Pete Townshend — 53

ALBUM: Scoop (1983)

MVC Rating: 2.5/$$$$$

Scoop is a two-record grab bag from Who guitarist Pete Townshend.

It’s not good. There’s no there there.

I’ve just listened to two records (four album sides) of demos, outtakes, studio tomfoolery, and alternate versions.

It’s one of those recordings meant for the trash heap, or at least kept private, but instead ends up in a store somewhere with a price sticker on it.

These albums are built on the belief that the public is riveted to every bent G note from the master musician. It’s esoterica for true diehards who are fascinated by the way their guitar hero noodles around in the studio with his mechanical devices. There’s a song ‘Initial Machine Experiments,’ and another ‘Unused Piano – Quadrophenia. (I do like ‘Piano Tipperary, however (all 1 minute of it.)

So, I think we have established that I don’t like ‘outtake’ albums. But for pure confounding full disclosure, one of the best records in this category is ‘Odds and Sods’ by you guessed it: The Who. And I like it. At least I did once. But maybe it was because I was older then, but am younger than that now. I will be reviewing that one when we get to the ‘W’s’.

Maybe you have to read the extensive liner notes to understand the significance of this mess. Pete, himself, offers a clue in the liner notes on the cover (to distinguish between those written reveries for every single one of the 25 songs and snippets.)

No, ha ha, you say. This scathing critique is coming from a man who is chronicling and reviewing all 678 records in my collection, even the Partridge Family and Bobby Sherman????

Well, yes, but I’m not charging for my mess.

Townshend in his liner notes seems to want to offer an explanation.

“These enthusiasts of Who music and the part I played in it will probably welcome this record to add to their stockpile of obsessive memorabilia.”

No.

I mean, yes, there will be some that love to obtain the strummed acoustic versions of songs that sound great only when played loud.

Townshend explains in the liner notes, how he just bought a new TEAC portable studio which has led to 40 songs without words as he is touring with the band. Uh oh.

Now, I like Townshend and admire his songwriting and guitar playing. His voice strains to be strong never quite making it — that’s why they have Roger Daltrey. I really enjoyed Townshend in an English folky record with Ronnie Lane called Rough Mix. I thought his solo album ‘Empty Glass’ was solid.

Now somebody must like this. I Googled e-Bay and Amazon and see copies of my album going used for more than $30. Wait what’s this? Also for sale: Scoop 2 and Scoop 3?

AAAARGH.