Time is passing (Pete Townshend) (LP 4701 - 4702)

Pete Townshend  Who Came First (Vinyl, Track Records, 1972) ***  

Pete Townshend, Ronnie Lane  Rough Mix (CD, UMC, 1977) ****  

Genre: Rock, country rock 

Places I remember: Chaldon Books and Records, HMV

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pure and Easy (Who Came First)

Gear costume: My Baby Gives It Away (Rough Mix)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Who Came First (great cover and great title) is Pete Townshend's first solo album.

It's a bit odds and sods in that it includes some Lifehouse project demos as well as some reworked material from Meher Baba tribute albums and some additional songs. Weirdly, a Ronnie Lane song in which he sings with Pete adding guitar and a song by Billy Nichols without any participation from Pete. So, it's all a bit uneven, although well played and a lot of fun.

Fun is also the watchword for the collaboration with Ronnie Lane. His rollicking sort of folk rock is the stylistic default for Rough Mix, although not as roughshod as his work with Slim Chance (that's a good thing btw). 

It's a relaxed, understated effort that has a universal type of appeal, making it a highlight in both their careers.

Where do they all belong? Only the two solo albums by Pete, although I have a lot of Roger Daltrey's. I put that down to my preference for Roger's vocals more than anything else. That translates to no great desire to buy other solo albums by Pete.