Who are you...?

I saw the Who during the Super Bowl half time show - spectacular pyrotechnics and a decent retro look at some of their greatest hits - but it still looked and felt sad to me. Don't get me wrong: I admire old rockers who can still share some of their magic - Springsteen did at the same venue last year and Tom Petty the year before - and these guys have earned their right to play and make millions with their CSI franchise, too. But they seem to be much more about the past than the present or the future - and that is simply nostalgia or sentimentality.

Gertrud Mueller-Nelson makes this observation about sentimentality in her reflections on family holidays and our frenetic obsession with creating a happy Christmas in her masterpiece, To Dance with God:

Sentimentality is the emotion we feel when we scoop off a part of the truth, that part which we are willing to accept, and slather it like syrup to cover what we do not want to see. Usually what we don't want to see is our own responsibility to the remaining truth. A half-truth is a very dangerous thing, because it is a lie. One example of sentimentality is those feelings around nationalism, often fostered with rousing anthems and speeches, that allow citizens to promote their own country's interests over the common interests of all nations and see themselves as superior and blameless...

I don't think rock and roll is supposed to be sentimental - or nostalgic - or a half-truth. I don't think rock and roll's greatest hits are supposed to be auctioned off to the highest corporate bidder. (And before anyone carps about U2 and IPOD remember: they did the WHOLE gig for free in pursuit of a technology that has truly advanced the sharing of beauty and music. That's right, they cut a deal and did it for FREE so get over it!)

And I don't think old rockers are supposed to either die off before they get old as brother Townsend once prophesied or act like their 15 when they are 65! I mean I love the fact that Jagger HAS the energy to shake his ass like a fool, I just don't think any body needs to see it outside the privacy of his home anymore. (And while Keith can still play the shit out of a guitar, they haven't written anything of value since Tattoo You in 1981!)

I guess what I'm saying is that some rockers have figured out how to grow up and still make music that matters - sometimes it is still beautiful and powerful, too - but it takes hard work to grow beyond being a caricature of yourself. Springsteen went through a long dry period in the 90s - with a variety of good tunes but nothing monumental - and came back more humble and mature with "The Rising." Steve Earle spent time in jail detoxing. Cheryl Crow faced real heartbreak and the agony of cancer. U2 has faced their demons and found ever new ways of maturing in a medium that was founded by children with an attitude. The Who have seen their share of troubles... but what have they gained from it all?

I first saw them back at the Fillmore East in 1968 when they debuted "Tommy" and it was electrifying. Ground-breaking. And the guys in my high school band and I went back two weeks later to see another smoking reprise of that show. They have an incredible oeuvre to celebrate:

+ the early pop/rock songs like "Can't Explain" and "My Generation"

+ the tongue in cheek power pop of "I Can See for Miles" and "Boris the Spider" (what about "A Quick One While He's Away?")

+ Tommy

+ Live at Leeds

+ Quadraphenia

+ and their masterpiece: Who's Next (that boasts "Baba O'Reilly" as well as "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Behind Blue Eyes")

But tonight I saw two old men who looked worn out and a little bewildered doing the same old rock star shtick they've been doing since they were 16. I wish Townsend and Daltrey the best - they have enriched my life and filled my heart with hope and attitude - but it doesn't look like they've figured out how to grow up.

I remember reading how some of the men's movement folk realized that if a man reaches 50 and hasn't figured out how to grow up - and that means become humble, creative, honest and generative in some way bigger than himself - he will become a cranky, old fool. I know a lot of guys (and women) who are old but not wise. Mean-spirited sots who have nothing but piss and vinegar to share. And then there are people who have been knocked down - and learned something from it - who have become creative and compassionate. Look at T-Bone Burnett - or Elvis Costello - or Patti Smith - or Linda Ronstadt - or James Taylor - and let's not even BEGIN when it comes to Bob Dylan!

They all have something old Pete and Roger need to wrestle with... and I pray they do. (Here's an example of an old guy finding a new way into his music and craft and making it art that nourishes the soul and helps us all grow up.)

credits: 2) http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=ref&q=http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/02/theory-ralph-eugene-meatyard-1925-1972.html&usg=AFQjCNFxeI_qDjo9jgJq_rm_xfM7icyhzQ 3) http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=ref&q=http://www.nocaptionneeded.com/%3Fp%3D3379&usg=AFQjCNFSXH1OOXKWk6soEEExvWFKxmB65A