Tracks
Also by Pete Townshend
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Very underrated Townsend effort, upon initial release the album was panned by the critics, it wasn't the commercial success that "Empty Glass" was, but due to this, too many overlooked it. Townsend intended for this to be his masterwork and as far as I'm concerned, it is his greatest solo album. The melodies are consistently strong, from the mellow "North Country Girl" to the full on rock of "Slit Skirts", "Uniforms" and "Sea Refuses No River" take the listener from rock to calm and there is even a spoken word section of "Stop Hurting People". All the melodies with the possible exception of "Communicate" are absolutely top notch.
But what most separates this effort from previous Townsend solo projects is the lyrical content. From the spiritual "Somebody Saved Me" and "The Sea Refuses No River" (wow, what lyrics!), to mocking conformity "Uniforms", to his disgust with the Hollywood/southern California phoniness "Exquisitely Bored", to relationship disenchantment "Stardom In Action", this whole album is full of poetry, "exquisite" metaphors, and whole new ways of looking at some seemingly tired subjects. Every track has fantastic lyrics, several needing repeated listens to really sink in or fully comprehend. Townsend took great effort and time to put together this piece of art (in my eyes) and the listener will be rewarded time and time again, as long as they give this record a few listens, as it takes that long to really appreciate the breadth of this work.
Note: I have not heard the three bonus cuts (the last three), so I can't comment on their quality.
But what most separates this effort from previous Townsend solo projects is the lyrical content. From the spiritual "Somebody Saved Me" and "The Sea Refuses No River" (wow, what lyrics!), to mocking conformity "Uniforms", to his disgust with the Hollywood/southern California phoniness "Exquisitely Bored", to relationship disenchantment "Stardom In Action", this whole album is full of poetry, "exquisite" metaphors, and whole new ways of looking at some seemingly tired subjects. Every track has fantastic lyrics, several needing repeated listens to really sink in or fully comprehend. Townsend took great effort and time to put together this piece of art (in my eyes) and the listener will be rewarded time and time again, as long as they give this record a few listens, as it takes that long to really appreciate the breadth of this work.
Note: I have not heard the three bonus cuts (the last three), so I can't comment on their quality.