The Lifehouse Demos 1 & 2 (1970)
Pete Townshend"s "As Is" Masterpiece
From The Boat's June '07 Archives
The Lifehouse Demos might have been recognized as the greatest solo album ever made... if Pete Townshend had released these performances when he secretly recorded them in 1970. Forget the eventually abandoned Lifehouse project's reputation as an unfinished “failure” and resist your natural temptation to compare these tapes to heroic Who recordings, and you'll discover a stunning, fully realized, tour de force brimming with so much creativity, so much energy... so many guitars, that landmark self-made LPs from contemporaries like Rundgren or McCartney simply pale by comparison.
Fully arranged and recorded by Pete at his inspirational zenith, these recordings are breathtaking. Forget about the Lifehouse "concept," it's Townshend's multi-faceted performances that are revelatory. In Daltry's hands these songs became anthems, in Townshend's they become emotional anthems. His rudimentary drumming (like Todd’s & Paul’s) is Ringo-simple as he layers multiple guitars, vocals, keyboards and his groundbreaking "Baba O'Riley" sequencer work into an unheralded pop masterwork. This music should be as historically revered as Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, also from 1970. Instead, these tapes just exist... largely unheard. That the 25 year old Townshend recorded all this in 1970, by himself, immediately following Tommy, just boggles the mind.
The 2000 6-CD box set, Lifehouse Chronicles, is well worth the Sterling if you enjoy dissecting Pete's details. It's bursting with unused & rearranged material, string sessions, new re-mixes and a 2-CD live radio play. The first two CDs, however, are these sacred songs and glorious demos... “Pure And Easy,” “Bargain,” “Goin’ Mobile," an endless array of now iconic material. It’s rare when you can pinpoint the very pinnacle of a great artist. For Townshend, this moment in time is untouchable. Maybe, by anyone.
The Lifehouse Demos 1
- Teenage Wasteland
- Goin Mobile
- Baba O"Riley
- Time Is Passing
- Love Ain't For Keeping
- Bargain
- Too Much Of Anything
- Music Must Change
- Greyhound Girl
- Mary
- Behind Blue Eyes
- Baba O"Riley (Instrumental)
- Sister Disco
The Lifehouse Demos 2
- I Don't Know Myself
- Put The Money Down
- Pure And Easy
- Getting In Tune
- Let's See Action
- Slip Kid
- Relay
- Who Are You
- Join Together
- Won't Get Fooled Again
- Song Is Over
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