

The Who opened with Baba O'Riley. Not bad at all for some guys in their 60's! Pete was windmilling, jumping around - playing Stratocasters through Fender Vibro Kings, which surprised me. I haven't followed his equipment much over the years, but of course knew he was responsible for the iconic Marshall stack, so I just figured that's what he'd be playing. His Strats (he only used 2 that I could tell) all have an extra knob behind the tailpiece, not sure what that's for.

Roger's voice wasn't in the greatest form, but it wasn't embarrassing. VH1's stage show was horrible. Hey VH1 - you are a visual medium. Blinding, flashing lights on the stage make it impossible to see jack squat. What was the point? Stop it!

Stevie Nick's voice was like heavy cream...

It made anything it was added to infinitely better.

Listening to Kenny Loggins and Stevie singing "Whenever I call you friend" and hot damn...he's got a great voice - haven't loved everything he done, but enough - but she just kicks it up a notch. Helps that there must have been some good studio players on this cut. The bass is really nice.

And don't even get me started on Stevie and Lindsey Buckingham. He seems like a dick to me, but the dude can flat out play...and those 2 mixed....it's unreal. Even a few years ago, with her voice really pretty shot she did that duet with him..."Landslide", just her voice and his guitar and it still gave me chills (at least the first few thousand times I heard it). Some people just have to be on frequencies that just mix right. Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy. Meatloaf and Jim Steinman. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel...c'mon, I know there's more, help me out here.