The idea was that I’d write the songs and record them in my home studio. Roger would put on vocals and we’d put it out. And we’d have a million dollars to share between us. [ Laughs.]

Atkins, John (1 February 2000), The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963-1998, McFarland & Company, ISBN 9780786440979 , retrieved 18 June 2016 READ MORE: The Who – ‘WHO’ review: 13 years since their last album, this stands up alongside their classics How will Covid impact the way you tour? I know that Elton John and the Rolling Stones have been forced to basically create a traveling Covid bubble. Will you be doing something similar?Yes, I did. It was a real buzz. I remember being very moved by it and very honored. It was a dark comedy show with deep, swinging connotations about performance and education and all the things I’m talking about. The uses were very, very smart. In a sense, it redeemed and gave credence to the fact that I’ve always felt the worst person … Let’s get into real trouble here. The worst person to have control of Neil Young’s catalog is Neil Young. [ Laughs] Give it to me. I just think there’s so much stuff there that could be just turned into joy. He’s such an incredible writer, and so much of his stuff is just unknown, partly because he keeps it tied so tight to his chest.

So there’s lots of stuff going on. We’re really looking at the way the pandemic has hit the country. And in the U.K., we’ve also had the effect of Brexit, the political upheavals, and all kinds of stuff. But the big news in the U.K. at the moment, and I’m sure you’re conscious of it in America even though you’re farther away, is what’s going to happen in Russia and Ukraine.I’ve been working on that. I’ve been working with three different bands. I’ve been working with Wild Things, who are supporting the Who at the Royal Albert Hall in March at our Teenage Cancer Trust gig. I’ve been working with another artist called Reg Meuross, who is a folk artist in the U.K. He and I are working on a podcast about Woody Guthrie called Fire and Dust— a song cycle and a podcast. We live in a very polarized society. As musicians, we really sincerely hope that music brings the two sides together. If we can do that, that would be great. If we can’t, so be it. I’ve just done the score for Robin Robin, which is an animated film. I think it’s up for a couple of awards. Their work is just fabulous.

In some cases, we need musicians of the Joni Mitchell and Neil Young era, the Stones, the Beatles, the Who, and everybody to remember that there are loads of people that just haven’t heard anything that they’ve done. They are buzzword names. They don’t know.Because I don’t think, at the moment, I need to do that. I think I need to finish The Age of Anxiety… My original idea was the novel would come out, I’d put out an album, and then I’d do an art installation. What actually happened was I put the album out, and then the pandemic hit and there was no question of putting an album out. There’s been a big gap between the publication of the novel and the possibility of putting out an album of music. And so I need to find a new bridge, in a sense, and I’m still thinking that through, getting advice from various people.

Opening up the overture with the report that Tommy’s father has been killed in action and will not be returning home from war, ‘1921’ sets the scene of the protagonist’s everyday life, with his mother finding a new man and feeling optimistic about the next year. Although Townshend might sound strained while hitting the high notes of the mother’s dialogue, there’s a sense of innocence to his words, knowing that she can brave any bad weather as long as her significant other is beside her. In other words, they wouldn’t insure us again until the pandemic was very, very behind us. We’ll do that in 2023, I think … I’m talking about stuff I don’t really know about. I don’t have any guarantees, like everybody else. I don’t really know what’s going to happen next month or the month after. I have somewhat of a random question, but I just re-watched Freaks and Geeks. They used a ton of your songs in really poignant and interesting ways. I’m wondering if you ever saw it. Pete Townshend — vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion; harmonica on "Day of Silence"Pete Townshend of The Who has revealed Keir Starmer was the lawyer who challenged him in Townshend’s infamous child pornography case. Pete Townshend: Who Came First — 45th Anniversary Edition". American Songwriter. 18 April 2018 . Retrieved 16 August 2022. Essentially, in the past month, two months, I’ve been working on a charity project for Teen Cancer America, which will be announced in a couple of weeks. That’s hopefully going to produce a big chunk of money for them, and possibly a podcast and some … not new music, but old music that’s been re-recorded.