The Dors group is the best rock band in America in the late sixties of the last century. The Dors group is the best rock band in America in the late sixties of the last century. The Ze Hu Group

The American rock band The Doors was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The Doors instantly became popular, without even the usual promotion required in such cases. The Dors group, whose photographs never left the pages, became the first in terms of the record number of gold albums sold, and eight such records were sold in a row, which has never happened in the history of rock music.

This success is explained by the unusual style of performances and the unsurpassed talent of the lead singer, Jim Morrison. The Doors' music was beautiful and hypnotic: those who listened to the first composition did not leave until the rest were played. This phenomenon of the Dors group was studied by psychologists, but they were never able to explain the reason for such super-attractiveness.

A little history

In the summer of 1965, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, who had once known each other, met. The young people discussed the situation in American show business and decided to create a rock band. Both had good talent, Jim Morrison wrote poetry and composed music, and Ray at that time was already professional musician. They were later joined by Densmore John, drummer and backing vocalist. At the same time, guitarist Robbie Krieger was accepted into the group. The Dors group did not escape the so-called turnover; musicians left and returned several times. Only Morrison and Manzarek never doubted the correctness of their choice.

This composition is considered the main one, but, in addition to the main participants, outside musicians were periodically invited to record discs and hold concerts. These were bass and rhythm guitarists, keyboardists and harmonica virtuosos, without whom blues compositions could not take place.

The Dors group differed from similar musical groups in that it did not have its own bass player. He was invited for session studio recordings, and in concerts the bass guitar part was imitated by Ray Manzarek on a Fender Rhodes Bass keyboard. Moreover, he did this with one hand, and with the other he played the main melody on the electric organ.

Musicians invited to participate in concerts

• Douglas Luban, bass guitarist, took part in the recording of three studio albums.
• Angelo Barbera, bass guitarist.
• Eddie Vedder, lead vocals.
• Raynol Andino, drums, percussion.
• Conrad Jack, bass player.
• Bobby Ray Henson, rhythm guitar, percussion, backing vocals.
• John Sebastian, blues harmonica.
• Lonnie Mack, lead guitar.
• Harvey Brooks, bass guitar.
• Ray Napolitan, bass guitar.
• Mark Banno, rhythm guitar.
• Jerry Schiff, bass guitar.
• Arthur Barrow, synthesizer, keyboards.
• Bob Globe, bass guitar.
• Don Wess, bass guitar.

Soloist of the group "Dors"

Jim Morrison, vocalist, composer, author of lyrics for his own songs, was born on December 8, 1943 in the family of a naval officer. He is one of the most notable and charismatic musicians of the 20th century. All creative life The singer was associated with the Dors group, which he himself created together with pianist Ray Manzarek.

According to Rolling Stone magazine, Morrison is considered greatest performer rock music of all times. The musician's history is a series of successful projects, created by him in collaboration with other members of the Dors group. A philosophical approach to life brought to Jim Morrison’s work that special flavor that was absent in the songs of other representatives of rock music of that time. Affected by a passion for the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Arthur Rimbaud, the work of William Faulkner,

Morrison studied at the Faculty of Cinematography in Los Angeles, where he managed to make two original films, and these works did not concern music, but were full philosophical reflections. In 1965, after creating the Dors group, Jim Morrison devoted himself entirely to rock music. And just six years later, on July 3, 1971, he died of a heroin overdose.

The Dors without Jim Morrison

After the death of the soloist, the remaining participants tried to continue creative activity, but were not successful. There were no more songs that had a hypnotic effect on listeners, such as Jim Morrison's Riders On The Storm. The Dors group ceased to exist.

Further projects

In 1978, the Dors group's album An American Prayer was released, which featured soundtracks of Jim Morrison reading poetry in his own performance. The recitation was combined with musical and rhythmic accompaniment by other group members. The installation was done using a simple overlay method.

This project was also not a success, either commercially or artistically. Some critics called the album blasphemous. And some compared it to a Pablo Picasso masterpiece cut into pieces, when each of the fragments individually is of no value.

In 1979, one of the famous hits of the Dors group called The End was included in the film "Apocalypse" directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which is about the Vietnam War.

Discography

Studio session albums recorded at different times in the studio:

1. The - recorded in January 1967, the first "gold" format, sold over 2 million copies.
2. Strange Days ("Strange Days") - created in October 1967.
3. Waiting For The Sun ("Waiting for the Sun") - the album was recorded in July 1968.
4. The Soft Parade ("Soft Procession") - the disc was released in July 1969.
5. Morrison Hotel ("Morrison Hotel") - released in February 1970.
6. L.A. Woman (“Women of Los Angeles”) - album recorded in April 1971.
7. Other Voices - created in October 1971 as a symbolic farewell to the untimely death of Jim Morrison.
8. Full Circle ("Full Circle") - an attempt to record an album with new songs in July 1972, dedicated to the anniversary of the death of the main soloist.
9. An American Prayer is an unsuccessful compilation of Morrison's poems set to music.

The Doors(translated from English Doors) is an American rock band created in 1965 in Los Angeles, which had a strong influence on the culture and art of the 60s. Mysterious, mystical, allegorical lyrics and the vivid image of the group's vocalist, Jim Morrison, made it perhaps the most famous and equally controversial group of its time. Even after its (temporary) breakup in 1971, its popularity did not wane. The total circulation of the group's albums exceeded 75 million copies.

The Doors' story began in July 1965, when UCLA film students Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek met on the beach, having known each other slightly before. Morrison told Manzarek that he was writing poetry and suggested creating a group. After Morrison sang his song Moonlight Drive, Manzarek agreed.

The group's work was well received by the public throughout its career, although in 1968, after the release of the single Hello, I Love You, a local scandal occurred. The rock press pointed out the similarities in musically this song and the 1965 hit All Day and All of the Night by The Kinks. The Kinks musicians completely agreed with the critics. Kinks guitarist Dave Davies has been known to interpolate Hello, I Love You during a live performance of All Day and All of the Night as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the matter.

By 1966 the group was a regular gig at The London Fog and soon progressed to the prestigious Whiskey a Go Go club. On August 10, 1966, Elektra Records, represented by its president Jack Holtzman, contacted the group. This happened at the insistence of Arthur Lee, the vocalist of the band Love, which recorded on Elektra Rec. Holtzman and producer Electra Rec. Paul A. Rothschild attended two of the band's performances at the Whiskey a Go Go. The first concert seemed uneven to them, but the second simply hypnotized them. After this, on August 18, the musicians of The Doors signed a contract with the company - this was the beginning of a long successful collaboration with Rothschild and sound engineer Bruce Botnick.

The agreement could not have come at a better time, because on August 21 the club kicked out the musicians because of their defiant performance of the song The End. The incident was that a very hoarse Jim Morrison, in a drug haze, presented a version of Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus Rex” in a Freudian vein with an obvious allusion to the Oedipus complex:

-Father

- Yes, son?

- I want to kill you.

Translation:

- Father

- Yes son?

- I want to kill you.

- Mother! I want to rape you...

(the moment is well described in the movie The Doors)

Similar incidents occurred right up to Morrison’s death, which created a kind of scandalous and ambiguous image groups.

In 1966, The Doors recorded their first album of the same name. However, it was released only in 1967 and met with mostly muted reviews from critics. The album featured the most famous songs from The Doors' existing repertoire at that time, including the 11-minute dramatic composition The End. The band recorded the album in the studio in a few days at the end of August - beginning of September, practically live (almost all songs were recorded in one take). With time debut album won universal recognition and is now considered one of the best albums in the history of rock music (for example, it ranks 42nd on the list of the 500 best albums according to Rolling Stone magazine). Many of the compositions from the record became hits for the group and were then repeatedly published on collections of the best songs, and were also willingly performed by the group at concerts. These are songs such as Break on Through (To the Other Side), Soul Kitchen, Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar), Light My Fire (ranked 35th on the list of the best Rolling songs Stone), Back Door Man and, of course, the scandalous The End.

Morrison and Manzarek directed the extraordinary promotional film for the single Break on Through, a remarkable example of the development of the music video genre.

The group's repertoire was enough for another album, released in October of the same year. The album Strange Days was recorded on a more advanced equipment, and took third position in the American charts. Unlike the debut album, there were no other people's songs on it - all its content (both lyrics and music) were created by the group independently. There are also elements of innovation, such as Morrison's reading of one of his early poems, Horse Latitudes, set to white noise. The composition When the Music's Over was then repeatedly performed by the group at concerts, and Strange Days and Love me Two Times were widely published on various compilations.

The most famous member of the group was Jim Morrison, the vocalist and author of most of the songs. Morrison was an extremely erudite person, interested in the philosophy of Nietzsche, the culture of the American Indians, the poetry of the European Symbolists and much more. Nowadays in America, Jim Morrison is considered not only a recognized musician, but also an outstanding poet: he is sometimes put on a par with William Blake and Arthur Rimbaud. Morrison attracted fans of the group with his unusual behavior. He inspired the young rebels of that era, and the musician’s mysterious death further mystified him in the eyes of his fans.

According to the official version, Morrison died on July 3, 1971 in Paris from a heart attack, however real reason no one knows his death. Among the options were: drug overdose, suicide, staging a suicide by the FBI, which was then actively fighting against participants in the hippie movement, and so on. The only person who saw the singer dead was Morrison's girlfriend, Pamela Courson. But she took the secret of his death with her to the grave, as she died of a drug overdose three years later.

After Morrison's death in 1971, the remaining members of The Doors tried to continue to create under the same name and even released two albums, but without achieving much popularity, they began solo work.

In 1978, the album An American Prayer was released, consisting of lifetime soundtracks of the reading of Jim Morrison's poems performed by the author, based on the rhythmic basis created by the rest of the group members after his death. The album was received differently by fans and critics. In particular, former producer group Paul Rothschild spoke as follows:

“To me, what I did on An American Prayer was like taking a Picasso painting, cutting it into stamp-sized pieces and sticking them on the wall of a supermarket.”

In 1979, director Francis Ford Coppola used the group's "The End" in his film Apocalypse Now about the Vietnam War, starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando.

In 1988, the Melodiya company published a collection of The Doors songs as part of a series of vinyl discs called “Archive of Popular Music.” The album "The Doors". Light a fire in me" was the first issue of this series. This edition contains tracks from the albums The Doors (1967), Morrison Hotel (1970) and L.A. Woman (1971).

After the release of Oliver Stone's film The Doors in 1991, the second wave of "Doorsmania" began. In 1997 alone, the group sold three times as many albums as in the previous three decades combined. And on July 3, 2001, on the thirtieth anniversary of Morrison’s death, more than 20 thousand people gathered at the Père Lachaise cemetery, where the Doors singer is buried.

In 1995, An American Prayer was remastered and re-released. In 1998, The Doors Box Set was released, which included previously unreleased recordings. In 1999, the group's studio albums were completely remastered. These versions were released as part of a set of discs

†
Kenny Jones

The Who became famous in their homeland both due to an innovative technique - smashing instruments on stage after a performance, and due to hit singles that reached the Top 10, starting with the 1965 hit single “I Can't Explain” and albums that reached the Top 5 (including the famous “My Generation”) The first hit single to hit the Top 10 in the US was “I Can See For Miles” in 1967. The rock opera “Tommy” was released, which became the first album to hit the Top 5 in the US, followed by "Live At Leeds" (), "Who's Next" (), "Quadrophenia" () and "Who Are You" ().

The Who found a way to attract fans after Townshend accidentally broke the neck of his guitar on a low ceiling during a concert. During the next concert, fans shouted at Pete to do it again. He broke his guitar and Keith followed him by smashing his drum kit. At the same time, the “air mill” appeared - a style of guitar playing invented by Pete, which was based on the stage movements of Keith Richards.

Pete's next work is also autobiographical in nature. "Psychoderelict" is about a reclusive rock star who is forced into retirement by a sleazy manager and a conniving journalist. Despite a solo US tour, new job didn't get much attention.

In early 1994, Roger took a break from filming to hold a grand concert at Carnegie Hall to celebrate his 50th birthday. The music that the band and orchestra played was a tribute to Pete's work. Roger not only invited many guests to sing Pete's songs, but also invited John and Pete to play on stage. After this, Roger and John went on a tour of the United States, performing The Who songs. Pete's brother Simon was on guitar, and Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey was on drums.

That same summer, a four-disc box set of The Who songs was released. The MCA label began releasing remastered and sometimes remixed editions of the group. "Live at Leeds" was released first with eight additional tracks and was followed by many discs with bonus tracks, artwork and booklets.

1996 began with the creation new group The John Entwistle Band, which toured the United States. The new album of this group, “The Rock,” was sold at the show and after the show, John met with fans.

In 1996, it was announced that The Who would get back together to play "Quadrophenia" on charity concert in Hyde Park. The June 26 show combined Pete's multimedia ideas with some ideas from the Deep End/1989 tour, accompanied by Roger's band. It was supposed to be just one show, but three weeks later The Who played a show at Madison Square Garden in New York and began a North American tour in October. They were not billed as "The Who", but performed under their own names.

The tour continued in Europe in the spring of 1997 and after another six weeks in the United States. In 1998, Pete and Roger finally finally reconciled. In May, Roger confronted Pete with a litany of grievances about Pete's neglect of the band since 1982. Pete burst into tears and Roger cordially forgave him.

Concert activity (1999-2004)

On February 24, 2000, Pete released the Lifehouse Chronicles 6-disc box set on his website. The Who's new tour began on June 25, 2000. Roger pushed Pete to write new material, which made the release of a new album a reality. Pete's efforts to promote The Who's music as soundtracks achieved success when the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation chose "Who Are You" as its main topic series.

Following the September 11 attacks, The Who performed at a benefit for police and firefighters on October 20, 2001. The concert was broadcast worldwide. Unlike many of the acts, whose sets were filled with gravity and restraint, The Who put on a real show. The band performed at a charity festival at the Royal Albert Hall in support of children with cancer on 7th and 8th February 2002. These shows were John's last.

On June 27, 2002, John died in his sleep at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas from a cocaine-induced heart attack. This happened the day before the start of the band's big tour in the United States.

The band's fans were shocked when Pete announced that the tour would go ahead without John. Session bassist Pino Palladino replaced him. Critics and fans alike cursed the decision as yet another example of a money grab. Pete and Roger later explained that they and a lot of other people had contributed a lot of money for this tour and couldn't bear to lose it.

After a year's hiatus, Pete, Roger, Pino, Zach and Rabbit played a gig as The Who at the Kentish Town Forum on 24 March 2004. Released on 30 March new collection the best songs of the group “Then and Now!” 1964-2004" with completely new songs 13 years later, "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine", which was a dedication to John.

"Endless Wire" (2005-2007)

Daltrey, Townsend, Caryn. 2005 year

In 2004, the group toured for the first time to Japan and Australia. On February 9, 2005, Roger received an order from Queen Elizabeth II of Britain for his charitable work.

On September 24, 2005, Pete posted the novel The Boy Who Heard Music on his blog. Written in 2000, this follow-up to "Psychoderelict" provided the basis for many of Pete's new songs. After premiering new songs on The Rachel Fuller Show, the band began a new tour that included both new and old songs. On 17 June 2006 the band performed in Leeds, at the same university where they recorded their famous live album 36 years earlier.

• A Quick One (December 9)
• The Who by Numbers (October 3)
• Who Are You (August 18)
• Face Dances (March 16)
• It's Hard (September 4)

Notes

Links

• Joe Giorgianni's Who Page Fan site dedicated to The Who
• The Who.info (English)

The Who are a British rock band formed in 1964. Original composition consisted of: Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. The band achieved enormous success through their extraordinary live performances and are considered both one of the most influential bands of the 60s and 70s, as well as one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

The Who became famous in their homeland both due to an innovative technique - smashing instruments on stage after a performance, and due to hit singles that reached the Top 10, starting with the 1965 hit single “I Can't Explain” and albums that reached the Top 5 (including the famous "My Generation") The first hit single to reach the Top 10 in the US was "I Can See For Miles" in 1967. In 1969, the rock opera "Tommy" was released, which became the first album to reach in the Top 5 in the US, followed by "Live At Leeds" (1970), "Who's Next" (1971), "Quadrophenia" (1973) and "Who Are You" (1978).

In 1978, the band's drummer Keith Moon died, after his death the band released two more studio albums: Face Dances (1981) (Top 5) and It's Hard (1982) (Top 10). The ex-drummer was put behind the drum kit Kenny Jones's The Small Faces The band finally disbanded in 1983. They have reunited several times since then for special events: Live Aid in 1985, the band's 25th anniversary reunion tour and "Quadrophenia" in 1995 and 1996

In 2000, the group began discussing the topic of recording an album of new material. These plans were delayed by the death of the band's bassist John Entwistle in 2002. Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey continued to perform under the name The Who. A new one was released in 2006 studio album entitled "Endless Wire", which reached the Top 10 in both the US and UK.

History of the group

Origins (1961-1964)

The Who began as The Detours, a band formed by guitarist Roger Daltrey in London in the summer of 1961. In early 1962, Roger recruited John Entwistle as a bass player who had played in bands based at Acton County Grammar, which he and Roger attended. John suggested an additional guitarist - his school friend Pete Townshend. Also in the band were drummer Doug Sandom and vocalist Colin Dawson.

Colin soon left the band and Roger took over as vocalist. The composition of the group: 3 musicians and a vocalist will remain so until the end of the 70s. The Detours started out covering pop tunes, but soon began doing covers of American rhythm and blues. In early 1964, The Detours learned that there was a band with the same name as them and decided to change it. Pete's art school friend Richard Barnes suggested the name The Who and the name was officially adopted. Soon after, Doug Sandom left the band and was replaced by young drummer Keith Moon in April.

The Who found a way to attract fans after Townshend accidentally broke the neck of his guitar on a low ceiling during a concert. During the next concert, fans shouted at Pete to do it again. He broke his guitar and Keith followed him by smashing his drum kit. At the same time, the “air mill” appeared - a style of guitar playing invented by Pete, which was based on the stage movements of Keith Richards.

In May 1964, The Who were taken under the patronage of Pete Meadan, the leader of the new British youth fashion movement. Midan renamed The Who to The High Numbers (Numbers was what the mods called each other, and High meant taking lippers, the pills that the mods took to spend the entire weekend at discos).

Meaden wrote The High Numbers' only single, "I'm the Face" (the song was an old R&B song with new lyrics about mods). Despite all Miden's attempts, the single failed, but the group fell in love with the mods. At this time, young director Keith Lambert (son of composer Christopher Lambert) and actor Chris Stump (brother of actor Terence Stump) were looking for a group about which they could make a film. Their choice fell on the group The High Numbers. In July 1964 they became the group's new managers. After failure at EMI Records, the group's name was reverted to The Who.

First successes and disagreements in the group (1964-1965)

The Who rocked London with a night of performances at the Marquee Club in November 1964. The group were advertised throughout London with black posters designed by Richard Barnes, featuring an "airmill" Pete Townshend with the words "Maximum R&B". Soon after, Keith and Chris encouraged Pete to start writing songs for the band in order to attract the attention of The Kinks producer Shell Talmy. Pete adapted his song “I Can’t Explain” to fit the style of The Kinks songs and convinced Talmy. The Who signed him to a contract and he became their producer for the next 5 years. Talmy, in turn, helped the group secure a contract with Decca Records in the United States.

Pete's early songs were written in opposition to Roger's macho stage persona. Roger held the position of leader in the group through force. Pete's increasing abilities as a songwriter threatened this status, especially after the hit single "My Generation". When the single made it into the charts in December 1965, Pete, John and Keith forced Roger to leave the group due to his violent behavior (this happened after Roger discovered Keith's drugs and flushed them down the toilet. Keith tried to object, but Roger knocked him out with one blow ). Roger later promised to be "peaceful" and was accepted back.

First albums (1965-1966)

At the same time, The Who released their first album, My Generation. Due to lack of advertising in the US and a desire to sign with Atlantic Records, Keith and Chris broke their contract with Talmy and signed contracts with Atlantic Records in the US and Reaction in the UK. Talmy responded with a counterclaim that completely stopped the release of the next single, "Substitute". The group then paid Talmy's royalties for the next 5 years and returned to Decca in the US. This event and the extremely expensive replacements for the destroyed instruments soon plunged The Who into deep debt.

Keith continued to insist that Pete write songs. While showing Keith one of his home demos, Pete joked that he was writing a rock opera. Keith really liked this idea. Pete's first attempt was called "Quads". It was a story about how parents raised 4 daughters. When it was discovered that one of them was a boy, they insisted on raising him as a girl. The group needed a new single and this first rock opera was compressed into a short song, “I’m a Boy.” Meanwhile, in order to make money, the group began making the next album, with the stipulation that each member of the group must record two songs for it. Roger succeeded in only one, Keith - one song and one instrumental. John, however, wrote two songs - "Whiskey Man" and "Boris The Spider". This was the beginning of John's career as an alternative songwriter with a dark sense of humor.

There wasn't enough material for the new album, so Pete wrote a mini-opera to close the album. “A Quick One While He’s Away” is a story about a woman waiting apart for her husband who is seduced by a racer. The album was called "A Quick One", which carried some sexual innuendo (for this reason, the album and its single were renamed "Happy Jack" in the US).

After settling their lawsuit with Decca and Talmy, The Who were able to tour the United States. They started with a series of short appearances at D.J.'s Easter concerts. Murray The K's in New York. The destruction of the equipment they had abandoned in England was revived and the Americans trembled. This was the beginning of The Who's wild popularity in the United States.

They returned to the US in the summer to play the Monterey Festival in California. The performance brought The Who to the attention of San Francisco hippies and rock critics who would soon found Rolling Stone magazine.

That summer they toured as the opening band for Herman's Hermits. It was during this tour that Keith's reputation as a wild party animal was cemented by celebrating his 21st birthday, despite the fact that he was only 20, celebrated at a post-show party at a Holiday Inn in Michigan. The list of deeds is truly impressive: a birthday cake collapsed on the floor, fire extinguishers were sprayed on cars, and Keith knocked out a tooth when he slipped on a cake while running from the police. Over time, it turned into an orgy of destruction, culminating in a Cadillac at the bottom of the hotel pool. The Who were banned from staying at Holiday Inns, and this, along with periodic hotel room crashes, became part of the legend of the band and Keith.

"The Who Sell Out", "Live At Leeds" and the rock opera "Tommy" (1967-1970)

While their popularity was growing in America, their career in Britain began to decline. Their next single, "I Can See For Miles", their most successful single in the US, only reached the Top 10 in the UK. The success of the following singles "Dogs" and "Magic Bus" was even less successful. Released in December 1967, The Who Sell Out sold worse than previous albums. It was a concept album designed as a broadcast from a banned pirate radio station. This album would later be considered one of the band's best albums.

During this downturn, Pete stops taking drugs and accepts the teachings of the Indian mystic Meher Baba. Pete would become his most famous follower and his subsequent works would reflect his knowledge of Baba's teachings. One of his ideas was that those who can perceive earthly things cannot perceive the world of God. From this Pete had a story about a boy who became deaf, numb and blind and, having gotten rid of earthly sensations, was able to see God. Having been cured, he becomes the messiah. The story eventually became known worldwide as the rock opera "Tommy." The Who worked on it from the summer of 1968 to the spring of 1969. It was a last-ditch effort to save the band, and they began performing new material.

Tommy was only a moderate hit when it was released, but once The Who started playing it live, it became a masterpiece. "Tommy" made a strong impression when the band performed it at the Woodstock festival in August 1969. The last song, "See Me, Feel Me," was performed at sunrise. Captured on film and featured in the film Woodstock, The Who became an international sensation. Keith also found a way to promote the album by performing it at opera houses in Europe and America. “Tommy” was used in ballets and musicals, and the group had so much work that many people thought its name was “Tommy.”

Meanwhile, Pete continued to write songs using the new musical instrument- ARP synthesizer. To kill time before their next project, The Who recorded a live album at Leeds University. "Live At Leeds" became the band's second worldwide hit.

In 1970 Pete had an idea for a new project. Keith made a deal with Universal Studios to make the film "Tommy" with him directing. Pete came up with his idea called “Lifehouse”. This would be a fantastic story about virtual reality and the boy who discovered rock music. The hero would play an endless concert and at the end of the film he would find the Lost Chord, which brings everyone to a state of nirvana.

"Who's Next" (1971)

The group organized open-to-all concerts at the Young Vic in London. The audience and the band themselves had to be filmed during the concert. Everyone would be part of the film, them life stories would be replaced by computer rows accompanied by synthesizer music. But the result was disappointing. The audience simply asked to play old hits and soon all the band members got bored.

Pete's project was shelved and the band went into the studio to record songs Pete had written for Lifehouse. This is how the album “Who’s Next” was recorded. It became another international hit and is considered by many to be the band's best album. "Baba O'Riley" and "Behind Blue Eyes" were played on the radio, and "Won't Get Fooled Again" was the band's closing song throughout their career.

As their popularity grew, the band members became dissatisfied with the sound of Pete's songs. John first launched a solo career with the album Smash Your Head Against The Wall, released before Who's Next. He would continue to record solo albums throughout the early 70s, giving vent to his songs imbued with dark humor. Roger also launched a solo career after building a studio in his barn. The single "Giving It All Away" from his album Daltrey reached the UK Top 10 and gave Roger the boost he had in the band.

Using this charge, Roger began an investigation into the financial affairs of Keith Lambert and Chris Stump. He discovered that they were using it incorrectly financial fund groups. Pete, who saw Keith as his mentor, took his side, which led to a rift in the group.

"Quadrophenia" (1972-1973)

Pete, meanwhile, began work on a new rock opera. It was supposed to be a Who story, but after Pete met one of the hardcore fans who had been following the band since The Detours, Pete decided to write a story about a Who fan. It became the story of Jimmy, a mod, a fan of The High Numbers. He works menial jobs to earn money for a GS scooter, stylish clothes and enough pills to get him through the weekend. High doses of speed cause his personality to split into 4 components, each of which is represented by a member of The Who. Jimmy's parents find the pills and kick him out of the house. He comes to Brighton to bring back the glory days of the Mods, only to find a Mod leader turned humble hotel porter. In desperation, he takes a boat and goes out to sea in a strong storm and observes the appearance of God.

The Quadrophenia album had a lot of problems after recording. It was mixed on a new stereo system that did not work quite adequately. Mixing the recording to stereo resulted in the vocals being lost on the recordings, to Roger's horror. On stage, The Who tried to recreate the original sound. The tapes stopped working and everything turned into complete chaos. To add insult to injury, Keith's wife left him before the tour and took their daughter with her. Keith drowned out his sadness in alcohol and even wanted to commit suicide. At the San Francisco show to open the American tour, Keith passed out mid-show and was replaced by Scott Halpin, a guest from the audience.

The film "Tommy" and "The Who By Numbers" (1975-1977)

Upon returning to London, Pete had no rest; production of the film Tommy began immediately. The film was overseen not by Keith Lambert, but by the crazy British film director Ken Russell. He began working with guest stars: Elton John, Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholson, Eric Clapton and Tina Turner. The result was rather tasteless and, although it was liked by the band's fans, it was not a big hit with the public. Two consequences occurred: Roger, who played the lead role in the film, became a star outside the group, and Pete suffered a nervous breakdown and began to drink more than usual.

Everything reached its peak during concerts at Madison Square Garden in June 1974. The audience shouted to Pete - “jump, jump,” and he realized that he no longer wanted anything. The passion for The Who's performances began to cool. This can be seen on the band's next album, The Who By Numbers. It shows the fierce rivalry between Pete and Roger, which was written about by all British music publications.

Subsequent tours in 1975 and 1976 were much more successful than the album. There was a big emphasis on old material. After 1976, The Who stopped touring. This marked the end of the band's association with managers Keith Lambert and Chris Stump; in early 1977, Pete signed their dismissal papers.

"Who Are You" and Change (1978-1980)

After a two-year break, the group entered the studio and recorded the album “Who Are You”. In addition to the new album, The Who made a film about their story, The Kids Are Alright. To do this they bought the Shepperton film studio. After returning from America, Keith was in very sad shape - he gained weight, became an alcoholic and looked 40 at 30.

In 1978, The Who completed recording the album and filming with a concert at Shepperton on 25 May. After 3 months the album went on sale. 20 days after that - September 7th, 1978 Keith Moon died from an overdose of medication prescribed to him to control his alcohol addiction. Many thought that The Who would cease to exist after Moon's death, but the group still had many projects. In addition to documentary film"The Kids Are Alright" was about to be released New film, based on the album "Quadrophenia". In January 1979, The Who began looking for a new drummer and found Kenny Jones, former drummer of The Small Faces and friend of Pete and John. His playing style was very different from Moon's, which led to him being rejected by fans. John Bundrick was brought into the group as a keyboard player, and the group was later supplemented with a brass section. New line-up The band began touring in the summer, playing to huge crowds across the United States. At a concert in Cincinnati in December 1979, tragedy occurred - 11 fans died in a stampede. The band continued to tour, but controversy remained over whether it was the right thing to do.

1980 started with two solo projects. Pete released his first full solo album Empty Glass (Who Came First (1972) was a collection of demos, and Rough Mix (1977) was made with Ronnie Lane). This album was ranked alongside The Who's albums, and the single "Let My Love Open The Door" became very popular. At the same time, Roger released the film McVicar.

Last albums and breakup of the group (1980-1983)

In 1980, Pete's problems became apparent. He was almost always drunk, playing endless solo parts or ranting for a long time from the stage. His drinking developed into a cocaine addiction, and later into an addiction to heroin. He began spending his nights hanging out with members of the New Wave bands, to whom he was God.

Next album The Who's "Face Dances" came under heavy criticism. Despite the highly successful single "You Better, You Bet", the album was considered to be of lower quality than the group's previous standards.

Roger realized that Pete was destroying himself and offered to stop touring to save him. Pete almost died after overdosing on heroin at Club For Heroes in London and was saved in hospital in the last minutes. Pete's parents put pressure on him and Pete flew to California for treatment and rehabilitation. After returning, he did not feel confident to write new material for the group and asked for a topic. The group decided to record an album reflecting their attitude to the growing tensions of the Cold War. The result was the album It's Hard, which examined the changing role of men with the rise of feminist sentiment. But both critics and fans did not like the album, just like “Face Dances.”

A new tour of the US and Canada began in September 1982 and was called a farewell tour. The final show on December 12, 1982 in Toronto was broadcast worldwide. After the tour, The Who were contractually obligated to record another album. Pete began work on the album "Siege", but quickly abandoned it. He explained to the band that he was no longer able to write songs. Pete announced The breakup Who at a press conference on December 16, 1983.

Solo projects of participants and association (1985-1999)

Pete began working at the publishing house Faber & Faber. Work did not distract him much from his new occupation - preaching against heroin use. This campaign lasted throughout the 80s. He also found time to write a book of short stories “Horses" Neck" and make a short film about life in the White City. The film features Pete's new band - Defor. Along with the film "White City" they also released a live album and video "Deep End Live! " On July 3, 1985, The Who came together to perform at the Live Aid charity concert in support of the starving people of Ethiopia. The band was supposed to play Pete's new song "After The Fire", but due to lack of rehearsals, they had to play the old songs. " After The Fire" later became a solo hit for Roger.

In the 1980s, Roger and John continued their solo careers. In 1985 Roger began a solo tour, and in 1987 John began. The Who's loyal fans continued to support their work.

In February 1988, the group gathered to receive the BPI Life Achievement Award. After the awards, the band performed at the Royal Albert Hall. Pete began writing a new rock opera based on the book "The Iron Man" written by Tad Hughes. Among the guest artists, Pete includes Roger and John for two recordings that were signed by The Who on the album. This led to talk of a reunited team touring. The tour began in 1989 to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary, but the lineup was very different from what it was in 1964. Pete stuck to an acoustic sound with a different lead guitarist. Most of the Deep End lineup was on stage including the new drummer and percussionist. The show began the first full performance of "Tommy" since 1970 and ended in Los Angeles with a star-studded cast including Elton John, Phil Collins, Billy Idol and others. After this, Pete rewrote the album "Tommy" with American theater director Des McAniff into a musical that included moments from Pete's own life. After an initial run at the La Jolla Playhouse in California, The Who's Tommy opened on Broadway on April 23, 1993. Fans of The Who had mixed feelings about the musical, but theater critics in London and New York loved it. With him, Pete won the Tony and Laurence Olivier Awards. Pete's next work is also autobiographical in nature. "Psychoderelict" is about a reclusive rock star who is forced into retirement by a sleazy manager and a conniving journalist. Despite a solo tour in the United States, the new work did not receive much attention.

In early 1994, Roger took a break from filming to hold a grand concert at Carnegie Hall to celebrate his 50th birthday. The music that the band and orchestra played was a tribute to Pete's work. Roger not only invited many guests to sing Pete's songs, but also invited John and Pete to play on stage. After this, Roger and John went on a tour of the United States, performing The Who songs. Pete's brother Simon was on guitar, and Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey was on drums. That same summer, a 4-disc box set of The Who songs was released. The MCA label began releasing remastered and sometimes remixed editions of the group. "Live at Leeds" was released first with 8 additional tracks and was followed by many discs with bonus tracks, artwork and booklets. 1996 began with the formation of a new group, The John Entwistle Band, which toured the United States. The band's new album, "The Rock," was sold at the show and John met with fans after the show.

In 1996, it was announced that The Who would get back together to play "Quadrophenia" at a benefit concert in Hyde Park. The show, held on June 26th, combined Pete's multimedia ideas with some ideas from the Deep End/1989 tour, accompanied by Roger's band. It was supposed to be just one show, but 3 weeks later The Who played a show at Madison Square Garden in New York and began a North American tour in October. They were not billed as The Who, but performed under their own names.

The tour continued in Europe in the spring of 1997 and after another 6 weeks in the USA. In 1998, Pete and Roger finally reconciled. In May, Roger presented Pete with a litany of grievances about Pete's neglect of the band since 1982. Pete burst into tears and Roger heartily forgave him.

Concert activity (1999-2004)

On February 24, 2000, Pete released the Lifehouse Chronicles 6-disc box set on his website. The Who's new tour began on June 25, 2000. Roger pushed Pete to write new material, which made the release of a new album a reality. Pete's efforts to promote The Who's music as soundtracks achieved success when the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation chose "Who Are You" as the show's theme song.

Following the September 11 attacks, The Who performed at a benefit for police and firefighters on October 20, 2001. The concert was broadcast worldwide. Unlike many of the acts, whose sets were filled with gravity and restraint, The Who put on a real show. The band performed at a charity festival at the Royal Albert Hall in support of children with cancer on 7th and 8th February 2002. These shows were John's last.

On June 7, 2002, John died in his sleep at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas from a cocaine-induced heart attack. This happened the day before the start of the band's big tour in the United States.

The band's fans were shocked when Pete announced that the tour would go ahead without John. Session bassist Pino Palladino replaced him. Critics and fans alike cursed the decision as yet another example of a money grab. Later Pete and Roger explained that they and many other people had contributed a lot of money for this tour and could not lose it.

After a year of hiatus, Pete, Roger, Pino, Zach and Rabbit gave a concert as The Who at the Kentish Town Forum on March 24, 2004. On March 30, a new collection of the group's best songs, Then and Now! 1964-2004" with completely new songs 13 years later, "Real Good Looking Boy" and "Old Red Wine", which was a dedication to John

"Endless Wire" (2005-2007)

In 2004, the group toured for the first time to Japan and Australia. On February 9, 2005, Roger received an order from Queen Elizabeth II of Britain for his charitable work.

On September 24, 2005, Pete posted the novel The Boy Who Heard Music on his blog. Written in 2000, this follow-up to "Psychoderelict" provided the basis for many of Pete's new songs. After premiering new songs on The Rachel Fuller Show, the band began a new tour that included both new and old songs. On 17 June 2006 the band performed in Leeds, at the same university where they recorded their famous live album 36 years earlier.

A new album, "Endless Wire", featuring acoustic and rock songs, as well as a mini-opera based on "The Boy Who Heard Music", was released on October 31, 2006. The album was originally planned to be released in the spring of 2005 under the working title WHO2. The date was moved due to the fact that drummer Zak Starkey was involved in the recording of Oasis' Don't Believe the Truth album and subsequent tour. The album immediately took 7th position on the Billboard chart upon release. Its fragments are included in the program of performances of The Who Tour 2006-2007.

"The Who" - one of the most influential groups British rock 60-70s. This is another rock band - a long-liver, organized in 1964! They performed with the same lineup for 15 years. After the death of drummer Keith Moon, they continued performing with new drummer Kenny Jones for over 20 years. Today, only two of the first line-up remain alive - Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, but they are wearing vests because they still continue to delight the audience with their performances. Likewise, at the closing of the XXX Olympic Summer Games in London, The Who took part. There are still people alive who call this group the best rock band in the world. So what is the secret of The Who's success? Let's figure it out.

I will again judge the popularity of “The Who” in the Soviet Union from my own point of view. Yes, we knew about the existence of such a rock band and that they became famous for smashing instruments on stage. Their music was not played at dances. With all the desire, it was impossible to repeat such a frantic, unbridled sound of the bass guitar and drums. I wouldn’t say that everyone was a fan of her, but there were fans, albeit in small numbers.

Their performances were a must see. How many times have I said this phrase already? That's why they are rock bands; you have to watch and listen to them live. At concerts, the secrets of success are much easier to understand. Colossal energy, improvisational approach to performance, individuality and much more. And these instruments also destroy. The receiving party, aware of such predilections, hastily removed the expensive equipment from the stage after the final chord. But, of course, it was not possible to carry everything away. Such a mess probably looked, to put it mildly, funny.

So, the first and only lineup of The Who.

Roger Daltrey (03/1/1944) – lead vocalist, songwriter, plays a little harmonica and guitar. He showed himself as an interesting actor, starring in the films: “Tommy”, “The Comedy of Errors”, “Lisztomania”, etc. At one time he was a real leader in the group, showing his strength in front of the other participants. They were going to kick him out after he hit the drummer. But Daltrey apologized, reconsidered his attitude and promised not to bully again. Thus, they reined him in and showed him their place.

Pete Townshend (05/19/1945) – guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and lyricist of almost all the group’s songs. I have never played long-term soleshniks. Its feature is a hard rhythm and a peculiar attack of the strings with rotational movements of a straightened right hand. This technique that Pete came up with is called the "Air Mill". Here he had no equal. Just like before this there was no breaking of instruments after the performance.

Once, by accident, in the final jump he broke the guitar neck. The crowd loved it. On next concert she demanded the same. So Pete began to destroy equipment and was supported by a drummer. From such behavior group The Who stood out sharply from the rest of the rockers. (By the way, I experienced for myself what kind of action it is to break guitars when I smashed my own on the asphalt in public. Half the crowd was as if in hypnosis, half was in ecstasy.)

Townshend played a big role in the development of British rock, organizing grand festivals and inviting his many friends to them. So, at one time, he helped Eric Clapton get out of drug addiction. If it weren't for Pete, there wouldn't be the Eric we see and listen to now. Although, he himself barely got out of this shit in the 80s.

John Entwistle (10/9/1944 – 06/27/2002) – bassist, multi-instrumentalist. In the circles of fans - simply “The Ox” (Bull). There is phlegm on stage. A minimum of emotions, a static figure, only fingers flashing. He used the bass as lead guitar. Powerful playing technique, a lot of sophisticated moves. Recognized as one of the best bass players of all time. He had a huge influence on the playing technique and sound of subsequent generations of bassists, such as Victor Wooten. He had a wide range of voice: from childish falsetto to low bass. He held matches behind his back when Keith Moon blew up toilets. He died in 2002 as a result of a heart attack from a cocaine overdose.

And finally main participant killer rhythm section - Keith Moon (08/23/1946 – 09/7/1978) - virtuoso drummer. One of the first to use two barrels at performances. The brightest and most unpredictable personality in the lineup. He was a drummer from God and a man not of this world. Half of The Who's fame can be safely given to him. In high school, an art teacher said this about him: “In artistic terms, he’s retarded, in all other respects, he’s an idiot.”

He didn't care about honor and respect. He lived his own life. After breaking drum kits His second favorite pastime was blowing up hotel bathrooms. He lowered the explosive device into the toilet and flushed it. There was an explosion that destroyed the toilet along with the sewerage system. “Porcelain flying in the air is simply unforgettable!” - he said.

Alcohol and drugs served as a means of self-expression for all participants, and only he experienced joy, shocking those around him. But all these scandalous antics were more humorous in nature than malicious. Here's another example. One day, on the way to the airport, Moon resolutely insisted on returning to the hotel, allegedly he had forgotten something and he definitely needed to return urgently. A luxury limousine arrives at the hotel. Keith jumps out of it like a bullet and runs to his room. He takes the TV and throws it out of the window into the pool. Returning to the car, he says with relief: “I almost forgot!”

He could easily take on the role of anyone: from Hitler to a sexy lady, from a priest to a young schoolboy. He died suddenly in his sleep on September 7, 1978 from an overdose of sleeping pills. During the autopsy, doctors found 32 tablets (!), six of which dissolved, which led to cardiac arrest. A strange coincidence - 32 tablets and 32 years of life. He was recognized as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music. Got into the Guinness Book of Records as the drummer who destroyed the most a large number of drum kits.