Jem Records Celebrates Pete Townshend

Various Artists

Jem Records

This tribute to Pete Townsend that draws from the Who and his solo career is really good and showcases him as one of the best.

Pete could be quirky, like “Mary Ann With the Shaky Hand” by The Anderson Council, sweet, as in “So Sad About Us” by the Gold Needles, political, in “I’m Free” by The Grip Weeds. He blended it all into one big whole, much like the bands do here.

The music is uniformly the sort of power pop the Who invented, and is used so wisely here, like when Lisa Mychols and Super 8 fold “Who Are You" into “Baba O'Riley” and Airport 77 fold “Won’t Get Fooled Again” into “Substitute.”

This comp is a lot of fun, never disappoints, and if you’re a Who fan it's a good album to have in your collection. This album makes the case successfully for Townsend’s icon status.

Andrea Weiss