Pete Keep on Working

Pete Townshend was heading toward collapse as the '70s turned into the '80s. He had battled a number of personal demons throughout the '70s, but he started spiraling downward after Keith Moon's death, questioning more than ever why he did what he did (and this is a songwriter who always asked questions)…

Pete Townshend was the guitarist and primary songwriter for the Who from 1964 to 1982, also participating in the group's occasional reunions after its formal breakup. Best-known for his conceptual works, he wrote Tommy and Quadrophenia for the band, as well as the bulk of its other material.
Pete Townshend was heading toward collapse as the '70s turned into the '80s. He had battled a number of personal demons throughout the '70s, but he started spiraling downward after Keith Moon's death, questioning more than ever why he did what he did (and this is a songwriter who always asked questions). Signs of that crept out on Face Dances, but he saved a full-blown exploration of his psyche for Empty Glass, his first solo album since Who Came First, a vanity project released to little notice around Who's Next..

Pete Townshend - Empty Glass (1980) {2006 Remaster Edition}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 449 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 147 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2006 Hip-O / Eel Pie | HIP-O B0005941-02
Rock / Hard Rock

Who mastermind Pete Townshend's strongest solo record was born in a hailstorm of despair, uncertainty, and tribulation. With the once viscerally powerful Who in limbo, the guitarist nearly sunk himself into brandy-drenched oblivion. He emerged with one of his most gripping solo pieces and–perhaps unsurprisingly–the most Who-like album of all his solo work.

Pete Townshend - Gold (2005) [2CD] {Eel Pie}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 1.06 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 354 Mb
Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 54 Mb
© 2005 Eel Pie | B0005350-02
Rock / Hard Rock / Contemporary Pop

While most of Universal's excellent GOLD collections present an artist's output in tidy chronological order, the Pete Townshend installment of the series breaks with that tradition, offering a seemingly random two-disc sampling of the Who mastermind's solo output. Given the British guitarist/vocalist's unconventional, drama-loving attitude toward rock, however, this approach works quite well, bouncing around from 1993's PSYCHODERELICT to '85's WHITE CITY to '80's EMPTY GLASS. The 34-track compilation also includes songs from Townshend's first solo outing, '72's WHO CAME FIRST, and '77's ROUGH MIX, his excellent collaborative album with former Small Faces bassist Ronnie Lane. Throughout the highly eclectic GOLD, the constants are, of course, Townshend's plaintive voice and his distinctive guitar playing, which ranges from delicate acoustic lines to bombastic Who-worthy electric leads. Although there have been numerous Townshend compilations, GOLD is the most intriguing and comprehensive.

Pete Townshend is the best thing that ever happened to Rock, and “Empty Glass” is his solo masterpiece, an insightful, invigorating confessional from a man on the edge. Townshend addresses punks, aging, drinking, music critics, work ethic, and his lifelong quest to find some meaning in life...