TV Review: VH1 Rock Honors: The Who

Earlier tonight, VH1 broadcasted their Rock Honors tribute to the Who, with Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips and others paying tribute to the venerable British rock institution, capped off by a performance from the surviving Who members themselves. The show was taped in Los Angeles earlier this week, and will no be doubt be repeated often in the weeks ahead. Check local listings, but above all, don’t miss it.

It was befitting in a bittersweet sort of way that the broadcast began with video footage of the Who’s legendary 1970 performance at Isle Of Wight. Performing “Magic Bus,” and with Keith Moon and John Entwhistle still very much and alive and kicking, the band’s performance here is vintage Who. It is both primal and unhinged, in that chaotic, wheels are about to come off the wagon way that the Who were so known for in their prime.

Watching this clip, it is clear that this is a place that the Who could never go back home to now, even if it were possible to resurrect Moon and the Ox from the dead. The Who’s own show closing performance here of course confirms this, although to their credit they still give it everything their sixty-something year old bodies can muster.

Still, I have to give Townshend and Daltrey credit. After running, rather furiously at times, from their own legacy during much of the eighties and nineties (especially in Townshend’s case), the Who survivors have in recent years not only shown a new willingness in coming to terms with it, but a new desire to actually retake control of it, and perhaps even expand upon it. And unlike some other giants of their particular era (I’m talking to you Rolling Stones), the Who’s comeback album Endless Wire showed a renewed fire in the belly, creatively speaking.

On the VH1 Rock Honors show, all the participating bands proudly wear their love of the band on their sleeves in some truly inspired performances. Foo Fighters storm right out of the gate with their straight from Live At Leeds take on “Young Man Blues.” Incubus kicks comparable ass on “I Can See For Miles,” wisely playing it fairly straight in as much as that song needs little in the way of any added noise anyway. The Flaming Lips, introduced by a faux Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, bring the house down with the overture from Tommy, ending in true Who fashion by destroying their instruments.

As an old Who fan myself though, nothing here comes close to Pearl Jam’s electrifying performance of “The Real Me” and “Love Reign O’er Me” from the great rock opera Quadrophenia. PJ absolutely shreds these two songs, and Eddie Vedder makes a good case for being probably the only guy on the planet, outside of Roger Daltrey himself, with the voice to do Townshend’s songs justice. Backed by a full compliment of strings, Vedder hits every single impossible scream on “Love Reign O’er Me” note for note. This incredible performance literally brought tears to my eyes.

As for the Who themselves, they are clearly not the band they once were (without Moon and Entwhistle, how would that even be possible?). Roger Daltrey in particular, clearly has problems hitting those high notes from his bare-chested, golden-maned glory years these days. But to his credit, that doesn’t stop him from giving it his all in trying. Right down to every last pained expression seen on his face in doing so, it’s clear that he has absolutely no interest in slowing down or, God forbid, stopping now. The screams may no longer be there, but the passion very clearly still is.

For Townshend’s part, the same guy who not all that long ago seemed content to go out as a bitter old curmudgeon wanting little to do with his own considerable legacy, windmills the ass off of that guitar, and seems every bit as moved and inspired here as Daltrey. The backing band -- which includes Zak “Son of Ringo” Starkey on drums, and Pino Paladino on bass -- fill the rather huge shoes of Moon and Entwhistle quite admirably too.

There are a number of points during the performance of hits like “Behind Blue Eyes” and “Who Are You?” where it is quite clear that both Daltrey and Townshend are also quite moved, and in fact grateful to be alive (given the fates of their fallen comrades Moon and Entwhistle). Both appear ready and eager to close out The Who’s legacy with the fire still in their eyes.

VH1 Rock Honors The Who will almost certainly be repeated into submission by the VH1 networks over the next few weeks. If you love rock and roll, be sure to catch it when it is.


RELATED: flaming lips, incubus, foo fighters, pearl jam, The Who

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