Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who
Encyclopedia
Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who is a 2007 documentary by Murray Lerner
and Paul Crowder of English rock and roll band The Who
. The film features new interviews with band members Roger Daltrey
, John Entwistle
, Kenney Jones
, and Pete Townshend
, as well as Sting, The Edge
, Noel Gallagher
, Eddie Vedder
, Steve Jones
and others, as well as rare photos of the four members of the band, and archival live footage of performances dating back to 1964. A soundtrack accompanying the film also serves as a greatest-hits compilation for the band.
The two-DVD set includes footage not in earlier documentaries, including film from the 1970 Leeds University appearance, never-seen-before footage of a show in Copenhagen
that shows Daltrey leaving the stage because the performance of the other members of The Who
broke down into chaotic noise due to amphetamines - which resulted in a fight between Daltrey and Moon backstage and Daltrey being kicked out of the band temporarily - and a 1964 performance at the Railway Hotel when they were The High Numbers.
The film was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award
. An exclusive three disc set was available only at Best Buy
retailers with a third disc featuring the majority of their performance on December 8, 1979 at Chicago's International Amphitheatre.
The first "side" details the origins of The Who, including: their thoughts of the World War II
in their lives and on England in general; how and why The Who became a Mod band and some details of the Mod lifestyle; how the four members of the band got together; Kit Lambert
's and Chris Stamp
's influence on the band; and their first hit single (I Can't Explain
) and album (My Generation).
The second "side" focuses on the band's struggle to be successful; the Monterey Pop Festival
; their experiences with psychedelic
drugs and how they influenced Townshend's music and lyric writing; Meher Baba
's influence on Pete Townshend's life; and the release of Tommy.
The third "side" details The Who's transition from the 1960s to the 1970s: Pete coming up with his newest project, the Lifehouse rock opera, which was later abandoned and its songs formed The Who's most successful album, Who's Next
; Quadrophenia
; Lambert's and Stamp's frictions between themselves and the band; Keith Moon's death and the band's decision to bring in drummer Kenney Jones
, keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick
, and continue after Moon's death; and Pete ultimately dissolving the band.
The final fourth "side" doesn't focus much on the period between Pete's dissolving the band in 1983 and their return in 1996, but it details: Entwistle's financial problems after the breakup of the band; Daltrey and Townshend's decision to get The Who back together to help Entwistle; how they stole the show at The Concert For New York City
; John's death in 2002; Pete's having to face allegations for possession of child pornography material; and how Entwistle's death actually changed Daltrey's and Townshend's relationship for the best.
The compact biographies of Roger, John, Pete, and Keith are all from the same pool as Amazing Journey proper and contain more performance footage, but with a specific intention of getting to the heart of what made each individual player sound the way they did.
"Who Art You" explores how the band joined the mod movement and its pop-art leanings. It includes bits of the commercial they did for Coca-Cola
, which then lead to The Who Sell Out
. This features commentary from Richard Barnes, author of many a Who-related book, including the quintessential photo book on the youth movement, simply titled "Mods".
"Who's Back" is a mini documentary on the recording of Real Good Looking Boy for the Who's 2004 greatest hits compilation - Then and Now -, and it was captured by D.A. Pennebaker, the director who filmed Bob Dylan
's Dont Look Back
and filmed the Who for Monterey Pop
, joined by Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob. The band asked bassist Greg Lake
of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
fame to join Roger, Pete, Simon Townshend
, Zak Starkey
and John "Rabbit" Bundrick
for these sessions.
- playing two R&B covers uninterrupted. This very early film was shot for a proposed movie Kit Lambert
and Chris Stamp
wanted to make, a chronicle of an up-and-coming rock band that never happened. These 8 minutes are what's left of the uncompleted movie.
Murray Lerner
Murray Lerner is an Academy Award-winning American documentary and experimental film director and producer.1967 saw the release of the film Festival...
and Paul Crowder of English rock and roll band The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. The film features new interviews with band members Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
, Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
, and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, as well as Sting, The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
, Noel Gallagher
Noel Gallagher
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
, Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
, Steve Jones
Steve Jones (musician)
Stephen Philip "Steve" Jones is an English rock guitarist, singer and actor, best known as guitarist and founding member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.-Childhood:...
and others, as well as rare photos of the four members of the band, and archival live footage of performances dating back to 1964. A soundtrack accompanying the film also serves as a greatest-hits compilation for the band.
The two-DVD set includes footage not in earlier documentaries, including film from the 1970 Leeds University appearance, never-seen-before footage of a show in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
that shows Daltrey leaving the stage because the performance of the other members of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
broke down into chaotic noise due to amphetamines - which resulted in a fight between Daltrey and Moon backstage and Daltrey being kicked out of the band temporarily - and a 1964 performance at the Railway Hotel when they were The High Numbers.
The film was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. An exclusive three disc set was available only at Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
retailers with a third disc featuring the majority of their performance on December 8, 1979 at Chicago's International Amphitheatre.
Chapters
The film is divided in four "sides" of two LP discs. The chapters are named after lyrics from The Who's songs, while "Overture", "When I Was a Boy", "Young Man Blues", "So Sad About Us" and "Music Must Change" are titles of The Who's songs.- SIDE 1
- Overture
- When I Was a Boy
- He's Your Leader, He's Your Guide
- Young Man Blues
- Who the Fuck Are You?
- Dressed Right For a Beach Fight
- In Your Hand You Hold Your Only Friend
- I'm the Guy In the Sky
- So Sad About Us
The first "side" details the origins of The Who, including: their thoughts of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in their lives and on England in general; how and why The Who became a Mod band and some details of the Mod lifestyle; how the four members of the band got together; Kit Lambert
Kit Lambert
Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert was a record producer and the manager for The Who.-Early life:Kit Lambert was the son of noted composer, Constant Lambert...
's and Chris Stamp
Chris Stamp
Christopher Stamp is a British psychodrama therapist based in the state of New York. Stamp is also known for co-founding the now defunct Track Records and for co-managing and producing such musical acts as The Who and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s and '70s.-Childhood:Born into a working-class family,...
's influence on the band; and their first hit single (I Can't Explain
I Can't Explain
"I Can't Explain" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend, and produced by Shel Talmy. The song was issued as a single in December 1964 in the United States and on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
) and album (My Generation).
- SIDE 2
- They Tried and Tried and Tried
- Substitute Me For Him
- I Can See For Miles and Miles
- Teenage Wasteland
- The Music Must Change
- What Is Happening In His Head?
The second "side" focuses on the band's struggle to be successful; the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
; their experiences with psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
drugs and how they influenced Townshend's music and lyric writing; Meher Baba
Meher Baba
Meher Baba , , born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age....
's influence on Pete Townshend's life; and the release of Tommy.
- SIDE 3
- No One Knows What It's Like
- I'm Remembering Distant Memories...
- Can You See the Real Me?
- You Only Became What We Made You
- I Don't Suppose You Would Remember Me?
- Just Want to be Making Daily Records...
The third "side" details The Who's transition from the 1960s to the 1970s: Pete coming up with his newest project, the Lifehouse rock opera, which was later abandoned and its songs formed The Who's most successful album, Who's Next
Who's Next
Who's Next is the fifth studio album by English rock band The Who, released in August 1971. The album has origins in a rock opera conceived by Pete Townshend called Lifehouse. The ambitious, complex project did not come to fruition at the time and instead, many of the songs written for the project...
; Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released on 19 October 1973 by Track and Polydor in the UK, and Track and MCA in the US, it is a double album, and the group's second rock opera...
; Lambert's and Stamp's frictions between themselves and the band; Keith Moon's death and the band's decision to bring in drummer Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
, keyboardist John "Rabbit" Bundrick
John Bundrick
John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick is an American rock keyboardist, pianist and organist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roger Waters, Free and Crawler. Bundrick is noted as the principal musician for the cult...
, and continue after Moon's death; and Pete ultimately dissolving the band.
- SIDE 4
- Rock Is Dead They Say
- Let Your Tears Flow, Let Your Past Go
- The Past Is Calling
- Pick Up My Guitar and Play
- Closing Credits/My Generation
The final fourth "side" doesn't focus much on the period between Pete's dissolving the band in 1983 and their return in 1996, but it details: Entwistle's financial problems after the breakup of the band; Daltrey and Townshend's decision to get The Who back together to help Entwistle; how they stole the show at The Concert For New York City
The Concert for New York City
The Concert for New York City was a benefit concert, featuring many famous musicians, that took place on October 20, 2001 at Madison Square Garden in New York City in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks...
; John's death in 2002; Pete's having to face allegations for possession of child pornography material; and how Entwistle's death actually changed Daltrey's and Townshend's relationship for the best.
Six Quick Ones
"Six Quick Ones" is a collection of six more mini documentaries, giving each band member more individual air time and delving into specific elements of the Who's artistry. Together, these run close to 90 minutes (you can watch each segment alone, or all at once).- ROGER
- JOHN
- PETE
- KEITH
The compact biographies of Roger, John, Pete, and Keith are all from the same pool as Amazing Journey proper and contain more performance footage, but with a specific intention of getting to the heart of what made each individual player sound the way they did.
- WHO ART YOU?
"Who Art You" explores how the band joined the mod movement and its pop-art leanings. It includes bits of the commercial they did for Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, which then lead to The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
. This features commentary from Richard Barnes, author of many a Who-related book, including the quintessential photo book on the youth movement, simply titled "Mods".
- WHO'S BACK
"Who's Back" is a mini documentary on the recording of Real Good Looking Boy for the Who's 2004 greatest hits compilation - Then and Now -, and it was captured by D.A. Pennebaker, the director who filmed Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back
Dont Look Back is a 1967 documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylan's 1965 concert tour in the United Kingdom.In 1998, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically...
and filmed the Who for Monterey Pop
Monterey Pop
Monterey Pop is a 1968 concert film by D. A. Pennebaker that documents the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967. Among Pennebaker's several camera operators were fellow documentarians Richard Leacock and Albert Maysles...
, joined by Chris Hegedus and Nick Doob. The band asked bassist Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
of Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
fame to join Roger, Pete, Simon Townshend
Simon Townshend
Simon Townshend is a British guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is the younger brother of The Who's Pete Townshend, and is most associated with The Who and the various side projects of its original members, despite many other musical ventures in his career....
, Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey
Zak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third...
and John "Rabbit" Bundrick
John Bundrick
John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick is an American rock keyboardist, pianist and organist. He is best known for his work with The Who and associations with others including Eric Burdon, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roger Waters, Free and Crawler. Bundrick is noted as the principal musician for the cult...
for these sessions.
Scrapbook
21 more minutes are given to "The Scrapbook," deleted and extended stories from the documentary. These are in five segments:- Dinner With Moon - Manager Bill CurbishleyBill CurbishleyBill Curbishley is a music producer and band manager, best known for his work with English rock groups The Who and Judas Priest as well as artists Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....
's story of an extraordinary Keith MoonKeith MoonKeith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
bender and John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
's response to it. - A Legal Matter - Shel TalmyShel TalmyShel Talmy is an American record producer, songwriter, arranger best known for his work in London with The Who and The Kinks in the 1960s, with a role in many other English bands including Cat Stevens and Pentangle...
, Glyn JohnsGlyn JohnsGlyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
and Chris StampChris StampChristopher Stamp is a British psychodrama therapist based in the state of New York. Stamp is also known for co-founding the now defunct Track Records and for co-managing and producing such musical acts as The Who and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s and '70s.-Childhood:Born into a working-class family,...
recall the contractual fight between Talmy and the band. - Won't Get Fooled Again - Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
relates the real inspiration behind one of his more popular numbers. - Cincinnati: The Whole Story - Curbishley relates in full his perception of what happened when concert-goers got trampled at a show in 1979.
- Royal Albert Hall 2000 - Noel GallagherNoel GallagherNoel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
's amusing anecdote about being invited to play with the guys at a charity gig.
The High Numbers at the Railway Hotel 1964
"The High Numbers at the Railway Hotel" is nearly 8 minutes of the recently unearthed footage of the band in 1964 - what was left of the original film was in possession of Roger DaltreyRoger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
- playing two R&B covers uninterrupted. This very early film was shot for a proposed movie Kit Lambert
Kit Lambert
Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert was a record producer and the manager for The Who.-Early life:Kit Lambert was the son of noted composer, Constant Lambert...
and Chris Stamp
Chris Stamp
Christopher Stamp is a British psychodrama therapist based in the state of New York. Stamp is also known for co-founding the now defunct Track Records and for co-managing and producing such musical acts as The Who and Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s and '70s.-Childhood:Born into a working-class family,...
wanted to make, a chronicle of an up-and-coming rock band that never happened. These 8 minutes are what's left of the uncompleted movie.