Being of an age where the past either feels distant or within touching distance, just as last Christmas now feels a long time past so the last forty years seem to have skipped by in a heartbeat.
The passage of time can often be gauged, for those of us interested in such things, by the decades to have elapsed since release of a film or LP – continuing delight in their magnificence sometimes offset by realisation they appear to have been around, in some cases, for as far back as we can remember and will be here long after we have gone.
Indeed, growing older with favourite movies and albums is a curious business. In a week when it sank in the brilliant Bob Dylan album ‘Oh Mercy‘ was now thirty years old, so it dawned on me The Who documentary ‘THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT‘ is ten years older still.
Watching it for the umpteenth occasion, but first time since roughly the television news was only on twice a day, served notice that me, what’s left of The Who (Keith Moon and John Entwistle sadly no longer with us) and this uproarious, potted history of a film are two score years further down the road.
Viewing it again provided reminder, as if needed, that not only were they the finest live act rock music has ever produced, but also the most belligerent, acerbic and downright funny – which alone could serve to describe a 1966 interview with guitarist and song-writer Pete Townshend.
When released in 1979 the film was almost a eulogy for madcap drummer Keith Moon who had died of a drug overdose the previous year – the passing years not diminishing one iota the potent mix of chaos and charisma he brought to The Who.
From early days of grainy black and white footage, right through to a clip filmed while recording ‘Who Are You‘ the title song of an album released shortly before he his death in early September 1978, Moon – whether pummelling his drum kit, presiding over off-stage mayhem or turning a group interview with Russell Harty into pandemonium – never once appears inhibited by the camera.
From their earliest television appearances it is clear the lens was a friend to The Who, their essence captured on film in a way no other band have managed either before or since. In being so exciting to watch, Moon, Townshend, singer Roger Daltrey and bass player John Entwistle all appear entirely natural in front of the cameras – their respective stage roles as powerhouse drummer, flamboyant guitarist, aggressive front-man and stock still bassist defined right from the whiplash assault of their debut single ‘I Can’t Explain‘ in January 1965.
While a television performance of ‘I Can’t Explain,’ (the group decked out in their Mod finery) appears early in ‘The Kids Are Alright‘ the film never adheres to a chronological format, the clips constantly switching from the 60s to the 70s, black and white to colour, live shows to television studios – creating the impression of looking through a jumbled photograph album.
At times it feels directorial debutant Jeff Stein just wants to include as much footage as possible, content for Who-fans, like him, to happily follow the route no matter where it goes.
That said a 1967 performance of ‘My Generation‘ on US television programme ‘The Smothers Brothers’ is a great place to start – the song and preceding interview establishing the effervescence and energy that runs through the film. Moon steals the scene, initially with some sharp wisecracks and then at the instrument trashing climax of their signature hit of the time – his exploding drum kit sending the studio into uproar as The Who announce their arrival to a huge American TV audience.
With willing support from Townshend, Moon also creates havoc for Harty when he attempts to conduct a 1973 conversation with the group, the guitarist and drummer turning proceedings into their own version of ‘The Goon Show’ only with slapstick. While such moments retain their hilarity, it is footage from their extraordinary live performances that makes ‘The Kids Are Alright‘ the essential document when assessing live rock.
The rip-roaring rendition of ‘A Quick One While He’s Away‘ performed at the ‘Rolling Stones Rock n’ Roll Circus‘ in December 1968 serves to confirm The Who as a live act were already way ahead of the field – pole position grabbed the year before with an astonishing run through of ‘My Generation‘ at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, which must stand as the most incredible three minutes of rock music ever put before an audience.
Included from their set at the Woodstock festival of 1969 are searing versions of ‘Pinball Wizard‘ and ‘See Me Feel Me‘ (both from ‘Tommy‘) that not only show them to be the live band all others would be judged against, but how The Who had travelled from rebel yells to rock opera, teenagers to rock titans, in less than five years.
Ultimately there is precious little not to enjoy in ‘The Kids Are Alright,’ the only thing to lament is footage assumed to have been available, but for whatever reason not used.
Television appearances not included are clips promoting the singles ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again,’ (1971) ‘Join Together,’ (1972) and ‘5.15‘ (1973) – the latter taken from ‘Quadrophenia‘ an album not referred to in the entire film, which on reflection seems astonishing given the life it has taken on post-1979.
Aside from one brief clip filmed on the 1975 US Tour, neither is there any 70s concert footage – something else of a mystery as The Who were captured playing a great set at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 and filmed by the BBC performing at Charlton Athletic Football Ground in May 1974.
The absence of live material from 1970 onward means the omission of such rousing favourites as ‘Behind Blue Eyes‘ and ‘Bell Boy‘ (both of which were performed at Charlton) and could have led to issues with ‘Who’s Next‘ indispensables ‘Baba O’Riley‘ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again‘ – director Stein unable to unearth suitable footage for either of these show-stopping anthems.
Therefore in May 1978 and in the midst of recording the ‘Who Are You‘ album, The Who convened at Shepperton Studios and before an audience of 800 produced highly-charged versions of each song – with ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again,’ in the grand tradition of closing Who shows, used as the final scene of the film.
The Who tear through the song with their customary gusto, even though Moon (suffering from the effects of an insane lifestyle and The Who being off the road for nearly two years) struggles to play with his usual freneticism.
After the song has thundered to a conclusion Moon stands on top of the drums then teeters forward. His stagger on landing in front his kit is corrected by Townshend who embraces him with a kiss – the moment given greater poignancy as Moon was to die three months later.
With his last ever live performance captured for posterity, it emphasises the sense of finality forever attached to ‘The Kids Are Alright‘ – that stands as lasting testament to a time when The Who had long since seen off all competition in claiming the title of ‘The Worlds Greatest Rock Band‘.
It could be some time before I watch ‘The Kids Are Alright‘ again, but having it to hand is always necessary should the mood arise when the unique brand of anger, amusement and articulation only The Who can provide will suffice.
If the legacy of a memorable film is to find something new on each viewing, then my discovery on this recent screening is finding two scenes that arrive in quick succession, depicting the light and shade evident in the early years of their career.
In an interview conducted on the tour bus while The Who are travelling across America in 1968, a young Pete Townshend says:
‘Rock music is crucial in today’s art and it is crucial it should progress as art.’
At a time when he was becoming the most studious thinker on rock music, a title he would go on to win hands down, his point is undercut, whether by chance or design (in ‘The Kids Are Alright‘ you are never quite sure) a few seconds later by a short black and white promotional film for the ‘Happy Jack‘ single – a forerunner of the pop video, The Who create a Buster Keaton spoof, complete with cops and robbers costumes and custard pies.
The sequencing is reminiscent of when Townshend would be addressing the audience at a Who show only to be interrupted by a humorous interjection from Moon.
Serious musical intent combined with broad humour – ‘The Kids Are Alright‘ in a nutshell.
This article was first published on 28/3/2019.
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of MONTY’S DOUBLE – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.