Search - Pete Townshend :: Scooped

Snapshots of Townshend's Creative Process

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 06/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, here's the scoop. This Redline 2-CD set is not a new collection of Townshend demos, but rather a distillation of his previous three "Scoops" releases. So if there's nothing new here, why bother? For me, it was an upgrade to CD of my vinyl copies of 1983's Scoop and 1987's Another Scoop. [All three original "Scoops" CDs are available through Townshend's e-commerce site; otherwise some of them--especially last year's "Scoop 3"--can be difficult to find.] As to the music itself, some of it is amazing and it is never less than engaging. The label "genius" is used much too casually when talking about many rock artists, but it applies to Pete Townshend. What these demos allow the listener to do is to get a glimpse of the fertile mind of one of the rock world's most talented--and prolific--song writers. This is required listening for any serious Townshend/Who fan. And as a bonus, Disc 2 contains a four-and-a-half minute video of "Ask Yourself," a song that Townshend had been working on for the follow-up to The Who's 1982 LP "It's Hard," but was never completed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Excellent, Encompassing Distillation

David M. Dickerson | 05/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased 1983's 'Scoop', 1987's 'Another Scoop', when they were first released on vinyl, and I was amazed at the contrast between Pete Townshend's demo versions of songs later recorded by The Who or by himself on solo recordings. (I replaced both vinyl recordings with compact dics, although they were out of print at the time and I had to order them from Eel Pie in London.) I purchased 2001's 'Scoop 3' directly from Eel Pie, as well. 'Scooped' is a wonderful distallation of the three previous "Scoop" releases, and I recommend the recording, particularly if you have never purchased one of Pete's demo compilations. If you get "hooked" by this recording, you will probably want to own the original "Scoop" collections, but you will not regret the duplication, if you are a devoted fan of Pete Townshend; also, 'Scooped' is more portable than the complete "Scoop" collection. (I have every single release of 'Live at Leeds', without regret, by The Who, and I enjoyed the vinyl release, and subsequent releases on CD -- each one enhanced with more material.)Pete Townshend's solo material covers a wide spectrum, from introspective and spiritual to fiery and defiant. Even different recordings of the very same song are enjoyable and thought-provoking."

It should be five stars, really

David M. Dickerson | 07/09/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a nice little compilation of the best of Pete's 3 Scoop albums, which in themselves were compilations, featuring demos of Who songs, demos of songs for solo albums and just plain old demos for the love of making demos. It's just my opinion, but I think Pete Townshend is one of the true geniuses of rock n' roll. He has an ability to write songs of complete originality using the creative left side of the brain which so few artists ever untap. It matters not that these are home recordings stripped clear of studio gloss and fancy productions. What matters is Pete's songwriting, which is so monumental that it hardly matters if his songs are done on 64-track high-tech studio equipment or if he serenades you around the campfire with an acoustic guitar that's missing two strings. Both Scoop and Another Scoop were plentiful in their offering of Who demos, but some of the best tunes were the ones that never showed up anywhere else. Case in point, "You're So Clever," a song that could easily have been another highlight in an album already chock full of highlights (Chinese Eyes) had it been taken further than the basement. Frank Sinatra may have turned his nose up at "Never Ask Me," but there's no reason to dismiss it on old blue eyes' decision not to cover it. It's a fine Pete Townshend ballad, which could have worked with the Who, but is possibly a little too personal and heart-wrenching to have sat next to "Love is Coming Down" on Who Are You. It shows a more tender side of Pete's songwriting. Easily one of the best songs he's ever written. "Zelda" is an interesting choice here, as it's such an ethereal demo, completely unfinished and is held together by Pete strumming fiercely on violin(s) (I think), and his use of the "f" word is so genuine and clever here that even the PMRC would have to pass on putting an explicit label warning on this CD just for the sake of letting Pete get his point across regarding a young girl who, all too soon, will be coming of age!! "Brooklyn Kids" is a masterpiece with lovely orchestration. It's another one of Pete's songs that takes off in directions that he had not ventured before or since, and therefore finds its home in the hodepodge that is Scoop. The same is true of "Mary" which is the absolute highlight of all three Scoops combined. I'll never know why the Who didn't put this one out. Sure, it lacks the sound of FM radio, but its melody and feel is purely beautiful and could have been the perfect bookend to either side of Who's Next. "Mary" is a five star nugget, and to my knowledge, features Pete playing every instrument himself (as he does on a large percentage of his demos). Scooped features filler, as should be expected of a collection of this magnitude. Surely even the Beatles' magnificant Anthologies have things that are on there just for the purpose of giving the die-hard fans one massive gulp to satisfy their insatiable need for lost rarites, however lacking in the quality of their original and most popular works. "Holly Like Ivy" kind of falls into this category. A wonderful track, but nothing essential. The inaudible vocals on this track still kind of annoy me. The reason I am not ready to give this package a five star rating is because Pete completely overlooked three or four of his best demos. Maybe he is planning to release Another Scooped, maybe he just forgot these songs, but help me out here PT fans, where is "Melancholia" and "Politician?" These are two of the earliest examples of Pete's recording demos that used more than 2 tracks. Maybe since the Who's version of "Melancholia" was finally officially released the decision was to let THAT one be the one to get the most attention. But come one, the home demo of "Melancholia" (Pete's solo version) is absolutely frightening!! He used a thick amount of phasing to achieve a psychedelic effect and really rocked out on drums, possibly even more than Keith Moon did on the Who's version. "Politician" is another gem that just should not have been neglected, I'm sorry. Couldn't they have left off "Substitute?" "Politician" just captures so perfectly what home recording is all about. The chance to achieve a sound or mood that cannot be dublicated, even though, ironically, the home recording studio has tremendous limitations. I'd also like to have seen "Girl in a Suitcase" on Scooped in favor of, say, a weak solo run-through of an early Who song. "Girl in a Suitcase" is full of charmful lyrics and a great melody. "Praying the Game" and "You Came Back" are the last two songs I will mention as should-have-been-worthy-Scooped-contenders. But all in all, if you're looking for a glimpse of a genius hard at work in the intimate process of demo-laying, this is a set to pique your fancy. Pete, much like George Harrison, was not simply going to live a life of fame and riches. He was always searching for something deeper. He wrote more than enough songs on all of the Who's releases and his solo albums to be considered a prolific writer. But part of the process of putting together ten great songs for an album is to actually put together TWENTY great songs and have the luxury of picking and choosing the ultimate album. I imagine the Who never had to complain that there was a shortage of material to work with. I hope there will be a Scoop Vol. IV one day and that Pete will continute to give the fans these prizes of his dynamic and unsurpassable work."