Pretend You're In A War: The Who and the Sixties

by Mark Blake

"A definitive tome for both Who fans and newcomers alike" - Q Magazine Pete Townshend was once asked how he prepared himself for The Who's violent live performances. His answer? 'Pretend you're in a war.' For a band as prone to furious infighting as it was notorious for acts of 'auto-destructive art' this could have served as a motto. Between 1964 and 1969 The Who released some of the most dramatic and confrontational music of the decade, including 'I Can't Explain', 'My Generation' and 'I Can See For Miles'. This was a body of work driven by bitter rivalry, black humour and dark childhood secrets, but it also held up a mirror to a society in transition. Now, acclaimed rock biographer Mark Blake goes in search of its inspiration to present a unique perspective on both The Who and the sixties. From their breakthrough as Mod figureheads to the rise and fall of psychedelia, he reveals how The Who, in their explorations of sex, drugs, spirituality and class, refracted the growing turbulence of the time. He also lays bare the colourful but crucial role played by their managers, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. And - in the uneasy alliance between art-school experimentation and working-class ambition - he locates the motor of the Swinging Sixties. As the decade closed, with The Who performing Tommy in front of 500,000 people at the Woodstock Festival, the 'rock opera' was born. In retrospect, it was the crowning achievement of a band who had already embraced pop art and the concept album; who had pioneered the power chord and the guitar smash; and who had embodied - more so than any of their peers - the guiding spirit of the war.

Genres: Music, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Memoir

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a knockout. Actually made me appreciate the Who's position in the proverbial Rock starscape in a way I never had before. Essentially the story of how The Who became The Who, this is a remarkably focused work which methodically depicts the transformation of the Who from a standard early-60's bar band playing Blues covers to the entity they would become, a powerhouse of songwriting genius and truly idiosyncratic methods of playing (e.g., the way Moon plays over, under and around and a beat) which would serve as a progenitor of both Prog Rock and Punk (which is kind of staggering considering that those are two genres highly diverse and contemptuous of each other). Really well done.

On a related note, anyone who enjoys this book should track down the documentary film Lambert/Stamp, the story of the Who's management team. It is an equally awesome supplement to this book.

[Christopher Renberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already familiar with the story of the Who but Blake sets it in context with what was going on in the mid to late sixties England and America. That added quite a bit to the story for me. The transition from power pop group creating killer singles to album oriented artists is compelling. Many societal avenues to explore and Blake does a grand job.

[Todd Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

that they survived to make another record beyond tommy was remarkable...and I'm really glad they did-ever hear who's next??! particularly illuminating was what I read about kit lambert...kit lived an insane life-equal to the mania of the who

[Jean-François Tremblay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but now always well written (lots of typos). After reading Peter Guralnick's books about Elvis this summer, this one seemed like a let down.

But I've always loved The Who, and I learned some things.

Not bad, overall.

[Lukas Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If not the best band of their era, The Who were by far the best, most chaotic live band.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

We'll written history of The Who in the 60s.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Who was responsible for some of the greatest singles of the 1960s & then continued to perform & record for decades, even after half of them had shuffled off this mortal coil. While I was never a great fan of Roger Daltrey's voice - not in an era that also included Steve Winwood, Eric Burdon, Steve Marriott, not to mention John & Paul - the songs/recordings were terrific. What this book explores, with both compassion & delight, is how these 4 almost diametrically-opposed personalities managed to make even 1 recording between them, let alone the scores that followed. While many bands must go through difficult times endlessly touring together, these guys pretty much hated each other if they had to spend time over a cup of tea. But, somehow, the dynamic worked. This book evokes the period brilliantly & drags the reader onto the juggernaut that, twice, became The Who. And it confines itself to its golden period, up to Tommy. For any fan of popular music, & especially those who qualify as baby boomers, this is essential reading. The closeness of the band is perhaps summed up by Daltrey's description of Townsend after their 1st meeting "He looked like a nose on a stick".

[Thomas Thieme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite simply, the best book on the Who I've ever read. And I've read many-from the early writings of Nik Cohn to the most recent memoirs to the many that focus on individual members and specific albums, you get the idea. As the title states, this focuses on the Who's most significant decade. Blake is not shy about offering his own opinions about the music but he obviously cares about his subject and has done the footwork. It draws on sources beyond the sixties-the memoirs of Townsend and Daltrey, Dear Boy and others, as they shed light on the events of that decade. I've read a lot of books, interviews, reviews, seen the movies and documentaries, the YouTube obscurities and still learned a treasure trove of new information from reading this book. It touches briefly on the Lifehouse and Quadrophenia periods as they relate to the their sixties work so you can see where those projects first germinated. If I were asked to choose one definitive biography of one of the most important bands in rock, this is the one I'd recommend in total confidence.

[John Barclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about the first stage of a great band. It's by no means just another fan book but a serious look at the life and influences on the making of The Who in the sixties. Lots of interesting insights into the bizarre dynamic of conflict that permeated the band and made it so attractive to so many. A lot of good stuff about Lambert and Stamp as well as a grown up conversation about Moon and his many troubles.

Great read and full of new things even for an old Who fanatic like me.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine book that probably tells you all you need to know about those involved in and around the Who without going into any detail about their post 1970 exploits.

A couple of picky errors aside (e.g. Chuck Berry's You Never Can Tell was no influence in the late 1950's having not yet been written) this is a great way to understand what made the Who tick.

[Đorđe Otašević · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dosta solidna i poštena depikcija jedne ere, možda i najznačajnije u savremenoj kulturnoj istoriji. Definitivno je previše likova i imena a premalo mod kulture. Takođe, mislim da se autor nepošteno ponio prema Rodžeru Daltriju i Džonu Entvislu. U ovoj knjizi gotovo da su prikazani kao statisti Tauzentu i Munu. Ali dobro, sitničarim.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read. Tons of info about one of my favorite bands of all time. It’s always interesting seeing where these guys came from. Would recommend for all fans of The Who or classic rock in general.

I received a free copy for an unbiased review.

[Natalie Muller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful exploration of the Who pre Tommy.

[Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good look at how The Who staggered through the sixties to become the band of the seventies and beyond. A bit heavier on road crew information than necessary but sets up inter band dynamics well.

[Chris Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for Who fans and those with an interest in 60's pop culture.

[Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it. I’ve read several books about The Who, and didn’t really think I had much more of substance to learn about them. Shows how little I know! This one gave me new insight into their early years. It turns out their rise to stardom was much more difficult, frustrating, and fraught with conflict than I had realized. That’s good for me to hear, because I've long been romanticizing those early years, and saying to myself, “If only I could have been drumming in The Who in 1964 - 1967….” But I don’t want that now. Too hard! I’m happier where I am. Plus this book highlighted to me how much The Who were dependent on others who believed in them: their managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp in particular, but also early supporters like Helmut Gordon, Pete Meaden, and Shel Talmy. I recommend this for all Who fans, though, because it's fascinating.