Search - Pete Townshend :: Empty Glass

One of the best

Tremoglie Giuliano | Turin. Italy | 06/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you want buy only one cd of Pete from the discography, this is the one, the best!"

Pete's solo classic!

finulanu | Here, there, and everywhere | 06/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Though it's often downplayed thanks to his experimental leanings, Townshend had a knack for writing the perfect pop-rocker that stretched from "I Can't Explain" and "The Kids Are All RighT" to "You Better You Bet" and "Athena". Empty Glass is, basically, an album full of those perfect pop-rockers. It doesn't make any significant advances past the Who's hard-rocking, synthesizer-driven, intelligent sound, which is my only complaint, and a small one at that. The whole album is just filled with some of the best melodies I've heard - top 5 "Let My Love Open the Door" is only the best known example; the ambiguous "And Then I Moved" (which casts Townshend's sexuality in a questioning light - not that I mind); rock critic insult "Jooles and Jim"; "I Am an Animal" and "Rough Boys" are similar: solid melodies, hard-to-forget refrains, lots of fun synthesizer parts. The hard-rocking side of Townshend's still here too: check the slide-and-harp blues "Cat's in the Cupboard" or the guitar-heavy title track and "I'm Gonna Get You". And every song is at about that level, which makes Empty Glass a must-have for Who fans. Interestingly, Townshend's voice has dropped an octave or so - no longer high and clear, so you can't expect him to hit the same notes as he did on "The Song Is Over" - instead, he's more at "Eminence Front" level. While I prefer the high-pitched Townshend (it just sounds so different! And I like different!), he's still a fine singer on this album."