Customer Reviews

White City

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For me personally, not only is this album Pete Townshend's masterpiece, but alongside Jeff Buckley's "Grace", Seal's "Human Being", and Elton John's "Captain Fantastic", this is definitely one of my all time favorite albums period.

Everyone always talks about Pete Townshend the guitar player, and Pete Townshend the tunesmith. And don't get me wrong, he is an absolute master craftsman at both. But his ability to deliver an emotional vocal performance is so overlooked, it's nearly criminal.

Personal preferences and comparisons aside, this album is a monster. From the opening surge of rhythm in Give Blood to the furious driving end of Come To Mama, this album just does not let up. Each song is a unique vehicle containing both power and beauty.

This release contains three bonus tracks, two previously unreleased songs, and an extended version (remix) of my absolute favorite song on the album, Hiding Out. The two bonus cuts are good songs. I'm glad I have them and listen to them along with the rest of the album.

But the joy of having the 12" version of Hiding Out is just too much. Even though this is more or less an extended remix, and not a true pure extension of the song, there are moments of isolation where the acoustic guitars and drums are much more prevalent here. This is an album I can not recommend more highly.

The sole complaint I have is that there are very expensive Japanese import releases of all Pete Townshend's albums that contain a few additional bonus live cuts. Why do we ALWAYS have to be subjected to record company gimmicks at every turn on these "special edition" re-releases? There is ample room at the end of this CD to put those tracks on here. So why not include them? (Yes I already know the answer).

This quirk aside, for me, this album is about as good as it gets....

Reissues are only as good as their remasters/bonus tracks. This has two terrific bonus tracks and a remix from the 12 inch single of the time. The remaster is louder, compressed and harsh sounding compare to the terrific CD mastered by Barry Diament. Go for the first CD issue which has great dynamic range, sounds warm and buy the bonus tracks as downloads. The production by Chris Thomas once again demonstrates that Townshend and Thomas were made for each other. He brings out the best in Townshend and captures it perfectly on tape.

Along with "Empty Glass" "White City" stands among Pete Townshend's best solo albums. From the rumbling, atmospheric opening of "Give Blood" (with nice guitar work by guest David Gilmour)this "novel" which was written to go along with the TV film that Townshend wrote (it was directed by Richard Lowenstein)the album stands on its own perfectly. Townshend's (as someone else pointed out here)ability as a vocalist has always been underestimated. Sure he doesn't quite have the power of Daltry but he is an emotional singer able to highlight the given dominant feeling from the point of view of the character of the song.


The original CD had the lyrics and there aren't any notes on the making of the lbum (unlike "Who Came First")but that's made up for by the inclusion of two strong bonus tracks "Night School" written by Townshend and a cover of the English Beat's "Save It For Later" (which also appears on live album "Pete Townshend's Deep End-Live"). Although "Night School" doesn't hold it's own with the best songs on here it's a solid song worth having for Townshend fans. "Save It For Later" features Townshend alone on acoustic guitar singing the song. The bonus 12inch version of "Hiding Out" is a nice addition for fans but doesn't compare to the album version which is more succint and direct.

I do wish that Hip-O had included notes on the making of the album. To the best of my knowledge the Japanese pressing is the same as the U.S. except that it is a replica of the original vinyl album sleeve. So unless you want it for the collectible cover, I'd go for the original CD issue since it sounds better.

Album-5 stars
Bonus tracks-3 stars
Remaster Sound-3 stars (compared to 5 for the original)

Many long-time fans of The Who missed out on the underpromoted solo efforts by various members of the band. Of all those works that I have heard, only Pete Townshend's have any real merit. I was pretty stoked when I read in the English music press that some of Pete's early work would be remastered and re-released. But it was obvious from the article that the writer didn't think much of White City.
I disagree. White City is nearly a masterpiece, and is one of the most overlooked and underappreciated of all Townshend's works. I liked it when it was originally released and I like it just as much in the remastered edition. While Roger Daltrey was the Who's powerhouse vocalist, it was always Townshend to whom the band turned when the vocals required a touch of nuance and emotion. And on White City, there is a lot of both.
White City itself is apparently one of the housing "estates" that are the legacy of the postwar socialist policies of the British government. Our equivalent in the US is "the projects". And both seem equally mind-numbing and violent places in which to live. This "estate" seems to be the subject of about half the CD. Songs like Hiding Out, I Am Secure, and White City Fighting paint quite a picture.
Lyrically, White City is flawless. Musically, I have my favorites. Those are the hard-driving Give Blood, the jaunty Brilliant Blues, the pounding Face the Face, the angry Secondhand Love, and the soothing I Am Secure. If you are an old Who fan and never got around to hearing any of Townshend's solo work, well you ought to hear this. And by the way, I had none of the defects on my CD mentioned by another reviewer. Maybe his was from a bad batch.

My favorite Pete Townshend solo album is 1985's "White City," a magnificent record with what is arguably Townshend's best collection of solo songs ever. Of course I love his other solo work, but for me, "White City" is Pete's crowning achievement outside of the Who. Thrilling rockers include "Give Blood," "Face The Face" (a Top 40 hit), "Secondhand Love," and "White City Fighting" (co-written with Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who also plays on the album), and great pop songs like "Brilliant Blues," "Hiding Out," and "Crashing By Design." Also, this new remaster of "White City" contains three excellent bonus tracks: "Night School" (previously only heard on the "White City" videocassette, currently out-of-print), Pete's cover of the English Beat's "Save It For Later," and an extended mix of "Hiding Out." However, I must say something about "Night School"---this is NOT the version heard on the "White City" video! I've always loved the original version of this song, as it's one of Pete's grooviest tunes ever (it even has a cool disco beat to it), with great vocals & lyrics from Pete. I remained puzzled for years why Pete never properly released the song, so naturally I was thrilled to see it listed as a bonus track on this remastered "White City" CD, and I promptly bought the disc. To my disappointment, this is an *alternate* version of "Night School." It's still very good---the song still rocks---but this version is a bit slower than the one on the "White City" video, with most of Pete's original vocals & lyrics removed. So, what happened to the original version of "Night School", Pete? That's the version I wanted! Oh well...perhaps Pete can correct this problem at a later date. And it takes nothing away at all from the "White City" album itself, which remains Pete Townshend's solo masterpiece. It's an outstanding album. Buy it!

At 26, friends, college instructors, family, and even strangers are often surprised to discover my love for classic rock. Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Who, Morrison, the list goes on. Pete Townshend has a special place in my musical heart, especially with this album.

I remember it being in my dad's vinyl collection when I was little. When I recently asked him what he thought of it, he couldn't remember anything except "Give Blood". He thought that song was exceptional, and the rest was just so-so. I highly respect my dad's musical tastes, so I ordered the album without expecting much. I was VERY pleasantly surprised.

Give it a listen. Some of my favorite tracks are Give Blood, White City Fighting, Secondhand Love, Night School, and Townshend's excellent rendering of Save It For Later.

I remember picking up this album upon it's release in 1985, the video for 'Face The Face' and the big band swing feel of the track was compelling. It was my first investment in a Townshend solo record, and it was then, and still is, outstanding. It should be noted that the third person prose on the jewel box was a lot more in depth on the Vinyl release, and laid out most of the story that's featured in the Richard Lowenstein film. The narrative of this concept seemed more focused than the abstractions within ATBCHCE, what currently stands with 'White City' is a another great Townshend album. Chris Thomas' production seems much more focused and with more sonic depth than with his work on ATBCHCE which always sounded a little too thin for my ears.

One thing I feel that should be noted is the great bass guitar work of Pino Palladino on this album, it's not that surprising in hindsight that Palladino has become Entwhistle's replacement on the current set of Who tours. David Gilmour's distinctive guitar is prominently featured on the track opener "Give Blood", although Townshend's rhythm-lead style still cuts through. Gilmour co-wrote "White City Fighting" and one can easily spot the sections he had a hand in, great! Pino provides a nice bass solo on this track as well in the midsection.

The Jaunty "Brilliant Blues" is an outstanding track, "Hiding Out" is merely a decent track, never has been a personal favorite, a little too indicative of mid 80's pop for my taste. "Secondhand Love" is an outstanding, blues based track with a passionate vocal. While "I Am Secure" would have to be considered a fragment, it's the one overlooked track that was a real missed opportunity, the opening keyboard sequence is only mildly interesting, while the body of the song is a wonderful acoustic number that evokes an image of childhood innocence, The second verse differs from the printed lyrics, which leaves me to conclude a third verse and chorus was intended in the performance. Perhaps 'leaving them wanting more', as they say, is for the best, but I would love to hear a complete version either way. The opening of "Come To Mama" reminds me of some of Pete's instrumental compositions from the 'Scoop' series, and the song might have been served better without the lyrics, otherwise a nearly flawless collection.

The bonus tracks are a nice edition, "Night School" is an interesting track, Pete's studio cover of the English Beats' "Save It For Later" is the strongest of the bonus material, the remix of "Hiding Out" is again merely only interesting for me, to each his own.

John Astley's remastering, once again, gives it and added depth and clarity. This edition is highly recommend for longtime fans as well as newcomers of this album. Worthwhile investment.

I was a teen when this ablum was first released. At the time, 'Give Blood' was the hit single and the sole reason I bought 'White City'. This ended up being one of those vinyl albums that I played the hell out of. It's truly epic.... meant to be listened to in order. I never upgraded to cassette or CD, I just forgot about it. Until now. It's really such a treat to listen to this all over again. If you are a fan of Pete's, Pink Floyd (Dave Gilmour) or the Who (Tommy), I think you will love this album. My favorite song on this is 'Hiding Out', so I appreciated the bonus track.

Ditto to all the previous reviews; however, my copy seems to be defective.

Like a previous customer, one of my favorite tracks is "Hiding Out", and I was excited to have the rare 12" Mix availible here. Unfortunately, 4 minutes and 43 seconds into the track there appears to be a glitch. It's present when I play the CD, when I rip it in iTunes, and even when I open the track in Adobe Audition.

The disc is of course brand new and unscathed, so I wonder if this is a defect in the binary data when the disc was manufactured? If anyone else has this problem, maybe Universal will conduct a recall. If not, I'll just send it back to Amazon for a replacement.

Just when you think Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend has hit his highest point of invincibility, you're wrong! Every solo record containing original material that he has put out over a 21-year period starting with Who Came First in 1972 and concluding with Psychoderelict in 1993 has surpassed its predecessor in lyrical and musical outlook. In terms of White City, the 1986 creation showcases Pete's masterful approach to his vocals. He really belts it out on every number throughout the entire album. The musical arrangements are rib-tingling and make you feel every ounce of emotion exhibited by the singer/songwriter himself. It's only suitable that the opening track bears the title, "Give Blood"--since that is certainly what Pete does throughout White City. After back-to-back series of Scoop demos combined with a few originals therein, it's back to the drawing board for all-original compositions. Looking back to the days of It's Hard, Pete tackles the tricky topic of living in hard times (the 1980s) and places (the poverty-stricken area of White City, London) most eloquently without fail. Dishing out 11 hard rockers on the album's reissue 20 years after its original release, the listener gets the feeling that this man means musical business! The rhythmic, melodic, harmonic richness is overflowing with splendor from the first note to the last. As a soloist, Pete makes his own words come alive with his own style of singing--giving the audience what they yearn for. Pete says goodbye to the Brilliant Blues at the beginning of the album, but quickly contradicts himself--thankfully!

Excellent CD. Every track is fantastic and Pete T. rocks even when he's not a part of the Who