I just read about The Who’s new single I Don’t Wanna Get Wise from their upcoming album Who set for release on December 6. And while it’s not a bad song, I decided to hold writing about it until the album’s release and instead post the above killer clip of Won’t Get Fooled Again.
According to Universal entertainment website uDiscovermusic, where I spotted this amazing footage, it’s one of two videos The Who released remastered in high quality leading up to their new album. It was filmed on May 25, 1978 at England’s Shepperton Studios, about 20 miles southwest of London, for the closing sequence of the band’s rockumentary The Kids Are Alright. It turned out to be the last live performance of Keith Moon who passed away on September 7 that year.
The band’s energy is through the roof. Pete Townshend is working his Gibson Les Paul and the stage like a madman. Roger Daltrey is equally animated, jumping around and spinning his microphone. Meanwhile, The Ox John Entwistle essentially remains motionless as usual, running his thunderfingers across the fretboard of his bass. And Moon, while physically changed from his earlier years with the band, is still fiercely banging his drums.
Written by Townshend, Won’t Get Fooled Again first appeared in June 1971 as the lead single to The Who’s fifth studio album Who’s Next, released in August of the same year. I think uDiscovermusic may be right to call the above The Who’s definitive performance of the song. It nicely illustrates their power as a live band.
Sources: uDiscovermusic; YouTube
Christian's Music Musings 
Ganz überrragende Rocknummer aus meiner Jugend…und wenn das Stück aus dem Mittelpart, nach dem Keith Moon Aufgang, dem Schrei von Daltrey mit gleichzeitiger Kreissäge von Townsend wieder richtig abgeht, könnte ich auch heute noch senkrecht abheben.
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Ich stimme Dir voll zu – eine geniale Nummer, die auch heute noch tierisch abgeht!🎸
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Oh man I’ve seen this video about a million fucking times. That shot near the end of Daltrey screaming and Townshend flying through the air is classic. It IS rock and roll. Love it!
Different topic. Did we ever talk about the movie “Yesterday?,” you know the one about the guy who is the only one who remembers the Beatles? I was loathe to see it as the reviews were so-so. But someone recommended it to me so I watched it. Loved it.
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You know, I have to tell you I was going to write about the new single from the upcoming new Who album. Then I came across this great clip and thought a live rock performance doesn’t get much better, so who cares about their new single.
To me this footage is a perfect illustration why The Who were such an exciting live band – even though at times it appears they are competing against rather than playing with each other! But somehow it worked.
As for the movie, yep, I saw it as well and found it reasonably entertaining.
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If Pete tried those moves now he’d probably be carted out in a wheelchair.
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I guess that’s a safe bet. Though I will add when I saw The Who earlier this year during their symphonic Moving On tour at Madison Square Garden, I thought Pete was still pretty agile for a 74-year-old, throwing in some of his signature windmill moves. But sure, it didn’t reach the intensity of the above footage.
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Great live rock n roll by one of the bands “who” know how to do it. Good stuff Christian.
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