I had just gotten my Drivers License at age 16, think it was 1967 still, and some girl at school dragged me to the Dallas Market Hall to see the Brit pop band, Herman's Hermits. Little did I know that the opening act was The Who, who did Happy Jack, Summertime Blues, some others... and then did My Generation and bashed their instruments to bits on stage! This was Texas, baby. No one had seen anything like it. I certainly hadn't, and my musical life was altered ever after.
They flipped a coin backstage with Hendrix at Monterey to see who would follow who (They were known for "pulling a Who" - or destroying their instruments on the final song). Hendrix had to follow them, so this is why he set his guitar on fire.
Pete didn't do drugs for long but went on to Brandy instead which led to his greatest works and true magic. The guy had the amazing way of getting into your mind and the way you thought. When I hear Bell Boy from Quadrophenia, I'm back in Brighton (England) with friends, sleeping on the beach having ridden down from London, laughing and fooling around without a care. Times were good, girls were beautiful and we owned the World. Thanks Pete, you were the Time Machine of that wonderful era.
The instrument smashing came from Pete's time at Ealing Art College, where he learned about Autodestructive Art. Originally he saw the Who as making a statement, speaking for the voiceless youth of the time, particularly the Mods. The Who became the No.1 Mod band. The stuttering in My Generation was Roger's idea, imitating the results of taking speed - the Mod drug of choice. They lost a huge amount of money by smashing guitars, and Pete would pick up all the bits and glue them back together! They would also 'buy' guitars on credit and not pay. Eventually he stopped breaking them, but because they were cracking America they started again to make a name. Roger didn't take drugs and had many fistfights with the others over it. John took his fair share, Pete was heavily addicted for a long time, but Keith took absolutely anything he could lay his hands on, as well as being an alcoholic. Famously he passed out over his drums during a concert after taking horse tranquillisers. Drugs took John and Keith, but Pete is completely straight now. The Who are my local band - 3 of them went to the same high school as me, though they were older - and I saw them a few years ago at Hyde Park, just the two of them now, but still great!
Really the best band ever. The Beatles were great, but I'd challenge you to find a duff Who track. They still perform tracks from their first album. Pete is a phenomenal songwriter and musician. Though you could say there's a who 'sound', every song is different. If you really want to jump down a rabbit hole, try going through Quadrophenia - every track brilliant, complex and emotional. Live, there was nobody to touch them in their prime. If you want to see My Generation live, watch the one from the Isle of Wight. There's one from Live at Leeds but it's dubbed onto Isle of Wight footage. Also, read Pete's autobiography, Who Am I? Fascinating and painfully honest. Another fun fact, my older brother - who was a film sound recordist with BBC Television - was in the school orchestra with John Entwistle, who played the French Horn. He's got a photo of them, all in school uniform, John with regulation short hair and sticking-out ears!
You will LOVE the Live At Leeds version. The greatest rock band of all time. I'm loving your reactions. You have to check out them playing "A Quick One While He's Away" from the Stones Rock and Roll Circus in December 1968.
Seriously? You do understand that that is only your opinion! Because it sure as fuch ain’t a fact!! It really bugs me when people state opinions as if they are facts!!
@kevinmcconnell3641 I'm so sorry that I've upset your delicate sensibilities. Okay, just for you, IN MY OPINION...The Who are the greatest F**KING rock band of all time!
@@davescurry69 that’s fair, I’m sorry you have no respect for the rest of us. Me, I’ve got a favorite for many genres, but to say any are the best, is only my opinion. Other than the guitarist voted the best five years running by the readers of Guitar World magazine 1976-1980, that would be Steve Howe of YES. In 1981 GW opened their HOF, with Howe as the first inductee, which disqualified him from the “best poll”. You probably won’t, but give the song “Sound Chaser” a listen, FYI, it’s kinda hard to follow with all that’s going on at one time;);)
@kevinmcconnell3641 no need to be sorry. I respect everyone until they give me a reason not too. By the way, I did say in my opinion because that's what it is. I also don't go much for polls, or popularity dictating which is better. And why would you think there's too much going on for me to want to listen to something. You have absolutely no idea what I listen to, apart from The Who.
@@davescurry69 that’s true about the listening. I’m about the only big fan of YES I know. Most people think yes is to busy, to much going on all at the same time. My tastes are truly very eclectic. I used to have a 10disc changer in my van. Permanent members were; Hendrix Sinatra Elton Amy Grant, I’m into her God music. Clapton YES The other four I rotated through the rest of my CD’s.
Believe me, they’re very high, especially Keith. I saw them many times before and after 1970 and was at their very first show and they opened up for Smokey Robinson. Cream was also on bill and both bands played longer sets because Smoky was sick and didn’t perform. 🕊❤️🎼
I appreciate your love for The Who. It's interesting to see the evolution of this song thru the years as they evolved themselves. They do a lot of improv during many of their songs with Pete leading the way. The Live at Leeds version, to me is their finest, catching them on a night when they were at their best, especially Pete. Live at Hull was recorded close to the same time, and though a similar rendition, has a lot of differences, showing to me that they probably couldn't play it the same twice if they tried.
Daltrey wrote that the Hull concert was better than Leeds. But the bass didn’t record on the first bit so they actually dubbed the parts in from Leeds.
Great reaction. To complete the set you really should review them playing My Generation on the Smother Brothers TV show, another explosive live performance
Awesome--I saw them at Tangelewood four days before Woodstock and this footage matches my memories exactly. That slow riff in the middle of the Woodstock later became the coda to "Naked Eye," another brutally honest Who song.
This was such a fun reaction. I've seen both of those clips before but it's been awhile. It almost gives me goosebumps so many things that will influence other bands and performance styles in the future.
Just to pile on L33, the best, funniest version of "My Generation" is from their appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 60's. It starts with Tommy Smothers doing a sort of interview with each band member, and ends with Keith Moon blowing up his drum kit, and deafening Pete Townshend in the bargain. It is at the beginning of The WHO's movie "The Kids Are Alright", so I'm not sure if that is good or bad about it getting blocked. Wrecking their gear was a happening at all their early shows.
"My Generation" was really the 1st "Punk Song", so far ahead of its time. Hard to understand in 2024 how radical "Generation" was back in 1964-65. Compare the brutal "I Hope I Die Before I Get Old", to the tame "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles! Shocking on 1965 BBC Radio. Roger's stuttered lines conveyed a young generation, "damaged" and "unformed", yet projecting strength and aggression through their stutter. And the line "Why Don't You All Ffff-ade Away", implied to English kids "Why Don't You All F@&k Off!" The whole "My Generation" Album is little-known in USA, but awesome, (including CD extras).
Let's not begin our Comments with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper. @@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
Let's not begin our Comments with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper.@@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
Let's not begin our Comments with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper.@@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper. And let's try to respect each other, better to not begin a Comment with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. @@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
They were cranky at the Woodstock performance. Substandard stage equipment, they had to wait a long time to play. Plus Daltrey and Townshend were tripping because someone spiked their drinks backstage. They weren't happy.
I could see they weren't happy in the slightest. That destruction at the end felt so different than the Monterey ending... it felt like actual DISRESPECT 🤣🤣🤣
Notice at Monterey that the stage crew were trying to rescue the stage's microphones and stands, belonging to the venue. Pete and Daltrey responded aggressively, and several crew almost got hit by Pete's guitar! The Who's gear destruction came out of the band's natural aggression. From the start, Moon's aggressive playing broke his skins and bass drum pedals. Sometimes the intentional destruction of gear would be instigated by an audience that seemed too reserved. The destruction became a part of their act, and was also a way for the Who to avoid playing oncores.
It’s good to save the Live at Leeds version last. It goes into a medley and has a lot of dirty crunchy guitar. Pete gets massive feedback at the very end by shaking the guitar over his head all in key. Keep in mind no video on this one. They didn’t film Live at Leeds unfortunately. Side note. Leeds is a university and there is a broken window that never got fixed. Keith Moon tossed a drum stick through it 😎
Great reaction! You’ll enjoy the Live at Leeds version of My Generation. Same thing couple minutes of the song then goes right into glorious R&B heavy metal chaos. At some points you’ll wonder if Townshend and Tony Naomi were channeling the same riffs!
Monterey Festival was filmed by ABC television., and I believe the microphones and some of the equipment belong to them. That is who was rushing to the stage to save their equipment.
To really understand why this is sooo cool you have to know what was out there musically at this time and 5 years before. Such a big change !!!! Great job dude !!!!!
Based on the music you seem to like you need to check out the MC5. There's a great 3 song video of them live at Tarter Field in Michigan from around 1970. I think you'll really like it.
The lighting in back is called "Plasma Lights" and is produced with an overhead projector projecting the image of a bowl of water with colored oils in it and someone used another clear glass bowl on the surface of the water to smoosh the colored oils around.
The light show stuff behind them was usually created by putting some oil between two pieces of plastic and shining colored light through it, and moving the sheets around. Low tech but the result was quite interesting. Check out some isolated bass tracks from the Who. You seldom really get a good feeling for what Entwhistle was really doing live, made worse by the fact that no camera man seemed to realize he was there. It's kind of scary sometimes. He had incredible technique, and of course being in a three piece left plenty of space for an active bass.
The ending they played at Woodstock after My Generation was actually the song Naked Eye - at least the instrumental part. Those three chords are the meaning of life itself! I think I have the only live version of Naked Eye live at Isle of Wight, 1970 on UA-cam if you want to experience it.
No band was better live. They played as hard as any band possibly could..........and then they played harder. The Who, in their prime, rearranged your DNA.
Must see the song:"My generation"from the tv show of Smothers Brothers comedy hour of 1967.Have fun.Always the Who destroyed the quitar and the drums in live performances.
I saw the still-their-mod-phase Who in '67 where Townshend demolished a Telecaster and tossed the headstock into the audience and knocked over dummy amps with smoke bombs in them, Moon kicked over his drums, and when everyone else had left the stage Entwhistle calmly took off his Fender Jazz bass, dropped it butt end on the stage and walked off...
Ever notice that the line “Hope I die before I get old” is the only line delivered without a stutter? Very intentional emphasis. Always thought that was very cool.
being aged 78 doesn't mean i used to play78 rpm records but it does mean i saw this band at their peak, which must make younger fans of the who very envious!! ps! miley cyrus did a bit of a pete townshend at the grammys when she threw the mike & stand onto the floor at the end of singing 'flowers'!!!
The big spider on the back of John Entwistle is in reference to his song at the time called "Boris The Spider", which he wrote and sings. Very cool and funny.
My Generation at Leeds is a good one, but’s it’s essentially same as Woodstock plus them reprising some of Tommy. From Leeds I’d recommend Young Man Blues or Summertime Blues feeding into Shakin all over. (If you do Young Man Blues you can do the one at Isle of Wight 1970 because there’s a great video)
Listen to My Generation from "Live at Leeds" 2-14-70 (Deluxe Version) As a matter of fact "Live at Leeds" is the The Who at the height of their powers.
I've never even seen Keith with a high hat in his set, he always played two bass drums and played them like crazy so had no feet left over to play anything else.
When you get to Live at Leeds (not a live video as there is none that has the full performance) this is after Tommy, so you will get an entirely different feel for the song.
The Who performing My generation on the Smothers Brothers show is also a must see as they are interviewed before playing-then of course smash their instruments and blow up the drum kit much to the dismay of Tommy Smothers.
"My Generation" and The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" were the two seminal British proto-punk anthems. The destructo-theatrics were a gimmick that the Who took a long time to grow out of. By the time of Woodstock they'd mostly left it behind (it was costing them a fortune!) The other version of "My Generation" you need to check out is the 1967 Smothers Brothers show appearance from 'The Kids Are Alright'. BTW, Scorsese was 'The Last Waltz', not 'Woodstock'.
If memory serves they were angry at Monterey as they didn’t have their Marshall amps and had to use Vox. The early Marshall stacks had eight 12" speakers in each (there’s a photo of the Who with these somewhere), but Townshend said their roadies looked at those and said “we’re not moving those!” so later versions were the canonical 4x12.
You mentioned the time differences of My Generation played live they often played it at the end of sets and played as long as they felt like it. At the Fillmore East in April 1968 they played a 32 minute version. At Monterey they may have looked like hippies but they weren`t really into the love and peace vibe plus they weren`t using their own equipment but using the inferior gear all the groups were using. They thought what the hippes needed was a bit of violence in their lives..ha ha. As for Woodstock they waited 14 hours to go on and wasn`t to pleased to find themselves on unwanted trips after their drinks had been spiked. They were shattered and coming down when they trudged onto the stage around 4am and they hated it.
It would be cool if you keep the My Generation live theme going after Leeds next week, and do The Who@Pontiac Stadium/Michigan December 1975: My Generation Medley. It’s the full 15 minute clip which was partially shown in ‘The Kids Are Alright movie. It’s intense and heavy too and they show John a lot more🤘🏻Townshends guitar tone is monstrous! I need to sign up and start donating, I’m loving your channel.
Hi Ben, Yes, that 1975 Show had great footage. And "The Kids Are Alright" film was awesome! Back in 1979 we didn't have UA-cam. That was the first time we saw Who footage that was not in the "Monterey" or "Woodstock" Films.
Agreed! The Kids Are Alright movie was awesome! My buddy and I would go see it all the time when it was still playing in theaters. That and The Song Remains The Same. I think that was around 1981-82. That’s why I’m enjoying Lee’s first time reactions so much. The Who still blow my mind but I’ll never forgot that first time seeing them larger than life in a theater. I had to respond, the You Tube comment threw me off, but I guess you just figured I was a junior😂
Hi Ben, sorry to throw you,,, I actually thought you sounded like you were there at the time, like me. I wrote my "UA-cam" line for the younger "junior" audience on L33, who may not realize how hard it was back then to "see" a band. Unless you were lucky to get concert tickets, you mostly knew a band from looking at the picture on their album cover! So it was vital to go to the movie theater and see Monterey, Woodstock, Song Remains the Same, and others, often concert films would play as "midnight movies".@@NeonPalm90210
Funny seeing Roger Daltrey still with the Mod cut! So the only time Jimi Hendrix smashed a guitar was performing after The Who whom didn’t want to play after Jimi. So he said I’m pulling all the stunts and proceeded to light his guitar on fire while making love to it and then smashing it to bits. 😅
One of the most influencial bands of the 60's and 70's, you should look into the Movies "Quadraphenia" and "Tommy" featuring them and their music, the sound of my generation, thanks.
no not yet. we will be doing that one next week! I couldn't fit all three in one video without risk of it getting blocked so I did these two first. That was how the requests were separated anyway so it works out!
I wish the camera guy would focus a little on the bass player, or at least his fingers. Townsend smashing his guitar at the end of a concert was a standard part of his act
I hope they were paid extra for doing that demolition stuff. I read that their promoters would have to pay extra for them to do that. You still haven't seen "My Generation" from the Smothers Brothers Comedy show which was included on The Who's movie "The Kids Are Alright". You need to see it!
Ned sayin hey there Lee ! There's also the Tanglewood show which is amazing and sounds incredible ! Part of the reason they were totally raging at the end of the Monterey show was while other bands had strong, loud amps The Who got stuck with Vox Super Beetle Amps that were no competition for Hendrix's topped out Marshalls. The sound at Woodstock is also atrocious.
When you (hopefully soon) listen to Quadrophenia (in order from Side 1 to Side 4) you will get a good perspective on the band’s teenage years, growing up a generation lost after WW II in an impoverished England that was losing its empire. The youth of the time, Mods vs. Rockers for the most part and pre-Beatles, were searching for meaning. A lot of anger and confusion. A “Lost Generation” not unlike the generation of the 1920’s after WW I and they lit the way for the punk rockers of the late 1970’s.
Yes, Lee, everyone deserves to see Woodstock. Which is why UA-cam sells it for $9.99, perhaps having some effect on you giving it away for free. Maybe.
The earlier ‘My Generation’ from Monterey was their set closer. That was ALL rented equipment that ended up getting destroyed on stage (which is why they didn’t sound as ‘powerful’. The rented equipment wasn’t up to the ‘earth shattering’ standards of The Who’s normal stage gear.) The Who’s management at the time thought they’d “save money” by renting equipment rather than transport The Who’s gear all the way to the U.S. from England. Nice idea but the band wound up paying for all the rented gear that got destroyed so they wound up losing money in the end. Those people rushing to clear the stage at the end are all of the horrified local production stage crew and stage managers. They (nor anyone else in attendance for that matter) had never seen a stage set get so thoroughly destroyed. It was typical of ‘The Who’ back then…, but back then not many in the U.S. had ever heard of The Who and definitely never ‘seen’ them. So the destructive ‘end’ took the stage crew by surprise. So they ran out there not knowing what to do…, was it a riot? what the hell was going on? All they knew was they had to try and save all the equipment (mike’s, monitor’s, cable’s, P.A. system…etc;) because another band was scheduled to use that same stage in maybe 1/2 hour. That’s why you see em all running out there in a freak out trying to drag the band offstage, close the curtains, protecting the equipment….., standing the mics back up…, all that. It was unexpected total chaos.
There werent be punk without the who. Need to check out smothers brothers performance. That's the performance that killed Pete's hearing thanks to Keith. No John did antics with Keith offstage.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I had just gotten my Drivers License at age 16, think it was 1967 still, and some girl at school dragged me to the Dallas Market Hall to see the Brit pop band, Herman's Hermits. Little did I know that the opening act was The Who, who did Happy Jack, Summertime Blues, some others... and then did My Generation and bashed their instruments to bits on stage!
This was Texas, baby. No one had seen anything like it. I certainly hadn't, and my musical life was altered ever after.
Damn I'm 60 years old but I really wish I could have seen that. That would have been amazing. Including the Herman's Hermit part of it. Wow.
Because of delays, The WHO played in the wee morning hours. That is the first light of daybreak in the background you see
The wee hours of the morning New York time. Britain, where they hail from, is a few hours ahead of NY.
They flipped a coin backstage with Hendrix at Monterey to see who would follow who (They were known for "pulling a Who" - or destroying their instruments on the final song). Hendrix had to follow them, so this is why he set his guitar on fire.
Actually The Grateful Dead went on between them. Their performance their was forgotten being sandwiched between those behemoths.
Pete didn't do drugs for long but went on to Brandy instead which led to his greatest works and true magic. The guy had the amazing way of getting into your mind and the way you thought. When I hear Bell Boy from Quadrophenia, I'm back in Brighton (England) with friends, sleeping on the beach having ridden down from London, laughing and fooling around without a care. Times were good, girls were beautiful and we owned the World. Thanks Pete, you were the Time Machine of that wonderful era.
Love Bellboy - Keith Moon siings that one I am pretty sure!
@@johnnyparis10 Yes, that's Keith on the Album singing the part of the bell boy 👍
The instrument smashing came from Pete's time at Ealing Art College, where he learned about Autodestructive Art. Originally he saw the Who as making a statement, speaking for the voiceless youth of the time, particularly the Mods. The Who became the No.1 Mod band. The stuttering in My Generation was Roger's idea, imitating the results of taking speed - the Mod drug of choice. They lost a huge amount of money by smashing guitars, and Pete would pick up all the bits and glue them back together! They would also 'buy' guitars on credit and not pay. Eventually he stopped breaking them, but because they were cracking America they started again to make a name. Roger didn't take drugs and had many fistfights with the others over it. John took his fair share, Pete was heavily addicted for a long time, but Keith took absolutely anything he could lay his hands on, as well as being an alcoholic. Famously he passed out over his drums during a concert after taking horse tranquillisers. Drugs took John and Keith, but Pete is completely straight now. The Who are my local band - 3 of them went to the same high school as me, though they were older - and I saw them a few years ago at Hyde Park, just the two of them now, but still great!
Thank you for clearing all the up my friend. I appreciate it! Facisnating chaps. I am glad to have discovered them. They are fucking awesome lol
Really the best band ever. The Beatles were great, but I'd challenge you to find a duff Who track. They still perform tracks from their first album. Pete is a phenomenal songwriter and musician. Though you could say there's a who 'sound', every song is different. If you really want to jump down a rabbit hole, try going through Quadrophenia - every track brilliant, complex and emotional. Live, there was nobody to touch them in their prime. If you want to see My Generation live, watch the one from the Isle of Wight. There's one from Live at Leeds but it's dubbed onto Isle of Wight footage. Also, read Pete's autobiography, Who Am I? Fascinating and painfully honest. Another fun fact, my older brother - who was a film sound recordist with BBC Television - was in the school orchestra with John Entwistle, who played the French Horn. He's got a photo of them, all in school uniform, John with regulation short hair and sticking-out ears!
The original punk band, 15 years ahead of the punk wave.
Those are two of the best performances I've ever seen.
Definitely punk as hell... these guys are insane live. What a performance lol
Like Robin Williams once said "If you remember the 60's then you weren't there".
"Frenetic" is absolutely a word, and a very apt word when speaking of Moonie's style. Bravo, sir!
Your facial expression at the finale at Woodstock was by far the BEST REACTION!
You will LOVE the Live At Leeds version. The greatest rock band of all time. I'm loving your reactions.
You have to check out them playing "A Quick One While He's Away" from the Stones Rock and Roll Circus in December 1968.
Seriously? You do understand that that is only your opinion!
Because it sure as fuch ain’t a fact!!
It really bugs me when people state opinions as if they are facts!!
@kevinmcconnell3641 I'm so sorry that I've upset your delicate sensibilities. Okay, just for you, IN MY OPINION...The Who are the greatest F**KING rock band of all time!
@@davescurry69 that’s fair, I’m sorry you have no respect for the rest of us.
Me, I’ve got a favorite for many genres, but to say any are the best, is only my opinion.
Other than the guitarist voted the best five years running by the readers of Guitar World magazine 1976-1980, that would be Steve Howe of YES.
In 1981 GW opened their HOF, with Howe as the first inductee, which disqualified him from the “best poll”.
You probably won’t, but give the song “Sound Chaser” a listen, FYI, it’s kinda hard to follow with all that’s going on at one time;);)
@kevinmcconnell3641 no need to be sorry. I respect everyone until they give me a reason not too. By the way, I did say in my opinion because that's what it is. I also don't go much for polls, or popularity dictating which is better. And why would you think there's too much going on for me to want to listen to something. You have absolutely no idea what I listen to, apart from The Who.
@@davescurry69 that’s true about the listening.
I’m about the only big fan of YES I know.
Most people think yes is to busy, to much going on all at the same time.
My tastes are truly very eclectic.
I used to have a 10disc changer in my van. Permanent members were;
Hendrix
Sinatra
Elton
Amy Grant, I’m into her God music.
Clapton
YES
The other four I rotated through the rest of my CD’s.
Believe me, they’re very high, especially Keith. I saw them many times before and after 1970 and was at their very first show and they opened up for Smokey Robinson. Cream was also on bill and both bands played longer sets because Smoky was sick and didn’t perform. 🕊❤️🎼
The "Live at Leeds" recordings are of high quality. That album is often considered the best live album ever.
I appreciate your love for The Who. It's interesting to see the evolution of this song thru the years as they evolved themselves. They do a lot of improv during many of their songs with Pete leading the way. The Live at Leeds version, to me is their finest, catching them on a night when they were at their best, especially Pete. Live at Hull was recorded close to the same time, and though a similar rendition, has a lot of differences, showing to me that they probably couldn't play it the same twice if they tried.
Daltrey wrote that the Hull concert was better than Leeds. But the bass didn’t record on the first bit so they actually dubbed the parts in from Leeds.
A lot of guys started playing bass because of this song. Entwhistle was one of the best.
Great reaction. To complete the set you really should review them playing My Generation on the Smother Brothers TV show, another explosive live performance
A lot of folks were mentioning that as well in the chat. I'll have to check that one out as well.
This song basically introduced the Who to the world. What a song to begin a legacy.
I loved it when Pete threw his guitar into the crowd. I still have it and some years later I had the opportunity to have him sign it!
Dominated the music scene for those first eight or nine years! So many incredible songs!
Awesome--I saw them at Tangelewood four days before Woodstock and this footage matches my memories exactly. That slow riff in the middle of the Woodstock later became the coda to "Naked Eye," another brutally honest Who song.
This was such a fun reaction. I've seen both of those clips before but it's been awhile. It almost gives me goosebumps so many things that will influence other bands and performance styles in the future.
This was their first hit in the U.S. in 1965 and introduced them to us with a bang. You are seeing them here 4-5 years later.
Just to pile on L33, the best, funniest version of "My Generation" is from their appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 60's. It starts with Tommy Smothers doing a sort of interview with each band member, and ends with Keith Moon blowing up his drum kit, and deafening Pete Townshend in the bargain. It is at the beginning of The WHO's movie "The Kids Are Alright", so I'm not sure if that is good or bad about it getting blocked. Wrecking their gear was a happening at all their early shows.
Ok, mid-60's.
@@bobschenkel7921 You were right the first time -- late 60s. Sept. 15, 1967 to be exact.
My Generation on the Smothers Brothers show live - insane auto destruct sequence...Live @ Leeds version is one of my favorite versions.....
The Smothers Brothers video is the one to watch with Tommy Smothers cutting up with the band members. The force of the explosion was not expected.
That middle section you liked eventually evolved into a song called "Naked Eye."
Naked Eye is good song
It sounded a bit like the chord progression of “A Little Help From My Friends"
@@johnnyparis10 Odd, I also thought it sounded like the Beatles, but the latter part of "Dig A Pony."
"My Generation" was really the 1st "Punk Song", so far ahead of its time. Hard to understand in 2024 how radical "Generation" was back in 1964-65. Compare the brutal "I Hope I Die Before I Get Old", to the tame "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles! Shocking on 1965 BBC Radio. Roger's stuttered lines conveyed a young generation, "damaged" and "unformed", yet projecting strength and aggression through their stutter. And the line "Why Don't You All Ffff-ade Away", implied to English kids "Why Don't You All F@&k Off!" The whole "My Generation" Album is little-known in USA, but awesome, (including CD extras).
wrong. alex harvey did this before.
Let's not begin our Comments with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper. @@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
Let's not begin our Comments with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper.@@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
Let's not begin our Comments with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper.@@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
Alex Harvey was "theatrical-rock" in the 1970s.The Who started in 1964, so well before Alex Harvey. The Who did have a violent "theatrical" show, but they were not "playing characters". I would compare Alex to David Bowie and Alice Cooper. And let's try to respect each other, better to not begin a Comment with "Wrong".... even if you don't agree. @@imposantermrbubblebutt8197
What a difference a couple of years makes in their style (appearance and musically) between Monterey ‘67 and Woodstock ‘69
They were cranky at the Woodstock performance. Substandard stage equipment, they had to wait a long time to play. Plus Daltrey and Townshend were tripping because someone spiked their drinks backstage. They weren't happy.
I could see they weren't happy in the slightest. That destruction at the end felt so different than the Monterey ending... it felt like actual DISRESPECT 🤣🤣🤣
Purchased Live at Monterey, from Good to go Records, multi coloured Vinyl, beautiful album!
Notice at Monterey that the stage crew were trying to rescue the stage's microphones and stands, belonging to the venue. Pete and Daltrey responded aggressively, and several crew almost got hit by Pete's guitar! The Who's gear destruction came out of the band's natural aggression. From the start, Moon's aggressive playing broke his skins and bass drum pedals. Sometimes the intentional destruction of gear would be instigated by an audience that seemed too reserved. The destruction became a part of their act, and was also a way for the Who to avoid playing oncores.
The break in the Woodstock version segues into the riff that would become the song The Naked Eye.
Greatest Rock Band Ever
It’s good to save the Live at Leeds version last. It goes into a medley and has a lot of dirty crunchy guitar. Pete gets massive feedback at the very end by shaking the guitar over his head all in key. Keep in mind no video on this one. They didn’t film Live at Leeds unfortunately. Side note. Leeds is a university and there is a broken window that never got fixed. Keith Moon tossed a drum stick through it 😎
During “normal” times the room at Leeds is a dining hall for the students.
Great reaction! You’ll enjoy the Live at Leeds version of My Generation. Same thing couple minutes of the song then goes right into glorious R&B heavy metal chaos. At some points you’ll wonder if Townshend and Tony Naomi were channeling the same riffs!
Monterey Festival was filmed by ABC television., and I believe the microphones and some of the equipment belong to them. That is who was rushing to the stage to save their equipment.
To really understand why this is sooo cool you have to know what was out there musically at this time and 5 years before. Such a big change !!!! Great job dude !!!!!
Based on the music you seem to like you need to check out the MC5. There's a great 3 song video of them live at Tarter Field in Michigan from around 1970. I think you'll really like it.
Kick out the jams mother f.....
There's also a really kickass set from German TV floating around on youtube. '72, i think.
One of the best band,who started the hard music🤘
The lighting in back is called "Plasma Lights" and is produced with an overhead projector projecting the image of a bowl of water with colored oils in it and someone used another clear glass bowl on the surface of the water to smoosh the colored oils around.
"Frenetic" was absolutely apropos. ~_^
That’s how they finished all their performances in the early days. Brilliant.
I recommend John Hiatt "Perfectly Good Guitar" for a different perspective.
Hahaha that was bloody brilliant
The light show stuff behind them was usually created by putting some oil between two pieces of plastic and shining colored light through it, and moving the sheets around. Low tech but the result was quite interesting.
Check out some isolated bass tracks from the Who. You seldom really get a good feeling for what Entwhistle was really doing live, made worse by the fact that no camera man seemed to realize he was there. It's kind of scary sometimes. He had incredible technique, and of course being in a three piece left plenty of space for an active bass.
As a drummer, you must really enjoy watching Keith Moon wail away. We loved watching him too.
Live at Leeds. I had the eight track. Listened in my car back then.
The ending they played at Woodstock after My Generation was actually the song Naked Eye - at least the instrumental part. Those three chords are the meaning of life itself! I think I have the only live version of Naked Eye live at Isle of Wight, 1970 on UA-cam if you want to experience it.
No band was better live. They played as hard as any band possibly could..........and then they played harder. The Who, in their prime, rearranged your DNA.
You will still love the Live At Leeds version. Quality and duration and performance.
Don’t forget Live at Hull, drums and bass way more pronounced!
Must see the song:"My generation"from the tv show of Smothers Brothers comedy hour of 1967.Have fun.Always the Who destroyed the quitar and the drums in live performances.
Essential viewing as well!
I bet if you caught that flying SG-Gibson,you would be a rich man today! Roger is for Real the street fighter,known for that!
I love how the sun hits Roger as they are finishing.
I saw the still-their-mod-phase Who in '67 where Townshend demolished a Telecaster and tossed the headstock into the audience and knocked over dummy amps with smoke bombs in them, Moon kicked over his drums, and when everyone else had left the stage Entwhistle calmly took off his Fender Jazz bass, dropped it butt end on the stage and walked off...
Secret album the Who odds and sods. So pretty!
Ever notice that the line “Hope I die before I get old” is the only line delivered without a stutter? Very intentional emphasis. Always thought that was very cool.
being aged 78 doesn't mean i used to play78 rpm records but it does mean i saw this band at their peak, which must make younger fans of the who very envious!! ps! miley cyrus did a bit of a pete townshend at the grammys when she threw the mike & stand onto the floor at the end of singing 'flowers'!!!
The big spider on the back of John Entwistle is in reference to his song at the time called "Boris The Spider", which he wrote and sings. Very cool and funny.
The 60’s was a crazy time, IT WAS GREAT MAN‼️✌️🔥💥🌼🌼🌼💙
My Generation at Leeds is a good one, but’s it’s essentially same as Woodstock plus them reprising some of Tommy. From Leeds I’d recommend Young Man Blues or Summertime Blues feeding into Shakin all over. (If you do Young Man Blues you can do the one at Isle of Wight 1970 because there’s a great video)
Those psychedelic images behind the Monterey stage was the “Joshua Light Show”, used in many shows of the time.
I think this is my generation music ( born i the 50,s) we who grow up in the 60,s and early 70,s ,even it plays of the 40,s generation.
Listen to My Generation from "Live at Leeds" 2-14-70 (Deluxe Version) As a matter of fact "Live at Leeds" is the The Who at the height of their powers.
The Who always smashed their equipment at the end of the show.
Plot Spoiler: John was a crazy man, too. Just… “differently.”
“I ain’t quiet - everyone else is too loud.”
If you want to get into Roger’s head read his autobiography, “Thanks a Lot Mr Kibblewhite.”
Note Pete is playing a Strat and then at Woodstock he's playing a Gibson 335.
That was my generation, I remember the single coming out, I was at school lol.
I've never even seen Keith with a high hat in his set, he always played two bass drums and played them like crazy so had no feet left over to play anything else.
When you get to Live at Leeds (not a live video as there is none that has the full performance) this is after Tommy, so you will get an entirely different feel for the song.
The Who performing My generation on the Smothers Brothers show is also a must see as they are interviewed before playing-then of course smash their instruments and blow up the drum kit much to the dismay of Tommy Smothers.
IMO other than the Beatles, The Who is the greatest band of the Classic Rock Era.
one of the first punk songs
"My Generation" and The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" were the two seminal British proto-punk anthems. The destructo-theatrics were a gimmick that the Who took a long time to grow out of. By the time of Woodstock they'd mostly left it behind (it was costing them a fortune!) The other version of "My Generation" you need to check out is the 1967 Smothers Brothers show appearance from 'The Kids Are Alright'. BTW, Scorsese was 'The Last Waltz', not 'Woodstock'.
I assumed Lee just meant the Woodstock director was "doing a Scorsese".
If memory serves they were angry at Monterey as they didn’t have their Marshall amps and had to use Vox.
The early Marshall stacks had eight 12" speakers in each (there’s a photo of the Who with these somewhere), but Townshend said their roadies looked at those and said “we’re not moving those!” so later versions were the canonical 4x12.
Keith needs his own camera man 😂❤🔥
After they froze, they went into My Generation Blues
My Generation was first on their album Who Sell Out.
You mentioned the time differences of My Generation played live they often played it at the end of sets and played as long as they felt like it. At the Fillmore East in April 1968 they played a 32 minute version. At Monterey they may have looked like hippies but they weren`t really into the love and peace vibe plus they weren`t using their own equipment but using the inferior gear all the groups were using. They thought what the hippes needed was a bit of violence in their lives..ha ha.
As for Woodstock they waited 14 hours to go on and wasn`t to pleased to find themselves on unwanted trips after their drinks had been spiked. They were shattered and coming down when they trudged onto the stage around 4am and they hated it.
It would be cool if you keep the My Generation live theme going after Leeds next week, and do The Who@Pontiac Stadium/Michigan December 1975: My Generation Medley. It’s the full 15 minute clip which was partially shown in ‘The Kids Are Alright movie. It’s intense and heavy too and they show John a lot more🤘🏻Townshends guitar tone is monstrous! I need to sign up and start donating, I’m loving your channel.
Hi Ben,
Yes, that 1975 Show had great footage. And "The Kids Are Alright" film was awesome! Back in 1979 we didn't have UA-cam. That was the first time we saw Who footage that was not in the "Monterey" or "Woodstock" Films.
Agreed! The Kids Are Alright movie was awesome! My buddy and I would go see it all the time when it was still playing in theaters. That and The Song Remains The Same. I think that was around 1981-82. That’s why I’m enjoying Lee’s first time reactions so much. The Who still blow my mind but I’ll never forgot that first time seeing them larger than life in a theater. I had to respond, the You Tube comment threw me off, but I guess you just figured I was a junior😂
Hi Ben, sorry to throw you,,, I actually thought you sounded like you were there at the time, like me. I wrote my "UA-cam" line for the younger "junior" audience on L33, who may not realize how hard it was back then to "see" a band. Unless you were lucky to get concert tickets, you mostly knew a band from looking at the picture on their album cover! So it was vital to go to the movie theater and see Monterey, Woodstock, Song Remains the Same, and others, often concert films would play as "midnight movies".@@NeonPalm90210
Yes…epic version no doubt. Massive sound
Funny seeing Roger Daltrey still with the Mod cut!
So the only time Jimi Hendrix smashed a guitar was performing after The Who whom didn’t want to play after Jimi. So he said I’m pulling all the stunts and proceeded to light his guitar on fire while making love to it and then smashing it to bits. 😅
Just another day at the office for THE WHO
Frenetic is a word! 😉❤
roger daltrey was 80 a few weeks ago
The 1968 Fillmore East version is 33 minutes.
That's a bit much but who knows... maybe a month or two down the road lol
@@L33Reacts not recommending necessarily 😃
One of the most influencial bands of the 60's and 70's, you should look into the Movies "Quadraphenia" and "Tommy" featuring them and their music, the sound of my generation, thanks.
Summer time blue at woodstock
My Generation features in the film Quadrophenia.
Hello L33, I believe you now listened to Live at Leeds On Vinyl ? …
The perfect Who Live …Period! Along with Tanglewood!!
no not yet. we will be doing that one next week! I couldn't fit all three in one video without risk of it getting blocked so I did these two first. That was how the requests were separated anyway so it works out!
I wish the camera guy would focus a little on the bass player, or at least his fingers. Townsend smashing his guitar at the end of a concert was a standard part of his act
live at leeds is the best who LP ever
I hope they were paid extra for doing that demolition stuff. I read that their promoters would have to pay extra for them to do that. You still haven't seen "My Generation" from the Smothers Brothers Comedy show which was included on The Who's movie "The Kids Are Alright". You need to see it!
Ned sayin hey there Lee ! There's also the Tanglewood show which is amazing and sounds incredible ! Part of the reason they were totally raging at the end of the Monterey show was while other bands had strong, loud amps The Who got stuck with Vox Super Beetle Amps that were no competition for Hendrix's topped out Marshalls. The sound at Woodstock is also atrocious.
Pete hated the Woodstock gig. He said it was the worst f***ing gig they ever played.
Put My Generation live on the Smothers Brothers Show and see where Pete developed his hearing loss.l
They don't call John Entwhistle "Thunderfingers" for nothing.
amazing that both videos don't show John during the bass solos!
They didn’t realize he was doing the solo, seemed to think it was Pete. So annoying! 🤦🏻♀️
When you (hopefully soon) listen to Quadrophenia (in order from Side 1 to Side 4) you will get a good perspective on the band’s teenage years, growing up a generation lost after WW II in an impoverished England that was losing its empire. The youth of the time, Mods vs. Rockers for the most part and pre-Beatles, were searching for meaning. A lot of anger and confusion. A “Lost Generation” not unlike the generation of the 1920’s after WW I and they lit the way for the punk rockers of the late 1970’s.
The Who were tripping balls during their WOODCOCK set
Yes, Lee, everyone deserves to see Woodstock. Which is why UA-cam sells it for $9.99, perhaps having some effect on you giving it away for free. Maybe.
Love Pete's SG
The earlier ‘My Generation’ from Monterey was their set closer. That was ALL rented equipment that ended up getting destroyed on stage (which is why they didn’t sound as ‘powerful’. The rented equipment wasn’t up to the ‘earth shattering’ standards of The Who’s normal stage gear.) The Who’s management at the time thought they’d “save money” by renting equipment rather than transport The Who’s gear all the way to the U.S. from England. Nice idea but the band wound up paying for all the rented gear that got destroyed so they wound up losing money in the end. Those people rushing to clear the stage at the end are all of the horrified local production stage crew and stage managers. They (nor anyone else in attendance for that matter) had never seen a stage set get so thoroughly destroyed. It was typical of ‘The Who’ back then…, but back then not many in the U.S. had ever heard of The Who and definitely never ‘seen’ them. So the destructive ‘end’ took the stage crew by surprise. So they ran out there not knowing what to do…, was it a riot? what the hell was going on? All they knew was they had to try and save all the equipment (mike’s, monitor’s, cable’s, P.A. system…etc;) because another band was scheduled to use that same stage in maybe 1/2 hour. That’s why you see em all running out there in a freak out trying to drag the band offstage, close the curtains, protecting the equipment….., standing the mics back up…, all that. It was unexpected total chaos.
❤❤❤
There werent be punk without the who. Need to check out smothers brothers performance. That's the performance that killed Pete's hearing thanks to Keith. No John did antics with Keith offstage.