One of rock and rolls great thinkers, and great rockers, Pete Townsend, doesn't have the personality or the voice to be a leader. But he has the songs to be a solo star as this compilation of solo turns proves, even if it includes only one hit song, the masterful "Let My Love Open The Door", the love chant for Meher Baba with an organ lick worthy of the man who wrote "Baba O'Reilly"
It sounds like an 80s relic now, it sounds of its time but only to a degree. And as his only hit without the Who, it manages to be ambivalent enough in its approach to sneak its way thru our defenses.
The rest of this album is all over the place and some of it, "Misunderstood" gives the album its title are excellent on any level. With "Rough Boys", Pete outed himself as a man with a gay past, though it was "Empty Glass" which really brought it to life. It is fascinating for Townsend to remove the subtext from so many rock bands, indeed, from the entire Marlon Brando leather and hogs culture. Between the two there is a suggestion of narcissism, to want to have sex with what you want to be.
But Townsend never quite maintained a solo career, certainly only the second album, 1980s Empty Glass, feels major and necessary, certainly 1982 All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is nothing of the sort. And while his concept album, 1985's White City: A Novel hit the charts,, it isn't very good. Represented by two songs here, they are jazzy little works and just about horrible.
And then there is "Sheraton Gibson", a diary slice so strong and sweet it seems easy but it isn't. The Gibson itself is beautiful thing on this song, it is all melody and considering we are discussing one of the writers of loudest songs is rock and roll history it is beautifully quiet.
Not available on any digital format, you can buy coolwalkingsmoothtalkingstraightsmokingfirestoking on CD from Amazon. My copy set me back $35 and was it worth it? Townsend's greatest work is with the Who, but Empty Glass was more than an addendum, and "Rough Boys" and "Misunderstood" are more than simply addendum's, they are a peak into the heart of the shy young man who became one of the greatest rock and roll guitarists.
The thing about Pete is that he is the most human of rock superstars, he is ALL insecurities play out to an audience of millions. He is the Kanye West of the 1960s.
Grade: B+