The Who are the greatest rock band ever. To my regret, I passed on an opportunity to see them--or at least the two surviving members--for the fifth time on Saturday. Instead, I sat in my apartment and watched this incredible video on YouTube of The Who's Real Good Looking Boy over and over and over again. I was nearly brought to tears, though I don't know if it was from missing the concert or from the emotional tug of seeing the video-montage reminder of just how awesome The Who were. Or, perhaps I should say how awesome The Who are: Real Good Looking Boy was released just a couple of years ago, and a new album--their first in twenty-four years--arrives next month. The song is about Pete Townshend's first vision of Elvis, and imagining himself as him--until his mom breaks the news that he doesn't resemble Elvis. In fact, he's an "ugly boy" she tells him. After a lifetime of adjusting to his ugliness, Townshend realizes "God gave him a face" but "He gave me something above/God gave me grace/And sweet, sweet, sweet love." Do yourself a favor and watch the video--over and over and over again. If you are not a Who fan, you will become one. And if you are ugly, pay attention to the lyrics and rejoice.

OR

you could be disgusted by the title and lyrics of the song, and imagine they stem from his obsession with little boys. Apparently, he's done a great deal of "research" in this area.

Have always been a huge WHO fan. They, like the Kinks, will go down as one of the most underrated and dated rock bands. I saw them, in tact, in the early 70’s when they were splitting up their sets between their earlier stuff and the “new” offerings from WHO’s Next. They were great live.

Missed this week too. Could have seen them at face value. Too tired. This is my favorite song released this decade.... And I have heard it twice on the radio. Once during normal hours. Its a shame. They are the best live band of all time and they have a good new album comming out and no one will play it. But I will have to endure Gnarls Barkley's song 8 times an hour. The world is off its axis.

You know though, with great new bands like 'OK go' and their hot new video where they play no instruments, but instead do dance and gymnastics moves on a series of treadmills, who needs bands like the WHO? Off it's axis, indeed.

the who suck. and what ever happened to pete (i love little boys) townshend?

What ever happened to Townshend? The police didn't charge Townshend because they said they believed he was telling the truth about doing research. The molestation stuff is a theme in his music, particularly Tommy, he had given large sums of money to charities helping child victims, and he had even taken the extreme step of reporting child porn web stites to the Internet Watch Foundation--all of this before the incident in which he did access one such site.

Should Chuck Berry's music be judged on the hidden cameras in his restaurant's bathroom? Should we say the Stones suck because Mick Jagger deflowered fourteen-year-old Mackenzie Phillips while Papa John was in the next room? Should we burn Elvis records because he was a drug addict? I don't, which makes me less likely to judge Townshend based on a crime that even the police say he did not commit.

Sorry about your taste in music, TagM. What's your favorite group, REO Speedwagon?

yor right dan, the last i heard he was caught surfing for child porn. and that was the last i heard about it. i was never into the who, im more of a black sabbath guy. i love judas priest even tho ol rob"s gay. but i cant take the dixie chicks for there shooting there mouths off. and yes i like county music.