# Pete Townsend is not happy!



## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Seems he is pissed off that the recently released Orchestral version of Quadrophenia is not being considered for the UK classical music charts.

Townshend says via Facebook: “Classic Quadrophenia is not allowed in the UK classical charts? Musical snobbery in the classical elite still alive and kicking then. **** ’em.”

He adds: “There's a huge team behind this, rooted in the practical world of recorded classical music, who deserve better than this petty slap-down. I know I'm a rock dinosaur and I'm happy to be one, but the team behind Classic Quadrophenia are all young, creative and brilliant."

Your team my have legitimate classical cred, but orchestrating a rock album does not equate to being classical music. 

I like Quadrophenia, but it doesn't belong on the classical charts. 

Opinions?


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## GodNickSatan (Feb 28, 2013)

I haven't listened to The Who in a long time, but Quadophenia was my favourite album of theirs. I'm not really sure what to make of this... maybe I should give it a listen, sounds like it could be interesting.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Spoiled brat of a rock star


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Agree with the OP. Orchestra does not make it Classical.


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

> Agree with the OP. Orchestra does not make it Classical.


By the same token, Rick Wakeman's "Journey to the Centre of the Earth' wouldn't be classical music chart material; however I would suggest that Jon Lord's "Concerto for Group & Orchestra" might.
Personally I don't like "Quadrophenia" with or without orchestra.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

He might be happier if you took the trouble to spell his name correctly: Townshend.

That having been said, there is no snobbery involved here. Quadrophenia is POP music, whether performed by the Who or played by an orchestra. Simply orchestrating pop or rock music doesn't make it classical. He's made a bit of an idiot of himself over this one.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

GreenMamba said:


> Agree with the OP. Orchestra does not make it Classical.





Delicious Manager said:


> Quadrophenia is POP music, whether performed by the Who or played by an orchestra. Simply orchestrating pop or rock music doesn't make it classical. He's made a bit of an idiot of himself over this one.


While I tend to agree, it is perhaps not that simple if we look at the reverse. When Mussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition is performed by a rock band (ELP or Mekong Delta), the albums end up in the rock section. And I don't think classical music lovers would agree to put those under classical.


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## Guest (Jun 12, 2015)

Yep, one can end up in an endless debate as to what constitutes "classical." Blurred lines, continuum and all that...

For myself, I could never stand anything about The Hoo.

But then, I was a long-haired grebo!!!


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Pete just has a bruised ego and clearly knows very little about classical music. As for his magnum opus, how can anyone possibly contest that it is anything but pop/rock music? Delusions of grandeur.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

It seems like a bit of a hissy-fit to me. 

I think Pete Townshend did originally have certain classical elements in mind when writing Quadrophenia - each member of the band had a 'theme' and some of the instrumental sections were a bit more grandiose than what one might expect from what was essentially a high-octane hard rock band. But the fact remains that Quadrophenia is a rock concept album and after 42 years it doesn't become a classical work overnight simply because it's given the orchestral/operatic treatment. 

Had Townshend's own creativity not been so conspicuously moribund over the last 30+ years then he perhaps he wouldn't strop off about it so much.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Delicious Manager said:


> He might be happier if you took the trouble to spell his name correctly: Townshend.


You are correct.

I used to surf with an Australian surfer named Peter Townend when he moved to California. I guess I had a mental hiccup and sort of combined both their names.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I'm with Pete Townshend on this issue. Props to him for having his wife Rachel Fuller doing the orchestration.

I just saw Lambert and Stamp documentary and appreciate how much Pete appreciates classical music.










People who dismiss him are obviously not open-minded and for me those are the people who are elitist and want to keep the domain of classical music as a marquee act.

I actually just got the album off iTunes. Even got that over the new Hilary Hahn at the moment. Peace.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Albert7 said:


> I'm with Pete Townshend on this issue. Props to him for having his wife Rachel Fuller doing the orchestration.
> 
> I just saw Lambert and Stamp documentary and appreciate how much Pete appreciates classical music.
> 
> ...


That's nonsense. He's only being dismissed as a composer/performer of classical music, something he never composed. Seems to me that you want to lump everything under the sun as classical music. I'm not buying it and hope that most other classical music enthusiasts won't either.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

dogen said:


> For myself, I could never stand anything about The Hoo.
> 
> But then, I was a long-haired grebo!!!


Bit puzzled by that, dogen - the Who were only really a 'mod' band for the first album. By the end of the 60s the 'mods v rockers' scene was long dead and during the 70s the Who were to a large extent a heavy rock band with a predominantly 'long-haired grebo' following.

Doesn't mean to say you had to like them, of course.


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## AnotherSpin (Apr 9, 2015)

Tommy sends goose-bumps every single time I listen to Sparks.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

We should note that there are _two_ classical charts in the UK: the cumbersomely titled Classical Artist Album Chart and the Specialist Classical Album Chart. (Well, actually, three; there's also the Classical Compilation Album Chart).
The "specialist" chart is what we on TC would consider the proper chart, while the "artist" chart also includes the crossover artists, André Rieu, etc (who of course have higher sales).
To my ears, what I've heard of the orchestral Quadrophenia sounds like it could fit in with some other stuff on the artist chart, and I suspect that if it were a _brand new_ work it would be included there. But of course the music itself has already been unequivocally categorised as rock music, so the rules preclude it.


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## Ilarion (May 22, 2015)

dogen said:


> Yep, one can end up in an endless debate as to what constitutes "classical." Blurred lines, continuum and all that...
> 
> For myself, I could never stand anything about The Hoo.
> 
> But then, I was a long-haired grebo!!!


I too was a long-haired grebo, Once.............Oh yeah, Pete Townshend should stop getting his nickers in a twist - GAH!!!


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Albert7 said:


> I'm with Pete Townshend on this issue. Props to him for having his wife Rachel Fuller doing the orchestration.
> 
> I just saw Lambert and Stamp documentary and appreciate how much Pete appreciates classical music.
> 
> ...


Me thinks you may have missed the crux of the issue.

I'm not dissing Pete, nor his orchestration of Quadrophenia. I'm sure there's a lot of talent and love for orchestral music involved.

The question under discussion is whether it belongs on the Classical charts or not.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Does anyone on here actually give a hoot whether he is happy or not?


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## EDaddy (Nov 16, 2013)

I'd have to hear it before making a judgement. While Q was my favorite Who album, and their crowning achievement as far as entire albums go, that doesn't mean the music automatically translates into amazing classical music on the level of the classical master composers.

Oh Pete! Your Rock and Roll whining is the very thing that inspired the likes of the movie Spinal Tap. Take a bow!


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

Headphone Hermit said:


> Does anyone on here actually give a hoot whether he is happy or not?




File under Grumpy old rich man who earns a ton by recycling his old goods and is still moaning about his lot.

Now if he had something new to promote that was as good as his pre '71 material,l I'd be all ears.


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## MJongo (Aug 6, 2011)

Genres exist purely as a tool for marketing sound. I will never understand how people get so worked up over such arbitrary labels.


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