Fans of legendary rock band The Who are hopeful of a studio reunion between Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.
Though the pair performed a series of farewell shows across North America last year, fans believe a studio return has not been ruled out by the duo. Daltrey, who suggested his upcoming solo tour would be his last, may be coaxed back into the studio with Townshend should a particular producer reach out. Fans believe this is the case following the return to the studio of both The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. While it may be unlikely that The Who and Andrew Watt pair up together, fans believe the collaboration could have been outstanding given the strong results heard elsewhere. Watt has also worked with Miley Cyrus, Ozzy Osbourne, and Pearl Jam.
Fans took to The Who subreddit and shared their thoughts on what a Watt, Daltrey, and Townshend offering could sound like. A fan asked: “I wonder if Pete and Roger would ever consider a collaboration with producer Andrew Watt? Was just enjoying the album he did with my other favourite band, Pearl Jam, (Dark Matter) and was wondering this. I know he’s worked with the Stones for a couple of albums now, too, as well as Macca’s latest.”
But The Who fans seem opposed to the proposed Watt and Who collaboration. One fan replied: “No thanks on Watt. I thought the Stones last record was their best in a long time, but that it was in spite of Watt’s production. The songs were good but the production made my ears tired.”
Another added: “Andrew Watt is a blight on elderly rock. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills when people say anything positive about his work. Just the blandest sounding shit around.” A third added: “Please no.”
While it remains unlikely that The Who will enter the recording studio with Watt or any other producer, it cannot be much worse than their last studio album. In a two-star review of the band’s most recent album, Cult Following suggested the band had a “licence to do so little” in the studio given their accomplishments decades before this.
It reads: “It’ll win over so many through the name of the band alone, though Who is such a letdown of a farewell. Make no mistake, this’ll be the last album from Daltrey and Townshend. Nothing will change that unless through some sheer act of spite, they decide to make another after reading this. They won’t. We are safe from more plodding work by The Who.
“Some questionable choices made to the vocals on I’ll Be Back and a Mumford and Sons-like clap and stomp to Break The News is just about the last straw for Who. A last hurrah with Rockin’ in Rage, though it feels like a band on their last legs rather than anything they wanted to tell their audience before closing the door for good. Too much of a good thing, though there’s no good at all within Who.”
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