Legendary British rockers The Who could be set to begin work on an album of new material.
The Who represent an enormous contradiction. Songwriter Pete Townshend continually challenges himself, crafting albums of new material which shake preconceived notions of the band. Yet to their fanbase the band remain a heritage act.
The legendary rockers played the Superbowl earlier this year, storming through a short set of hits. Reminding the world of their continuing popularity, it seems that the performance sparked something in the band.
Derogatorily referring to themselves as The Two, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey could be set to begin working on a new album. Speaking to fans in a chat on The Who’s official website, Roger Daltrey claimed that new material is on the horizon.
“Pete (Townshend) is writing,” Daltrey revealed. “You never know when that might turn up. So, between now and then (our next tour), there might be a new album.”
The Who last released a studio album in 2006, with their ‘Endless Wire’ set. Since then, the band have spent more time on tour and working with charity than in the studio but it seems that Pete Townshend is eager to craft new material.
Currently planning an extensive 2011 tour, The Who are hoping to avoid the usual ‘greatest hits’ style format. “We have thought about that (doing a greatest hits tour),” he said. “But what is a greatest hits show? All the hits and nothing else, and none of the obscure? That would bore me shitless.”
“If we did a greatest hits tour, everybody would say, ‘We’re bored with that, give us something else’. We can never please everybody.”
Continuing, the frontman admitted that shows dedicated to rock operas ‘Quadrophenia’ and ‘Tommy’ could be performed. “I would like to be on the road playing as many different kind of shows as we could,” he explained. “Maybe doing ‘Quadrophenia’ one night, do greatest hits the next night, this is what I would like to do. And ‘Tommy’, if I could still sing ‘Tommy’.”
“That would be really good fun and don’t keep going out with the same show every night – the audience would have to take a chance on what show they actually got”.
